Social groups. Types of social groups

Among social groups, the family occupies a special place. The special importance of the family is due to the fact that it performs the function of population reproduction in biological (through childbirth) and social (through upbringing, especially in the first period of a child’s life) aspects. A family can be defined as a social group of people related by kinship relationships. The term “kinship” means a set of social relationships based on biological (consanguineous) ties, marriage and legal norms, rules regarding adoption, guardianship, and the like.

In the kinship system, there are two main types of family structure. A married or nuclear family consists of parents and children who depend on them. It is based on a couple of people connected by marriage. An extended or extended family includes the nuclear family and other relatives (for example, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc.). The extended family is based not only on marital relations, but also on the consanguinity of a large number of members of a small group.

Marriage is a historically conditioned, sanctioned and regulated by society form of relations between the sexes, establishing their rights and responsibilities in relation to each other, to children and parents. Marriage is a traditional means of forming a family and social control over it, one of the ways of self-preservation and development of society. There are various forms of marriage.

Monogamy is the marriage of one man to one woman (at the same time). This form of marriage is the only civilized form of marriage for citizens of Ukraine, Europeans, Americans and some other peoples. Polygamy is a form of marriage in which there is more than one partner in a marriage. Since most societies have a male to female ratio of approximately 1:1, polygamy is not widely practiced today.

From the point of view of the hierarchy of prestige and power in the family, patriarchal families are distinguished, where the father exercises power over other family members and enjoys the highest authority. This type of power is considered generally accepted and partially legalized in Thailand, Japan, Iraq, Brazil and other countries. In a matriarchal system, power rightfully belongs to the wife and mother. Such systems are rare. As a result of industrial development, the number of women working in many countries has increased dramatically. This led to a transition to an egalitarian family system, in which influence and power are distributed almost equally between husband and wife.

A certain type of family consists of: childless families are families where no child has appeared within ten years of cohabitation. Every third such family breaks up; small families are families with one child; average - a family with two or three children. With the birth of a second child, the stability of a family more than triples compared to a one-child family; A large family is a family with more than three children. In this type of family, divorces are very rare; an incomplete family is a family in which there is only one parent with children (most often a single mother). This type of family is the least effective; distate families are those families that are legally registered, but practically do not exist (for example, families of sailors, polar explorers, geologists, shift workers).

The family in all societies develops as an institutional structure. What are its functions as a basic social institution?

• 1. Function of sexual regulation. The family is the main social institution through which society organizes, directs and regulates the natural sexual needs of people. At the same time, almost every society has alternative ways to satisfy them. Although there are certain moral standards for marital fidelity, most societies easily forgive violations of these standards. The difference in norms of sexual behavior is especially evident in relation to premarital sexual experience. In many countries, the marriage of virgins is considered absurd and ridiculous, and premarital sexual relations are considered to serve as preparation for marriage.
• 2. Reproductive function. One of the main problems of any society is the biological reproduction of new generations. The family grows “from within” by satisfying sexual needs and parental aspirations. At the same time, an important condition for the existence of society is birth control - the avoidance of demographic declines or, conversely, explosions.
• 3. Socialization function. Despite the large number of institutions and groups involved in the socialization of the individual, the leading place in this process is undoubtedly occupied by the family, because It is here that the primary socialization of the individual is carried out, the foundations of his formation as a personality are laid. This function of the family determines the responsibility of parents for the spiritual, moral and physical education of children.
• 4. Status function. In any society, the social position occupied by parents, their education, financial situation, and so on are often a factor determining the child’s life career. The family prepares the child for roles close to those of his parents and relatives, instilling in him the appropriate interests, values ​​and lifestyle.
• 5. Function of emotional satisfaction. The family provides individuals with satisfaction of emotional needs, the needs of intimate life together, gives a sense of security, and ensures emotional balance. A wealth of evidence suggests that serious crime and other negative behavior are much more likely to occur among those who were neglected in their families as children.
• 6. Household function. The family provides biological existence (food, clothing, housing) to its members. This function is expressed in family members managing the general household, maintenance and self-service, maintaining the family budget, and maintaining the home. The norms of family life include mandatory assistance and support for each family member if he or she experiences economic difficulties.

Family stability is an important social issue. The internal cohesion of a family depends on internal and external factors. Internal factors include: mutual love; a sense of duty towards your spouse and children; mutual desire for well-being; conscious or unconscious desire to meet the expectations of the environment, relatives and wider groups; the possibility of personal development and the use of marriage as a means of realizing the expansive aspirations of the individual. External factors are: social sanctions, which sometimes make divorce impossible; pressure from economic conditions; pressure of public opinion; society's demands for caring for children.

The main problems of family development in Ukraine, from the point of view of the family’s performance of functions that are significant for society, can be reduced to the following: a decrease in the birth rate and family size; reduction in the number of marriages; an increase in the number of divorces; an increase in the number of single-parent families; an increase in the number of children born out of wedlock; an increase in the number of cohabiting couples who do not marry; change in the role functions of family members.

It is a primary small social group, an association of people related by blood or marriage, responsibility, a common economy and way of life, mutual assistance and understanding, and spiritual community.

Each member plays a clearly defined role - mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, son or daughter, grandson or granddaughter. The unit of society is the conductor of the norms and rules that are accepted in society. It contributes to the formation of a full-fledged human personality, fosters spiritual and cultural values, and patterns of behavior. It gives the younger generation the first ideas about morality, humanism, and life goals.

Characteristics of the family as a small social group

The initial basis of all unions is marriage, which is concluded by two young people out of mutual love and sympathy. The traditional type of relationship in our country is considered to be a union between a man and a woman. Other forms such as polygamy, polyandry or same-sex marriage are prohibited in Russia.

Cells come in a variety of different types. In some, harmony, openness, emotional closeness and trusting relationships reign, in others - total control, respect and submission to the elder.

The family, as a type of small social group, can be of several types:

By number of children

• There are few childless people, but they still exist.
• Single children - most often these are residents of large cities who have only one child.
• Small families - with two children each. This is the most common option.
• Large families - from three or more children.

By composition

• Full - in which there is a mother, father and children.
• Incomplete - one of the parents is missing for various reasons.

By living of one or more generations in one living space

• Nuclear - consisting of parents and children who have not yet reached adulthood, i.e. two generations who live separately from their grandparents. Every young couple strives for this. Living separately, just with your family, is always better - less time is required to “get in touch” with each other, situations when a husband or wife are “between two fires” are minimized, forced to take one side and make a choice in favor of their parents or spouse. However, it is not always possible to live separately immediately after the wedding, especially in large cities. Many newlyweds are forced to “stay” with their parents during the first years of their married life, waiting for their own housing issue to be resolved.

