Large and small social groups. Small social group

Group is one of the main elements of the social structure of society and is a collection of people united by any significant feature - general activities, general economic, demographic, ethnographic, psychological characteristics. This concept is used in law, economics, history, ethnography, demography, and psychology. In sociology, the concept of “social group” is usually used.

Not every community of people is called a social group. If people are simply in a certain place (on a bus, at a stadium), then such a temporary community can be called an “aggregation.” A social community that unites people according to only one or several similar characteristics is also not called a group; The term “category” is used here. For example, a sociologist might classify students between 14 and 18 years of age as youth; elderly people to whom the state pays benefits provides payment benefits utilities, - to the category of pensioners, etc.

Social group - it is an objectively existing stable community, a set of individuals interacting in a certain way based on several characteristics, in particular the shared expectations of each group member regarding others.

The concept of a group as independent, along with the concepts of personality (individual) and society, is already found in Aristotle. In modern times, T. Hobbes was the first to define a group as “a certain number of people united by a common interest or a common cause.”

Under social group it is necessary to understand any objectively existing stable set of people connected by a system of relations regulated by formal or informal social institutions. Society in sociology is considered not as a monolithic entity, but as a collection of many social groups that interact and are in a certain dependence on each other. Each person during his life belongs to many such groups, including family, friendly group, student group, nation, etc. The creation of groups is facilitated by similar interests and goals of people, as well as by the awareness of the fact that by combining actions one can achieve significantly greater results than with individual action. Wherein social activities Each person is largely determined by the activities of the groups in which he is included, as well as by interactions within groups and between groups. It can be stated with complete confidence that only in a group a person becomes an individual and is able to find full self-expression.

Concept, formation and types of social groups

The most important elements of the social structure of society are social groups And social communities. Being forms of social interaction, they represent associations of people whose joint, solidary actions are aimed at satisfying their needs.

IN modern sociology There are many definitions of the concept “social group”. Thus, according to some Russian sociologists, a social group is a collection of people who have common social signs, performing a socially necessary function in the structure of the social division of labor and activity. American sociologist R. Merton defines a social group as a set of individuals who interact with each other in a certain way, are aware of their belonging to a given group and are recognized as members of this group from the point of view of others. He identifies three main features in a social group: interaction, membership and unity.

Unlike mass communities, social groups are characterized by:

sustainable interaction that contributes to the strength and stability of their existence;

relatively high degree unity and cohesion;

clearly expressed homogeneity of composition, suggesting the presence of characteristics inherent in all members of the group;

the possibility of joining broader social communities as structural units.

Since each person in the course of his life is a member of a wide variety of social groups that differ in size, nature of interaction, degree of organization and many other characteristics, there is a need to classify them according to certain criteria.

The following are distinguished: types of social groups:

1. Depending on the nature of the interaction - primary and secondary (Appendix, diagram 9).

Primary group according to C. Cooley’s definition, is a group in which the interaction between members is direct, interpersonal in nature and different high level emotionality (family, school class, peer group, etc.). Carrying out the socialization of the individual, the primary group acts as a connecting link between the individual and society.

A secondary group is a larger group in which interaction is subordinated to achieving a specific goal and is of a formal, impersonal nature. In these groups, the main attention is paid not to the personal, unique qualities of group members, but to their ability to perform certain functions. Examples of such groups are organizations (industrial, political, religious, etc.).

2. Depending on the method of organizing and regulating interaction - formal and informal.

A formal group is a group with legal status, the interaction in which is regulated by a system of formalized norms, rules, and laws. These groups have a conscious target, normatively fixed hierarchical structure and act according to administrative established order(organizations, enterprises, etc.).

An informal group arises spontaneously, based on common views, interests and interpersonal interactions. It is deprived of official regulation and legal status. Such groups are usually headed by informal leaders. Examples include friendly companies, informal associations among young people, rock music fans, etc.

3. Depending on the individuals’ belonging to them - ingroups and outgroups.

Ingroup- this is a group to which an individual feels immediate belonging and identifies it as “mine”, “our” (for example, “my family”, “my class”, “my company”, etc.).

