social group (community) is really existing, empirically observable set of people, which is characterized by integrity and acts as an independent subject of social and historical action.
emergence of various social groups is primarily due to such phenomena as the social division of labor and specialization of activities, and the second - with historically living conditions, social values and norms, and culture.
Thus, a particular set of people can be considered a social group, if participants have:
1. similar conditions of life.
2. The presence of activities implemented jointly.
3. commonality of needs.
4. own culture.
5. Samoprichisleniem ourselves to this community.
Social Groups and their shapes and forms are distinguished extraordinary diversity.So, they can vary and quantitative composition (Minorities and numerous), and the duration of its existence (short - from a few minutes, and sustainable, existing for thousands of years), and the degree of communication between participants (stable and random, amorphous formation).
Types of social groups depending on the number
1. Small.They are characterized by a small number of participants (from 2 to 30 people), are perfectly familiar with each other and engaged in some common cause.Relationships within the group directly.These include the following types of unit cells of society, as a family, group of friends, school class, crew, etc.
2. Large.They represent together numerous people that occupy the same position of the social structure and are therefore common interests.Types of large social groups: the stratum, class, nation, etc.In this regard, in such collections more often indirect, since their number is enormous.
Types of social groups, depending on the nature of the interaction
1. Primary, in which the interaction of participants with each other is interpersonal, directly implying support character.Examples: a group of peers, friends, neighbors on the porch.
2. Secondary, which is due to the interaction towards a common goal and is a mere formality.Examples: trade unions, industrial organizations and political parties.
Types of social groups, depending on the existence of
1. Ratings, which are artificially constructed set of people who are specifically assigned for statistical purposes.Examples: commuter trains, buyers of a certain brand of washing powder.
2. Real Group, the criterion of the existence of which are real signs (income, gender, age, profession, nationality, place of residence).Examples: women, men, children, Russian, townspeople, villagers, teachers, doctors.
Types of social groups depending on the way the organization
1. Formal groups are created and exist only in the officially recognized organizations.Examples: grade school, football club "Dynamo".
2. Informal normally encountered and existing on the basis of personal interests of participants who either coincide or disagree with the goals of formal groups.Examples: a circle of poetry lovers, fan club of bard songs.
addition such thing as a social group, there are the so-called "quasigroup".They are unstable, informal group of people who have, as a rule, vague structure, norms and values.Examples: Audience (concert hall, a theater performance), fan clubs, the crowd (rally flashmob).
Thus, we can say that the true subject of relations in society are not real people, separate individuals, but a set of different social groups, which interact with each other, and whose goals and interests of each other, one way or another, intersect.
