The set of interconnected interacting groups of society is called. The concept and types of social groups

The social structure of society is a set of interconnected and interacting social communities and groups, social institutions, social statuses and relations between them. All elements of the social structure interact as a single social organism. In order to more clearly present the complexity and multidimensionality of the social structure, it can be conditionally divided into two subsystems: I) the social composition of society; 2) the institutional structure of society.

1. The social composition of a society is a set of interacting social communities, social groups and individuals that form a particular society. Each social community occupies a certain place, a certain position in the social structure. Some social communities occupy more advantageous positions, others less advantageous. In addition, in the social community itself, individual social groups (individuals) also occupy different social positions and have different social statuses (Fig. 1).

2. The institutional structure of society is a set of interacting social institutions that provide sustainable forms organization and management of society. Each institution (group of institutions) regulates relations in a certain sphere of society, for example, political institutions (state, parties, etc.) regulate relations in the political sphere, economic ones - in the economic one (Fig. 2).

The institutional system of society can be represented as a matrix, the cells (institutions, statuses) of which are filled with specific people from certain social groups and communities. Thus, there is a "superimposition" of the social composition of society on the institutional structure. At the same time, specific people can occupy and release certain cells (statuses), and the matrix (structure) itself is relatively stable. For example, the President of Russia, in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, is re-elected every four years, while the status of the president and the institute of presidency remain unchanged for many years; parents grow old and die, and their statuses are occupied by new generations.

In a democratic society, all social institutions are formally (legally) equal. However, in real life some institutions may dominate others. For example, political institutions can impose their will on economic ones, and vice versa. Each social institution has its own social statuses, which are also not equivalent. For example, the status of the president in political institutions is paramount; the status of a member of parliament is more significant than the status of an ordinary voter; the status of the owner of a firm or manager in economic institutions is more preferable than the status of an ordinary worker, etc.

Even brief analysis the social structure of society allows us to conclude that the social structure is both the structure of the differentiation of society, and the resulting system social inequality.

Differentiation(from lat. differentia- difference) - division, stratification of the whole into various parts, forms and steps according to the principle of "higher-lower".

There are two main types of inequality:

• 1) natural inequality, due to the natural differences of people (gender, age, physical and mental data, etc.);
• 2) social inequality, generated social factors(division of labor, way of life, possession of certain benefits, level of education, power, etc.).

For a primitive society, natural inequality is the most characteristic, since the distribution of statuses and roles was carried out, as a rule, taking into account the natural differences of people (women's labor, male labor, child labor, etc.). In modern society, social inequality is the main one, that is, inequality due to social factors, although natural differences also have a certain meaning.

Inequality - necessary condition organization and functioning social life. Any social organization, any society can function and develop only under conditions of functional differentiation, and management always involves the subordination of some social groups to others. Even in a small social group there is a functional (role) hierarchy, and if two members of the group claim the same group status and strive to perform the same functions, then conflicts will constantly arise between them. The causes of such conflicts were already known in primitive society. Therefore, our distant ancestors, in the case of the birth of same-sex twins, as a rule, left only one baby alive, killing the others. They feared that the twins, having the same natural qualities, would claim the same social status and thereby have a negative impact on the entire community - community, clan, tribe.

Functionalism explains the causes of social inequality by the fact that society can develop only through the division of labor. For example, some members of society are engaged in the production of material goods, others create spiritual values, others work in the service sector, others are engaged in management, etc. At the same time, the level of differentiation of various spheres of life also indicates the level of development of the society itself.

Different activities are valued differently. Some activities are considered more important, others less important. For the performance of some social functions, long and very complex training is required, while for the performance of some other functions such training is not required. In accordance with the social significance of a particular social role and the level of qualification of an individual

of the species that performs it, he receives a certain remuneration from society and is endowed with a certain social status. That's why social inequality is the inequality of status, which is due to the inequality of abilities and opportunities of individuals.

The conflictological paradigm in sociology proceeds from the fact that in society there is a constant struggle between individuals and social groups for the possession of higher social statuses (property, power, prestige, etc.). In a democratic society and a state governed by the rule of law, the forms and rules of wrestling are regulated by the relevant legal norms. For example, citizens of the United States, not without pride, call their society a "society of equal opportunities", meaning, above all, the equality of citizens before the law. Unfortunately, Russian citizens cannot yet be proud of the level of observance of rights and freedoms guaranteed by law.

