Each person, regardless of his age and occupation, is in several small groups - this is a family, a school class, a sports team. The relationship of the individual with other members of the team plays a key role in shaping his personality. The variety of types of associations demonstrates the classification of small ones, which attaches particular importance to the study of the characteristics of small groups and their role in society.

What is a small social group

On the basis of small collectives, it is possible to study in detail the connection of the individual with his environment, the influence of society on its members. Therefore, in sociological research, the concepts of "group", "small group", "classification of groups" occupy an important place. The fact is that a person spends most of his life in small groups that have a strong influence on the formation of his values.

A social group is an association of people connected by joint activities and a system of interpersonal relations. Such groups are classified by size, that is, by the number of participants.

Small group - a small association of people connected by joint activities and in direct communication with each other. A feature of such a team is that the number of its members does not exceed twenty, and therefore they can freely contact each other and establish an emotional connection.

signs

There are a number of provisions, the presence of which may indicate that the association is a small social group:

• co-presence of people in one territory at a certain time;
• emotional contact between team members, the presence of stable relationships;
• joint activities aimed at achieving a common goal;
• division between members of group roles;
• the presence of an organizational and managerial structure;
• the formation of their norms and values.

The concept and classification of small groups are based on these features and the nature of their manifestation. The establishment of emotional relationships between individual members can lead to the emergence of subblocks and internal structure.

Association types

There are several aspects in relation to which the classification of small groups is formed. The table below shows the types of small social associations.

sign	Types
emergence	Formal (consciously organized) and informal.
Way of interaction	Primary (high level of cohesion) and secondary (lack of strong relationships, working together).
Duration of existence	Temporary (created to achieve a single goal) and stable (designed to work for a long time).
Nature of activity	Labor, research, entertainment, ideological, aesthetic, communicative, political.
Personal Significance	Elite and reference.

The nature of internal communications

The determining factor is the classification of small social groups with respect to the way it arises. Formal associations are created by management and have legal status. Their activities are regulated by certain documentation. The management of such a group is top-down, and its members are determined by the organization.

Informal groups arise spontaneously based on the emotional ties of the participants. Such societies do not have an official status, and its activities are directed "from the bottom up". Nevertheless, they also form some norms and values ​​shared by all members of the group and predetermining their behavior. If in formal organizations the leader has official powers, then in contact organizations he acts through the recognition of other participants.

Reference team

On the factor of significance of the association for an individual, another small group is based, the norms of which play an important role for a person, called the reference (reference). A member of the team sorts through its value system, forms the appropriate standards. This group is divided into two subspecies:

• Ideal. The individual does not belong to the association, but in his behavior he is guided by its norms.
• presence group. A person is a member of this team and shares values.

Small communities play a crucial role in shaping The child sees the norms accepted in the family and among friends. At the same time, small social groups can also have a negative impact on the individual - suppress his personal qualities (inhibition), impose incorrect ideals.

social significance

Small organizations can play different roles in society, depending on the values ​​and goals pursued by the small group. The classification of small groups, based on the criterion of social significance, suggests the existence of three types of associations: socially oriented, asocial and antisocial. Accordingly, they play a positive, neutral and negative role. Socially oriented small groups include educational, public, productive organizations. Various criminal associations are not accepted by people, which nevertheless retain authority for their members.

Group management

Management includes a number of actions necessary to organize the activities of the association. This concept includes decision-making, goal setting, development of plans, control, coordination, and so on. There is a conditional classification of small groups regarding the method of management. There are the following types of relationships:

• subordination (top);
• coordination (horizontal system);
• reordination (bottom).

Successful organization of activities is based on the combination of these principles, the search for the best option for building internal relations.

Head of the team

A feature of the organization of small groups is the selection of a leader. This is a member of the association, which has a strong influence on its activities. He is respected among the other members due to his personality and plays an important role in the management of the group. The activity of the leader extends to both internal and external communication. He ensures the involvement of team members in joint activities, exercises control over decision-making. There is a classification of small groups based on the level of the leader's intervention in the activities of the association and the degree of involvement of each member in the community management process. In the most successful organizations (both contact and formal), a balance is struck between the two extremes.

Management styles

The conditional classification of small groups, which takes as a basis the involvement of members of the association in the process of its management, includes three positions presented in the table below.

There is also a theory of X and Y. In the first case, a person initially avoids work and prefers to be led. Theory Y suggests that the individual has a high level of self-control and strives for responsibility. Accordingly, there are two different ways management.

Collective pressure

The norms adopted in the association have an impact on the way of life of its individual member. Everyone knows an experiment conducted with a group of children, where prearranged participants incorrectly answered the question posed, and the last subject repeated the words of his peers. This phenomenon is called conformism. The opinion of the majority of the members of a small group has an effect on the individual. The opposite of this phenomenon can be independence, that is, the independence of a person’s attitudes from the opinions of the environment.

At the same time, the classification of small groups regarding the role it plays for an individual is important. The higher the association's referentiality, the more conformism manifests itself.

Formation of a small social group

Each team goes through several stages of development. Psychologists G. Stanford and A. Roark developed a theory that includes 7 stages of the formation of a social group. The study is based on a two-factor model of team development, where there are contradictions between business and emotional activity.

1. Acquaintance, the first attempts of interpersonal interaction.
2. Creation
3. stage of conflict.
4. The state of balance, the emergence of a sense of unity.
5. Formation of unity - business activity increases, common goals are set.
6. The dominance is not workers, but interpersonal relations of individual members of the association.
7. Actualization, balance of business and emotional activity.

