Primary and Secondary Social Groups

Not every group we belong to matters equally to us. Sociologists mark this difference with the distinction between primary and secondary groups. A primary group is small enough, and its members interact closely enough and face-to-face enough, that a real sense of intimacy and belonging develops — the family is the paradigm case, but a close circle of friends or a tight-knit local group works the same way. Because interaction in a primary group is direct and repeated, members come to know each other as whole persons, not just as occupants of a role, and the relationship itself — not any particular goal it serves — is what matters. This is why primary groups are described as 'person-oriented': the bond exists for its own sake.

Secondary groups work on the opposite logic. They tend to be much larger, and the relationships within them are formal and impersonal rather than intimate — members interact with each other as an occupant of a position (a customer, a colleague, a classmate) rather than as a whole person known outside that role. Schools, government offices, hospitals and students' associations are all secondary groups: people join them, and stay in them, because of the particular purpose they serve — getting an education, accessing a service, receiving treatment — not because of the emotional bond among members. This is why secondary groups are called 'goal-oriented'. …