ORGANIZATION OF GROUPS, ROLE OF SOCIAL GROUPS IN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION Social structure is composed of groups. Organizations, institutions, community etc, are the forms of human associations. Society functions through different forms of human beings to fulfill needs and purposes. Man functions in society through different forms of groups. Man is born is a social group and his first association is with his mother. He associates with groups in some way or other. Individual nowhere lives in isolation. This tendency to unite in groups is one of the important characteristics of human beings. Social groups are the units out of which society is constructed. Study of group is of primary important in the study of society and also important as a part of the total structure of society. Group is a medium through which we learn culture. The process of socialization takes place in groups Definitions of Group: According to Chitambar a social group is a unit of two or more people in reciprocal (to and fro) interaction and in communication with each other
Maclever defined social group as a collection of human beings who enter into distinctive social relationships with one another According to Sharif and Sharif, a social group is a collection of two or more individuals in which there are psychological interactions and reciprocal roles based upon durable contacts, shared norms, interests, distinctive pattern of collective behavior and structural organization of leadership and followership Elements of Social Group: 1. Social unit 2. Psychological interactions and reciprocal roles 3. Durable contacts 4. Distinctive pattern of collective behavior 5. Sharing of norms and interests 6. Pattern of leadership and follower ship
Types or classification of Social Groups:
Type of group/s Based on Primary and Secondary groups The type of relationship Formal and Informal groups Mode of organization and functioning Voluntary and involuntary groups Structure and type of membership Horizontal and vertical groups Social class In and out groups Personal feelings Locality groups Territory or locality Small and large groups Size Reference group
13 Based on the type of relationship groups are dived in to primary and secondary groups: the details are as follows as given by Rogers 1960: Primary groups are relationship directed whereas secondary groups are goal oriented Primary Group Secondary Group Small in size, often less than 20 to 30 Large in size persons Personal and intimate relationships among Impersonal and aloof(distant) relationships members are there among members Face to face association is there between Less face to face contact the members
Permanency is there and members are Temporary in nature. Members spend
together over a long period of time relatively little time together Members are well acquainted and have a Members are not well acquainted and strong sense of loyalty or ‘we’ feeling and anonymity prevails a strong amount of group pressure is present Informality is most common i.e. group does Formality prevails i.e. group often has a not have any name, officers etc name, officers and a regular meeting place Group decisions are more traditional and Group decisions are more rational and the non rational emphasis is on efficiency E.g. family, friendship group, play group E.g. political groups, labour unions, trade etc unions, employees associations etc
Based on mode of organization and functioning groups are divided in to formal
and informal groups: Formal Group Informal Group These are formally organized and have These are not formally organized and lack prescribed structure i.e. constitution by-laws prescribed structure etc E.g. Labour union, village council, students E.g. family, friendship group, play group union etc etc
Based on structure and type of membership groups are divided in to voluntary,
involuntary and delegate groups: Voluntary Group Involuntary Group A person becomes member of the group Persons become members of the group based on his choice not according to their choice i.e. by birth, by residence, by location etc E.g. friendship group, play group etc E.g. family, neighbourhood, community etc.
14 Delegate group: The members of this group are representative and chosen by groups. E.g. Gram Panchayat, U.N.O., etc. Based on social class groups are divided in the horizontal and vertical groups: Horizontal Group Vertical Group The members of this group are alike or similar The groups that are composed of in status or position in the class system of the members from different social strata (social society status) and whose membership cuts vertically across the horizontal groupings in the society E.g. caste E.g. race, nation etc
Based on personal feelings the groups have been divided in and out groups: In Group Out Group Persons in this group feel that they belong to Persons in this group do not feel that they that group based on their attitudes of the belong to that group based on their members towards their own social groups attitudes E.g. my family, my class, my church etc. E.g. their family, their class, their church etc.
Based on the size of the groups the groups are divided in to small and large groups: Small Group Large Group The number of members is less than 30 The number of members is more E.g. family, play group etc. E.g. political group, labour union etc.
Locality Group: This classification considers locality as one bond for holding groups together or it is based on the territory or locality occupied by the members. E.g. neighbourhoods, communities or villages towns etc
Reference Group: In this group the individual feels identified with the group but he may or may not be the member of the group, the group influences individual. He shares the objectives of this group, which he accepts. The reference group provides the standards that guide behavior even when the standards are contrary to earlier membership groups. To understand the behavior of human beings we must know their reference groups. A reference group may be any group for E.g. Primary group, horizontal group etc. Reference group like friendship group may influence a farmer to accept or reject the adoption of an improved farming practice. Reference group is the group which the individual refers for advises on different aspects. An individual may have different reference groups for different purposes. In rural society the individual belongs to a comparatively small number of groups (largely primary) and his behavior is largely determined by them
