The term "social group" is one of the most common in the social sciences. No matter what problem we are talking about, we can never do without mentioning these peculiar social formations. However, despite such great popularity, it is often difficult to understand the very essence of social groups.
This state of affairs is largely due to the diversity and specific characteristics of the social groups themselves. At the same time, in modern social science there are several different approaches to the interpretation of the concept of "social group", each of which distinguishes its own complex of features.
The most common and simple definition of a social group is the following: a social group is a collection of individuals connected by formal or informal membership, a communication system and having mutual expectations about each other. Accordingly, the presence of certain interactions between participants and mutual expectations regarding each other can be distinguished as the main features of a social group. After all, a set of people at a transport stop also looks like a group outwardly, but it is not, since it does not imply internal interactions and expectations. People at the bus stop do not perceive each other as a single community.
In the social sciences, it is customary to distinguish several types of social groups: small and large, formal and informal. Small groups are called groups in which all participants can interact directly with each other. Examples of such groups include a classroom, a workforce in a laboratory or department, or a group of friends. In a large group, its individual members may not interact with each other in any way, but at the same time act in concert, within the framework of certain rules. For example, a large group is the labor collective of an enterprise, a large army unit, etc. Accordingly, a small group can be both formal and informal, formed on the basis of personal sympathies and common goals. A large group can only be formal, existing within the framework of formal rules and codes.
No matter what type a particular social group belongs to, a certain system of roles is always present in it. Each member of the group is always well aware of his position in the group, the attitude of other members of the group to themselves and their expectations. All members of the group follow their roles even when they are not formalized or voiced. Any noticeable deviation in the usual behavior of the participant is perceived as wrong and entails censure from the members of the group, up to the expulsion of the offender.
