Social groups based on the common participation in any activity of an association of people; in other words, they are a part of society organized according to some characteristic (for example, demographic).
They are regulated by various social institutions, both formal and informal.
The characteristics of each specific species imply mandatory characteristics and features by which the type and affiliation can be determined. These include membership, unity and interaction. Without these features, an association cannot be called social.
What is a social group
A set of people united according to certain criteria is called a social group.
The selection criteria include:
- floor,
- age,
- unity of interests,
- nationality,
- race,
- faith,
- profession,
- status,
- education,
- place of residence,
- other.
It is worth noting: there are twice as many social associations as there are people on Earth.
This happens because the same person can be a member of several entities at the same time.
Youth as a social group
Youth is a social group formed by demographic characteristics (age). Age range – from 16 to 25 years.
Features of this group:
- adaptation to the adult world, as a result: high social mobility,
- inconsistency of judgments and actions,
- mental instability,
- low level of tolerance towards the surrounding world (people, events, etc.);
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Author of the article: Elena Kopeikina
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Comments and reviews (2)
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I read it, I see that we all go under Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it also talks about actions that incite hatred towards a social group, so you can say that young people today are not the same, but only in a ruder expression, and now this criminal article is looming on the horizon. In general, we have a lot of social groups, all sorts of goths, freaks, metrosexuals and all of them are protected by the law, but who will protect normal people?
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Don’t you think that so-called social groups are just some kind of herd instinct? As for me, independent individuals do not need all these groups around them. Even marriage and children are not always necessary. If a person is psychologically, morally, ethically, spiritually complete, then why should he burden himself by being assigned to some kind of group? And today a person is a member of a social group, but tomorrow it is no longer a group, but a whole ideology?
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Social trait
is a factor of social activity that functions exclusively in the process of social interaction between people and is capable of forming a hierarchy of social groups.
Examples: income, ownership of means of production, ideology, ethnicity, religious faith, education. In addition to their specific applied functions, all social characteristics carry a fundamental load - taking on different meanings, they position the social hierarchy (social group inequality).
Signs of a social group
There are certain signs by which a certain social subgroup can be characterized and distinguished.
These include:
- interdependence,
- membership,
- presence of roles and structure,
- the presence of certain social norms,
- purpose of existence,
- role expectations of education members in relation to each other,
- distribution of roles in the association,
- behavior patterns,
- the presence of a certain internal organization.
It should be taken into account: the signs can be either together with each other, or there can be only two or three average signs by which one or another object can be distinguished.
Types and examples of social groups
Such formations are relatively stable. They are divided into several categories. So, the main ones can be called large and small.
Small include family, school and student classes, clubs and other similar communities of people.
Large ones include castes, classes, estates, communities, groups by profession and others. There are several main types:
- class (working class, bourgeoisie),
- demographic (divided by age categories: teenagers, elderly people, etc.),
- ethnosocial (tribe, nation, and the size can be absolutely any),
- territorial (varies according to the place of residence of a person, for example, Muscovites, Siberians, other population),
- professional (varies by profession, for example lawyers, teachers, doctors).
There is also another gradation. It involves dividing people according to the nature of their interaction. Thus, there are two types: primary and secondary.
The primary ones include family, the team at school or college, peers, and friends. The primary social group is the main one in the interaction of a person with society. The primary group implies a spontaneous character and is distinguished by a sufficient level of emotionality.
Secondary ones include political, religious, and professional education. They are formed by the presence of certain common goals, ethical activities and interests among people. Emotionality is reduced. Relations in such communities are more formal.
According to the method of organization, the following are characterized.
- Formal , which are regulated by the nature of the relationship between members of the association. These include manufacturing enterprises, workshops, factories, and other places where people are united in groups and interact to some extent formally.
- informal categories lack legal status and usually appear spontaneously. In such associations there are leaders who stand out in an informal way. Examples are informal communities and organizations, interest groups, for example, musicians, pianists, writers and others.
There is also another classification: ingroups and outgroups.
An ingroup is an association to which a person identifies himself. This could be my family, my school, my friends and other entities. What is important here is the identification of the individual himself.
An outgroup is understood as one to which a person does not identify himself and therefore defines it for himself as alien. It could be a different nationality, a different family, a different faith.
Sociologists suggest assessing the degree of a person’s involvement in a particular education. There is even a so-called Social Distance Scale, which can be used to determine the degree to which an individual is included in a particular category.
This scale was developed by Bogardus.
The American sociologist Hyman proposed using the term reference group. By it he meant an education that has a number of norms and moral guidelines. People in such associations define such criteria for themselves and try to follow them, understanding them as a model of behavior.