Any society inevitably reproduces social inequality. For these purposes in different times and in different countries had their institutions of social inequality. Thus, in slave-owning societies there was an institution of slavery; in a caste society - caste division of people; in a class society - division into estates. In all traditional societies, belonging to a particular class is usually determined by birth. In a democratic society, class and caste divisions are not taken into account. It has its own mechanisms, its own principles for dividing people into different social strata and classes.

• Cm.: Girard R. Violence and sacred. M., 2000. S. 73-75.

The social structure of society

1. The concept of social structure and its constituent elements.

The social structure of society is a set of interconnected and interacting social communities and groups, social institutions, social statuses and relations between them. All elements of the social structure interact as a single social organism. In order to more clearly represent the complexity and multidimensionality of the social structure, it can be conditionally divided into two subsystems: 1) the social composition of society; 2) the institutional structure of society.

1. The social composition of society is the recoupment of interactions existing social communities, social al groups and individuals, for a particular society. Every giving social communitythere is a certain place, definedposition in the social structuretour. Some social communitiestake more advantageous positions, others are less advantageouse. In addition, in the socialcommunity, separate social groups (separate individuals)
also occupy different socialdifferent positions and have different socialal statuses (Fig. 1).

2. Institutional structure the cheers of society is the aggregate interacting social media institutions that ensure the stability chivye forms of organization and management of society. Every institute (a group of institutions) regulates relationships in a certain area societies, e.g. political institutions (state, parties etc.) regulate relations in the political sphere, economic - in the economic (Fig. 2).

3. The institutional system of society can be represented as a matrix, the cells (institutions, statuses) of which are filled with specific people from certain social groups and communities. Thus, there is a "superimposition" of the social composition of society on the institutional structure. At the same time, specific people can occupy and release certain cells (statuses), and the matrix (structure) itself is relatively stable. For example, the President of Ukraine, in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, is re-elected every five years, and the status of the President and the institution presidencies remain unchanged for many years; parents grow old and die, and their statuses are occupied by new generations.

4. In a democratic society, all social institutions are formally (legally) equal. However, in real life, some institutions may dominate others. For example, political institutions can impose their will on economic ones and vice versa. Each social institution has its own social statuses, which are also not equivalent. For example, the status of the president in political institutions is paramount; the status of a member of parliament is more significant than the status of an ordinary voter; the status of the owner of a firm or manager in economic institutions is more preferable than the status of an ordinary worker, etc.

social community

Social community is big or small a group of people having common social characteristics, occupying the same social status united by joint activities (or value orientations).

Society as an integral socio-cultural system consists of many individuals who are simultaneously members of large and small social communities. For example, a specific individual - a citizen of his country - can simultaneously be a member of such large social communities as ethnic, territorial, professional, etc. In addition, he, as a rule, is a member of several small social groups at once - a family, a work team, a scientific department , a circle of friends, etc. People of the same profession or one type of activity (miners, doctors, teachers, metallurgists, nuclear scientists) unite in a community; with common ethnic characteristics (Russians, Tatars, Evenks); with approximately the same social status (representatives of the lower, middle or upper classes), etc.

The social community is not the sum of individual individuals, but is an integral system and, like any system, has own sources self-development and is the subject of social interaction.

Social communities are distinguished by a wide variety of types and forms, for example, according to the following features:

• in terms of quantitative composition - from two or three people to tens and even hundreds of millions;
• by duration of existence - from several minutes to many millennia;
• according to the basic system-forming features - professional, territorial, ethnic, demographic,
  sociocultural, confessional, etc.

The main form of social communities are social groups.

Society in its concrete life reality acts as a set of many social groups. The whole life of a person from birth to death takes place in these groups: family, school, student, industrial, army teams, sports team, circle of friends, girlfriends, etc. A social group is a kind of intermediary between an individual and society. This is the immediate environment in which social processes arise and develop. In this sense, it performs the functions of a link in the "individual-society" system. A person is aware of his belonging to society and his social interests through belonging to a certain social group, through which he participates in the life of society. Membership in various groups determines the status and authority of a person in society.

2. Social stratification.

Even Plato and Aristotle divided society (the state) into three main social strata: the highest, the middle and the lowest. Subsequently, the division of social groups and individuals into categories was called the social class structure of society.