Outgroup - this is a group to which a given individual does not belong and therefore evaluates it as “alien”, not his own (other families, another religious group, another ethnic group, etc.). Each individual in an ingroup has their own scale for assessing outgroups: from indifferent to aggressive-hostile. Therefore, sociologists propose measuring the degree of acceptance or closedness in relation to other groups according to the so-called Bogardus's "social distance scale".

Reference group - this is a real or imaginary social group, the system of values, norms and assessments of which serves as a standard for the individual. The term was first proposed by the American social psychologist Hyman. The reference group in the system of relations “individual - society” performs two important functions: normative, being for the individual a source of norms of behavior, social attitudes and value orientations; comparative, acting as a standard for an individual, it allows him to determine his place in the social structure of society and evaluate himself and others.

4. Depending on the quantitative composition and form of implementation of connections - small and large.

Small group- this is a small group of people in direct contact, united to carry out joint activities.

A small group can take many forms, but the initial ones are “dyad” and “triad”, they are called simplest molecules small group. A dyad consists of two people and is considered an extremely fragile association, in triad actively interact three persons, it is more stable.

The characteristic features of a small group are:

small and stable composition (usually from 2 to 30 people);

spatial proximity of group members;

stability and duration of existence:

high degree of coincidence of group values, norms and patterns of behavior;

intensity of interpersonal relationships;

a developed sense of belonging to a group;

informal control and information saturation in the group.

A large group is a group that is large in composition, which is created for a specific purpose and the interaction in which is mainly indirect (work collectives, enterprises, etc.). This also includes numerous groups of people who have common interests and occupy the same position in social structure society. For example, social class, professional, political and other organizations.

A team (lat. collectivus) is a social group in which everything is vital important connections between people are mediated through socially important goals.

Characteristic features of the team:

combination of interests of the individual and society;

a community of goals and principles that act as value orientations and norms of activity for team members. The team performs the following functions:

subject - solving the problem for which it is created;

social and educational - combination of interests of the individual and society.

5. Depending on socially significant characteristics - real and nominal.

Real groups are groups identified according to socially significant criteria:

floor - men and women;

age - children, youth, adults, elderly;

income - rich, poor, prosperous;

nationality - Russians, French, Americans;

Family status - married, single, divorced;

profession (occupation) - doctors, economists, managers;

location - townspeople, rural residents.

Nominal (conditional) groups, sometimes called social categories, are identified for the purpose of conducting sociological research or statistical population accounting (for example, to find out the number of passengers on benefits, single mothers, students receiving personal scholarships, etc.).

Along with social groups, the concept of “quasi-group” is distinguished in sociology.

A quasi-group is an informal, spontaneous, unstable social community that does not have a specific structure and value system, the interaction of people in which, as a rule, is external and short-term in nature.

The main types of quasigroups are:

An audience is a social community united by interaction with a communicator and receiving information from him. The heterogeneity of a given social formation, due to the difference personal qualities, as well as the cultural values ​​and norms of the people included in it, determines the different degrees of perception and evaluation of the information received.

Crowd- a temporary, relatively unorganized, structureless accumulation of people united in a closed physical space by a commonality of interests, but at the same time devoid of a clearly recognized goal and connected by similarities emotional state. Highlight General characteristics crowds:

suggestibility - people in a crowd are usually more suggestible than people outside of it;

anonymity - an individual, being in a crowd, seems to merge with it, becomes unrecognizable, believing that it is difficult to “calculate” him;

spontaneity (infectivity) - people in a crowd are subject to rapid transfer and change of emotional state;

unconsciousness - the individual feels invulnerable in the crowd, outside social control, therefore, his actions are “saturated” with collective unconscious instincts and become unpredictable.

Depending on the method of crowd formation and the behavior of people in it, the following types are distinguished:

random crowd - an indefinite collection of individuals formed spontaneously without any purpose (to watch a celebrity suddenly appear or a traffic accident);

conventional crowd - a relatively structured gathering of people subject to planned, predetermined norms (spectators in a theater, fans in a stadium, etc.);

expressive crowd - a social quasi-group formed for the personal pleasure of its members, which in itself is already a goal and result (discos, rock festivals, etc.);

active (active) crowd - a group that performs some actions, which can take the form of: gatherings - an emotionally excited crowd tending towards violent actions, and the revolted crowd - a group characterized by particular aggressiveness and destructive actions.