Social roles in a small group

Members of an association may be assigned certain behaviors related to solving problems or communicating with other members. Roles are manifested both in the business and in the emotional activity of the group. For example, in the process of solving problems, the “initiator” proposes new ideas, and the “critic” evaluates the work of the entire group and finds it weaknesses. Roles are also manifested in the sphere of interpersonal relations of the team. So, the inspirer actively supports the ideas of other members, and the conciliator renounces his opinion and settles conflict situations.

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Small social groups, their typology and significance in the life of society and the individual

Introduction

1.1 The concept of a social group

1.3 Typology of a small social group

Conclusion

Literature

Introduction

Studies of social groups are borderline for two sciences - social psychology and sociology. And their variety - a small group - is the subject of keen interest of various socio-psychological schools and trends, a huge number of theorists, domestic and foreign researchers and practitioners.

The issue of the small group is the most traditional and fairly well developed problem in social psychology. Interest in the study of small groups arose long ago, essentially immediately after the discussion of the problem of the relationship between society and the individual and, in particular, the question of the relationship between the individual and the environment for its formation.

The study of small groups seems to be one of the most important and interesting tasks of social psychology. The constant complication of social life, the involvement of people in numerous formations in terms of their activities and the nature of their social relations requires the close attention of researchers. The role of small groups is indeed increasing in a person's life, in particular, because the need for group decision-making in production, in public life, business, and politics is growing.

1. The phenomenon of a small social group

1.1 The concept of a social group

The concept of a group as such is one of the most important in sociology and social psychology, however, scientists still do not have full agreement on its definition.

As Yu.G. Volkov, sociologists call a group of two or more individuals who have common views and are connected to each other in relatively stable models of social interaction.

S.S. offers his own definition. Frolov: a social group is a collection of individuals interacting in a certain way based on the shared expectations of each member of the group regarding others.

In this definition, the scientist sees two essential conditions necessary for a mere collection of individuals to be considered a group: (i) interaction between its members; 2) the emergence of shared expectations of each member of the group regarding its other members.

According to S.S. Frolova, social roles bring people together within social relations. When these relationships are maintained for a long time, group properties are attributed to them. As a result, four things usually happen. First, relationships begin to be seen as activities carried out within certain boundaries, so that people are either "inside" or "outside" the group. Second, people attribute "objective" existence to groups and perceive them as if they were real and tangible. Thirdly, the group becomes the carrier of a special subculture or counterculture - a set of norms and values ​​that are unique in their kind. Fourth, people develop a sense of loyalty to the group, which gives the feeling that they are a single entity that has its own distinctive properties.

In the domestic tradition, social groups are often divided into two types: small and large. There are good reasons for separating these two types of groups. They do not just differ in the number of members - it is fundamentally different types groups.

1.2 The concept of a small social group

In the dictionary of social science terms, small social groups are interpreted as relatively stable, small in number social groups, whose members are in direct personal communication and interaction with each other (family, school class, friendly company, etc.).

G.M. Andreeva, well-known specialist in the field of social psychology, refers to small groups various social associations of people with a small and finite number of participants, who in one form or another are included in the existing system of social production and control. Small groups exist in reality: they are accessible to direct perception, observable in terms of their size and time of existence. The study of groups can be carried out through special methods of working with all members of the group (observation of interaction in the group, surveys, tests, experiments). It is important that one can isolate the specific purpose of the existence of such groups, since they are organized to perform some kind of activity.

Of the countless definitions of small groups, G.M. Andreeva suggests using the following: “A small group is understood as a small group in composition, whose members are united by a common social activities and are in direct personal communication, which is the basis for the emergence of emotional relationships, group norms and group processes. The definition is quite universal, it does not claim to be accurate definitions and is rather descriptive, allows various interpretations, depending on what content to give to the concepts included in it.

M. Bityanova, in accordance with the definition of Andreeva G.M., identifies two features that create the basis for the emergence of a small group as a psychological phenomenon: joint activity in its psychological aspect(values, goals, objectives and ways of interaction) and direct contact of group members. On this basis, a small group arises and develops as a socio-psychological phenomenon.

A small social group is an integral independent subject of functioning and development, which has the following properties:

Consists of a limited, small number of people.

· Arises in the conditions of unification of participants by a common goal and interpersonal communication.

· Provides its constituents with cognitive and emotional content.

· Determines the features of their behavior in intra- and intergroup communication.

According to G.M. Andreeva, in the literature for a long time there has been a dispute regarding the lower and upper limits of the small group. In most studies, the number of small group participants fluctuated between 2 and 7 with a modal number of 2 (mentioned in 71% of cases). This count correlates with the idea that the smallest small group is a group of two people - a "dyad". Although opinions are sometimes expressed in the literature that the dyad cannot be considered a small group at all.

Most scientists agree that the size of groups as a structural component affects the nature of the interactions of its participants. Indeed, the smaller the group, the more opportunities the individual gets to get to know other people and form close bonds with them. Thus, dyads create the conditions for the existence of the closest and most influential relationships (relations between parent and child, between husband and wife). Most of our social interactions are based on one-to-one relationships.

In dyads in comparison with large groups, feelings and emotions play a big role. However, this factor also affects the rather fragile nature of relations in dyads: there is an unstable balance between the parties, since if one of the group members is disappointed in the partner, then the relationship between them will completely collapse. Interestingly, relationships in two-person groups tend to be more tense and less openly hostile toward other relationships.

The formation of a triad (a group of three members) radically changes the social situation. It becomes possible to organize coalitions. In this situation, one of the members of the group may be in the position of an "outsider". Although, in some circumstances, this third person, on the contrary, may take on the role of a mediator or peacemaker.