• Extended or complex - those in which several generations, three or four, live at once. This is a common option for a patriarchal family. Such social groups are found both in rural areas and in cities. The situation when grandparents, parents and their grown children, who also managed to acquire their own wives, husbands and children, live in one three-room apartment is no longer uncommon. As a rule, in such unions, the older generation takes an active part in raising grandchildren and great-grandchildren - giving advice and recommendations, taking them to additional developmental classes in Palaces of Culture, Houses of Creativity or educational centers.

According to the nature of the distribution of family responsibilities

• Traditional patriarchal. The main role in it is played by a man. He is the main breadwinner, fully providing financially for the needs of his wife, children, and possibly parents. He makes all the main decisions, resolves controversial situations, solves emerging problems, i.e. takes full responsibility for the members of his family. Women, as a rule, do not work. Her main responsibility is to be a wife to her husband, a daughter-in-law to her parents and a mother. She monitors the upbringing and education of children, as well as order in the house. Her opinion is usually not taken into account when making important decisions.

• Egalitarian or affiliative. The complete opposite of patriarchal. Here spouses play equal roles, negotiate, compromise, solve problems together, and take care of children. Household responsibilities in such cells, as a rule, are also divided. The husband helps his wife wash the dishes, wash the floors, vacuum, and takes an active part in the daily care of the children - he can also bathe them if they are too small, change them, work out with them, or read a bedtime story. Such families are usually more emotionally united. For spouses and children, gentle touches, kind words, hugs and kisses goodnight and before leaving are the norm. Children, following the example of their parents, more openly express their feelings both tactilely and verbally.

• Transitional type - they seem to be not patriarchal, but not yet partnership. This applies to those unions in which the wife and husband decided to be more democratic and equally share responsibilities around the house, but in reality it turns out that the woman still bears the entire burden, and the husband’s actions are limited to only one thing - for example, Vacuumed the apartment or washed the dishes once a week. Or, conversely, the union decides to become more patriarchal - the husband works, the wife takes care of the house. But despite this, the husband continues to actively help his wife in everything related to everyday life and children.

Functions of the family as a small social group

They are expressed in her life activities, which have direct consequences for society.

• Reproductive, the most natural function. This is one of the main reasons for creating a social unit - the birth of children and the continuation of one’s family.

• Educational and educational - it is expressed in the formation and formation of the personality of a little person. This is how children acquire their first knowledge about the world around them, learn norms and acceptable patterns of behavior in society, and become familiar with cultural and spiritual values.

• Economic-economic – it is associated with financial support, maintaining a budget, income and expenses, purchasing products, household items, furniture and equipment, everything that is necessary for a comfortable life. This same function includes the distribution of work responsibilities around the house between spouses and grown-up children, in accordance with their age. So, for example, a five-year-old child is given minimal responsibilities - putting away toys, dishes, making the bed. Economic support also affects care for elderly or sick relatives and guardianship over them.

• Emotional and psychological – the family is a reliable stronghold, a safe haven. Here you can find support, protection and comfort. Establishing emotionally close relationships between relatives contributes to the development of trust and care for each other.

• Spiritual – associated with the education of cultural, moral and spiritual values ​​in the younger generation. This is the reading of fairy tales, poems and fables to children by adults, which tell about good and evil, honesty and lies, generosity and greed. From each fairy tale you read, you need to draw a conclusion about how to act well and how to act badly. Everyone should visit children's puppet and drama theaters, the Philharmonic, watch productions and concerts. All these actions contribute to the formation of moral and moral guidelines accepted in society and introduce them to culture.

• Recreational – joint leisure and recreation. These include ordinary everyday evenings spent with family, interesting trips, excursions, hikes, picnics and even fishing. Such events contribute to the unity of the clan.

• Social status - transferring to children their status, nationality, or belonging to any place of residence, in a city or rural area.

Signs of a family as a small social group

As a group formation, it has several types of characteristics - primary and secondary.

Primary

• common goal and activity;

• personal relationships within the union, formed on the basis of social roles;

• a certain emotional atmosphere;

• your values ​​and moral principles;

• cohesion – it is expressed in friendly feelings, mutual support and mutual assistance,

• clear distribution of roles;

• control over the behavior of family members in society.

Secondary

• Conformity, the ability to yield or submit to general opinion.

• Emotional closeness of relationships, belonging, which are expressed in mutual sympathy, trust, spiritual community.

• Norms of behavior and values ​​are passed on from the older generation to the younger through traditions and customs.

Features of the family as a small social group: what characterizes the social unit

A family, as a small social group, is distinguished by the following characteristics:

• Growth from within - performing a reproductive function, it expands. With each new generation the number of its members increases.

• Closedness regarding the accession of adults. Each child has his own mother and father, grandparents, there will definitely not be others.

• Every change affecting an individual unit of society is controlled by society and recorded by government agencies. On the wedding day, in the registry office, an entry about the registration of the marriage appears in the official book; at the birth of children, first certificates and then a certificate are issued; upon divorce, all legal formalities also have to be completed.

• Longevity of existence. Each union in its development goes through a certain natural cycle - creation, the appearance of the first child, then subsequent children, their upbringing and education, the period of the “empty nest”, when adult children themselves get married or get married and leave their father’s house. And then ceases to exist when one of the spouses dies.

• The family, as a small social group, unlike others, does not imply the existence of a common activity for all. Each member has their own responsibilities, they are different for everyone. Parents work, provide financially for everyone, and keep order in the house. The main activity for children depends on their age - play or study. And only on certain days can all relatives be busy with one thing - joint leisure, for example, or a clean-up day.

• Dynamic features - they are expressed in norms of behavior, ideals, traditions and customs, which each cell of society forms for itself.

• The necessity of emotional relationships. Parents and children are connected by love, tenderness and care. This psychological involvement is total in nature for all members of the family.

A distinctive feature of a clan can also be the creation of its own pedigree, family tree. Designing a family album can accomplish several tasks at once:

• Involves each member of the family into this process, joint activity - mom, dad, children, grandparents.

• It helps strengthen the clan and its cohesion.

• Forms a respectful attitude of the younger generation towards the history of their ancestors.

To make a family tree according to all the rules and not get confused in scientific complexities, use the service offered by the Russian House of Genealogy company in the form of a pedigree book. Its authors have developed a unique methodology, provide detailed recommendations and instructions, guided by which you can easily compile a documentary history of your family.

An important type of social community is social groups. Social group- this is a set of people who have a common social characteristic and perform a socially necessary function in the structure of the social division of labor and activity (G.S. Antipova).

Social group- this is a set of individuals who interact with each other in a certain way, are aware of their belonging to a given group and are recognized as members of this group from the point of view of others (American sociologist R. Merton).

Social group- is an entity of two or more people who come into contact with a specific purpose and consider this contact significant (C.R. Mills).

Social groups, in contrast to mass communities, are characterized by:

1) stable interaction, which contributes to the strength and stability of their existence in space and time;

2) a relatively high degree of cohesion;

3) clearly expressed homogeneity of composition, that is, the presence of characteristics inherent in all individuals included in the group;

4) joining broader communities as structural entities.