Social class structure of society - it is a set of interacting social classes, social strata and relations between them.

Basics modern approach to the study of the social class structure of society and the determination of people's belonging to certain social strata (strata) were laid by M. Weber. He considered the social structure of society as multidimensional, multilevel. Without denying the importance of the economic factor in the social inequality of people, M. Weber introduced such additional criteria for determining social belonging as social prestige(social status) and attitude to power(the ability and ability to use the resources of power). Social prestige, according to M. Weber, may not depend on wealth and power. For example, scientists, lawyers, priests, public figures may have relatively small incomes, but at the same time have higher prestige than many rich entrepreneurs or high-ranking officials.

A significant contribution to the development of the theory of stratification was made by P. Sorokin, T. Parsois, J. Shils, B. Barber, W. Moore and others. Thus, the sociologist P. Sorokin most clearly substantiated the criteria for people to belong to one or another stratum. He identifies three main criteria: economic, professional, political.

Theory of social stratification gives a more realistic idea of ​​the social structure of modern society than the Marxist doctrine of classes. It is based on the principle of differentiation (stratification) of people into social classes and layers (strata) according to such criteria as income level, authority, prestige of the profession, level of education, etc. At the same time, the concept of “class” is used as a collective term that unites people with approximately the same status.

Social stratification is the differentiation (stratification) of a certain set of people into social classes and strata in a hierarchical rank (higher and lower). Strata (from lat. stratum - layer, layer) - a social layer of people with similar social indicators. The basis of the stratification structure is the natural and social inequality of people.

The social class structure of modern society is usually divided into three main social classes: higher, middle And lower. For greater differentiation according to certain social characteristics, each class, in turn, can be divided into separate social strata-strata.

The number of divisions into classes and strata may depend on specific tasks sociological research. If the purpose of the research is to obtain general idea about the social structure of society, the number of divisions will be small. If it is necessary to obtain more detailed information about certain social strata or about the structure as a whole, then the number of divisions can be increased in accordance with the objectives of the study.

When studying the social structure, it must be taken into account that the social composition of society (division into social communities), as a rule, does not coincide with social class differentiation. For example, a highly skilled worker in terms of income, lifestyle and ways of satisfying his needs can be classified as a middle class, while a low-skilled worker can be classified as a lower class.

Each society seeks to institutionalize social inequality so that no one can arbitrarily and randomly change the structure of social stratification. For this, there are special mechanisms (institutions) that protect and reproduce the social hierarchy. For example, the institution of property gives different chances to a wealthy heir and to a person from a poor family; the institute of education makes it easier to make a career for those who have acquired the relevant knowledge; membership in a political party provides an opportunity to make a political career, etc.

IN different areas individual can occupy various social positions. For example, a person with a high political status may receive relatively small incomes, and a wealthy entrepreneur may not have proper education, etc. Therefore, to determine the social status specific individual or social group in empirical research use integral indicator of social position (integral status), which is determined by the totality of all measurements.

In addition to this method, there are others, for example, the method of self-classification, the essence of which is self-assessment of one's class affiliation. It cannot be considered objective in terms of evaluation criteria, but to a large extent reflects the class consciousness of people.

3. Social mobility and marginality.

The relative stability of the social structure of society does not mean that there are no movements, changes and displacements in it. Some generations of people leave, and their places (statuses) are occupied by others; new types of activity, new professions, new social statuses appear; an individual during his life can repeatedly (forced) change his social position, etc.

The movement of people from one social group, class, or stratum to another is called social mobility. The term "social mobility" was introduced into sociology by P. A. Sorokin, who considered social mobility as any change in social status. In modern sociology, the theory of social mobility is widely used to study the social structure of society.

There are the following types social mobility:

• vertical upward and downward mobility. For example, an individual occupies a higher position, significantly improves his financial situation, wins elections or vice versa, loses a prestigious job, his company goes bankrupt, etc.;
• horizontal mobility - movement of an individual or group within one social stratum;
• individual mobility - a separate individual moves asocial space in one direction or another;
• group mobility - entire social groups, social strata and classes change their social position in the social structure. For example, former peasants move into the category of hired workers; miners of mines liquidated due to unprofitability become workers in other areas.

