1/13/2015

SecondaryGroups

SecondaryGroups
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Secondarygroupsarelargegroupswhoserelationshipsareimpersonalandgoal
orientedtheirrelationshipsaretemporary.
LEARNINGOBJECTIVE
Outlinethemaindistinctionsbetweenprimaryandsecondarygroups

KEYPOINTS
ThedistinctionbetweenprimaryandsecondarygroupswasoriginallyproposedbyCharlesCooley.He
termedthem"secondary"becausetheygenerallydeveloplaterinlifeandaremuchlesslikelytobe
influentialonone'sidentitythanprimarygroups.
Secondaryrelationshipsinvolveweakemotionaltiesandlittlepersonalknowledgeofoneanother.In
contrasttoprimarygroups,secondarygroupsdon'thavethegoalofmaintaininganddevelopingthe
relationshipsthemselves.
Secondarygroupsincludegroupsinwhichoneexchangesexplicitcommodities,suchaslaborforwages,
servicesforpayments,andsuch.Theyalsoincludeuniversityclasses,athleticteams,andgroupsofco
workers.

TERMS

primarygroup
Itistypicallyasmallsocialgroupwhosemembersshareclose,personal,enduringrelationships.These
groupsaremarkedbyconcernforoneanother,sharedactivitiesandculture,andlongperiodsoftime
spenttogether.

Secondarygroups
Theyarelargegroupswhoserelationshipsareimpersonalandgoaloriented.

group
Anumberofthingsorpersonsbeinginsomerelationtooneanother.

EXAMPLES
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Examplesofsecondarygroupsincludevendortoclientrelationships,adoctortopatientrelationship,a
mechanic,anaccountant,andsuch.

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FULLTEXT

Unlikefirstgroups,secondarygroupsarelargegroupswhoserelationshipsareimpersonalandgoal
oriented.Peopleinasecondarygroupinteractonalesspersonallevelthaninaprimarygroup,andtheir
relationshipsaregenerallytemporaryratherthanlonglasting.Somesecondarygroupsmaylastformany
years,thoughmostareshortterm.Suchgroupsalsobeginandendwithverylittlesignificanceinthelives
ofthepeopleinvolved.
Secondaryrelationshipsinvolveweakemotionaltiesandlittlepersonalknowledgeofoneanother.In
contrasttoprimarygroups,secondarygroupsdon'thavethegoalofmaintaininganddevelopingthe
relationshipsthemselves.

CharlesCooley
ThedistinctionbetweenprimaryandsecondarygroupswasoriginallyproposedbyCharlesCooley.He
labeledgroupsas"primary"becausepeopleoftenexperiencesuchgroupsearlyintheirlifeandsuch
groupsplayanimportantroleinthedevelopmentofpersonalidentity.Secondarygroupsgenerally
developlaterinlifeandaremuchlesslikelytobeinfluentialonone'sidentity.

Functions
Sincesecondarygroupsareestablishedtoperformfunctions,people'srolesaremoreinterchangeable.A
secondarygroupisoneyouhavechosentobeapartof.Theyarebasedoninterestsandactivities.They
Hellothere,letusknow...
arewheremanypeoplecanmeetclosefriendsorpeopletheywouldjustcallacquaintances.Secondary
groupsarealsogroupsinwhichoneexchangesexplicitcommodities,suchaslaborforwages,servicesfor
Areyoua(n):
payments,etc.Examplesofthesewouldbeemployment,vendortoclientrelationships,adoctor,a
Educator

mechanic,anaccountant,andsuch.Auniversityclass,anathleticteam,andworkersinanofficealllikely
Student
formsecondarygroups.Primarygroupscanformwithinsecondarygroupsasrelationshipsbecomemore

personalandclose.

Other

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ClassmatesasSecondaryGroups
Aclassofstudentsisgenerallyconsideredasecondarygroup.

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DoctorsasSecondaryGroups
Thedoctorpatientrelationshipisanotherexampleofsecondarygroups.

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PREVCONCEPT

NEXTCONCEPT

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2questionsforuseinquizzeshavebeenwrittenaboutthisconceptbelow

Whichhasmoreinfluenceonone'sidentity,accordingtoCharlesCooley?
secondarygroups,bothprimarygroupsandsecondarygroupsareequal,itdependsfrom
casetocase,andprimarygroups

Whatroledosecondarygroupsplayinsociety?
Theyprovideasocialnetworkthatallowspeopletocomparethemselvestoothers.,The
membersgiveandreceiveemotionalsupport.,Theyallowindividualstochallengetheir
beliefsandprejudices.,andTheyaretransactional,taskbased,andshortterm,filling
practicalneeds.

KEYTERMREFERENCE

Closefriends

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:Samplingties,Levelsofmeasurement:

Binary,signed,andvaluedgraphs,andPrimaryandSecondaryGroups

More

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:TheConflictPerspective:ClassConflictand

ScarceResources,ValueContradictions,andNormsandSanctions

Ties

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:Durkheim'sMechanicalandOrganicSolidarity,

ControlTheory,andSocialNetworks

class

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:TheUpperMiddleClass,FunctionsoftheState,

andWeber'sViewofStratification

goal

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:TheGoalsofanInformativeSpeech,Leading

Teams,andGoalSettingTheory

identity

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:AdolescentSocialization,Politics,andThe

PsychologicalPerspective

impersonal

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:GenderMessagesinMassMedia,

BureaucratizationofSchools,andEffectsofGroupSizeonAttitudesandBehavior

mores

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:FolkwaysandMores,Wealth,andHuman

Sexuality

relationship

Appearsinthisrelatedconcepts:MeasuringPoverty,Peace,andPrimary

Groups

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