In the history of the development of sociological science there have been various theories, explaining the mechanisms of crowd formation (G. Le Bon, R. Turner, etc.). But despite all the dissimilarity of points of view, one thing is clear: to manage the command of the crowd, it is important: 1) to identify the sources of the emergence of norms; 2) identify their carriers by structuring the crowd; 3) purposefully influence their creators, offering the crowd meaningful goals and algorithms for further actions.

Among quasi-groups, the closest to social groups are social circles.

Social circles are social communities that are created for the purpose of exchanging information between their members.

Polish sociologist J. Szczepanski identifies the following types of social circles: contact - communities that constantly meet on the basis of certain conditions (interest in sports competitions, sports, etc.); professional - gathering to exchange information solely on a professional basis; status - formed regarding the exchange of information between people with the same social status (aristocratic circles, women's or men's circles, etc.); friendly - based on the joint holding of any events (companies, groups of friends).

In conclusion, we note that quasi-groups are some transitional formations, which, with the acquisition of such characteristics as organization, stability and structure, turn into a social group.

Small social group

1. Characteristics of a small group

Small social group - an association of people who have direct contact with each other, united by joint activities, emotional or family closeness, aware of their belonging to a group and recognized by other people.

Composition of the group

Number and characteristics (by age, gender, education, nationality...)

Group structure

Implies the functional responsibilities of group members in their joint activities, set of roles(a set of expected actions from a person who is assigned certain functional responsibilities) and set of norms(a set of instructions, requirements, wishes for socially approved behavior).

Group Processes

They imply processes of unity or disunity of a group, the development of group norms. formation of leadership, development of likes and dislikes, etc.

2. Types and functions of small groups

By occupation

(industrial, educational, amateur)

According to the method of occurrence

formal - arising to perform certain functions within higher-level systems (3 - 20 people)

informal or contact - arising from mutual sympathy, interests. The limits of their numbers are the limits of a person’s emotional capabilities (3 - 8 people)

According to the degree of development of interpersonal relationships

From differential groups to collective

According to the importance of the individual

membership groups (all people in the group)

reference groups (social circle significant for an individual)

Group functions

Reference groups are characterized by a comparison function and a normative function. The comparison function implies that the group forms a standard of behavior and assessment of the individual himself and those around him.

The instrumental functions of groups are associated with the organization of joint activities.

Expressive and supportive functions are related to the emotional needs of the individual.

3. Group dynamics

Group dynamics includes the following processes:

cohesion or disunity of groups;

the process of formation of informal groups within formal groups;

the formation of group norms (this is the most important process), i.e. spontaneously emerging standards of individual behavior. Such norms and standards make individual behavior predictable and contribute to the effectiveness of group activities.

The formation of group norms increases the cohesion of the group and at the same time increases group pressure on the individual.

Conformity- characteristic of the individual’s position relative to the group’s position, a measure of the individual’s subordination to group pressure.

Conformity can manifest itself as a change in a person's opinions and behavior towards greater agreement with the group.

The opposite side of conformism is negativism.

One of the most important processes in group dynamics is the identification of a leader. Leader - a member of a small group who has some influence on aspects of its life. Influence is based on authority (recognition of a person’s group and personal qualities). The promotion of a leader is related to the functional task of management.

Management - a set of actions including:

goal setting (including decision making)

coordination of joint actions

monitoring compliance with standards of group behavior and implementation of decisions made.

Management sets the relationship of subordination (ordering from top to bottom), coordination (ordering horizontally), reordination (ordering from bottom to top).

Management is necessary to optimize joint activities, however, each of the spheres of a group’s life can initiate its own leaders, and then the cohesion of the group will depend on the relationship between them.

A small group is a systemic social object. Its elements (like the elements of other social systems) are people and the relationships that arise between them.

In relation to small groups, the principle of hierarchy applies. That means. that a small group acts as a part of higher-level systems (for example, a study group is included in a faculty), acts as a subsystem.

A small group is a dynamic system, as evidenced by the processes of group dynamics. This open system, i.e. it exchanges matter, energy, and information with the external environment.

Taking into account the above (in italics), consider

Leader's direction:

The implementation of these directions illustrates the complementary function of the leader (the leader must do what the group cannot do).

The management task is constant, and the methods of its implementation depend on the characteristics of the group, as well as on the situation in which the group operates.

