Type of Groups

Groups differ in many ways — size, duration, structure, and purpose. A country is a large group, a family is small. A committee may last only a few weeks, while a religious group can persist for generations. Some groups, like the army or police, are highly organised; others, like spectators at a match, are informal. People belong to many different types of groups. The major types discussed here are primary and secondary groups, formal and informal groups, and ingroup and outgroup.

Primary and Secondary Groups

The key difference lies in how membership is acquired. Primary groups are pre-existing formations that are usually given to the individual — you are born into them. Secondary groups are those the individual joins by choice.

A family, caste, and religion are classic examples of primary groups. Membership in a political party is an example of a secondary group.

In a primary group, interaction is face-to-face, members are in close physical proximity, and they share warm emotional bonds. These groups are central to an individual’s functioning and play a major role in developing values and ideals during early development.

In contrast, secondary groups involve relationships that are more impersonal, indirect, and less frequent. The boundaries of a primary group are less permeable — members do not have the option to choose their membership easily. In secondary groups, it is relatively easy to leave and join another group.

Formal and Informal Groups

These groups differ in the degree to which the group’s functions are stated explicitly and formally.

Formal groups have functions that are explicitly stated, as in an office organisation. The roles to be performed by members are stated in an explicit manner. The formation of formal groups is based on specific rules or laws, and members have definite roles. There is a set of norms that helps establish order. A university is an example of a formal group.

Informal groups, on the other hand, are not based on rules or laws. Their formation is spontaneous, and there is a close, personal relationship among members.

Ingroup and Outgroup

Just as individuals compare themselves with others, they also compare the group they belong to with groups they are not part of. The term ingroup refers to one’s own group, and outgroup refers to another group.

For ingroup members, we use the word ‘we’; for outgroup members, we use the word ‘they’. By using these words, people are categorising others as similar or different. Research has found that persons in the ingroup are generally supposed to be similar, are viewed favourably, and are seen as having desirable traits. Members of the outgroup are viewed differently and are often perceived negatively in comparison. …