Define social group and explain the difference in primary groups and secondary groups

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

To sociologists, a social group consists of two or more people who interact frequently and share a common identity and a feeling of interdependence. Primary groups and secondary groups are the two basic types of social groups.

A primary group is a small, less specialized group in which members engage in face-to-face, emotion-based interactions over an extended period of time. Primary groups include our family, close friends, and school- or work-related peer groups. By contrast, a secondary group is a larger, more specialized group in which members engage in more-impersonal, goal-oriented relationships for a limited period of time. Schools, churches, and corporations are examples of secondary groups. In secondary groups, people have few, if any, emotional ties to one another. Instead, they come together for some specific, practical purpose, such as getting a degree or a paycheck. Secondary groups are more specialized than primary groups; individuals relate to one another in terms of specific roles (such as professor and student) and more-limited activities (such as course- related endeavors).