Studies show that a group of five people seems to be the most preferable. In this case, an absolutely deadlock situation is impossible due to an odd number of group members. Such groups tend to split into a three-member majority and a two-member minority; being in the minority in such a group does not mean being isolated, as in a triad. A group of five is large enough that its members can easily switch roles and any member of the group has the opportunity to get out of an awkward position without necessarily having to formally reconsider the problem. Finally, a group of five is large enough that people feel free to express their emotions and even confront each other, but small enough that its members can disrespect each other's needs and feelings. As group sizes increase, they become less "cooperative". In such groups, people rather do not speak to each other, but address others with formal speeches.

1.3 Typology little th social group

small social group personality

In the history of sociology, there have been repeated attempts to construct a classification of small groups.

Indeed, small groups can be different in size, in the nature and structure of relationships, in individual composition, in the characteristics of values, norms and rules of relationships shared by participants, in interpersonal relationships, in goals and content of activities. In the same way, small groups can be subdivided into emerging groups, already set by external social requirements, but not yet united by joint activity in the full sense of the word, and groups more high level development already established.

A large number of small groups in society suggests their great diversity. The ambiguity of the concept of a small group gave rise to the ambiguity of the proposed classifications.

In fact, the most diverse grounds for classifying small groups are acceptable: according to the time of their existence (long-term and short-term), according to the degree of closeness of contact between members, according to the way an individual enters, etc.

Currently, about fifty different bases of classification are known. According to G.M. Andreeva, it is advisable to choose the most common of them, which are the three classifications.

1) The division of small groups into "primary" and "secondary".

Primary groups are made up of a small number of people among whom relationships are established based on their individual features. For the first time he introduced the concept of the primary group Ch. Cooley (1909) in relation to the family, between the members of which there are stable emotional relationships. Later, sociologists began to use this term in the study of any group in which close personal relationships have formed that determine the essence of this group (a group of friends).

The secondary group is formed from people between whom there are almost no emotional relationships, their interaction is due to the desire to achieve certain goals. The main importance in these groups is given not to personal qualities, but to the ability to perform certain functions (industrial enterprise).

2) "Formal" and "informal".

This division was first proposed by E. Mayo. A formal group has a certain legal status and is created to solve a range of tasks, to achieve special goals, which, as a rule, are prescribed to the group from the outside. It has a certain structure, leadership, rights and obligations of its members (production team, student group). At the same time, groups with informal relations may arise in formal groups.

An informal group is based on voluntary association and arises on the basis of common interests or mutual affection. Such a group is characterized by friendly, trusting relationship, readiness for assistance and mutual assistance Each member of the group does not have a strictly fixed role, social position, with its inherent rights and obligations.

3) "membership groups" and "reference groups".

Such a classification was introduced by G. Hyman, who owns the discovery of the very phenomenon of the "reference group". In the experiments of the scientist, it was shown that some members of certain small groups share the norms of behavior that are by no means accepted in this group, but in some other group they are guided by (a student who is a member of the class shares the norms of "dubious" elements from the street) .

There are two uses of the term "reference group" in the literature today: sometimes as a group opposed to a membership group, sometimes as a group emerging within a membership group. In the second case, the reference group is defined as a "significant social circle" - as a circle of persons selected from the real group as being especially significant for the individual.

Each of these three classifications described sets some dichotomy.

2. The importance of small social groups in the life of society and the individual

It is impossible not to note the importance of studying social groups, in particular small ones that exist in society. Firstly, the very social structure of society is a set of connections and relationships that social groups and communities of people enter into among themselves. Secondly, the whole life of a person living in a society of people takes place in social groups and under their direct influence: in the family, at work, etc. Only in group life a person is formed as a person, finds self-expression and support.

The social group provides society with the benefits due to the unification of the physical, intellectual and spiritual forces of people. Many researchers have come to the conclusion that some of the characteristics of a person - the ability for abstract thinking, speech, language, self-discipline and morality are the result of group activity. In the group, norms, rules, customs, traditions are born, in other words, the foundation is laid social life. A person needs a group, depends on it. Already in ancient times, people preferred to live in groups: mobile communities of primitive hunters and gatherers numbering 20-30 people. And in the modern world, a person does not think of himself outside the group. He is a member of the family, student class, sports team, work team, etc.

One of the most important meanings of small groups is their socializing function. Indeed, the group is the main factor contributing to the survival of man in society. Babies need adult care for a long time, while they learn some of the skills and many of the requirements needed to live in groups. As children grow older, they learn the knowledge, concepts, values, and rules of behavior that are characteristic of the group to which they belong.

Andreeva G.M. defines the essence of socialization as follows: socialization is a two-way process, which includes, on the one hand, the assimilation of social experience by the individual by entering the social environment, the system of social ties; on the other hand, the process of active reproduction by the individual of the system of social ties due to his vigorous activity, active inclusion in the social environment.

Usually, socialization is divided into three stages: at the primary stage (socialization of the infant), the family acts as an agent of socialization; the secondary stage includes a period of formal education; and the third stage is the socialization of an adult, when social factors enter roles for which primary and secondary socialization cannot fully prepare them (becoming a husband, wife, parent). The introduction of the individual intellect to the social takes place only in the process of socialization and is an important part of it.

The instrumental role of the group is determined by the unification of people for the sake of performing this or that work. Many groups are needed to do things that are difficult or impossible for one person to do (professional groups).

Some types of groups are called expressive, as their main goal is to satisfy the group members' desire for social acceptance, approval, respect and trust. Such groups are formed spontaneously with relatively little outside influence (companies of friends and teenagers who like to spend time together).

