Groups, Cliques and Social Behaviour Truth.

Types of Groups Social Groups: Two or more people who interact with each other and are aware of having something in common Meet needs Help us achieve goals Provide safety/security

Types of Groups Crowds: A collection of people who come together for a specific purpose May have little or nothing to do with each other A crowd can turn into a group if the people begin to relate to each other

Crowds Conventional crowd: large group of people gathered for a clear purpose who display expected behaviour Example: ?? Casual crowd: group of people who have no common goal other than being in the same location at the same time

Crowds Expressive crowd: a large number of people at an event who display emotion and excitement Example: ?? Acting crowd: a group of people fuelled by a single purpose or goal

Mobs A disorderly crowd of people Can lead to a riot: disorder stemming from a social grievance, often exhibit aggression, and may result in violence, vandalism and destruction of property

Mobs Smart mob: a large group of strangers who use electronic media to organize and stage surprise public gatherings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5PyIVVKoWU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGGjnoqfFs&feature=related

Primary Groups First and most important groups in our lives Personal relationships Long-term relationships Interested in the person as a whole Usually face-to-face communication Ex: family, group of friends

Secondary Groups Impersonal, more formal Temporary/short-term relationships Interested in a narrow aspect of the person More formal/written communication Ex: School, business, team

ACTIVITY TIME ROLES

How Groups Shape Behaviour Roles: Groups assign members a set of behaviours they expect them to perform Do you adopt different roles in different groups? Have you ever experienced role conflict?

How Groups Shape Behaviour Norms: Rules within a group can be formal or informal Sanctions: Used to encourage or discourage certain behaviours Positive: acceptance, good marks, pay Negative: rejection, failure, reprimands

Conformity The process by which an individual's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are influenced by others Occurs in both small groups and society as a whole Influences the formation and maintenance of social norms and allows society to function smoothly and predictably

Conformity Why do people conform? http://www.cca-kids.ca/english/psas/self_esteem.html Why do people conform? A desire to achieve a sense of security within a group Failure to conform may result in social rejection Peer pressure is a way to force conformity Can be positive or negative

Activity Make a chart titled “Personal Involvement in Groups” Divide a page into 4 sections, and in each, write the name of a group to which you belong For each, write: How long have you been a part of this group? What needs does the group meet? (why are you still a member?) What is your role in the group? What are the groups norms? What sanctions does the group use to ensure conformity?

CARTOON ASSIGNMENT Let’s go through it together 

Questions Is conformity essential to make society function properly? What are the dangers and advantages of a society that conforms? Can people be manipulated to conform to ideas and behaviours without being aware they are being manipulated?