Moreover, in such a group a person identifies patterns of behavior for himself and can compare them within the framework of the norms adopted in this association. Thanks to such groups, an individual can determine for himself the boundaries of behavior and identify in which social structure of society he is located.
Based on important social characteristics, sociologists distinguish the following varieties:
- real , which unite people according to real criteria, such as age, gender, race and other similar characteristics,
- nominal , which unite people according to certain social categories, such as students, pensioners and others.
In sociology there is also the concept of quasigroup . It is understood as an unstable and informal association that does not have specific values and goals for a person.
The nature of interaction among individuals in such associations is spontaneous. These include trips on the subway or other public transport, where people are forced to have short-term contact with other people in a certain way.
Theories of social stratification
All scientists came to the conclusion that social stratification is natural, as is hierarchical division between people, while each identified different reasons for inequality.
| Scientist | Cause of inequality |
| Karl Marx | The very fact of a person owning property, the level of income. |
| Max Weber | Karl Marx's criteria + social prestige and human participation in the life of a political party. |
| Pitirim Sorokin | Rights and privileges, responsibilities and duties are distributed unevenly among people. |
There are three most authoritative theories of social stratification: the theory of Karl Marx, the system of Max Weber and the functionalism of Pitirim Sorokin. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Marx's class theory
In Marx's theory, society is divided into two main classes: the exploiters and the exploited, who are in a state of constant irreconcilable confrontation due to opposing interests.
The criterion for belonging to a class is ownership of the means of production. The class struggle, in turn, is presented as the driving force of history. The result of the struggle is a social revolution, followed by a change in the social system.
Marx identified five stages of development of society - socio-economic formations:
- Primitive communal. The absence of private property implied the absence of classes.
- Slaveholding. Classes: slave owners and slaves.
- Feudal. The realization of the unprofitability of slave labor led to the emergence of new classes: feudal lords and peasants.
- Capitalist. Classes: entrepreneurs, property owners and workers.
- Communism. A classless society that arose in connection with the destruction of private property.
As history has shown, the implementation of Marx's idea of a classless society turned out to be unattainable.
Weber's theory of three-component stratification
Weber determined a person's position in society based on three criteria: class, social status and connection with the party.
Class according to Weber is an economic concept that depends on the property relations of an individual. Classes:
- the propertied (real estate owners who live primarily on rental income);
- the poor (declassed, debtors).
Social status is in the sphere of culture and unites people according to a similar lifestyle, worldview, and occupation. In this regard, status groups are formed within or outside classes - communities of people united by social status.
Parties (power groups) are outside of classes or status groups, their struggle is not connected with the activities of business and financial organizations due to the presence of special interests that stem from the desire to solve issues of a certain circle of people. At the same time, the party may not be involved in politics.
Each of the three components of a person’s position in society gives him opportunities to improve his life. Weber called these opportunities “life chances.”
Sorokin's theory of social stratification
According to Sorokin, the stratification of society is influenced by the economy (income and wealth), politics (influence and power) and professional activity (mastery and skills).
Additional characteristics that influence the degree of stratification, but do not create it: age, culture, speech and others.
Stratification itself lies in the uneven distribution of rights and privileges, responsibilities and duties, the presence or absence of social values, power and influence among members of a particular community.
According to this theory, individuals who occupy a high position in society according to one criterion usually occupy an equally high position according to other criteria, but this principle does not always work. This phenomenon is called status discrepancy and leads to the fact that a person makes efforts aimed at increasing his status in society.
Sorokin classified professional stratification into:
- interprofessional: the importance of the profession for the functioning of the group as a whole;
- the level of intelligence required to successfully perform professional duties;
- entrepreneurs;
Sorokin's main idea is that society tends to maintain the social pyramid in its current state. If the privileged layer gains even more rights and opportunities, this leads to a social revolution, which results in the destruction of the elite of society. At the same time, the development of society, according to Sorokin, is cyclical, so the privileged layer of society will begin to grow again.
Reasons for the division of society
Humans are social by nature. They need communication and interaction with people like them. For a more comfortable relationship with the world, people have learned to unite into groups of their own kind based on certain characteristics.
Initially, these were informal associations into which people unintentionally fell. Gradually, formal organizations began to form, such as work collectives, schools, and others.
Due to lack of communication, people strive to join some group. For example, retirees often join political communities, attend classes for people like them, or join hobby groups. This is because it is human nature to live in society and will always strive for communication and social interaction.
When a person falls into one group or another, he feels more protected. For example, the Danes and Danish sociologists believe that this nation is the happiest precisely because people belong to certain categories. They have a very developed area of circles, communities of interests and other formations, when a person becomes part of a team.
