BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES - Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie

person separate from other persons and possessing his or her own needs,
goals, and desires.
Social group is an association of two or more humans who
interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively
have a sense of unity. To have a sense of unity mean interacting with each
other with respect to:
1. Common motives and goals;
2. An accepted division of labor, i.e. roles;
3. Established status (social rank, dominance) relationships;
4. Accepted norms and values with reference to matters relevant to
the group;
5. Development of accepted sanctions (praise and punishment) if
and when norms were respected or violated.
Characteristics shared by members of a group may include
interests, values, representations, ethnic or social background, and kinship
ties. Thus a true social group is a group that exhibits some degree of social
cohesion and is not a simple collection or aggregate of individuals, such as
people waiting at a bus stop, or people waiting in a line. Social groups can
be many types, but sociologist divided into two big categories: primary
and secondary groups. Primary groups are small groups with intimate,
kinship-based relationships: families, for example. They commonly last
for many years or even generations. They are small and display face-toface
interaction. Secondary groups, in contrast to primary groups, are large
groups involving formal and institutional relationships. They may last for
years or may disband after a short time. The formation of primary groups
happens within secondary groups. Primary groups can be present in
secondary settings. For example, attending a university exemplifies
membership of a secondary group, while the friendships that are made
there would be considered a primary group that you belong to. Likewise,
some businesses care deeply about the well being of one another, while
some immediate families have hostile relations within it.
Social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in
society. It is the position or rank of a person or group within the society.
Social role is a set of connected behaviors, rights and obligations
of a person or group in a social situation or position.
Social institution is any structure or mechanism of social order
and cooperation governing the behavior of groups within a given human
community. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and
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