Movements of large social groups occur especially intensively during periods of economic restructuring, acute socio-economic crises, major socio-political upheavals (revolution, civil war, etc.). For example, the revolutionary events of 1917 in Russia and Ukraine led to the overthrow of the old ruling class and the formation of a new ruling elite, new social strata. Currently, Ukraine is also undergoing serious political and economic changes. Socio-economic relations, ideological guidelines, political priorities are changing, new social classes and social strata are emerging.

Changing social positions (statuses) requires considerable efforts from the individual (group). New status, a new role, a new socio-cultural environment dictate their own terms, their own rules of the game. Adaptation to new conditions is often associated with a radical restructuring of life orientations. In addition, the new social environment itself has a kind of filters, carrying out the selection of "ours" and the rejection of "them". It happens that a person, having lost his socio-cultural environment, cannot adapt to the new one. Then he, as it were, "gets stuck" between two social strata, between two cultures. For example, a wealthy former small entrepreneur is trying to get into the higher strata of society. He, as it were, emerges from his old environment, but he is also a stranger to the new environment - "a hodgepodge in the nobility." Another example: a former research worker, forced to earn a living as a cart driver or small business, is weighed down by his position; for him the new environment is alien. Often he becomes the object of ridicule and humiliation on the part of less educated, but more adapted to the conditions of their environment, "colleagues in the shop."

Marginality(French that rgipa1 - extreme) is a socio-psychological concept. This is not only a certain intermediate position of the individual in the social structure, but also his own self-perception, self-perception. If a homeless person feels comfortable in his social environment, then he is not marginalized. A marginal is someone who believes that their current position is temporary or accidental. People who are forced to change their type of activity, profession, socio-cultural environment, place of residence, etc. (for example, refugees) experience their marginality especially hard.

It is necessary to distinguish marginality as constituent part natural social mobility and forced marginality, that arose in a crisis society, which becomes a tragedy for large social groups. "Natural" marginality does not have a mass and long-term character and does not pose a threat to the stable development of society. “Forced” mass marginality, which takes on a protracted long-term character, indicates a crisis state of society.

4. Social institutions.

A social institution is a relatively stable complex (system) of norms, rules, customs, traditions, principles, statuses and roles that regulate relations in various spheres of society. For example, political institutions regulate relations in the political sphere, economic institutions - in the economic sphere, etc.

However, it must be borne in mind that a social institution is a multifunctional system. Therefore, one institution may be involved in the performance of several functions in different areas of society, and vice versa, several institutions may be involved in the performance of one function. For example, the institution of marriage regulates marital relations, participates in the regulation of family relations, and at the same time can contribute to the regulation of property relations, inheritance, etc.

Social institutions are formed and created to meet the most important individual and social needs and interests. They are the main regulatory mechanisms in all major areas of human life. Institutions ensure the stability and predictability of people's relations and behavior, protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, protect society from disorganization, and form a social system.

A social institution should be distinguished from specific organizations, social groups and individuals. The ways of interaction and behavior prescribed by institutions are impersonal. For example, the institution of the family is not specific parents, children and other family members, but a certain system of formal and informal norms and rules, social statuses and roles, on the basis of which family relations are built. Therefore, any person involved in the activities of an institution must comply with the relevant requirements. If a person does not properly fulfill the social role prescribed by the institution, then he may be deprived of his status (parents may be deprived of parental rights, official - position, etc.).

To perform its functions, a social institution forms (creates) the necessary institutions within which its activities are organized. In addition, each institution must have the necessary facilities and resources.

For example, for functioning of the institute of education, such institutions as schools, colleges, universities are created, the necessary buildings and structures are being built, allocated cash and other resources.

All human life is organized, directed, supported and controlled social institutions. So, a child, as a rule, is born in one of the institutions of the institute of health - a maternity hospital, primary socialization takes place at the institute of the family, receives education and a profession in various institutions of institutions of general and vocational education; the security of the individual is provided by such institutions as the state, government, courts, police, etc.; maintain health health institutions and social protection. At the same time, each institution in its field performs the functions of social control and forces people to obey accepted norms. The main social institutions in society are:

institutions of family and marriage- the need for the reproduction of the human race and primary socialization;

political institutions(state, parties, etc.) - the need for security, order and management;

economic institutions(production, property, etc.) - the need for obtaining means of subsistence;

educational institutions- the need for the socialization of the younger generations, the transfer of knowledge, and the training of personnel;

cultural institutions- the need for the reproduction of the socio-cultural environment, for the transfer of cultural norms and values ​​to the younger generations;

institutions of religion- the need to solve spiritual problems.

