SOCIAL GROUPS AND

GROUP INTERACTIONS

- Ms. Maybel B. Dela Cruz, LPT

OBJECTIVES:

AFTER THIS LESSON, THE MIDSHIPMEN

WILL BE ABLE TO:
1.Understand clearly the nature and importance of the
group to the individual;
2.Understand the influence of the group on the
development of the individual; and
3.Determine the different factors affecting group
information.
MEANING OF GROUP:
• A group consists of two or more people who are
bound together in relatively stable patterns of
social interaction and who share a feeling of
unity. (Hughes &Kroehler, 2009)
• A group is any collection of people who interact
on the basis of shared expectations regarding
one another’s behavior (Kornblum, 2003)
• A group is comprised of two or more person who are in social
interaction, who are guided by similar norms, values and
expectations, and who maintain a stable pattern of relations over a
period of time. (Kendall, 2000)
• Also, a group is a specified number of individuals where each
recognizes members from non-members; each has a sense of what
others do and think, as well as what the purpose of the association
or grouping is. It is a collection of individuals characterized by a)
communication through words, gestures, writing, etc. b) a
recognition of one another as members; and c) specialized roles in
the activities carried out by the members. (Ronquillo, 1989)
• Lastly, a group is a social structure that has an
existence apart from a particular relationships
individual persons have with one another. For this
reason many groups, like a high school class, have an
existence beyond the lifespans of specific people.
• INTERACTION- is the essence of group life. It may be
defined as a reciprocal contact, inter-stimulation, and
response between two or more persons. Without it,
social life is impossible.
RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP MAY BE EXIST IN THREE
DIFFERENT SITUATIONS NAMELY; PERSON TO
PERSON, PERSON TO GROUP, AND GROUP TO GROUP.

• GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF A GROUP

According to Joseph Fichter (Palispis, 1996), a group is
characterized by the following:
1. A group has identity identifiable by both its members and
outsiders.
2. A group has social structure in the sense that each part or member
has a position related to other positions.
3. Each member in a group has a roles to play.
4. There is mutual reciprocity among members in a group.
5. A group has norms of behavior that influence the way in
which the roles are enacted.
6. A group has goals or purposes, which are commonly based
on the interests and values of each member.
7. Group activity is directed towards the attainment of goals.
8. A group has relative permanence, a measurable duration
over a period of time.
 GROUP AS DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER
COLLECTIONS OF PEOPLE
The distinctive characteristics of the group stand out
compared to the following collections of individuals:
1. AGGREGATE- these are people who are temporarily
clustered together in the same location. Although they share
common norms, they are not mutually dependent. They are
people in close physical proximity but do not interact with
each other. Examples are people waiting for a ride, people
queing up for movie tickets, or a line of shoppers in pay
counter.
2. CATEGORY- a collection of people who share a common
characteristic but do not interact. Filipinos, gays and dorm residents
are categories of people. Other examples are categories of nations
like poor countries, rich countries etc.

3. Collectivity- a collection of people interacting with each other but

their interactions are short-lived. They share some kind of belief,
which can prepare them for collective action. Examples are the
Iglesia ni Cristo gatherings, mass demonstrations, and cheering and
chanting during basketball games by fans rooting for their
respective teams etc.
 IMPORTANCE OF A GROUP

1 . A group is a major source of solidarity and cohesion.

2. A group reinforces and strengthens our integration
into society.
3. A group shares basic survival and problem-solving
techniques to satisfy personal and emotional needs.
4. A group gives meaning and support to an
individual.
 HOW IS A GROUP FORMED?

According to Cartwright and Zanders (1968), a group is

formed because of the following:
1. The desire to achieve an objective.
2. To meet the needs of the individual member.
3. People are treated alike by others.
 PROCESS OF GROUP INTERACTION

“No man is an island” is a famous line from

John Donne’s “Meditation XVII”. The quotation
means that one cannot live alone. He/she has
to seek the company of others. He/she has to
be with a group.
 The concept of group is one of the important
concerns of sociologist. To learn social behavior one has
to study the most common and most familiar of social
units, which is the group. A social groups is essential to a
person’s existence. From the group, an individual
acquires his/her social self and personality. A social
group not only influences people’s lives, but also affects
the structure of society.
 Social interaction or interpersonal behavior of group
members is an important criterion in the concept. Guided
by norms, members of a group interact recurrently and
take others into account. As they interact with one another,
their interactions become patterned. Once the patterned
recurrent forms of behavior are sustained over time and
may persist as members come and go. The members of the
group are held together and set apart from others by virtue
of their interactions.
 PROCESSES OF GROUP INTERACTION