Management models (styles)

Democratic

Liberal

Anarchist

The differences between these models can be established:

by the nature of the relationship between managers and managed

Managerial dominance

Constructive equality of the parties

Dominance of the Governed

by way of decision making

1 person makes the decision. Quality depends on his knowledge, qualifications, experience, etc. The speed of decision making increases, and the implementation of decisions is associated with increased external control of the leader over group members.

The decision arises as a result of collective discussion. The quality of a decision depends on the ability of group members to express their opinions and listen to the opinions of others, as well as on the ability of the leader to organize a discussion and, if necessary, bring in an expert. The speed of decision making slows down, but everyone's participation in the process increases. decision making, the importance of self-control during the implementation of decisions increases.

Minimizing management can lead to a decision never being made

according to the characteristics of the groups for which one or another model is applicable

The higher the level of education of group members, the more creative the content of their activities, the less acceptable the authoritarian style.

according to situations in which the use of one or another model is justified

For example, extreme situations justify the use of an authoritarian model, while in a situation of group cohesion, a democratic style is better.

In different life situations we have to face different life circumstances

Large And Small groups

R Various schools and researchers have identified many private classifications of groups, mostly of a dichotomous nature. So, they highlight groups laboratory and natural, formal official and informal unofficial (according to the method of occurrence), organized and unorganized (according to the degree of regulation of relationships and life activities), referential groups And groups membership (from the point of view of their value significance for the participant), primary and secondary (from the point of view of immediacy - indirectness of contacts), big And small.

Let us especially dwell on the last dichotomy.

At first glance, behind this simple typology there is a number of participants groups. A small number of participants is a small group, many participants are a large group. However, in the domestic tradition, the separation of these two types of groups has more compelling reasons. Large and small social groups not just differ in the number of members - this is fundamental different types groups.

To the small ones include various social associations of people with a small and finite number of participants, which in one form or another are included in existing system social production and control (towards a formal definition of small groups We'll get to that a little further down).

Small groups- these are working groups, scientific laboratories, educational associations, sports teams, etc. Small groups exist in reality: they are accessible to direct perception, observable in their size and duration of existence. Their study can be carried out through specific techniques of working with all members groups(observation of interaction in a group, surveys, tests on the characteristics of group dynamics, experiment). And what is very important: it is possible to isolate the specific purpose of the existence of such groups (pattern of activity), since they are organized around some kind of activity, material or spiritual.

To large groups include large and changing human communities, whose members are not in direct contact and may not even know about each other’s existence. Members large groups combine certain signs of a non-psychological property: living in the same territory, belonging to a certain social stratum (economic status), being in a certain place at a certain hour, and more. Large groups in turn are divided into two subtypes.

The first includes ethnic groups, classes, professional groups. They are distinguished by the duration of their existence, the pattern of emergence and development from the point of view of social history.

The second includes the public, the crowd, the audience - communities that arose by chance and exist for a short time. However, in them people are included for some time in a common emotional space. Ethnicity is difficult to imagine in the form of a large groups people located on some gigantic platform, as well as all circus performers or the entire middle class, even if only of a certain state.

Large And Small groups

There are, of course, interesting examples. Let's say, in Cuba, during the heyday of Fidel Castro's rule, once a year a rally of incredible size was held, which attracted the entire adult population of the island (hundreds of thousands of people!). It is difficult to say what this collection of people represented at that moment - a crowd or a large group called "the people of the Republic of Cuba."

The fundamental difference between large groups of the first and second subtypes is in the mechanisms regulating intragroup processes.

So called organizedbig groups controlled by specific social mechanisms: traditions, customs, morals. It is possible to isolate and describe the typical lifestyle, character traits, and self-awareness of a representative of such groups.

Unorganizedbig groups controlled by socio-psychological mechanisms of an emotional nature: imitation, suggestion, infection. They are characterized by a community of feelings and moods at a certain point in time, which, however, does not indicate a deeper psychological community of participants in this kind of social formations.

For almost 100 years, the small group has remained the subject of keen interest of various socio-psychological schools and trends, a huge number of theorists, researchers and practitioners in America, Eurasia, and Australia. There are many approaches, definitions, formulations of the problem, and even more criticism towards opponents. It is difficult to imagine a definition that would suit everyone without exception and at the same time have at least some specific content.