The institutional system of society does not remain unchanged. As society develops, new social needs arise and new institutions are formed to meet them. At the same time, the “old” institutions are either reformed (adapted to new conditions) or disappear. For example, such social institutions as the institution of slavery, the institution of serfdom, the institution of the monarchy were eliminated in many countries. They were replaced by the institution of the presidency, the institution of parliamentarism, the institutions of civil society, and such institutions as the institutions of family and marriage, the institutions of religion have been significantly transformed.

5. Social organizations.

Society as a social reality is ordered not only institutionally, but also organizationally. Social organization is a certain way of joint activity of people, after which it takes the form of an orderly, regulated, coordinated, aimed at achieving specific goals of interaction. Organization as a process of establishing and coordinating the behavior of individuals is inherent in all social formations: associations of people, organizations, institutions, etc.

Social organization - a social group focused on achieving interrelated specific goals and the formation of highly formalized structures.

formal organizations. They build social relations on the basis of regulation of connections, statuses, norms. They are, for example, industrial enterprise, firm, university, municipal structure (mayor's office). The basis of formal organization is the division of labor, its specialization on a functional basis. The more developed the specialization, the richer and more complex the administrative functions will be, the more multifaceted the structure of the organization. The formal organization resembles a pyramid in which tasks are differentiated at several levels. In addition to the horizontal division of labor, it is characterized by coordination, leadership (hierarchy of job positions) and various vertical specializations. Formal organization is rational, it is characterized by service connections between individuals; it is fundamentally impersonal; designed for abstract individuals between whom standardized relationships are established based on formal business communication. Under certain conditions, these features of formal organization turn it into a bureaucratic system.

Informal organizations . They are based on comradely relations and the personal choice of the participants' connections and are characterized by social independence. These are amateur groups, leadership relationships, sympathies, etc. informal organization has a significant influence on the formal and seeks to change the existing relations in it according to its needs.

The vast majority of the goals that people and social communities set for themselves cannot be achieved without social organizations, which predetermines their omnipresence and diversity. The most significant among them:

Organizations for the production of goods and services (industrial, agricultural, service enterprises and
firms, financial institutions, banks);

Organizations in the field of education (preschool, school,
higher educational establishments, institutions of additional education);

Organizations in the field of medical care,
health, recreation, physical culture And
sports (hospitals, sanatoriums, tourist camps, stadiums);

Research organizations;

Legislative and executive authorities.

They are also called business organizations that perform socially useful functions: cooperation, cooperation, subordination (subordination), management, social control.

In general, every organization exists in a specific physical, technological, cultural, political and social environment, must adapt to it and coexist with it. There are no self-sufficient, closed organizations. All of them, in order to exist, work, achieve goals, must have numerous connections with the outside world.

A person participates in public life not as an isolated individual, but as a member of social communities - a family, a friendly company, a labor collective, a nation, a class, etc. His activities are largely determined by the activities of those groups in which he is included, as well as the interaction within groups and between groups. Accordingly, in sociology, society acts not only as an abstraction, but also as a set of specific social groups that are in a certain dependence on each other.

The structure of the whole public system, the totality of interrelated and interacting social groups and social communities, as well as social institutions and relations between them, is the social structure of society.

In sociology, the problem of dividing society into groups (including nations, classes), their interaction is one of the cardinal and is characteristic of all levels of theory.

The concept of a social group

Group is one of the main elements of the social structure of society and is a collection of people united by any significant feature - a common activity, common 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 unites people 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 who are paid by the state allowance, provides benefits for paying utilities, - to the category of pensioners, etc.

social group- this 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 an independent one, 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 relationships 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 the family, the friendly team, the student group, the 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. Can be argued 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 . Being forms of social interaction, they are such associations of people whose joint, solidarity actions are aimed at meeting their needs.

There are many definitions of the concept of "social group". Thus, 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;
• relatively a high degree unity and cohesion;
• clearly expressed 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, according to Ch. 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.

secondary group- this 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.

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

informal group arises spontaneously, on the basis of 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 this 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 assessments 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.