1. COOPERATION- it is an interaction that occur s when

people work together to achieve shared goals or promote
common interest. People banding themselves together in a
cooperative effort can achieve otherwise unobtainable goal.
People cooperate with one another to provide mutual
protection from external threats and to meet group as well as
individual needs efficiently.
2. COMPETITION- it occurs when individuals or group
struggle to reach the same goal. Competition exist
because of scarcity of resources: money, power, prestige,
honor, etc. The ultimate aim is to reach the goal, not to
harm or destroy the other rivals or competitors. In
competition, the primary concern is directed toward goal
achievement. Competition is regulated by shared rules.
3. Conflict- it is a social process whereby two or
more group consciously seek to block one another
in achieving a desired goal, or to defeat or
annihilate one another. It is a struggle—over scarce
resources—that is not regulated by shared rules.
 FACTORS AFFECTING SMALL GROUP
INTERACTION
1. SIZE-the smaller the size of a group, the higher the
interaction; and the bigger the size, the lesser the
interaction. With the increase in size, each member has
fewer opportunities to share opinions and contribute to
decision-making. As the group gets bigger, interactions
become more impersonal, more structured, and less
personally satisfying.
2. PROXIMITY- the closer the distance of people,
the more the interaction; the farther the distance,
the lesser the interaction. Based on the findings of
Leon Festinger (1950), people will more likely
choose their next-door neighbors as friends than
people who live two units away. In general, the
greater the physical distance, the less likely will
friendship be formed.
3. COMMUNICATION PATTERNS- interaction of group
members can either be facilitated or retarded by patterns of
communication.

a. All-channel network- in this pattern, each person can

interact with other persons with approximately the same
ease. Each participant has equal access to the others and an
equal ability to become focus of attention.
 Circle pattern- in this type of communication
b.

pattern, interaction is reduced. People can only

speak to their neighbors. However, this pattern does
not give one person more power than the others.

c. Wheel pattern- In this kind of pattern, not only is

interaction reduced, but also a single pivotal
individual gains greater power in the group.
4. COHESION- this refers to the degree of attraction members feel for
the group. Extensive interactions tend to produce positive feelings.
No matter how strange people seem when you first meet them, if you
work with them year in and year out, you eventually develop a certain
affection for them, and understand their problems and quirks.

5. SOCIAL CONTROL- a small group rarely has access to legal or

formal sanction, yet it exercises profound control over individuals.
The basis of the control is fear- fear of not being accepted by the
group. The major weapons that this group uses to punish non-
conformity are ridicule and contempt, but its ultimate sanction is
exclusion from the group.
6. DECISION-MAKING- Generally, a group strives to arrive at
a consensus. Decisions should be aggregable to every
member. As the group grows in size, consensus requires
lengthy and time-consuming interaction so everybody’s
objections can be clearly understood and incorporated.
Thus, if often adopts the more expedient policy of majority
rule. This policy results in quicker decisions, but often at the
expense of individual satisfaction.
 IMPORTANCE OF GROUP SIZE IN SOCIAL
RELATIONSHIP

GEORG SIMMEL- a German sociologist, focused

his research on the social dynamics of small social
groups . Through his study, he was able to make
conclusive remarks on the importance of group
size.
 HERE ARE SOME OF HIS FINDINGS:

1. DYAD- a social group with two members, is typically

less stable than a group with many members. In a dyad,
both members must actively participate in the
relationship because if either one withdraws from the
dyad, the group dissipates. In contrast, a large group is
inherently more stable. Even if a few members dropped
out, the group would not break up.
2. Socialinteraction in a dyad is typically more intense
than in other groups. In such a one-to-one relationship,
neither member shares the other’s attention with else. For
this reason, a dyad has also the potential to be the most
meaningful social bond people ever experience.
Because marriage in our culture is dyadic, powerful
emotional ties generally unite husbands and wives.
3.TRIAD- a social group with three members, gives
stability not found in a dyad. If the relationship
between any two of the group’s members become
strained, the third can act as mediator to restore the
groups’ vitality. Similarity, members of a dyad, such
as married couple, often seek out a third person, a
trusted friend or counselor, to resolve the tension.
4. Alarger group with more than three members tends to
be more stable than a smaller one because even if several
members lose interest, the group’s existence is not
directly threatened.

5. A larger social group usually develops a more formal

social structure, a variety of statuses and roles, and certain
rules and regulations that stabilize its operation. However,
a larger social group inevitably lacks intense personal
interaction.