We will turn to the approach proposed by the Moscow socio-psychological school. Following G.M. Andreeva, we define a small group as a small group in composition, whose members are united by common activities and are in direct personal contact, which is the basis for the emergence of group norms, processes and interpersonal relationships.

So, in accordance with this definition, two signs create the basis for the occurrence of small groups How psychological phenomenon: joint activities in its psychological aspect(values, goals, objectives and methods of interaction) and direct contact, that is, the possibility of organizing interpersonal communication. On this basis, the small group itself emerges and develops as a socio-psychological phenomenon.

Researchers are studying its various properties and characteristics. So, A.I. Dontsov, developing this definition, identifies eight signs that characterize the behavior of people in a small group.

1. Regularly and continuously communicate face to face, without intermediaries.

2. They have a common goal, the implementation of which allows them to satisfy their significant needs and interests.

3. Participate in common system distribution of functions and roles in intragroup interaction.

4. They share common norms and rules of interaction within groups and in intergroup situations.

5. Satisfied with membership in the group and therefore experience feelings of solidarity with each other and gratitude to the group.

Large And Small groups

6. Have a clear and differentiated understanding of each other.

7. Connected by stable emotional relationships.

8. Present themselves as members of one groups and are perceived similarly from the outside.

Thus, a small social group is an integral independent subject of functioning and development, possessing the following properties.

· Consists of a limited, small number of people.

· Occurs when participants unite with a common goal and interpersonal communication.

· Endows its members with some cognitive and emotional content.

· Determines the characteristics of their behavior in intra- and intergroup situations.

“Small in composition”, “small number of people”... How many people make up a small group? Is it possible to name a specific number or at least a formula for determining it?

Interest in these issues arose a little later than intensive research began in the field of small groups. As a result, the following can be stated: most of Small group research has been conducted in dyads, that is, pairs, but there is every reason to believe that a “true small group” begins with a triad.

A dyad is a very specific small group; many structures and processes unfold and do not occur in it in full and take on a “truncated” form. It turns out that “de jure” a small group starts with three people, and “de facto” - with two. Attempts to install for small groups an unambiguous "upper limit" can also be considered unsatisfactory. It is clear that it is no higher than the level of two or three dozen, but where exactly? For educational purposes groups- one limit, for a training team - another, for a sports team - a third...

The most successful can be considered a functional approach to determining the upper limit of a small groups. Its essence is as follows: a group can have as many people as can be effectively united to achieve a given specific purpose. The psychological content of joint activity determines the possible number of participants in this groups.

Marina BITYANOVA, Candidate of Psychological Sciences

A person participates in public life not as an isolated individual, but as a member of social communities - family, friendly company, work collective, nation, class, etc. His activities are largely determined by the activities of the groups in which he is included, as well as by the interaction within and between groups. Accordingly, in sociology, society appears not only as an abstraction, but also as a set of specific social groups that are in a certain dependence on each other.

The structure of the entire social system, the totality of interconnected and interacting social groups and social communities, as well as social institutions and relations between them, is the social structure of society.

In sociology, the problem of dividing society into groups (including nations, classes), their interaction is one of the cardinal ones and is characteristic of all levels of theory.

Concept of social group

Group is one of the main elements of the social structure of society and is a collection of people united by any significant feature - common activities, common economic, demographic, ethnographic, psychological characteristics. This concept is used in law, economics, history, ethnography, demography, and psychology. In sociology, the concept of “social group” is usually used.

Not every community of people is called a social group. If people are simply in a certain place (on a bus, at a stadium), then such a temporary community can be called an “aggregation.” A social community that unites people according to only one or several similar characteristics is also not called a group; The term “category” is used here. For example, a sociologist might classify students between 14 and 18 years of age as youth; elderly people to whom the state pays benefits, provides benefits for utility bills - to the category of pensioners, etc.

Social group - it is an objectively existing stable community, a set of individuals interacting in a certain way based on several characteristics, in particular the shared expectations of each group member regarding others.

The concept of a group as independent, along with the concepts of personality (individual) and society, is already found in Aristotle. In modern times, T. Hobbes was the first to define a group as “a certain number of people united by a common interest or a common cause.”