There is no doubt that people come together not only to perform joint activities and satisfy social needs, but also to reduce unpleasant feelings and evoke pleasant ones. Under the influence of the group, there may be a weakening of some of the negative emotions experienced by members of the group. Some, on the contrary, may intensify under the influence of the emotions of other members of the group. When a set of people becomes a group, norms and moral values ​​are formed on the basis of which the order of interaction is established.

Small social groups, especially primary ones, play an important role in the formation of value orientations, in determining the direction of behavior and activities of their representatives. Fulfilling production functions, they also establish interpersonal contacts with each other, which are distinguished by psychological harmony and a common interest in something. Thus, they constitute a specific social environment that affects the individual.

Conclusion

In this paper, we examined the phenomenon of a small social group. We have listed some of the existing definitions of this concept, focusing on one of them, and revealed the main properties of small groups. Noting that there are many different classifications of small social groups, we paid special attention to the typology proposed by a specialist in the field of social psychology G.M. Andreeva.

In the second part theoretical work we stopped at the values ​​that small social groups play in society as a whole and in the life of each individual.

We have found that all people find expression in group life. The infant becomes a man, taking his place in the family, and the absence of a human group affects the personality of the child in the most negative way. Growing up, the child gradually learns the relationships inherent in other groups, which, constantly changing, will accompany him until his death.

Literature

1. Andreeva G.M. "Social Psychology." M., 2000.

2. Anurin V.F. Fundamentals of sociological knowledge: A course of lectures on general sociology. - N. Novgorod: NCI, 1998.

3. Bityanova M. Large and small // School psychologist. - 2000. - No. 32.

4. Sociology: Textbook / Yu.G. Volkov, V.I. Dobrenkov, V.N. Nechipurenko, A.V. Popov; Ed. SOUTH. Volkova.- Ed. 2nd, rev. and additional - M .: Gardariki, 2003.

5. Explanatory dictionary of social science terms. / Comp. NOT. Yatsenko. - M.: Lan, 1999.

6. Frolov S.S. Sociology. Textbook for high schools. - M.: Nauka, 1994.

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Group is one of the main elements of the social structure of society and is a collection of people united by any essential feature - common activities, general economic, demographic, ethnographic, psychological characteristics. This concept is used in jurisprudence, economics, history, ethnography, demography, psychology. In sociology, the concept of "social group" is usually used.

Not every community of people is called a social group. If people are just in a certain place (on a bus, in a stadium), then such a temporary community can be called "aggregation". A social community that brings people together on only one or a few similar grounds is also not called a group; the term "category" is used here. For example, a sociologist might categorize students aged 14 to 18 as youth; elderly people to whom the state pays allowances, provides benefits for paying utility bills - to the category of pensioners, etc.

Social group - it is an objectively existing stable community, a set of individuals interacting in a certain way on the basis of several signs, in particular, the shared expectations of each member of the group regarding others.

The concept of a group as independent, along with the concepts of personality (individual) and society, is already found in Aristotle. In modern times, T. Hobbes was the first to define a group as "a certain number of people united by a common interest or common cause."

Under social group it is necessary to understand any objectively existing stable set of people connected by a system of relations regulated by formal or informal social institutions. Society in sociology is considered not as a monolithic entity, but as a set of many social groups that interact and are in a certain dependence on each other. Each person during his life belongs to many such groups, among which are a family, a friendly team, a student group, a nation, and so on. The creation of groups is facilitated by similar interests and goals of people, as well as the realization of the fact that when combining actions, you can achieve a significantly greater result than with individual action. At the same time, the social activity of each person is largely determined by the activities of the groups in which he is included, as well as the interaction within groups and between groups. It can be stated with full confidence that only in a group a person becomes a person and is able to find full self-expression.

The concept, formation and types of social groups

The most important elements of the social structure of society are social groups and social communities. Being forms of social interaction, they are such associations of people whose joint, solidarity actions are aimed at meeting their needs.

V modern sociology There are many definitions of the term "social group". So, according to some Russian sociologists, a social group is a collection of people who have common social characteristics and perform a socially necessary function in the structure of the social division of labor and activity. The American sociologist R. Merton defines a social group as a set of individuals interacting with each other in a certain way, aware of their belonging to this group and recognized as members of this group from the point of view of others. He distinguishes three main features in a social group: interaction, membership and unity.

Unlike mass communities, social groups are characterized by:

sustainable interaction, contributing to the strength and stability of their existence;

a relatively high degree of unity and cohesion;

a clearly defined homogeneity of the composition, suggesting the presence of signs inherent in all members of the group;

the possibility of entering into broader social communities as structural units.

Since each person in the course of his life is a member of a wide variety of social groups that differ in size, nature of interaction, degree of organization and many other features, it becomes necessary to classify them according to certain criteria.

There are the following types of social groups:

1. Depending on the nature of the interaction - primary and secondary (Appendix, scheme 9).

primary group, by definition, C. Cooley, is a group in which the interaction between members is direct, interpersonal in nature and has a high level of emotionality (family, school class, peer group, etc.). Carrying out the socialization of the individual, the primary group acts as a link between the individual and society.

The secondary group is a larger group in which interaction is subordinated to the achievement of a specific goal and is formal, impersonal. In these groups, the focus is not on the personal, unique qualities of the members of the group, but on their ability to perform certain functions. Organizations (industrial, political, religious, etc.) can serve as examples of such groups.

2. Depending on the method of organization and regulation of interaction - formal and informal.

A formal group is a group with a legal status, interaction in which is regulated by a system of formalized norms, rules, and laws. These groups have a consciously set purpose, normatively fixed hierarchical structure and act in accordance with the administratively established procedure (organizations, enterprises, etc.).

