Class 24: Social Groups
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Prof. Jessica Collett, University of Notre Dame. "Introduction to Social Psychology" lecture notes - Social Groups
Class Notes
A group is a social unit that consists of two or more persons and has all of the following attributes: (Michener, DeLamater, and Myers 2004: 324)
- Membership - People need to consider themselves part of the group, and need to be recognized by others as being a part of that group.
- Interaction among members - Group members need to communicate with and influence one another.
- Goals shared by members - Group members are interdependent in terms of goal attainment, and progress by one member makes it likely that other members will reach their objectives.
- Norms held by all members - Group members share a set of rules or expectations (norms) that limit behavior and outline a plan for action.
Group Goal- an outcome viewed by group members as desirable and important to attain (Michener, DeLamater, and Myers 2004:326).
Norm- a rule or standard that specifies how group members are expected to behave under a given circumstance (Michener, DeLamater, and Myers 2004: 335).
Primary Groups- a small group in which the emotional ties are strong (Michener, DeLamater, and Myers 2004: 327).
Secondary Groups- a group whose members have few emotional ties with one another and relate in terms of roles. Interaction in secondary groups is formal, impersonal, and nonspontaneous (Michener, DeLamater, and Myers 2004: 327).
Roles in Groups (Michener, DeLamater, and Myers 2004: 329).
- Task Specialist- a person who initiates a lot of the tasks within a group, but can often be seen as pushy which can create tension.
- Socio-Emotional Specialist- a person who eases the tension and soothes hurt feelings within the group.
Works Cited
Michener, H. Andrew, John D. DeLamater, and Daniel J. Myers. 2004. Social Psychology. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.
Copyright 2012,
by the Contributing Authors.
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Cite/attribute Resource.
Collett, J. (2009, January 14). Class 24: Social Groups. Retrieved May 23, 2012, from Notre Dame OpenCourseWare Web site: http://ocw.nd.edu/sociology/introduction-to-social-psychology/lectures/class-social-groups.