Under social group it is necessary to understand any objectively existing stable set of people connected by a system of relations regulated by formal or informal social institutions. Society in sociology is considered not as a monolithic entity, but as a collection of many social groups that interact and are in a certain dependence on each other. Each person during his life belongs to many similar groups, among which are family, friendly team, student group, nation, etc. The creation of groups is facilitated by similar interests and goals of people, as well as by the awareness of the fact that by combining actions one can achieve significantly greater results than with individual action. Moreover, the social activity of each person is largely determined by the activities of the groups in which he is included, as well as by the interaction within groups and between groups. It can be stated with complete confidence that only in a group a person becomes an individual and is able to find full self-expression.

Concept, formation and types of social groups

The most important elements of the social structure of society are social groups And . Being forms of social interaction, they represent associations of people whose joint, solidary actions are aimed at satisfying their needs.

There are many definitions of the concept “social group”. Thus, according to some Russian sociologists, a social group is a collection of people who have common social characteristics and perform a socially necessary function in the structure of the social division of labor and activity. American sociologist R. Merton defines a social group as a set of individuals who interact with each other in a certain way, are aware of their belonging to a given group and are recognized as members of this group from the point of view of others. He identifies three main features in a social group: interaction, membership and unity.

Unlike mass communities, social groups are characterized by:

• sustainable interaction that contributes to the strength and stability of their existence;
• relatively high degree of unity and cohesion;
• clearly expressed homogeneity of composition, suggesting the presence of characteristics inherent in all members of the group;
• the possibility of joining broader social communities as structural units.

Since each person in the course of his life is a member of a wide variety of social groups that differ in size, nature of interaction, degree of organization and many other characteristics, there is a need to classify them according to certain criteria.

The following are distinguished: types of social groups:

1. Depending on the nature of the interaction - primary and secondary (Appendix, diagram 9).

Primary group according to C. Cooley's definition, is a group in which the interaction between members is direct, interpersonal in nature and characterized by a high level of emotionality (family, school class, peer group, etc.). Carrying out the socialization of the individual, the primary group acts as a connecting link between the individual and society.

Secondary group- this is a larger group in which interaction is subordinated to the achievement of a specific goal and is of a formal, impersonal nature. In these groups, the main attention is paid not to the personal, unique qualities of group members, but to their ability to perform certain functions. Examples of such groups are organizations (industrial, political, religious, etc.).

2. Depending on the method of organizing and regulating interaction - formal and informal.

Formal group is a group with legal status, interaction in which is regulated by a system of formalized norms, rules, and laws. These groups have a conscious target, normatively fixed hierarchical structure and act in accordance with the administratively established procedure (organizations, enterprises, etc.).

Informal grouparises spontaneously, based on common views, interests and interpersonal interactions. It is deprived of official regulation and legal status. Such groups are usually headed by informal leaders. Examples include friendly companies, informal associations among young people, rock music fans, etc.

3. Depending on the individuals’ belonging to them - ingroups and outgroups.

Ingroup- this is a group to which an individual feels immediate belonging and identifies it as “mine”, “our” (for example, “my family”, “my class”, “my company”, etc.).

Outgroup - this is a group to which a given individual does not belong and therefore evaluates it as “alien”, not his own (other families, another religious group, another ethnic group, etc.). Each individual in an ingroup has their own scale for assessing outgroups: from indifferent to aggressive-hostile. Therefore, sociologists propose measuring the degree of acceptance or closedness in relation to other groups according to the so-called Bogardus's "social distance scale".

Reference group - this is a real or imaginary social group, the system of values, norms and assessments of which serves as a standard for the individual. The term was first proposed by the American social psychologist Hyman. The reference group in the system of relations “individual – society” performs two important functions: normative, being for the individual a source of norms of behavior, social attitudes and value orientations; comparative, acting as a standard for an individual, it allows him to determine his place in the social structure of society and evaluate himself and others.

4. Depending on the quantitative composition and form of connections - small and large.

- this is a small group of people in direct contact, united to carry out joint activities.

A small group can take many forms, but the initial ones are “dyad” and “triad”, they are called simplest molecules small group. Dyadconsists of two people and is considered an extremely fragile association, in triad actively interact three persons, it is more stable.