An informal group arises spontaneously, based on common views, interests and interpersonal interactions. It is deprived of official regulation and legal status. These groups are usually led by informal leaders. Examples are friendly companies, informal associations among young people, rock music lovers, etc.

3. Depending on the belonging of individuals to them - ingroups and outgroups.

Ingroup- this is a group to which the individual feels a direct belonging and identifies it as "mine", "our" (for example, "my family", "my class", "my company", etc.).

Outgroup - this is a group to which the given individual does not belong and therefore evaluates it as “alien”, not his own (other families, another religious group, another ethnic group, etc.). Each ingroup individual has his own outgroup rating scale: from indifferent to aggressive-hostile. Therefore, sociologists propose to measure the degree of acceptance or closeness in relation to other groups according to the so-called Bogardus' "social distance scale".

Reference group - this is a real or imaginary social group, the system of values, norms and evaluations of which serves as a standard for the individual. The term was first proposed by the American social psychologist Hyman. The reference group in the system of relations "personality - society" performs two important functions: normative, being for the individual a source of norms of behavior, social attitudes and value orientations; comparative acting as a standard for the individual, allows him to determine his place in the social structure of society, evaluate himself and others.

4. Depending on the quantitative composition and form of the implementation of connections - small and large.

small group- this is a directly contacting small group of people united to carry out joint activities.

A small group can take many forms, but the initial ones are the “dyad” and “triad”, they are called the simplest molecules small group. A dyad consists of two people and is considered an extremely fragile association, in triad actively interact three persons, it is more stable.

The characteristic features of a small group are:

small and stable composition (as a rule, from 2 to 30 people);

spatial proximity of group members;

sustainability and longevity:

a high degree of coincidence of group values, norms and patterns of behavior;

intensity of interpersonal relationships;

a developed sense of belonging to a group;

informal control and information saturation in the group.

A large group is a group that is large in composition, which is created for a specific purpose and the interaction in which is mainly indirect in nature (labor collectives, enterprises, etc.). This also includes numerous groups of people who have common interests and occupy the same position in the social structure of society. For example, social-class, professional, political and other organizations.

A team (lat. collectivus) is a social group in which all vital connections between people are mediated through socially important goals.

Characteristic features of the team:

combination of interests of the individual and society;

commonality of goals and principles that act for the members of the team as value orientations and norms of activity. The team performs the following functions:

subject - solution of the task for which it is created;

social and educational - combination of the interests of the individual and society.

5. Depending on the socially significant signs - real and nominal.

Real groups are groups identified according to socially significant criteria:

floor - men and women;

age - children, youth, adults, the elderly;

income - rich, poor, prosperous;

nationality - Russians, French, Americans;

marital status - married, single, divorced;

profession (occupation) - doctors, economists, managers;

place of residence - city ​​dwellers, rural dwellers.

Nominal (conditional) groups, sometimes called social categories, are singled out for the purpose of conducting a sociological study or statistical registration of the population (for example, to find out the number of passengers-benefits, single mothers, students receiving nominal scholarships, etc.).

Along with social groups in sociology, the concept of "quasi-group" is singled out.

A quasi-group is an informal, spontaneous, unstable social community that does not have a definite structure and system of values, in which the interaction of people is, as a rule, of a third-party and short-term nature.

The main types of quasigroups are:

The audience is a social community united by interaction with the communicator and receiving information from him. The heterogeneity of this social formation, due to the difference personal qualities, as well as the cultural values ​​and norms of the people included in it, determines the different degree of perception and evaluation of the information received.

Crowd- a temporary, relatively unorganized, unstructured accumulation of people united in a closed physical space by a common interest, but at the same time devoid of a clearly perceived goal and interconnected by the similarity of their emotional state. Allocate the general characteristics of the crowd:

suggestibility - people in the crowd are usually more suggestible than those outside it;

anonymity - the individual, being in the crowd, as if merges with it, becomes unrecognizable, believing that it is difficult to “calculate” him;

spontaneity (contagiousness) - people in the crowd are subject to rapid transmission and change of emotional state;

unconsciousness - the individual feels invulnerable in the crowd, out of social control, therefore his actions are "impregnated" with collective unconscious instincts and become unpredictable.

Depending on the way the crowd is formed and the behavior of people in it, the following varieties are distinguished:

random crowd - an indefinite set of individuals formed spontaneously without any purpose (to watch a celebrity suddenly appear or a traffic accident);

conventional crowd - a relatively structured gathering of people influenced by planned predetermined norms (spectators in a theater, fans in a stadium, etc.);

expressive crowd - a social quasi-group formed for the personal pleasure of its members, which in itself is already a goal and result (discotheques, rock festivals, etc.);

acting (active) crowd - a group that performs some kind of action, which can act as: gatherings - an emotionally excited crowd gravitating towards violent actions, and revolting crowd - group characterized by particular aggressiveness and destructive actions.

In the history of the development of sociological science, there have been various theories explaining the mechanisms of crowd formation (G. Lebon, R. Turner and others). But for all the dissimilarity of points of view, one thing is clear: to control the command of the crowd, it is important: 1) to identify the sources of the emergence of norms; 2) identify their carriers by structuring the crowd; 3) purposefully influence their creators, offering the crowd meaningful goals and algorithms for further actions.

Among quasi-groups, social circles are closest to social groups.

Social circles are social communities that are created for the purpose of exchanging information between their members.

