Sociology for nurses, 2nd Edition

8

Social Groups

Learning Objectives

• Introduction
• Characteristics of social groups
• Classifications or types of social groups
• Group cycle, group morale, and group behaviour
• Primary, secondary, and quasi groups
• Gemeinschaft and gesellschaft
• Reference groups
• In-group and out-group
• Clan/SIB
• Tribe
• Crowd
• Public
• Audience
• Mob
• Economic groups
• Political groups
• Religious groups

1. INTRODUCTION

Man lives in groups, which are universal aspects of human life. The term group means a number of units that are in close proximity to one another. Thus, we may speak of a group of houses on a street, of trees in a forest, or of buses in a bus stand. In sociology; we are not concerned with merely any group of human beings but with social groups. The simple meaning ...