- 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. 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.

large group- this is a large group in its 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 collective (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 members of the team as value orientations and activity standards. The team performs the following functions:
• subject- the solution of the problem for which it is created;
• socio-educational- a 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;
• location- city dwellers, rural dwellers.

Nominal (conditional) groups, sometimes called social categories, - are allocated for the purpose of conducting a sociological study or statistical accounting 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:

Audience is a social community united by interaction with a 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.

- 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 General characteristics crowds:

• suggestibility- people in the crowd are usually more suggestible than outside it;
• anonymity- an individual, being in the crowd, as if merges with it, becomes unrecognizable, believing that it is difficult to "calculate" him;
• spontaneity (infectiousness)- 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, so his actions are "saturated" 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 theatre, 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 actions, which can act as: gatherings- an emotionally excited crowd gravitating towards violent actions, and revolting crowd- a group characterized by particular aggressiveness and destructive actions.

In the history of the development of sociological science, various theories have developed that explain 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.

The social structure of society Holistic totality interrelated and interacting social groups, strata and communities Microgroups family, labor collective, a small number of participants who know each other, have a common goal Macrogroups of the nation, classes a large number of people knowing a friend, have a decisive influence on the social process

SOCIETY CONSISTS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS LARGE SOCIAL GENERALITIES: classes, estates, castes, strata EVERY PERSON BELONG TO ANY OF THESE SOCIAL GROUPS OR OCCUPATES INTERMEDIATE POSITION.

Main types of social groups Castes are a closed social group. A person from birth to death was a member of one caste. Caste division is characteristic of India. Brahmins Kshatriya Vaishya Shudra

The main types of social groups Estates are large groups of people united by the same rights and duties, which are inherited. FEODAL PRIESTS PEASANTS

The main types of social groups Classes are large groups of people who differ in their attitude to the means of production. Classes began to take shape with the onset of the industrial age. BOURGEOSIS PROLETARIAT

The main types of social groups Strata - a social stratum or group, united by some common social sign(property, professional or otherwise) ENTREPRENEURS FARMERS EMPLOYEES

Stratification indicators n n INCOME - the amount of money received by a person or family over a certain period of time EDUCATION - the number of years of education POWER - the ability to impose one's will and decisions on other people PRESTIGE - respect for a person's social position, which has developed in public opinion

Causes of social inequality 2 theories: n People are different by nature (mind, talent, character) n The most capable perform the most important social work n Inequality is a natural feature of social development n A certain group seizes the means of production, gaining economic power and the opportunity to exploit workers n Inequality is a consequence economic inequality

Social differentiation is the division of society into groups occupying different social positions Differentiation for social reasons Economic differentiation (rich, middle class, poor) Political differentiation (managers and managed, leaders and the masses) Professional differentiation Differentiation for biological reasons Ethnic differentiation (peoples, tribes ) Demographic differentiation (sex, age, place of residence)

Layers in modern Russian society 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Elite (oligarchs, top bureaucracy, generals) - 3 -5% Middle layer (small and medium businessmen, trade, service workers) - 12 -15% Base layer (intelligentsia, technical staff, peasants, workers) - 60 -70% The bottom layer (the elderly, the disabled, dependents, the unemployed, refugees) - 10 -15% The desocialized bottom (thieves, bandits, killers, homeless people, drug addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes) - 3 -5%

n marginals (people occupying an intermediate position between the main social strata) n lumpen (people who have sunk to the bottom of public life)

SOCIAL STATUS - a person's position in society Prescribed status - a position received from birth. sex, nationality, age, social origin Achievable - a position achieved by one's own efforts. profession, education, position

Main characteristics of personality status nnn Territorial status (citizen, refugee, homeless) Gender (female, male) Age (child, adult, elderly) Race (Negroid, Caucasian, Mongoloid,) Nationality Health (healthy, disabled) Profession Political views, Religious views Education Income

movement of individuals and groups from one layer to another Social mobility Types of mobility: 1. Voluntary (due to a change in place of work, position, place of residence ...) 2. Forced (under the influence of structural changes in society - industrialization, computerization ...) 3. Individual 4. Group 5. Vertical (raising or lowering status) 6. Horizontal (does not lead to a change in social status)

Throughout life, a person changes belonging to social groups - this is a manifestation of social mobility. horizontal vertical