The Polish sociologist J. Szczepanski identifies the following types of social circles: contact - communities that constantly meet on the basis of certain conditions (interest in sports competitions, sports, etc.); professional - gathering for the exchange of information solely on a professional basis; status - formed about the exchange of information between people with the same social status (aristocratic circles, women's or men's circles, etc.); friendly - based on the joint conduct of any events (companies, groups of friends).

In conclusion, we note that quasi-groups are some transitional formations, which, with the acquisition of such features as organization, stability and structure, turn into a social group.

Small social group

1. Characteristics of a small group

Small social group - an association of people who have direct contact with each other, united by joint activities, emotional or family closeness, aware of their belonging to a group and recognized by other people.

Composition of the group

Number and characteristics (by age, sex, education, nationality...)

Group structure

It implies the functional responsibilities of group members in their joint activities, role set(a set of expected actions from a person who is assigned certain functional responsibilities) and set of norms(a set of prescriptions, requirements, wishes of socially approved behavior).

Group processes

They imply the processes of cohesion or separation of the group, the development of group norms. formation of leadership, development of likes and dislikes, etc.

2. Types and functions of small groups

By type of activity

(industrial, educational, amateur)

By way of occurrence

formal - arising to perform certain functions within higher-level systems (3 - 20 people)

informal or contact - arising on the basis of mutual sympathy, interests. The limits of their numbers are the limits of the emotional capabilities of a person (3 - 8 people)

According to the degree of development of interpersonal relationships

From differential groups to collective

The importance of the individual

membership groups (all people in the group)

reference groups (significant social circle for the individual)

Group functions

Reference groups are characterized by a comparison function and a normative function. The comparison function implies that the group forms a standard of behavior and assessment of the individual himself and those around him.

The instrumental functions of groups are associated with the organization of joint activities.

Expressive and supportive functions are associated with the emotional needs of the individual.

3. Group dynamics

Group dynamics includes the following processes:

cohesion or disunity of groups;

the process of formation of informal groups within formal groups;

the formation of group norms (this is the most important process), i.e. spontaneously emerging standards of individual behavior. Such norms - standards make the individual's behavior predictable, contribute to the effectiveness of group activities.

The formation of group norms increases the cohesion of the group and at the same time increases group pressure on the individual.

Conformity- characterization of the individual's position relative to the position of the group, the measure of the individual's subordination to group pressure.

Conformity can manifest itself in a change in the opinion and behavior of a person in the direction of greater agreement with the group.

The opposite side of conformism is negativism.

One of the most important processes in the dynamics of groups is the selection of a leader. Leader - a member of a small group who has a certain influence on aspects of her life. Influence is based on authority (recognition of the group and personal qualities of a person). The nomination of a leader is connected with the functional task of management.

Management - a set of actions including:

goal setting (including decision making)

coordination of joint actions

control over compliance with the standards of group behavior and the implementation of decisions made.

Control sets the relationship of subordination (ordering from top to bottom), coordination (ordering horizontally), re-ordination (ordering from bottom to top).

Management is necessary to optimize joint activities, however, each of the spheres of the group's life can initiate its own leaders, and then the cohesion of the group will depend on the relationship between them.

A small group is a systemic social object. Its elements (as well as elements of other social systems) are people and the relations that arise between them.

In relation to small groups, the principle of hierarchy applies. That means. that a small group acts as a part of systems of a higher level (for example, a study group is included in a faculty), acts as a subsystem.

A small group is a dynamic system, which is evidenced by the processes of group dynamics. This open system, i.e. it exchanges matter, energy, information with the external environment.

With the above in mind (in italics), consider

Leader direction:

Direction	Provide
1. External environment	Compatibility, contact (sufficient to avoid isolation, but not excessive so as not to violate the integrity of the group)
2. Interpersonal relationships	Inclusion, location, control. Inclusion in joint action, enough so that no one feels isolated, but not excessive, so that no one loses individuality. An arrangement sufficient for an expressive and supportive function, but not excessive so as not to interfere with the implementation of the instrumental function. Control over decision-making, sufficient to ensure that everyone participates in the discussion, but not excessive, so that the management function is not lost (in my opinion, the opposite is true ...)
3. Conflict resolution	Integration of points of view (rallying the group against conflict).

The implementation of these directions illustrates the complimentary function of the leader (the leader must do what the group cannot do).

The task of management is constant, and the ways of its implementation depend on the characteristics of the group, as well as on the situation in which the group operates.

Models (styles) of management

Democratic

Liberal

Anarchist

The differences between these models can be established:

by the nature of the relationship between the rulers and the governed

Governor dominance

Constructive equality of the parties

Dominance of the ruled

by way of decision making

1 person makes the decision. The quality depends on his knowledge, qualifications, experience, etc. The speed of decision-making increases, and the implementation of decisions is associated with increased external control of the leader over the members of the group.

The decision emerges as a result of collective discussion. The quality of the decision depends on the ability of the group members to express their opinions and listen to the opinions of others, as well as the ability of the leader to organize the discussion and, if necessary, involve an expert. The speed of decision-making is slowing down, but the participation of everyone in decision making, increases the value of self-control in the course of implementation of decisions.

Minimization of control can lead to the fact that the decision will not be made

according to the characteristics of the groups for which this or that model is applicable

The higher the level of education of the members of the group, the more creative the content of their activities, the less acceptable the authoritarian style.

according to situations in which the use of a particular model is justified

For example, extreme situations justify the use of an authoritarian model, and in a situation of group cohesion, a democratic style is better.

Different schools and researchers distinguish many particular classifications of groups, mostly of a dichotomous kind. So, there are laboratory and natural groups, formal official and informal informal (according to the method of occurrence), organized and unorganized (according to the degree of regulation of relations and life), reference groups and membership groups (in terms of their value significance for the participant), primary and secondary (from the point of view of immediacy - mediation of contacts), large and small.

