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Reimond Bautista BHS-240 October 24, 2020 Professor Adriana Glosser Groups Defined Everyone’s social circle is an important part of their lives and how those social circles come about and are defined can be different from one another and can be very informative about a person’s personality. In today’s society, social circles or groups are a fundamental part of everyone’s day to day life. Social circles or groups help individuals mold and define their personalities and how it shapes their lives. Although people have different definition about groups, we can all agree that they are important aspects of all our lives. So, what is a group and why are groups important? According to Infed (2019), “Groups are a fundamental part of social life. As we will see they can be very small – just two people – or very large.” Additionally, groups can be highly rewarding to their members and to the society as a whole. Although, there are also significant problems or conflicts and dangers within them. According to Forsyth (2014), “Groups come in a staggering assortment of shapes and sizes, from dyads (two members) and triads (three members) to huge crowds, mobs, and assemblies.” Furthermore, according to Forsyth (2014), sociologist John James defined a group to be two or more people in “face-to face interaction as evidenced by the criteria of gesticulation, laughter, smiles, talk, play or work.” Additionally, groups are created for some specific purpose identical to leadership team of a company. The definition of the word group can vary just as much as groups themselves vary (Forsyth, 2014). Although defining a group varies, a cohesion between all definitions is an emphasis on social relations meaning that members tend to connect

or link to one another. A perfect example of a group would be a family because the members are connected, not just by blood but also by their social and emotional relationships. Additionally, a basketball team would also be considered as a group because the members of the team are linked by the task or a goal that they want to achieve. There is not one single type or reasoning that link all the members of a group. There are groups that are linked by kinship (family), task-related (work or school), and or similarities or common interest (friends). According to Forsyth (2014), “the relationships linking members are equally strong or enduring. Some relationships, like the links between members of a family or a clique of close friends, are tenacious, for they have developed over time and are based on a long history of mutual influence and exchange.” In short, the links between groups can be fragile or strong depending on the setting. Moreover, Forsyth (2014), also stated that every individual members of the group does not need to be linked to every other person in the group. Though, no matter what the nature of the relationship is, a group can exists when some type of bond links the members to one another and to the group itself. Even though there are several varieties of groups, no one really knows for certain how many groups really exist and why they are so important to us as humans. Primary, social, collective and category groups are the four most common types of groups. Primary groups are a small, long-term group characterized by frequent interaction, solidarity and high levels of interdependence according to Forsyth (2014). Primary groups are important for individuals and to the society as well because they prepare individuals to lead a successful social life (10 Importance of Primary Groups in Sociology, 2013). It is the first group that plays an important role in socialization and nurtures us to help us learn and use culture. Social or secondary groups are a large group whose relationships are impersonal and goal oriented. Unlike primary, social or

secondary groups are large and interact on less personal level than primary groups (Forsyth, 2014). Social groups are more formally organized than primary groups and memberships are then to be shorter in duration. Additionally, social groups are groups that a person have chosen to be a part of. It is based on interest and activities such as work, or group school projects. Social or secondary groups are important because they help individual feel supported and esteemed and also helps individuals feel capable. According to Forsyth (2014), Collectives are groups that come into existence when people are drawn together by something (event, activity, or eve danger). Collective groups dissolve easily when the experiences or events have ended. Collectives are important just like social because collectives can make impactful events such as earth day or other societal events meaningful and helpful to society. Lastly, Categories are collection of individuals who are similar to one another in some way (Forsyth, 2014). Citizens, race, and ethnicity are some examples of social categories and is important to society and individuals because they provide a sense of safety and belonging. In conclusion, as we can see being linked to people can come in different ways from being linked to family to being linked to our co-workers. Groups play a very important part in every individual’s life. Primary group teaches or nurtures individuals and establishes their personalities, preferences on love, affection, co-operation and companionship. Whereas, social, collective and social categories bond an individual with others by their choice and comfortability to create and run a working society.

References: 10 Importance of Primary Groups in Sociology (606 Words). (2013, December 06). Retrieved from https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/10-importance-of-primary-groups-insociology-606-words/6264 Forsyth, D. R. (2014). Group dynamics. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Infed.org, (2019, June 13). What is a group? Retrieved from https://infed.org/mobi/what-is-agroup/...