Factors of social mobility n n n system of social organization (traditional / industrial society) changes in technology social production(appearance of new professions) social upheavals (wars, revolutions) education social status of the family family school army church P. Sorokin Elevators (channels)

A manifestation of vertical social mobility is: 1) 2) 3) 4) moving from one district to another retirement promotion promotion birth of a child

Social role - behavior corresponding to the status A PERSON OF A CERTAIN STATUS SHOULD PERFORM THE RULES AND NORMS OF BEHAVIOR PRESCRIBED TO THIS STATUS IF EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT JUSTIFIED AND THE PERSON DEPARTS FROM THE SOCIAL ROLE OF BEHAVIOR PRESCRIBED TO HIM, THEN SANCTIONS ARE FOLLOWED AGAINST HIM. The requirements of different social roles may conflict

Social control A system of means and techniques that regulate the behavior of people in society and prevent its deviation Self-control is an internal correlation of one’s own and actions with the rules accepted by society public order Sanctions

The norms of prescribing how to behave in society, the established order of behavior n Customs and traditions n Legal norms n Political norms n Moral norms n Religious norms What is inherited from predecessors are enshrined in laws, observance is ensured by the power of the state are reflected in laws, international treaties, political principles, moral norms are evaluative, observance is ensured by the power of public opinion observance is supported by the moral consciousness of believers, faith in the punishment for sins

means of encouragement or punishment that encourage people to comply with social norms Sanctions public approval from official organizations: awards, titles, titles ... n formal positive public approval from the public: friendly praise, compliment, applause ... n informal positive punishments provided by official authorities: prison imprisonment, deprivation of civil rights, excommunication from the church ... n formal negative punishments not provided for by official authorities: remark, reproach, ridicule, nickname ... n informal negative If the norm does not have a sanction, then it ceases to regulate people's behavior

Are the following statements about social norms correct? A. Social norms include only those prescriptions that are enshrined in laws. B. Behavior that does not correspond to the norms accepted in society is called conformism. n only A is true n only B is true n both A and B are true n both statements are false

a form of interaction based on the clash of interests and needs of individuals and social groups Conflict n n n G. Spencer (1820 -1903): conflict is a manifestation of the process of natural selection and the struggle for survival; society must develop evolutionarily. K. Marx (1818 -1883): the conflict is temporary, it can be resolved by a social revolution G. Simmel (1858 -1918): conflicts are inevitable and even useful (they help people to be more aware of their interests, promote intra-group cohesion, etc.) Conflictology: conflict is not an anomaly, but the norm of relations between people, one of the ways of their interaction (along with competition, cooperation, adaptation, etc.)

Subjects of the conflict n n Witnesses - those who observe the conflict from the outside. Instigators are those who push other participants into conflict. Accomplices - people who contribute to the development of the conflict, providing assistance to the conflicting parties. Mediators are those who, through their actions, try to prevent, stop or resolve a conflict. PARTICIPANTS

event or circumstance, as a result of which contradictions pass into the stage of open confrontation incident (reason) escalation of the conflict, increase in the number of participants in the conflict escalation of the conflict agreement of the majority consensus

Types of conflicts nnn depending on the conflicting parties (intrapersonal, intergroup ...) according to the duration and nature of the flow (long-term, short-term, one-time, protracted ...) according to the form (internal, external) according to the scale of distribution (local, regional, global) according to the means used ( non-violent, violent) in the areas in which they occur ↓

about the distribution of power, dominance, influence, authority n Political conflict based on the struggle for the rights and interests of ethnic and national groups n National-ethnic conflict over the means of subsistence, wages, prices for various benefits, access to these benefits economic conflict is associated with religious, linguistic and other contradictions in the spiritual sphere n Cultural conflict Forms of social conflicts: discussions, requests, adoption of declarations… rallies, demonstrations, pickets, strikes… war is an extreme form

Conditions and ways to resolve the conflict nnn Conditions: identification of existing contradictions, interests, goals mutual interest in overcoming contradictions joint search for ways to overcome the conflict nn Ways: direct dialogue of the parties, negotiations , housing construction, i.e., the creation of a developed social infrastructure)

Are the following statements about social conflicts correct? A. Conflict interaction exists in any type of society. B. Social conflicts always lead to negative consequences. n only A is true n only B is true n both A and B are true n both statements are false