Primary and Secondary Groups

UNIT 9

The Nature of Group Cohesiveness

VIII. Read the text and say what is meant by cohesiveness.

V. Divide the text into three logical parts.

VI. Characterize in brief:

1. Properties of the groups. 2. Group classifications.

VII. Discuss in the group the following problems:

1. Formal — informal groups. 2. Your own group as a secondary group.

The term 'group cohesiveness' is widely discussed by sociologists. Although different sociologists attribute different properties to the term, most agree that group cohesiveness is the degree to which the members of a group desire to remain in the group. Thus, the members of a highly cohesive group, in contrast to the group with a low level of cohesiveness, are more interested in their membership, in group objectives and activities. Cohesiveness increases the significance of membership for those who belong to the group.

Cohesiveness, as sociologists state, develops a general group atmosphere that determines members' reaction to the group as a whole. Some groups are business-like, impersonal and efficient. Others are warm, relaxed and friendly. still others are full of tension. These differences between groups are the subject of constant sociological research.

IX. Answer: Do you think of your group as cohesive? Give your reasons.

X. Find in the text synonyms for:

To discover; chief; to be interested in; also; to offer; to choose; on the foundation; to use; to isolate; purpose; environment.

XI. Make up your own sentences with the following word-combinations:

To be concerned with On the basis of To employ something According to To react on something And the like Ask your group mates to translate them.

XII. Translate the following sentences into Russian:

1. He was greatly concerned with the latest sociological research. 2. In their conversation they concerned a great number of vital problems. 3. His main concern was sociology. 4. They talked much concerning the main points of his report. 5. She was concerned with the problem of social relations at the high level of the society's development.

1. Read and translate the text:

Several times a day, one person greets another with a smile and a simple phrase such as «Hi! How are you?» Of course, an honest reply may be actually expected, but not often. Usually the other person responds with a well-scripted «Fine, and how are you?» In most cases, providing a complete account of how one really is doing would lead the other person to make a hasty and awkward exit.

The extent of personal concern for others in social interaction was used by Charles Horton Cooley to draw a distinction between two general types of social groups. The primary group is a social group in which interaction is both personal and enduring. Within primary groups, people have personal and lasting ties Cooley designated as primary relationships. The members of primary groups share broad dimensions of their lives, generally come to know a great deal about one another, and display genuine concern for another's welfare. The family is perhaps the most important primary group within any society.

Cooley used the term primary because social groups of this kind are among the first groups we experience in life and are important in shaping our personal attitudes and behaviour. They are also of major importance in shaping our social identity, which is reflected in the fact that the members of any primary group typically think of themselves as «we».

The strength of primary relationships gives individuals a considerable sense of comfort and security, which is clearly evident in personal performances. Within the familiar social environment of family or friends, people tend to feel they can be themselves and not worry about being continually evaluated by others. At the office, for example, people are usually self-conscious about their clothing and behaviour; at home, they feel free to dress and act more or less as they wish.

Members of primary groups certainly provide many personal benefits to one another, including financial as well as emotional support. But people generally perceive the primary group as an end in itself rather than as a means to other ends. Thus, for example, we expect a family member or close friend to help us without pay when we move into a new apartment. At the same time, primary group members usually do expect that such help will be mutual. A person who consistently helps a friend who never returns the favour is likely to feel used and question the depth of the friendship.

A contrasting type of social group is the secondary group: a social group in which interaction is impersonal and transitory. Within a secondary group, which usually contains more people than a primary group, individuals share situational ties that are called secondary relationships. For example, individuals who work together in an office, enroll in the same college course, or belong to a particular political organization usually constitute a secondary group.

The opposite of the characteristics that describe primary groups apply to secondary groups. Secondary relationships involve little personal knowledge and weak emotional ties. They vary in duration, but are usually short-term, beginning and ending without particular significance. True, people may work in an office for decades with the same co-workers, but a more typical example of secondary relationships is students in a college course who never see one another after the semester ends. Since secondary groups are limited to a single specific activity or interest, their members have little chance to develop a deep concern for one another's overall welfare. Secondary groups are less significant than primary groups for personal identity. Although people in a secondary group sometimes think of themselves in terms of «we», the boundary that distinguishes members from nonmembers is usually far less clear than it is in primary groups.

Secondary groups are important mostly as a means of achieving certain specific ends. If relationships within primary groups have a personal orientation, those within secondary groups have a goal orientation. This does not mean that secondary relationships are always formal and unemotional. On the contrary, social interaction with fellow students, co-workers, and business contacts can be quite enjoyable. But personal pleasure is not what prompts the formation of secondary groups in the first place. In short, while members of a primary group have personal importance on the basis of who they are, members of secondary groups have significance on the basis of what they can do for us.

Individuals in primary groups are likely to be sensitive to patterns of social exchange — how benefits received by one member compare to those received by another -although such considerations are not of crucial importance. Within secondary groups, however, exchange is very

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