Depending on the density, form of implementation of connections and their constituent members vary big And small, primary and secondary social groups.

The main object of sociological research is small social groups (a small social group can number from 2 to 15 - 20 people). A small social group is small in composition, its members are united by common activities and are in direct, stable, personal communication.

The characteristic features of a small social group are:

Small staff;

Spatial proximity of its members;

Duration of existence;

Commonality of group values, norms and patterns of behavior;

Voluntariness of joining the group;

Informal control over the behavior of members.

Typology of small groups.

Currently, about fifty different bases for classifying small groups are known.

According to the level of group consciousness The following types of groups are distinguished (according to L.I. Umansky):

1. G conglomerate group- a group that has not yet realized a single goal of its activity (the concepts are similar to this diffuse or nominal groups);

2. G group-association, having a common goal; all other signs (preparedness, organizational and psychological unity) are absent;

3. G group-cooperation, characterized by unity of goals and activities, the presence of group experience and preparedness;

4. G group-corporation, which is placed above cooperation by the presence of organizational and psychological unity (sometimes such a group is called autonomous). A corporation is characterized by the manifestation of group egoism (opposing itself to other groups, individuals, society) and individualism up to asociality (for example, a gang);

5. K team- a group distinguished by the highest level of social development, goals and principles of humanism;

6. G omphoteric(lit. "knocked down") team, in which psychophysiological compatibility is added to all other qualities (for example, the crew of a spaceship).

Formal group The following features are inherent: a clear and rational goal, certain functions, a hierarchy-based structure that presupposes the presence of positions, rights and responsibilities defined by the relevant rules, formal relations between people are determined directly by their official position, and not by their personal qualities.

U informal group(neighbors, company at home or at work, etc.), which most often unites from 2 to 30 people, there are no fixed goals and positions, the structure of relationships and norms of relationships are determined directly by the personal qualities of people; there are no clearly regulated rules for membership, joining and leaving the group; members of an informal group know each other well, often see each other, meet and are in a relationship of trust, but not consanguinity.

A formal group, for its part, can be either official (enterprise, brigade, trade union, public or government organizations, etc.) or not a recognized official structure, i.e., unofficial (secret organization, illegal group, etc.). Consequently, not every formal group is official, and therefore the terms “formal”, “official” (respectively “informal”, “unofficial”) should not be used as unambiguous terms.

The division into groups we have considered carries with it a certain element of relativity; on the one hand, an informal group can turn into a formal one, for example, friends found an organization; on the other hand, a group can be both formal and informal, such as a school class.

Reference group. This term denotes that group (real or imaginary), whose system of values ​​and norms acts as a kind of standard for the individual. A person always (wittingly or unwittingly) correlates his intentions and actions with how they can be assessed by those whose opinions he values, regardless of whether they are watching him in reality or only in his imagination.

The reference group can be:

To which the individual currently belongs;

of which he was formerly a member;

Which he would like to belong to.

Personified images of people who make up the reference group form an “internal audience” towards which a person is guided in his thoughts and actions.

By lifetime groups are highlighted temporary, within which the association of participants is limited in time (for example, conference participants, tourists as part of a tourist group) and stable, the relative constancy of existence of which is determined by their purpose and long-term principles of functioning (family, department employees, students of the same group).

Small groups are part of the immediate social environment in which a person’s daily life activities take place and which largely determines his social behavior, determines the specific motives of his activities, and influences the formation of his personality.

A type of small social groups are primary groups(the term was introduced into sociology by Charles Cooley). A distinctive feature of these groups, according to Cooley, is direct, intimate, interpersonal contact its members, which is characterized by a high level of emotionality.

Through these groups, individuals gain their first experience of social unity (examples of primary social groups are family, student group, group of friends, sports team). Through the primary group, the socialization of individuals is carried out, their development of patterns of behavior, social norms, values ​​and ideals.

Secondary group formed from people between whom only minor emotional relationships have developed. Their interaction is subordinated only to the achievement of certain goals. In these groups, individually unique personality traits are not important, and the ability to perform certain functions is more valued.

The main type of secondary social group is a large social group formed to achieve certain goals - organization(political, productive, religious, etc.).

So, secondary groups:

Usually quite significant in size;

They arise to achieve a specific goal;

They maintain formal relationships;

Relationships are limited (represented by contacts).

The types of primary and secondary groups are presented in the table.

Table 1 - Types of primary and secondary groups

Large social groups- communities of people that differ from small groups in the presence of weak constant contacts between all their representatives, but are no less united and therefore have a significant impact on public life.

Large social group- is a quantitatively unlimited social community that has stable values, norms of behavior and social and regulatory mechanisms (parties, ethnic groups, industrial, industrial and public organizations).

TO large social groups can be attributed:

- ethnic communities(races, nations, nationalities, tribes);

- socio-territorial communities(a collection of people permanently residing in a certain territory and having a similar way of life). They are formed on the basis of socio-territorial differences;

- socio-demographic communities(communities distinguished by gender and age);

- social classes and social strata(a collection of people who have common social characteristics and perform similar functions in the system of social division of labor.

Man is a social being. There are few people who can endure loneliness for a long time and feel comfortable at the same time. Friends, enemies, relatives, colleagues, random interlocutors - a person is connected with society by thousands of invisible threads, woven into society like a knot in a knitted pattern.

Small social group - what is it?

These connections form small and large social groups. They constitute what is called a person’s social circle.

A large social group is any community of people of significant size that has common interests and goals. Fans of the same football team, fans of the same singer, residents of the city, representatives of the same ethnic group. Such communities are united only by the most common goals and interests, and often no similarities can be found between their randomly selected representatives.

The concept of “small social group” presupposes a limited, small community of people. And the connecting features in such associations are expressed much more clearly. Typical examples of small groups are colleagues, classmates, neighborhood friends, family. In such communities, unifying motives are clearly visible, even if their participants themselves are completely different people.

Types of small social groups

There are different types of small social groups. They can vary in degree of formality - formal and informal. The first are officially registered associations: work collectives, training groups, families. The latter arise on the basis of personal attachments or common interests: friends familiar with a common hobby.

Groups can be with a constant composition - stationary, and with a random composition - unstable. The first are classmates, colleagues, the second are people who came together to pull the car out of the ditch. Natural groups arise on their own; the state makes no effort to form them. These are groups of friends, families. Artificial small social groups are created forcibly. For example, a team of researchers created specifically to solve a specific problem.

Reference and indifferent groups

According to the degree of importance for the participants, small social groups are divided into referent and indifferent. In the first, the group's assessment of an individual's activity is of great importance. It is very important for a teenager what his friends think about him, and for an employee - how his colleagues will react to his decisions and actions. Indifferent

groups are usually simply alien to the individual. They are not interested in him, and therefore, their opinions and assessments do not matter. A football team is also a small social group. But for a girl attending a ballroom dancing club, their opinion about her hobby will not matter at all. Usually, unattractive and alien groups are indifferent to people. Therefore, there is simply no need to adopt their rules and traditions, just as there is no need for a reader to memorize the names of football teams, even if there is a stadium nearby.

