Classification groups

Sociologists have groups divided into two major classifications, namely primary and secondary groups.

The classification of primary and secondary groups is mainly based on:
 (a) the quality of the relationship between or among the group members, and
(b) the level of group identity. People, for example, generally feel more loyal to their family and friends rather than the company they work for.

1. Major (First) group and their Coalition

Charles H. Cooley was the first sociologist to use the basic group term to describe groups such as families, neighborhoods and children's play group. The group is the "nursery of human nature ', in which the essential notion of human group loyalty and care can be taught to others.
Main group is distinguished by some of the following characteristic:

• A face-to-face interaction between members.

• There is a high emotion or loyalty.

• Identification (group identity) and close cooperation between members

• There is a high level of emotional, spiritual satisfaction derived from participation in the main social groups.

• Provide relations as an end in itself, not a means to an end.

• Primary groups are often small in size.

• Primary group gives its members (individuals) in their 'first contact with humanity.'

• Basic group for a child, a school for learning the ways of human interaction and the give and take of work and play together.

2. The second group and their Coalition

The second group is more formal types of groups to which people belong. To begin with clear examples, the federal army, Lion's Club, Ethiopian Commercial Bank, etc., are the second group. Such organizations, the second group did not give people the feeling of a close identity to give basic groups. Considerable efforts should be devoted to making people proud of the company's work, and this kind of pride, as it is fully achieved, is not a core group of conception. One can still get lost in large organizations; There is not the same sense of psychological security.

Main features (characteristics) of the secondary groups include:

• There is little or no emotional involvement.

• Members are more competitive than cooperative.

• Members are more intimate.

• Group identity is more relevant.

• economic efficiency given more emphasis than psychological identity.

• The group is primarily a means to an end rather than an end in itself.

• Membership is unlimited.

Some critical comments should be made in the classification of groups.

i) the primary and secondary groups are ideal types, eg type as represented opposite poles for the purpose of learning. In real life situations, most relationships are not only primary or secondary, but whatever happens between eg schools, churches, etc.

ii) The second indication about the primary-secondary classification group is the primary group will be formed with the second group.

In other words, the classification of social groups in primary and secondary can not be understood as a kind of dichotomy. It should rather be considered as a whole, that is, at both ends, there may be crystallized primary and secondary groups, and between the two extremes are mixtures of the two.