The characteristic features of a small group are:

• small and stable composition (usually from 2 to 30 people);
• spatial proximity of group members;
• stability and duration of existence:
• high degree of coincidence of group values, norms and patterns of behavior;
• intensity of interpersonal relationships;
• a developed sense of belonging to a group;
• informal control and information saturation in the group.

Large group is a large group that is created for a specific purpose and the interaction in which is mainly indirect ( labor collectives, enterprises, etc.). This also includes numerous groups of people who have common interests and occupy the same position in the social structure of society. For example, social class, professional, political and other organizations.

A team (lat. collectivus) is a social group in which all vital connections between people are mediated through socially important goals.

Characteristic features of the team:

• combination of interests of the individual and society;
• a community of goals and principles that act for team members as value orientations and standards of activity. The team performs the following functions:
• subject - solving the problem for which it is created;
• social and educational - combination of interests of the individual and society.

5. Depending on socially significant characteristics - real and nominal.

Real groups are groups identified according to socially significant criteria:

• floor - men and women;
• age - children, youth, adults, elderly;
• income - rich, poor, prosperous;
• nationality - Russians, French, Americans;
• Family status - married, single, divorced;
• profession (occupation) - doctors, economists, managers;
• location - townspeople, rural residents.

Nominal (conditional) groups, sometimes called social categories, are identified for the purpose of sociological research or statistical population accounting (for example, to find out the number of passengers on benefits, single mothers, students receiving personal scholarships, etc.).

Along with social groups, the concept of “quasi-group” is distinguished in sociology.

A quasi-group is an informal, spontaneous, unstable social community that does not have a specific structure and value system, and the interaction of people in which, as a rule, is external and short-term in nature.

The main types of quasigroups are:

Audienceis a social community united by interaction with a communicator and receiving information from him. The heterogeneity of a given social formation, due to differences in personal qualities, as well as cultural values and the norms of the people included in it, determines the different degrees of perception and evaluation of the information received.

- a temporary, relatively unorganized, structureless accumulation of people, united in a closed physical space by a community of interests, but at the same time devoid of a clearly recognized goal and connected by a similarity in their emotional state. The general characteristics of the crowd are highlighted:

• suggestibility - people in a crowd are usually more suggestible than people outside of it;
• anonymity - an individual, being in a crowd, seems to merge with it, becoming unrecognizable, believing that it is difficult to “calculate” him;
• spontaneity (infectivity) - people in a crowd are subject to rapid transfer and change of emotional state;
• unconsciousness - the individual feels invulnerable in the crowd, outside of social control, so his actions are “saturated” with collective unconscious instincts and become unpredictable.

Depending on the method of crowd formation and the behavior of people in it, the following types are distinguished:

• random crowd - an indefinite collection of individuals formed spontaneously without any purpose (to watch a celebrity suddenly appear or a traffic accident);
• conventional crowd - a relatively structured gathering of people subject to planned, predetermined norms (spectators in a theater, fans in a stadium, etc.);
• expressive crowd - a social quasi-group formed for the personal pleasure of its members, which in itself is already a goal and result (discos, rock festivals, etc.);
• active (active) crowd - a group that performs some actions, which can take the form of: gatherings - an emotionally excited crowd tending towards violent actions, and the revolted crowd - a group characterized by particular aggressiveness and destructive actions.

In the history of the development of sociological science, various theories have emerged that explain the mechanisms of crowd formation (G. Le Bon, R. Turner, etc.). But despite all the dissimilarity of points of view, one thing is clear: to manage the command of the crowd, it is important: 1) to identify the sources of the emergence of norms; 2) identify their carriers by structuring the crowd; 3) purposefully influence their creators, offering the crowd meaningful goals and algorithms for further actions.

Among quasi-groups, the closest to social groups are social circles.

Social circles are social communities that are created for the purpose of exchanging information between their members.

Polish sociologist J. Szczepanski identifies the following types of social circles: contact - communities that constantly meet on the basis of certain conditions (interest in sports competitions, sports, etc.); professional - gathering to exchange information solely on a professional basis; status - formed regarding the exchange of information between people with the same social status(aristocratic circles, women's or men's circles, etc.); friendly - based on the joint holding of any events (companies, groups of friends).

In conclusion, we note that quasi-groups are some transitional formations, which, with the acquisition of such characteristics as organization, stability and structure, turn into a social group.