In modern Russia, the movement of uniting people into teams is not so developed, but, nevertheless, people independently strive to take a position in any subgroup.
How to improve your social status
People with low social status are most often aggressive against their environment:
- They take any negative statement personally and try to defend themselves;
- It seems to them that threats await them everywhere, which leads to the development of suspiciousness and anxiety;
- They are unattractive for communication, they have few friends and problems in their personal lives.
It is common for humans to want to improve their social status. You need to start with developing your abilities and professional skills. Only an educated person is able to climb the social ladder. It is necessary to be sociable and pleasant in communication. A person who enjoys power and respect cannot speak rudely using a limited vocabulary. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. But do not forget about the culture of communication and business etiquette. Appearance must also correspond to status; this is an important link in creating an image. This means you need to understand where you can come in casual clothes, and what event requires you to dress in a formal suit and wear a tie.
It is important to have an example of a successful person before your eyes - someone you want to emulate. He charges you with positivity and motivates you to work. Hard work, perseverance, and ambition will help you reach unprecedented heights. The main thing is to purposefully complete the assigned tasks without being distracted by trifles.
Focus on the goal
Constantly working on yourself, improving your skills, obtaining additional education, and expanding your social circle require a lot of time and effort. Don’t forget about your health, you need to control your diet, diet and give up bad habits. The condition of the body is the key to good health and success in all endeavors.
Ways to change status
When a person's position in society changes, they talk about social mobility:
- Horizontal, when the status is preserved, the personality remains at the same level of the hierarchy. For example, changing citizenship;
- Vertical, in which the individual moves up the social ladder created by society, for example, receives a promotion.
There is another type of change:
- Individual mobility, when a change in status depends on the actions of a particular person. He makes his own way into life;
- Collective mobility involves the transition to a new level in entire groups; it is considered prescribed.
A change in social status occurs within one generation or beyond, when the son of a simple carpenter becomes the director of a metallurgical plant. This type of mobility is called intergenerational mobility. With intragenerational changes, the status concerns one person, for example, a seamstress becomes a chief accountant.
Social status determines the individual’s place in the created hierarchy. Being on the top rungs of the ladder guarantees him power and financial well-being. These are the main characteristics of the main social status. It is bestowed at birth and depends on race, nationality, and family ties. But in modern society, status earned through one’s own labor is much more valuable. When a person, engaged in growth and development, has reached the highest level of power and conscientiously performs the actions of the social role assigned to him.
Social group structures
Each subgroup has its own structure.
The main thing in it is the core or even several cores. They are understood as the dominant leading positions of individuals and the requirements for behavior in the community.
In addition to the core, the periphery in the structure is distinguished. It varies as certain properties move away from the core.
Functions of social groups
In order to learn how to interact with society, a person from early childhood, even from infancy, begins to learn about it through the concept and accepted norms of behavior in the primary social group.
At first, he acts as his parents show him by example, then, as he grows up, he begins to adapt to school or university and acts as is customary in other social groups to which he belongs.
The American sociologist Smelser proposed to highlight the following functions:
- the most important function of socialization , helping an individual gain his status and learn to interact in society,
- instrumental , which consists in determining the activity of the individual,
- expressive , consisting in a person satisfying his needs for communication, help, approval,
- supportive when people tend to unite in certain situations.
Any person subconsciously or consciously strives to attribute himself to one or another education because by nature he is a social being. And the role of social groups cannot be underestimated.
Any individual feels more secure if he is related to a certain subgroup as part of society.
What types of social norms are there?
Formal and informal
Formal rules include legal norms. They are recorded in writing in some source of law. If they are not followed, punishment will certainly follow.
Informal - all the rest: moral, ethical, religious, etc.
The difference between formal and informal is their mandatory nature. Formal ones are mandatory, which is confirmed by the presence of punishment.
Failure to comply with informal social norms will not lead to a fine or restriction of freedom. The result will only be social isolation and exclusion from the team or group.
Universal and special
Universal norms apply to all members of society. These include legal norms, moral and ethical norms, and aesthetic norms.
And special ones are only for certain groups. These are corporate norms in an organization or school, religious norms for believers, customs and traditions that are not observed by everyone.
The meaning of a social group for a person
It is very important for every person to feel belonging to one or another association.
In childhood, a child wants to be with his parents more often, then gradually begins to move away, but at the same time does not leave his belonging to the group. He becomes a member of other groups. Moreover, one person can be a member of several associations at once.
In some countries this gradation of people is very developed. Some sociologists and psychologists believe that this factor is fundamental in determining the criteria for happiness.
In social science and sociology, several divisions of categories are distinguished, each of which has a specific role for the individual.
