Meaning and Definition of Social group

Definition of social group

Set of people who develop roles and interact in the same community


The concept that we are concerned in this review has a recurrent use in the field of sociology to designate the same to that set of individuals that display reciprocal roles within the same community.

Essential characteristics of the social group

Its structured shape and its long-lasting in time are the two characteristics that primarily allow us to distinguish it as such, because those who compose it, basically, operated through the same standards, values and with the same goals, which will be in final accounts provide you the welfare to the group in question.
While it will be a condition without equanom to form a social group that there is the common identity or sense of belonging, in this nothing will want to see that members have peer sociocultural to be able to carry out its mission, but rather making them work is that common identity, working on the same project.

We integrate groups to achieve common goals

If one carefully observes a society will come to the conclusion that is conformed by great heterogeneity because each person is unique and unrepeatable, never can we find two equal people thus have raised together and under the same conditions and models, we are all different... Meanwhile, individuals as unique persons compose the societies and completed them with our personal traits. In this context macro are groups that are different people but they decide to get together because they have similar characteristics who approach them. Social groups tend to unite and develop activities and projects in the company of those pairs that are shared ideas, among other issues.
Always human beings will interact with the environment that surrounds it and is related to the rest forming groups that will be more or less large and of course that will have different purposes. However, in all groups there is a common mission because if this did not happen it would not be a group really.
For example, an individual interacts socially with colleagues, share hobbies with other pairs who love the same, maintains friendships with which goes out to have fun and also made friends from high school or college. All of them form social groups.
When what raw material and tilts the scale when it comes to integrate or not a social group is an economic criterion, then, we are actually in front of a social class and not a group.
The social, as well as being the main constituent part of the social structure Group turns out to be the first space in which individuals put into practice the roles and the status. Once in the group, the rules that will regulate it will come only from inside IE, some, be promoted then they will dictate and finally will be accepted for Yes or Yes be fulfilled.

Types of groups

There are two types of groups, primary and secondary. The primary is the family and more that anything, its reason for being, will be given by the daily coexistence. The type of relationship that in this he engages is personalized and its members are irreplaceable once by x issue disappear.
And the secondary, including school, work, sports teams, are characterized by being formed by affinity, projects on common issues, cooperation and delivered at the time of the agreement among its members.
The main characteristics that must be observed to last group include the following: each Member will play a role, should be a communication and fluid contact between the components, existence of norms and interests.

The importance of integrating a social group

In short, we should say that all people need to relate to their peers, not in vain we are born in the bosom of a family. All social groups, from the family and the friends of life bring us many benefits which come directly together to make us feel better, love, strength and motivation when we need it, give us a feeling of belonging that we commit ourselves further to the Group and added to our self-esteem and recognition that we all need to feel good and dear.
When this does not occur, when a person is alone and isolated, has no friends, family, group membership does not have any, among others, feel a tremendous vacuum and pain that isolate him from society and of course will bring you emotional difficulties. In group life is more bearable, loneliness disappears.