The influence of small social groups on personality

In fact, it is precisely such seemingly insignificant associations that turn out to be the most significant. It is small social groups that play a significant role in shaping a person’s character and worldview. Because the greatest influence on people is either individuals who have undoubted authority in their eyes, or their immediate environment. Public opinion as such is an abstract concept, and its influence on the human psyche is greatly overestimated. When they say that everyone approves or disapproves of this or that action, they still mean a circle of acquaintances, and not really “everyone” - unknown and incomprehensible. When performing an action and thinking about how it will be evaluated, a person imagines the reaction of friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family. A small social group is practically all communities that have a real influence on an individual’s choice of a particular decision. And family is one of them.

Family - small social group

The family forms the basis of personality, the school class and the company of friends in the yard provide initial socialization and teach the basics of behavior outside the circle of relatives. And the work team is people with whom you have to spend more time than with your closest people. Of course, it is their influence that largely determines a person’s style of behavior and moral attitudes.

Usually, when talking about the family and its role in society and the state, they forget that it is

small social group. They just remember the common phrase that they are a social institution. Of course, many simply do not think about the meaning of the definition and use an established expression. But a social institution is a complex of norms, dogmas, rules and guidelines, both formal and informal. It is designed to ensure the normal functioning of society.

Social groups and social institutions

The task of social institutions is to give society the opportunity to effectively organize the production of material assets, exercise control over public order, and provide communication functions. Well, and guarantee the proper rate of reproduction of members of society. That is why social institutions include not only the economy, religion, education and politics, but also the family. In this context, its meaning is absolutely utilitarian.

The family as a small social group does not have purely demographic tasks. This follows from the definition: a community formed as a result

the emergence of close emotional contact, moral responsibility, love and trust. A family may not have children at all, but this does not stop it from being a family, although this issue was quite controversial; the opinions of sociologists differed in this regard. And there may be no closely related ties. The husband and wife are not blood relatives, but a great-aunt raising an orphan grandson, in fact, almost a stranger to him. But they will consider themselves a family, even if the documents for guardianship or adoption have not yet been completed.

Family as a subject of interest in sociology

An outstanding American psychologist and sociologist gave a wonderful definition of the term “group”, which allows us to bypass the moment of officiality and registration of relationships. People interacting with each other, influencing each other and realizing themselves not as a collection of “I”, but as “we”. If you look at the problem from this angle, then a family, as a small social group, can indeed consist of people who do not have closely related ties. Everyone is determined by the feeling of attachment and emotional contact.

When the family is considered in such an aspect that special attention is paid to

relationships and their impact on group members. In this, sociology has much in common with psychology. Establishing such patterns makes it possible to predict the growth or decline of the birth rate, the dynamics of marriage and divorce.

Sociological studies of the family also play a major role in the formation of juvenile law norms. Only by studying the relationships between relatives can we draw conclusions about the climate that is favorable and unfavorable for the child, and its impact on personality development. Society shapes the family, but the family also shapes society in the future, raising children who will create a new society. Sociology studies these relationships.

Family and society

The family, as a small social group, fully reflects any change in society. In a strict, patriarchal state with a clearly defined vertical of power, family relationships will be just as linear. Father is the undisputed head

families, the mother is the keeper of the home and the children are obedient to their decisions. Of course, there will be families built within the framework of other traditions and ways of life, but these will most likely be exceptions. If society considers just such an organization of relations to be normal and correct, it means that it thereby sets certain standards. And family members, willingly or unwillingly, fulfill them, considering them the only possible and acceptable ones.

But as soon as the norms change, the internal, house rules immediately change. Changes in gender policy at the national level have led to the fact that more and more families exist in conditions of at least formal equality of both spouses. The strict patriarchal structure in the Russian family is already exotic, but quite recently it was the norm. The structure of small social groups has adapted to changes in society, copying the general trend towards smoothing gender differences.

The influence of society on family life

The traditions of the Don Cossacks, for example, suggest that only the woman does all the housework. A man's destiny is war. Well, or physically difficult work that is beyond a woman’s strength. He can fix a fence, but he won't feed a cow or weed the beds. Therefore, when such families moved from their usual habitat to the cities, it immediately turned out that the woman went to work and did all the housework. But a man, coming home in the evening, can rest - after all, he simply does not have adequate responsibilities. Perhaps fixing the plumbing or nailing a shelf - but this happens rarely, and you need to cook food every day. If a man is not engaged in hard, physically exhausting work in production, such a family structure quickly ceases to correspond to the norms accepted in the city. Of course, the behavior of adult family members is unlikely to change. Small social groups are dynamic, but not that dynamic. But a son raised in such a family will most likely no longer adhere to patriarchal principles. Simply because he finds himself in the minority, he turns out to be “wrong.” His standards will not suit potential brides, and the guys around him willingly help their chosen ones. Under pressure from society, he will simply be forced to admit that his usual way of life is no longer relevant and to change the standards laid down by the family.

Why do you need a family?

At the beginning of the twentieth century, it was fashionable to argue that the institution of the family had exhausted itself. This is an unnecessary, unnecessary formation, a relic of the past. With proper social security, people do not need a family, and therefore it will wither away and disappear just like the clan or tribal way of life. But the years go by, and people still get married, even with complete financial independence. Why?

Those who said so missed one point. A person needs to feel needed and loved. This is a deep psychological need; without it, a person cannot function properly. It is not for nothing that one of the most severe punishments is imprisonment in solitary confinement, complete desocialization. And the emergence of warm, trusting connections is possible only in a narrow, constant circle. This is what distinguishes small and large social groups. Family is a guarantee of an individual's emotional involvement.

Is civil marriage a family?

Of course, then the question arises - is the fact of state registration really necessary for the emergence of close trust ties? At what point does a family become a family? From a sociological point of view, no. If people live together, take care of each other, fully realizing the full extent of responsibility and not avoiding it, then they are already a family. From the point of view of the law, of course, an official document is needed, because, as they say, you cannot attach emotions to a case. The characteristics of small social groups allow us to consider a family living in a civil marriage as an informal stationary natural and reference group.

The influence of the family on the child

In relation to children, the family acts as a primary group. It provides initial socialization and teaches the basics of interaction with other people. The family is the only community capable of shaping the human personality in a comprehensive manner. Any other social groups influence only a specific area of ​​mental activity of the individual.

The ability to learn, the ability to build relationships with other people, the basic characteristics of behavior, even in a certain sense, worldview - all this is laid down in deep childhood, and therefore in the family. The rest of the social groups are just developing and polishing what was already present in the individual. And even if childhood experience is extremely unfavorable, and the child categorically does not want to reproduce the scenario familiar from childhood - this is also a form of formation, just with a “minus” sign. If parents like to drink, grown children may avoid alcohol, and poor, large families may grow up to be convinced childfrees.

