Sociocultural Evolution of Societies

Social Groups and Organizations

This lesson deals with how man needs other members of
society to survive and to enjoy life. The issue here is how
to organize ourselves to for alliance into groups and
organizations.

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to

1. classify people;
2. explain the meaning of group, aggregate and category;
3. differentiate social group from social organization.

Classification of People
“No man is an island” goes the saying. Man can not
thrive without the presence of other men. There is a
natural tendency for man to live with others in a group,
to look for a companion or group of companions in order
to fulfill the need to belong and to experience some form
of comfort.

People are usually classified based on the group he or

she is an aggregate of. This group may be something he
consciously chose for himself or something he was born
into.

GROUP
A group serves many functions like giving an individual a
sense of identity as well as emotional intimacy.
It consists of two or more people who are distinct in the
following three ways:
a. Interact overtime
b. Have a sense of identity or belonging
c. Have norms that non-members don’t have.
For example: A class of students is a group who meet a
few times in a week for an entire semester and identify
themselves on the basis of what classes they are taking.
Students in a class must follow their professor’s class
 and test schedule, as well as rules for behavior and
contribution in class.

AGGREGATE
An aggregate is a collection of people who happen to be
at the same place at the same time but who have no
other connection to one another.
An example: the people in a restaurant on a particular
evening are an example of an aggregate, not a group.
Those people do not know one another, and they will
likely never see again in the same place and the same
time.

CATEGORY
Third classification is category, which is a collection of
people who share a particular characteristic. They do not
necessarily interact with one another and have nothing
else in common.
Examples of categories may include people who have
green eyes, or people who were born in the Philippines,
or women who gave birth to twins
One important characteristic of a group is for group
members interact on a regular basis through
communication.

Social Group
Those who interact with one another and share similar
characteristics and a sense of unity is called a social
group. These groups may be families, companies, circles
of friends, fraternities and sororities and local religious
congregations
Nature of Social Group
➢ The group provides specific form as to the nature of
interaction in the society.
➢ Members should develop a structure where each member
assumes a specific status and adopts a particular role.
➢ Certain orderly procedures and values are agreed upon.
➢ The members of the group feel a sense of identity.
 Sociocultural Evolution of Societies

Types of Social Group

1. Social Group according to Ties (This is considered a primary
group)
 It is the most fundamental unit of human society
 A long-lasting group characterized by strong ties of
love and affection
 Do’s and don’ts of behavior are learned in this group
Examples: families, gangs, cliques, play groups,
friendship groups
2. Social Group according to Ties (A Secondary Group)
 Group with which the individual comes in contact
later in life
 Characterized by impersonal business-like,
contractual, formal and casual relationship.
 Usually large in size, not very enduring and limited
relationships.
 People needed other people for the satisfaction of
their complex needs.
Examples: Industrial Workers, business associates.
Faculty staff, Company employees
3. Social Group to Form of Organization (Informal Group)
 Arises spontaneously out of the interactions
of two or more persons
 It is unplanned
 Has no explicit rules for membership and
does not have specific objectives to be
attained
 members are bound by emotion and
sentiments

4. Social Group according to Form of Organization (Formal

Group)
 Social organization
 Deliberately formed and their purpose and
objectives are explicitly defined.
 Their goals are clearly stated and the division
of labor is based on member’s ability or merit
 5. Social Group according to Self identification (In-Group)
It is a social unit in which individuals feel at home and
with which they identify themselves
6. Social Group according to Self identification (Out-Group)
It is a social unit to which individuals do not belong due
to differences in social categories and with which they
do not identify
7. Social Group according to Purpose (Special Interest Group)
A group which is organized to meet the special interest
of the members
8. Social Group according to Purpose (Task Force)
A group is assigned to accomplish jobs which cannot be
done by one person.
9. Social Group according to Geographical Location and
Degree of Relationship (Gemeinschaft)
 A social system in which most relationships are
personal and traditional
 It is a community of intimate, private and exclusive
living and familism
 Culture is homogeneous and traditional-bound
10. Social Group according to Geographical Location and
Degree of Relationship (Gesselschaft)
 A social system in which most relationships are
impersonal, formal, sontractuaal or bargain-like
 Relationship is individualistic, business-like,
secondary and rationalized
 Culture is heterogeneous and mored advanced

Social Organization
Social organization
The type of collectivity established for the pursuit of
specific aims or goods
Characterized by a formal structure of rules, authority
relations, a division of labor and limited membership or
admission
Sociocultural Evolution of Societies

Organization is an orderly relationship or arrangement of

parts.
It is used to refer the interdependence and inter-related
of parts in groups
Examples of social organization:
Family, church, college, factory, a play group, a political
party, a community

Types of Social Organization

1. Political Organization: State (Government)
2. Economic Organization: Factory
3. Religious Organization: Church
4. Financial organization: Bank
5. Educational organization: School and Colleges

Goal of Social organization

That members of an organization are inter-related to
each other for the pursuit of a common goal

Preparedness to accept one’s role and status:

 Organization is an arrangement of persons and
parts
 By arrangement, it is meant that every member of
the organization has an assigned role, a positon
and a status
Norms and Mores of Social Organization:
Every organization has its norms and mores which
control its members, as a result, an organization can
function smoothly if its members follow the organization
norms.
Sanctions:
If a member does not follow the norms he is compelled
to follow them through sanctions (conditions) which may
range from warning to physical punishment. For
example; a member may be expelled, or dismissed.
 To end up our discussion on Social Groups and
Organization, remember that a group is a major source
of solidarity and cohesion in society.

References
Acton, Ashton Q. (2014. Issues in international sociology
and social work research and application. USA: Scholarly
Editions.Print
Difference Between Anthropology and Sociology.
www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/...anthropology-and-
sociology. Web. 06 June 2015.
Ferrante, J. (2014). Sociology a Global Perspective. 9th
edition. USA: cengage Learning. Print
Mauss, M. (2005). The Nature of Sociology Berghahn
Series.USA: Durkheim Press. Print
Sociology/Anthropology.
www.stolaf.edu/catalog/9697/socanthro.html. Web. 06 June
2015.