What primary and secondary groups do you belong to?
I belong to a single-mother family and coworkers as my primary and secondary social groups respectively.
How did you become associated with these groups?
I became associated with single-mother family after I divorced with my husband and I had to take care of my two children. I have lived with my children for over 12 years now and this has created a strong relationship that is characterized with emotions and care. On the other hand, I became associated with my coworkers as my secondary social group when I joined a non-profit organization where I work. We are basically united by the common organizational goals as workers and a team.
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How do those groups affect how you behave?
These groups have a lot of influence on my behavior. For instance, having been through a divorce, I have been made to acknowledge that single-parenting as a normal family structure like any other. Even when asked to advise my younger cousin who is about to get married, I advise them to do what they want since you can be married and living together or living separate with your partner. On the other hand, my coworkers group has really influenced how I think and decide as far as work decisions are concerned. I am always forced to make a decision that conforms with the group’s norms and the organizational values.
What differences exist among the groups in which you belong and other groups in your community?
The groups that I belong to differ a little bit with some other groups within my community. For instance, my primary group is characterized with strong blood ties and thus no one can leave the group. This is in contrast with the church group where church members can easily leave the group when they cease being members of that church.
How do sociologists explain these differences?
According to sociologists, such differences are contributed to the individual level of identification with the group (Thibout, 2017). Therefore, the more we feel that our identities are tied to our group memberships, the less likely we are to leave the groups.
References
Thibaut, J. W. (2017). The social psychology of groups . Routledge.