The word “group” entered the Russian language at the beginning of the 19th century. from Italian (It. groppo, or gruppo- knot) as a technical term for painters, used to designate several figures that make up a composition. . This is exactly how the dictionary of foreign words of the early 19th century explains it, which, among other overseas “curiosities,” contains the word “group” as an ensemble, a composition of “figures, whole components, and so adjusted that the eye looks at them at once.”

First written appearance of a French word groupe, from which its English and German equivalents later originated, dates back to 1668. Thanks to Moliere, a year later, this word penetrates literary speech, still retaining its technical connotation. The wide penetration of the term “group” into a variety of fields of knowledge, its truly commonly used nature, creates the appearance of its “ transparency", that is, understandability and accessibility. It is most often used in relation to certain human communities as collections of people united according to a number of characteristics by a certain spiritual substance (interest, purpose, awareness of their community, etc.). Meanwhile, the sociological category “social group” is one of the most difficult for understanding due to significant discrepancies with ordinary ideas. A social group is not just a collection of people united along formal or informal grounds, but a group social position that people occupy. “We cannot identify the agents who objectify a position with the position itself, even if the totality of these agents is a practical group mobilized for united action for the sake of a common interest.”

Signs

Types of groups

There are large, medium and small groups.

Large groups include aggregates of people that exist on the scale of society as a whole: these are social strata, professional groups, ethnic communities (nations, nationalities), age groups (youth, pensioners), etc. Awareness of belonging to a social group and, accordingly, its interests as one’s own occurs gradually, as organizations are formed that protect the interests of the group (for example, the struggle of workers for their rights and interests through workers’ organizations).

The middle groups include production associations of enterprise workers, territorial communities (residents of the same village, city, district, etc.).

Diverse small groups include groups such as family, friendly groups, and neighborhood communities. They are distinguished by the presence of interpersonal relationships and personal contacts with each other.

One of the earliest and most famous classifications of small groups into primary and secondary was given by the American sociologist C.H. Cooley, where he made a distinction between the two. "Primary (core) group" refers to those personal relationships that are direct, face-to-face, relatively permanent, and deep, such as relationships within a family, a group of close friends, and the like. "Secondary groups" (a phrase that Cooley did not actually use, but which came later) refers to all other face-to-face relationships, but especially to groups or associations such as industrial ones, in which a person relates to others through formal , often legal or contractual relationships.

Structure of social groups

Structure is a structure, arrangement, organization. The structure of a group is a way of interconnection, mutual arrangement of its constituent parts, group elements (carried out through group interests, group norms and values), forming a stable social structure, or configuration of social relations.

The current large group has its own internal structure: "core"(and in some cases - kernels) and "periphery" with a gradual weakening as we move away from the core, the essential properties by which individuals identify themselves and a given group is nominated, that is, by which it is separated from other groups distinguished according to a certain criterion.

Specific individuals may not possess all the essential features of the subjects of a given community; they constantly move in their status complex (repertoire of roles) from one position to another. The core of any group is relatively stable; it consists of carriers of these essential traits - professionals of symbolic representation.

In other words, the core of a group is a set of typical individuals who most consistently combine the inherent nature of activity, structure of needs, norms, attitudes and motivations identified by people with a given social group. That is, the agents occupying a position must emerge as a social organization, a social community, or a social corps, possessing an identity (recognized self-image) and mobilized around a common interest.

Therefore, the core is a concentrated exponent of all the social properties of a group that determine its qualitative difference from all others. There is no such core - there is no group itself. At the same time, the composition of the individuals included in the “tail” of the group is constantly changing due to the fact that each individual occupies many social positions and can move from one position to another situationally, due to demographic movements (age, death, illness, etc.). etc.) or as a result of social mobility.

A real group has not only its own structure or construction, but also its own composition (as well as decomposition).

Composition(Latin compositio – composition) – organization of social space and its perception (social perception). The composition of a group is a combination of its elements that form a harmonious unity, which ensures the integrity of the image of its perception (social gestalt) as a social group. Group composition is usually determined through indicators of social status.

Decomposition- the opposite operation or process of dividing a composition into elements, parts, indicators. The decomposition of a social group is carried out through projection onto various social fields and positions. Often the composition (decomposition) of a group is identified with a set of demographic and professional parameters, which is not entirely true. What is important here is not the parameters themselves, but to the extent that they characterize the status-role position of the group and act as social filters that allow it to carry out social distancing so as not to merge, be “blurred” or absorbed by other positions.

As for membership in the group of a particular individual as an element of the composition, he actually encounters the surrounding world, which surrounds him and positions him as a member of the group, i.e. his individuality in this situation becomes “insignificant”; he, as an individual, as a member of a group, is seen primarily as a whole group.

Functions of social groups

There are different approaches to classifying the functions of social groups. American sociologist N. Smelser identifies the following functions of groups:

Social groups nowadays

A feature of social groups in countries with developed economies currently is their mobility, the openness of transition from one social group to another. The convergence of the level of culture and education of various socio-professional groups leads to the formation of common socio-cultural needs and thereby creates conditions for the gradual integration of social groups, their value systems, their behavior and motivation. As a result, we can state the renewal and expansion of what is most characteristic in the modern world - the middle layer (middle class).

Notes

see also

• Party

Links

• Determination of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation No. 564-О-О on the constitutionality of the prohibition of inciting hatred towards social groups in Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation

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See what a “Social group” is in other dictionaries:

SOCIAL GROUP- a collection of individuals united according to some characteristic. Division of society into S.g. or the identification of any group in society is arbitrary, and is carried out at the discretion of a sociologist or any other expert, depending on the goals that ... ... Legal encyclopedia

See Antinazi GROUP. Encyclopedia of Sociology, 2009 ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

Any relatively stable set of people interacting and united by common interests and goals. In every S.G. certain specific relationships of individuals between themselves and society as a whole are embodied within the framework of... ... The latest philosophical dictionary

social group- A set of people united by common characteristics or relationships: age, education, social status, etc... Dictionary of Geography

Social group- A relatively stable group of people who have common interests, values ​​and norms of behavior, developing within the framework of a historically defined society. Each social group embodies certain specific relationships between individuals... ... Dictionary of sociolinguistic terms

social group- socialinė grupė statusas T sritis Kūno kultūra ir sportas apibrėžtis Žmonių, kuriuos buria bendri interesai, vertybės, elgesio normos, santykiškai pastovi visuma. Skiriamos didelės (pvz., sporto draugijos, klubo nariai) ir mažos (sporto mokyklos… … Sporto terminų žodynas

social group- ▲ group of people social class. interlayer stratum caste is a separate part of society. curia. contingent. Corps (diplomatic #). circle(# persons). spheres. world (theatrical #). camp (# supporters). mill. segments of society). layers. rows...... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language

Social group- a group of people united according to some psychological or socio-demographic characteristics... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

A set of people that constitutes a unit of the social structure of a society. In general, S. g. can be divided into two types of groups. The first includes groups of people distinguished by one or another essential characteristic or characteristics, for example. socially... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

A social group (community) is a really existing, empirically recorded set of people, which is characterized by integrity and acts as an independent subject of social and historical action.

