SOCIAL GROUP

MEMBERSHIP GROUP
ASSOCIATION :
Ex. a political party has to work together as a united group on the basis of cooperation in order to fulfill
its objective of coming to power.
FRIENDSHIP GROUP:
Ex. Members of a college club may share only an interest in a particular sport or activity, whereas
members of a fraternity or sorority may be more involved by living together like a family and professing
similar attitudes and beliefs.

BASED ON SOCIAL NORMS

FORMAL ORGANIZATION:
Ex. A bureaucracy is an example of a formal organization that arises as a result of modernization. Weber
argued that bureaucracies gain increasing power over everyday life in a process called rationalization of
society. A bureaucracy is characterized by a division of labor, written rules, hierarchy, official
communication, and impersonal relationships within the organization.
INFORMAL GROUP:
Ex. A few people in the company who get together to play tennis on the weekend would be considered an
informal group.

GROUP IDENTIFICATION
REFERENCE GROUP:
Ex. Suppose that Susie is a 13-year-old female who transfers to a new school. Susie may pay attention to
what her schoolmates wear, how they speak, where they hang out, and how they behave. Susie then takes
this information and uses it in order to modify her speech, determine what she wears to school, how she
does her hair, which shows to watch on television, etc.
NEMBERSHIP GROUP
Ex. A leader might have special rights that allow the individual to preside over meetings or create rules
and guidelines for the group.