Let us dwell on the last dichotomy in particular.

At first glance, behind this simple typology is the number of group members. A small number of participants is a small group, a lot of participants is a large group. However, in the domestic tradition, the division of these two types of groups has more weighty grounds. Large and small social groups do not just differ in the number of members, they are fundamentally different types of groups.

Small groups include various social associations of people with a small and finite number of participants, which are included in one form or another in the existing system of social production and control (we will turn to the formal definition of a small group a little later).

Small groups are work teams, scientific laboratories, educational associations, sports teams, etc. Small groups exist in reality: they are accessible to direct perception, observable in terms of their size and time of existence. Their study can be carried out through specific methods of working with all members of the group (observation of interaction in the group, surveys, tests for the characteristics of group dynamics, experiment). And what is very important: it is possible to single out a specific purpose for the existence of such groups (a pattern of activity), since they are organized around some kind of activity, material or spiritual.

Large groups include significant in number of participants and changing human communities, whose members are not in direct contact and may not even know about each other's existence. Members of a large group are united by certain signs of a non-psychological nature: living in the same territory, belonging to a certain social stratum (economic status), being in a certain place at a certain hour, and more. Large groups, in turn, are divided into two subtypes.

The first includes ethnic groups, classes, professional groups. They are distinguished by the duration of existence, the pattern of emergence and development from the point of view of social history.

The second includes the public, the crowd, the audience - communities that arose by chance and exist for a short time. However, in them people are included in a common emotional space for some time. It is difficult to imagine an ethnic group as a large group of people located on some gigantic platform, just like all circus performers or the entire middle class, even if only of a certain state.

There are, of course, interesting examples. For example, in Cuba during the heyday of Fidel Castro's rule, once a year, an incredible rally was held, to which the entire adult population of the island flocked (that's hundreds of thousands of people!). It is difficult to say what at that moment this collection of people represented - a crowd or a large group called "the people of the Republic of Cuba".

The fundamental difference between large groups of the first and second subtypes lies in the mechanisms that regulate intragroup processes.

The so-called organized large groups are governed by specific social mechanisms: traditions, customs, mores. It is possible to isolate and describe a typical way of life for a representative of such groups, features of character, self-consciousness.

Unorganized large groups are controlled by socio-psychological mechanisms of an emotional nature: imitation, suggestion, infection. They are characterized by a commonality of feelings and moods at a certain point in time, which, however, does not indicate a deeper psychological commonality of the participants in this kind of social formations.

For almost 100 years, the small group has been the subject of keen interest of various socio-psychological schools and trends, a huge number of theorists, researchers and practitioners in America, Eurasia, and Australia. Many approaches, definitions, statements of the problem, even more - criticism of opponents. It is difficult to imagine a definition that would suit everyone without exception and at the same time have at least some specific content.

We will turn to the approach proposed by the Moscow socio-psychological school. Following G.M. Andreeva, we define a small group as a small group, whose members are united by common activities and are in direct personal contact, which is the basis for the emergence of group norms, processes and interpersonal relationships.

So, in accordance with this definition, two features create the basis for the emergence of a small group as a psychological phenomenon: joint activity in its psychological aspect (values, goals, tasks and methods of interaction) and direct contact, that is, the possibility of organizing interpersonal communication. On this basis, the small group itself arises and develops as a socio-psychological phenomenon.

Researchers are studying its various properties and features. So, A.I. Dontsov, developing this definition, identifies eight features that characterize the behavior of people in a small group.

• 1. Regular and continuous contact face to face, without intermediaries.
• 2. They have a common goal, the implementation of which allows them to satisfy their significant needs and interests.
• 3. Participate in common system distribution of functions and roles in intragroup interaction.
• 4. Share general rules and rules of interaction within the group and in intergroup situations.
• 5. Satisfied with group membership and therefore have feelings of solidarity with each other and gratitude to the group.
• 6. Have a clear and differentiated view of each other.
• 7. Connected in a stable emotional relationship.
• 8. Present themselves as members of the same group and are similarly perceived from the outside.

Thus, a small social group is an integral independent subject of functioning and development, which has the following properties.

• Consists of a limited, small number of people.
• · Arises in the conditions of unification of participants by a common goal and interpersonal communication.
• · Gives its members some cognitive and emotional content.
• · Determines the features of their behavior in intra- and intergroup situations.

"Small in composition", "a small number of people" ... How many people make up a small group? Is it possible to name a specific number, or at least a formula for determining it?

Interest in these questions arose a little later than intensive research in the field of small groups began. As a result, we can state the following: most of the studies of small groups were carried out in dyads, that is, in pairs, however, there is every reason to believe that a "real small group" begins with a triad.

The dyad is a very specific small group, many structures and processes unfold and do not take place in it in full, acquiring a "truncated" form. It turns out that "de jure" a small group begins with three people, and "de facto" - with two. Attempts to establish an unambiguous "upper limit" for a small group can also be considered unsatisfactory. It is clear that it is not above the level of two or three tens, but where exactly? For the training group - one limit, for the training group - another, for the sports team - the third ...

The functional approach to determining the upper boundary of a small group can be considered the most successful. Its essence is as follows: there can be as many people in a group as can be effectively combined to achieve a given specific goal. The psychological content of joint activity determines the possible number of participants in this group.

There are rockers who attract fans like a magnet.