Small

In order of occurrence:

The primary group is a collection of individuals united on the basis of direct contacts, common goals and objectives and characterized by a high level of emotional closeness and spiritual solidarity (family, group of friends, closest neighbors). It is characterized by the following symptoms:

1) small staff;

2) spatial proximity of members;

3) duration of existence;

4) commonality of group values, norms and patterns of behavior;

5) voluntariness of joining the group;

6) informal control over the behavior of members.

a secondary group is a relatively large social community, the subjects of which are not connected by intimate, close ties; social connection and interaction in the group are impersonal, utilitarian and functional in nature. The secondary group is goal-oriented (work team, school class, sports team, etc.);

By social status:

1) formal group - a group created on the basis of official documents (class, school, party, etc.) and having a legally fixed status. A formal group is characterized by clearly defined positions of members, prescribed group norms, strictly distributed roles in accordance with subordination in the power structure of the group. Between members of such a group, business relationships are established, provided for by documents, which can be supplemented by personal likes and dislikes;

2) an informal group - a real social community of people who are connected by common sympathies, similarity of views, beliefs, tastes, etc. Statuses and roles in such a group are not prescribed, there is no specified system of vertical relationships. Official documents have no meaning in such a group. A group disintegrates when common interests disappear.

According to the directness of the relationships:

1) conditional group - a community of people that exists nominally and is distinguished by some characteristic (gender, age, profession, etc.). People included in such a group do not have direct interpersonal relationships and may not know anything about each other;

2) real group - a community of people existing in a common space and time and united by real relationships (classroom, production team).

According to the level of development or formation of interpersonal relationships:

1) low development groups - communities based on asocial factors, lack of common goals and interests, characterized by conformity or non-conformity of its members (for example, an association, corporation, etc.);

2) groups of high development - communities based on common interests, social goals and values ​​(for example, a team).

By importance:

1) reference group is a real or imaginary group whose norms serve as a model. Reference groups may be real or imagined, positive or negative, and may or may not coincide with membership. They perform a normative function and a social comparison function. In the individual’s ideas, groups can be:

“positive” - groups with which an individual identifies himself and of which he would like to become a member.

“negative” - groups that cause rejection in the individual.

2) membership groups are groups where the individual is not opposed to the group, and relates himself to all other members, and they relate themselves to him.

Other types of groups:

1) permanent (exist long time(political party, school, institute, etc.)) and temporary (exist for a short period of time (train compartment, people in the cinema, etc.));

2) natural (family) and groups psychological and other types of similarity (classes, parties);

3) organized and spontaneous, etc.

Large social group- a quantitatively unlimited social community that has stable values, norms of behavior and social and regulatory mechanisms (parties, ethnic groups, industrial, industrial and public organizations).

Types and characteristics of large social groups

Target social groups that are created to perform functions related to a specific activity. For example, university students can be considered a formal target social group (the goal of its members is to obtain an education);

Territorial(local) social groups are formed on the basis of connections formed based on the proximity of the place of residence. A particularly important form of territorial community is ethnos- a set of individuals and groups belonging to the sphere of influence of a state and interconnected by special relations (common language, traditions, culture, as well as self-identification).

Society - the largest social group, which as a whole is the main object of theoretical or empirical research.

Among large groups, it is also customary to distinguish such social groups as the intelligentsia, office workers, representatives of mental and physical labor, the population of the city and village.

Intelligentsia is a social group professionally engaged in skilled mental work, which requires special education (in the West the term “intellectuals” is more common). Sometimes in the literature there is a fairly broad interpretation of the intelligentsia, including all mental workers, including employees- secretaries, bank controllers, etc.

The role of the intelligentsia in society is determined by its performance of the following functions:

scientific, technical and economic support of material production;

professional management of production, society as a whole and its individual structures;

development of spiritual culture;

socialization;

ensuring the mental and physical health of the population.

The intelligentsia is usually divided into scientific, industrial, pedagogical, cultural and artistic (representatives of creative professions), medical, managerial, military, etc.

People of mental and physical labor, considered as separate social groups, differ markedly: in content and working conditions, in level of education, qualifications, and in cultural and everyday needs.

City population and village population, which continue to be the main types of human settlement, differ in location. Their differences are expressed in scale, population concentration, level of production development, saturation of cultural and everyday objects, transport, and communications.