The emergence of various social groups is primarily associated with such phenomena as the social division of labor and specialization of activities, and secondly, with historically established living conditions, and

So, a particular set of people can be considered a social group if its members have:

1. Similarity of living conditions.

2. The presence of jointly carried out activities.

3. Commonality of needs.

4. Own culture.

5. Self-ascribing oneself to a given community.

Social groups and their types and forms are distinguished by extraordinary diversity. Thus, they can vary in quantitative composition (small and numerous), and in the duration of their existence (short-term - from several minutes, and stable, existing for millennia), and in the degree of connection between participants (stable and random, amorphous formations).

Types of social groups depending on size

1. Small. They are characterized by a small number of participants (from 2 to 30 people), who are very familiar with each other and are engaged in some common cause. Relationships in such a group are direct. This includes such types of elementary units of society as a family, a group of friends, a school class, an airplane crew, etc.

2. Big ones. They represent numerous groups of people who occupy the same position in the social structure and therefore have common interests. Types of large social groups: stratum, class, nation, etc. Moreover, connections in such populations are increasingly indirect, since their numbers are enormous.

Types of social groups depending on the nature of interaction

1. Primary, in which the interaction of participants with each other is interpersonal, direct, implying the support of a group of peers, friends, and neighbors.

2. Secondary, interaction in which is determined by the achievement of a common goal and is formal in nature. Examples: trade unions, production parties.

Types of social groups depending on the fact of existence

1. Nominal, which are artificially constructed sets of people who are specially allocated for Examples: commuter train passengers, buyers of a certain brand of washing powder.

2. Real groups, the criterion of existence of which is real characteristics (income, gender, age, profession, nationality, place of residence). Examples: women, men, children, Russians, townspeople, teachers, doctors.

Types of social groups depending on the method of organization

1. Formal groups that are created and exist only within officially recognized organizations. Examples: school class, Dynamo football club.

2. Informal, usually arising and existing on the basis of the personal interests of participants, which either coincide or diverge from the goals of formal groups. Examples: a circle of poetry lovers, a club of fans of bard songs.

In addition to such a concept as a social group, there are also so-called “quasi-groups”. They are unstable informal collections of people who, as a rule, have an uncertain structure, norms and values. Examples: audience (concert hall, theatrical performance), fan clubs, crowd (rally, flash mob).

Thus, we can say that the true subjects of relations in society are not real people, individual individuals, but a collection of various social groups that interact with each other and whose goals and interests intersect with each other, one way or another.

There are groups formal (formalized) and informal.

IN formal groups relations and interaction are established and regulated by special legal acts (laws, regulations, instructions, etc. Informal groups develop spontaneously and do not have regulating legal acts; their consolidation is carried out mainly due to authority, as well as the figure of the leader.

At the same time, in any formal group, informal relationships arise between members, and such a group breaks up into several informal groups. This factor plays an important role in holding the group together.

There are also groups small, medium And big . For small groups(family, group of friends, sports team) are characterized by the fact that their members are in direct contact with each other, have common goals and interests; The connection between group members is so strong that a change in one of its parts certainly entails a change in the group as a whole. Statistical studies show that the size of most small groups does not exceed 7 people. If this limit is exceeded, the group splits into subgroups (“factions”). There are two main types of small groups: dyad (two people) and triad(three persons).

Small groups play a very important role in human life and society. A small group occupies an intermediate position between an individual and large groups that make up society, and therefore provide a connection between the individual and society.

From the point of view of the characteristics of interactions between group members, several varieties are distinguished.

1. Open groups are built on the basis of the equality of individuals. Everyone has the same right to participate in discussing issues and making decisions. Group members are characterized by a free change of roles.

2. For closed pyramid type groups characterized by hierarchical organization. The exchange of information is predetermined by the position of the individual: as a rule, orders are “descended from above”, and reports on their implementation are received from below. Each member of the group clearly knows his place and performs strictly defined functions. In such groups there is a high degree of organization; they are characterized by order and discipline.

3. B random groups people have their own goals, which usually do not coincide with the goals of other people, decisions are made by each of them independently. However, they are united by informal connections that help maintain the group.

3. IN synchronous groups There is also a certain disunity regarding methods of action and their other characteristics. However, all members of the group have one goal that they jointly pursue.

Average groups- these are relatively stable groups of people who also have common goals and interests, connected by one activity, but at the same time not in close contact with each other. An example of medium groups can be a work collective, a collection of residents of a yard, street, district, or settlement. The middle groups are often called social organizations, and in this case the emphasis is on the presence of hierarchy within the group.

In medium-sized and especially small groups, the figures of a leader and an outsider can be distinguished. Leader- this is the person with maximum authority; His opinion is taken into account by all members of the group. An outsider, accordingly, is a person with the least authority; he is excluded partially or completely from the decision-making procedure. Large groups- these are collections of people who, as a rule, are united by one socially significant feature (for example, religion, professional affiliation, nationality, sexual orientation, etc.). However, parishioners of one church should not be mistaken for members of a large group: in this case, it would be more correct to speak of an average group. Members of a large group may never come into contact with each other (more precisely, specific a group member never comes into contact with everyone members of the group, contacts with some group members can be both intense and wide in scope).

Also distinguished primary And secondary groups.

Primary groups are usually small groups characterized by close ties between members and, as a result, have a great influence on the individual. The last feature plays a decisive role in determining the primary group. Primary groups are necessarily small groups.

In secondary groups, there are practically no close relationships between individuals, and the integrity of the group is ensured by the presence of common goals and interests. There are also no close contacts between members of the secondary group, although such a group - provided that the individual has assimilated group values ​​- can have a strong influence on him. Secondary groups usually include medium and large groups.

Groups can be real And social.

Real groups are distinguished according to some characteristic that actually exists in reality and is recognized by the bearer of this characteristic. So, a real sign can be income level, age, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

Social groups (social categories) are groups that are identified, as a rule, for the purposes of sociological research on the basis of random characteristics that do not have particular social significance. For example, a social group would be the entire population of single mothers; the entire population of people who know how to use a computer; the entire population of public transport passengers, etc. As a rule, belonging to such a group is not recognized by its members and can extremely rarely become the basis for consolidation, that is, the emergence of close intra-group ties. However, the characteristics underlying the identification of a social category may be closely related to the characteristics of members of real groups (for example, people with very high incomes do not use public transport).

Finally, there are groups interactive.

Interactive groups also called groups whose members take part in collective decision-making; Examples of interactive groups are groups of friends, formations such as commissions, etc.

