Today more of our social relationships are dominanted by secondary groups instea

Question

Today more of our social relationships are dominanted by secondary groups instead of primary groups. Charles Horton Cooley worried about the loss of intimacy as secondary groups became mire promineand pervasive. Emile Durkheim and George Simmel saw some benefits of the development of more secondary groups. Explain what you think about the trend toward more secondary group relationships in modern society.
Today more of our social relationships are dominanted by secondary groups instead of primary groups. Charles Horton Cooley worried about the loss of intimacy as secondary groups became mire promineand pervasive. Emile Durkheim and George Simmel saw some benefits of the development of more secondary groups. Explain what you think about the trend toward more secondary group relationships in modern society.
Today more of our social relationships are dominanted by secondary groups instead of primary groups. Charles Horton Cooley worried about the loss of intimacy as secondary groups became mire promineand pervasive. Emile Durkheim and George Simmel saw some benefits of the development of more secondary groups. Explain what you think about the trend toward more secondary group relationships in modern society.

Explanation / Answer

ANS:To answer this question, students should know the main differences between primary groups and secondary groups as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each type of social group. Primary groups are characterized by intense emotions, face-to-face interaction, intimacy, and a strong, enduring sense of commitment. Primary groups provide a sense of belonging and connection but can stifle individuality and force conformity. According to Simmel, primary groups are more likely to be intense and unstable because there are fewer group members. Secondary groups are characterized by their large size and by impersonal, fleeting relationships. Secondary groups have less intense relationships and are more stable over time due to the larger number of members. Secondary groups are more likely to be oriented around a specific task and organized to achieve that task efficiently. Durkheim believed that large organizations, such as bureaucracies, are the best way to deal with the administrative underpinning of large-scale societies, yet Durkheim also felt that bureaucracies can quickly become inefficient and stifle creativity and innovation. Students will draw their own conclusions about whetherthey think secondary-group relationships are good or bad (or both) for society, but they need to substantiate their answers with knowledge of the concepts and trends.PTS:1DIF:ModerateREF:What Are Social Groups?OBJ:Learn the variety and characteristics of groups, as well as the effect of groups on an individual’sbehavior.MSC: Creating2.Give an example of a dyad, a triad, and a larger group. In which groups are the relationships more intense? In which are they more stable? Use your examples to explain why.ANS:To answer this question, students should know how to describe each type of social group and give an example. They need to be able to describe the dynamics of each type of social group. An example of a dyad is a married couple with no children. In this example, the relationship is very intense but also very unstable because if one member leaves, that group disappears. An example of a triad is three best friends. In this example, the relationships are still fairly intense, but they are more stable because one

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