Large and Small groups

R Various schools and researchers distinguish many private classifications of groups, mostly of a dichotomous kind. Yes, allocate groups laboratory and natural, formal official and informal informal (according to the method of occurrence), organized and unorganized (according to the degree of regulation of relations and life), reference groups and groups membership (in terms of their value for the participant), primary and secondary (in terms of immediacy - mediation of contacts), large and small.

Let us dwell on the last dichotomy in particular.

At first glance, behind this simple typology is the number of participants groups. A small number of participants is a small group, a lot of participants is a large group. However, in the domestic tradition, the division of these two types of groups has more weighty grounds. Large and small social groups do not just differ in the number of members, they are fundamentally different types of groups.

To the small include a variety of social associations of people with a small and finite number of participants, which in one form or another are included in the existing system of social production and control (to the formal definition of a small groups we'll look at below).

Small groups- these are work teams, scientific laboratories, educational associations, sports teams, etc. Small groups exist really: they are accessible to direct perception, observable in their size and time of existence. Their study can be carried out through specific methods of working with all members groups(observation of interaction in a group, surveys, tests for the characteristics of group dynamics, experiment). And what is very important: it is possible to single out a specific purpose for the existence of such groups (a pattern of activity), since they are organized around some kind of activity, material or spiritual.

For large groups include significant in terms of the number of participants and changing human communities, whose members are not in direct contact and may not even know about each other's existence. Members big groups unite certain signs of non-psychological properties: living in the same territory, belonging to a certain social stratum (economic status), being in a certain place at a certain hour, and more. Large groups in turn are divided into two subtypes.

The first includes ethnic groups, classes, professional groups. They are distinguished by the duration of existence, the pattern of emergence and development from the point of view of social history.

The second includes the public, the crowd, the audience - communities that arose by chance and exist for a short time. However, in them people are included in a common emotional space for some time. Ethnos is difficult to imagine as a large groups people, located on some gigantic platform, as well as all circus performers or the entire middle class, even if only of a certain state.

Large and Small groups

There are, of course, interesting examples. For example, in Cuba during the heyday of Fidel Castro's rule, once a year, an incredible rally was held, to which the entire adult population of the island flocked (that's hundreds of thousands of people!). It is difficult to say what at that moment this collection of people represented - a crowd or a large group called "the people of the Republic of Cuba".

The fundamental difference between large groups of the first and second subtypes lies in the mechanisms that regulate intragroup processes.

So called organizedlarge groups governed by specific social mechanisms: traditions, customs, mores. It is possible to isolate and describe a typical way of life for a representative of such groups, features of character, self-consciousness.

unorganizedlarge groups controlled by socio-psychological mechanisms of an emotional nature: imitation, suggestion, infection. They are characterized by a commonality of feelings and moods at a certain point in time, which, however, does not indicate a deeper psychological commonality of the participants in this kind of social formations.

For almost 100 years, the small group has been the subject of keen interest of various socio-psychological schools and trends, a huge number of theorists, researchers and practitioners in America, Eurasia, and Australia. Many approaches, definitions, statements of the problem, even more - criticism of opponents. It is difficult to imagine a definition that would suit everyone without exception and at the same time have at least some specific content.

We will turn to the approach proposed by the Moscow socio-psychological school. Following G.M. Andreeva, we define a small group as a small group, whose members are united by common activities and are in direct personal contact, which is the basis for the emergence of group norms, processes and interpersonal relationships.

So, in accordance with this definition, two signs create the basis for the emergence of a small groups as a psychological phenomenon: joint activity in its psychological aspect (values, goals, tasks and ways of interaction) and direct contact, that is, the possibility of organizing interpersonal communication. On this basis, the small group itself arises and develops as a socio-psychological phenomenon.

Researchers are studying its various properties and features. So, A.I. Dontsov, developing this definition, identifies eight features that characterize the behavior of people in a small group.

1. Regular and continuous contact face to face, without intermediaries.

2. They have a common goal, the implementation of which allows them to satisfy their significant needs and interests.

3. Participate in the general system of distribution of functions and roles in intragroup interaction.

4. Share common norms and rules of interaction within groups and in intergroup situations.

5. Satisfied with group membership and therefore have feelings of solidarity with each other and gratitude to the group.

Large and Small groups

6. Have a clear and differentiated view of each other.

7. Connected in a stable emotional relationship.

8. Present themselves as members of the same groups and similarly perceived from the outside.

Thus, a small social group is an integral independent subject of functioning and development, which has the following properties.

Consists of a limited, small number of people.

· Arises in the conditions of unification of participants by a common goal and interpersonal communication.

· Gives its members some cognitive and emotional content.

· Determines the features of their behavior in intra- and intergroup situations.

"Small in composition", "a small number of people" ... How many people make up a small group? Is it possible to name a specific number, or at least a formula for determining it?

Interest in these questions arose a little later than intensive research in the field of small groups began. As a result, we can state the following: most of the studies of small groups were carried out in dyads, that is, in pairs, however, there is every reason to believe that a "real small group" begins with a triad.

The dyad is a very specific small group, many structures and processes unfold and do not take place in it in full, acquiring a "truncated" form. It turns out that "de jure" a small group begins with three people, and "de facto" - with two. Attempts to install for small groups an unambiguous "upper limit" can also be considered unsatisfactory. It is clear that it is not above the level of two or three tens, but where exactly? For educational groups- one limit, for a training team - another, for a sports team - a third ...

The most successful can be considered a functional approach to determining the upper bound of a small groups. Its essence is as follows: there can be as many people in a group as can be effectively combined to achieve a given specific goal. The psychological content of joint activity determines the possible number of participants in this groups.

Marina BITYANOVA, candidate of psychological sciences

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