Nominal is considered a group in which each member acts relatively independently of the others. Indirect interaction is more typical for them.

Particular attention should be paid to the concept reference group. A reference group is a group that, due to its authority for an individual, is capable of exerting a strong influence on him. In other words, this group can be called a reference group. An individual may strive to become a member of this group, and his activities are usually aimed at becoming more like a member of this group. This phenomenon is called anticipatory socialization. In the usual case, socialization occurs in the process of direct interaction within the primary group. In this case, the individual adopts the characteristics and methods of action characteristic of the group even before interacting with its members.

Textbooks: 1st – section. 2nd, par. 1

Lecture:

Social groups

Social groups are one of the elements of the social structure of society. Social groups are associations of people connected by common characteristics (gender, age, nationality, profession, income, power, education and many others), interests, goals, and activities. There are more social groups on Earth than individuals, because the same individual is included in several groups. Pitirim Sorokin noted that history does not give us a person outside the group. Indeed, from birth a person is in a group - a family, the members of which are connected by blood relations and a common way of life. The circle of groups expands as they grow older; street friends, a school class, a sports team, a work collective, a party, and others appear. A social group is characterized by such features as internal organization, a common goal, joint activities, rules and norms, interaction (active communication).

In sociology, along with the term social group, the term social community is used. Both terms characterize an association of people, but the concept of community is broader. Community is the unification of different groups of people according to some characteristic or life circumstances. The main difference between a community and a group is that between members of the community there is no stable and repeating connection, which exists in a group. Examples of a social community: men, children, students, Russians, etc.

The transitional position between a social community and a social group is occupied by a quasi-group - this is an unstable short-term community of people that is random in nature. Examples of quasi-groups are a concert audience, a crowd.

Types of social groups

Social groups
Kinds		Signs	Examples
1.	Primary	Direct personal contacts, emotional involvement, solidarity, sense of “we”, individual qualities are valued	Family, school class, friends
	Secondary	Indirect subject contacts, lack of emotional relationships, abilities to perform certain functions are valued	Professional, territorial, demographic groups, party electorates
	Large	Large numbers	Nations, age groups, occupational groups
	Small	Small number	Family, school class, sports team, work team
	Formal	Arise at the initiative of the administration, the behavior of group members is determined by job descriptions	Party, labor collective
	Informal	Created spontaneously, the behavior of group members is not regulated
4.	Reference	A real or imagined significant group with which a person identifies and is oriented towards	Political party, denomination
	Non-referential	A real group that has little value for the person who studies or works in it	School class, sports section, work team
	Professional	Joint professional activities	Doctors, lawyers, programmers, agronomists, veterinarians
	Ethnic	General history, culture, language, territory	Russians, French, Germans
	Demographic	Gender, age	Men, women, children, old people
	Confessional	General religion	Muslims, Christians, Buddhists
	Territorial	Common area of ​​residence, unity of living conditions	City dwellers, villagers, provincials

Functions of social groups

American sociologist Neil Smelser identified four socially significant functions of social groups:

1. The function of human socialization is the most important. Only in a group does a person become human and acquire a sociocultural essence. In the process of socialization, a person masters knowledge, values, and norms. Socialization is closely related to education and upbringing. A person receives education at school, college or university, and is raised primarily in the family.

2. The instrumental function is to carry out joint activities. Collective work in a group is important for the development of an individual and society, because a person cannot do much alone. By participating in a group, a person acquires material resources and self-realization.

3. The expressive function of a group is to satisfy a person’s needs for respect, love, care, approval, and trust. Communication with group members brings joy to a person.

4. The supporting function is manifested in the desire of people to unite in difficult and problematic life situations. The feeling of group support helps a person reduce unpleasant feelings.

A person participates in public life not as an isolated individual, but as a member of social communities - family, friendly company, work collective, nation, class, etc. His activities are largely determined by the activities of the groups in which he is included, as well as by the interaction within and between groups. Accordingly, in sociology, society appears not only as an abstraction, but also as a set of specific social groups that are in a certain dependence on each other.

The structure of the entire social system, the totality of interconnected and interacting social groups and social communities, as well as social institutions and relations between them, is the social structure of society.

In sociology, the problem of dividing society into groups (including nations, classes), their interaction is one of the cardinal ones and is characteristic of all levels of theory.

Concept of social group

Group is one of the main elements of the social structure of society and is a collection of people united by any significant feature - common activity, common economic, demographic, ethnographic, psychological characteristics. This concept is used in law, economics, history, ethnography, demography, and psychology. In sociology, the concept of “social group” is usually used.

Not every community of people is called a social group. If people are simply in a certain place (on a bus, at a stadium), then such a temporary community can be called an “aggregation.” A social community that unites people according to only one or several similar characteristics is also not called a group; The term “category” is used here. For example, a sociologist might classify students between 14 and 18 years of age as youth; elderly people to whom the state pays benefits, provides benefits for utility bills - to the category of pensioners, etc.

Social group - it is an objectively existing stable community, a set of individuals interacting in a certain way based on several characteristics, in particular the shared expectations of each group member regarding others.

The concept of a group as independent, along with the concepts of personality (individual) and society, is already found in Aristotle. In modern times, T. Hobbes was the first to define a group as “a certain number of people united by a common interest or a common cause.”

Under social group it is necessary to understand any objectively existing stable set of people connected by a system of relations regulated by formal or informal social institutions. Society in sociology is considered not as a monolithic entity, but as a collection of many social groups that interact and are in a certain dependence on each other. Each person during his life belongs to many such groups, including family, friendly group, student group, nation, etc. The creation of groups is facilitated by similar interests and goals of people, as well as by the awareness of the fact that by combining actions one can achieve significantly greater results than with individual action. Moreover, the social activity of each person is largely determined by the activities of the groups in which he is included, as well as by the interaction within groups and between groups. It can be stated with complete confidence that only in a group a person becomes an individual and is able to find full self-expression.

Concept, formation and types of social groups

The most important elements of the social structure of society are social groups And . Being forms of social interaction, they represent associations of people whose joint, solidary actions are aimed at satisfying their needs.

There are many definitions of the concept “social group”. Thus, according to some Russian sociologists, a social group is a collection of people who have common social characteristics and perform a socially necessary function in the structure of the social division of labor and activity. American sociologist R. Merton defines a social group as a set of individuals who interact with each other in a certain way, are aware of their belonging to a given group and are recognized as members of this group from the point of view of others. He identifies three main features in a social group: interaction, membership and unity.

Unlike mass communities, social groups are characterized by:

• sustainable interaction that contributes to the strength and stability of their existence;
• relatively high degree of unity and cohesion;
• clearly expressed homogeneity of composition, suggesting the presence of characteristics inherent in all members of the group;
• the possibility of joining broader social communities as structural units.

Since each person in the course of his life is a member of a wide variety of social groups that differ in size, nature of interaction, degree of organization and many other characteristics, there is a need to classify them according to certain criteria.

The following are distinguished: types of social groups:

1. Depending on the nature of the interaction - primary and secondary (Appendix, diagram 9).

Primary group according to C. Cooley's definition, is a group in which the interaction between members is direct, interpersonal in nature and characterized by a high level of emotionality (family, school class, peer group, etc.). Carrying out the socialization of the individual, the primary group acts as a connecting link between the individual and society.

Secondary group- this is a larger group in which interaction is subordinated to the achievement of a specific goal and is of a formal, impersonal nature. In these groups, the main attention is paid not to the personal, unique qualities of group members, but to their ability to perform certain functions. Examples of such groups are organizations (industrial, political, religious, etc.).

2. Depending on the method of organizing and regulating interaction - formal and informal.

Formal group is a group with legal status, interaction in which is regulated by a system of formalized norms, rules, and laws. These groups have a conscious target, normatively fixed hierarchical structure and act in accordance with the administratively established procedure (organizations, enterprises, etc.).

Informal grouparises spontaneously, based on common views, interests and interpersonal interactions. It is deprived of official regulation and legal status. Such groups are usually headed by informal leaders. Examples include friendly companies, informal associations among young people, rock music fans, etc.

3. Depending on the individuals’ belonging to them - ingroups and outgroups.

Ingroup- this is a group to which an individual feels immediate belonging and identifies it as “mine”, “our” (for example, “my family”, “my class”, “my company”, etc.).

Outgroup - this is a group to which a given individual does not belong and therefore evaluates it as “alien”, not his own (other families, another religious group, another ethnic group, etc.). Each individual in an ingroup has their own scale for assessing outgroups: from indifferent to aggressive-hostile. Therefore, sociologists propose measuring the degree of acceptance or closedness in relation to other groups according to the so-called Bogardus's "social distance scale".

Reference group - this is a real or imaginary social group, the system of values, norms and assessments of which serves as a standard for the individual. The term was first proposed by the American social psychologist Hyman. The reference group in the system of relations “individual - society” performs two important functions: normative, being for the individual a source of norms of behavior, social attitudes and value orientations; comparative, acting as a standard for an individual, it allows him to determine his place in the social structure of society and evaluate himself and others.

4. Depending on the quantitative composition and form of implementation of connections - small and large.

This is a small group of people in direct contact, united to carry out joint activities.

A small group can take many forms, but the initial ones are “dyad” and “triad”, they are called simplest molecules small group. Dyadconsists of two people and is considered an extremely fragile association, in triad actively interact three persons, it is more stable.

The characteristic features of a small group are:

• small and stable composition (usually from 2 to 30 people);
• spatial proximity of group members;
• stability and duration of existence:
• high degree of coincidence of group values, norms and patterns of behavior;
• intensity of interpersonal relationships;
• a developed sense of belonging to a group;
• informal control and information saturation in the group.

Large group- this is a large group that is created for a specific purpose and the interaction in which is mainly indirect (work collectives, enterprises, etc.). This also includes numerous groups of people who have common interests and occupy the same position in the social structure of society. For example, social class, professional, political and other organizations.

A team (lat. collectivus) is a social group in which all vital connections between people are mediated through socially important goals.

Characteristic features of the team:

• combination of interests of the individual and society;
• a community of goals and principles that act as value orientations and norms of activity for team members. The team performs the following functions:
• subject - solving the problem for which it is created;
• social and educational - combination of interests of the individual and society.

5. Depending on socially significant characteristics - real and nominal.

Real groups are groups identified according to socially significant criteria:

• floor - men and women;
• age - children, youth, adults, elderly;
• income - rich, poor, prosperous;
• nationality - Russians, French, Americans;
• Family status - married, single, divorced;
• profession (occupation) - doctors, economists, managers;
• location - townspeople, rural residents.

Nominal (conditional) groups, sometimes called social categories, are identified for the purpose of conducting sociological research or statistical population accounting (for example, to find out the number of passengers on benefits, single mothers, students receiving personal scholarships, etc.).

Along with social groups, the concept of “quasi-group” is distinguished in sociology.

A quasi-group is an informal, spontaneous, unstable social community that does not have a specific structure and value system, and the interaction of people in which, as a rule, is external and short-term in nature.

The main types of quasigroups are:

Audienceis a social community united by interaction with a communicator and receiving information from him. The heterogeneity of a given social formation, due to the difference in personal qualities, as well as the cultural values ​​and norms of the people included in it, determines the different degrees of perception and evaluation of the information received.

A temporary, relatively unorganized, structureless accumulation of people, united in a closed physical space by a commonality of interests, but at the same time devoid of a clearly recognized goal and connected by a similarity in their emotional state. The general characteristics of the crowd are highlighted:

• suggestibility - people in a crowd are usually more suggestible than people outside of it;
• anonymity - an individual, being in a crowd, seems to merge with it, becoming unrecognizable, believing that it is difficult to “calculate” him;
• spontaneity (infectivity) - people in a crowd are subject to rapid transfer and change of emotional state;
• unconsciousness - the individual feels invulnerable in the crowd, outside of social control, so his actions are “saturated” with collective unconscious instincts and become unpredictable.

Depending on the method of crowd formation and the behavior of people in it, the following types are distinguished:

• random crowd - an indefinite collection of individuals formed spontaneously without any purpose (to watch a celebrity suddenly appear or a traffic accident);
• conventional crowd - a relatively structured gathering of people subject to planned, predetermined norms (spectators in a theater, fans in a stadium, etc.);
• expressive crowd - a social quasi-group formed for the personal pleasure of its members, which in itself is already a goal and result (discos, rock festivals, etc.);
• active (active) crowd - a group that performs some actions, which can take the form of: gatherings - an emotionally excited crowd tending towards violent actions, and the revolted crowd - a group characterized by particular aggressiveness and destructive actions.

In the history of the development of sociological science, various theories have emerged that explain the mechanisms of crowd formation (G. Le Bon, R. Turner, etc.). But despite all the dissimilarity of points of view, one thing is clear: to manage the command of the crowd, it is important: 1) to identify the sources of the emergence of norms; 2) identify their carriers by structuring the crowd; 3) purposefully influence their creators, offering the crowd meaningful goals and algorithms for further actions.

Among quasi-groups, the closest to social groups are social circles.

Social circles are social communities that are created for the purpose of exchanging information between their members.

Polish sociologist J. Szczepanski identifies the following types of social circles: contact - communities that constantly meet on the basis of certain conditions (interest in sports competitions, sports, etc.); professional - gathering to exchange information solely on a professional basis; status - formed regarding the exchange of information between people with the same social status (aristocratic circles, women's or men's circles, etc.); friendly - based on the joint holding of any events (companies, groups of friends).

In conclusion, we note that quasi-groups are some transitional formations, which, with the acquisition of such characteristics as organization, stability and structure, turn into a social group.

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