Social Groups By Georg Simmel

Social groups are the building blocks of any culture or society. A social group is a collection of two or more people who interact frequently with one another, share a sense of belonging, and have a feeling of interdependence (Kendall 14). Sociologist Georg Simmel focused his studies on the way social interactions change based on group size, especially the uniquely “more personal and intense” (Kendall 114) interactions between members of smaller social groups. He also “suggested that small groups have distinctive interaction patterns that do not exist in larger groups (Kendall 144). By examining each social group, specifically the two and three-member dyad and triad, one can understand how the size of a particular group can shape the individual

The bond between members, in contrast to the dyad, is not as strong even though the social group or organization may be formed for the purpose of advancing the group or organization as a whole. The importance of each individual member’s identity and participation within the larger groups diminishes significantly with increased membership, in addition to a more divided system of labor and scattered informal communication. During the course of a year in a large organization, meetings may take place during which members may communicate and discuss various aspects of running the organization. However, these meetings are usually set up and run with some sort of order, and each individual member may not have an opportunity to present his or her opinions, confront an idea he or she opposes, or voice support for an item of discussion. In college, I was a member of a sorority with about 90 members at full capacity or quota; not everyone could hold an executive or official position, and there was simply not time during our scheduled meetings to allow each member to speak. Sorority members would form coalitions (often in the form of dyads and triads) within the organization by interacting outside of formal meetings; these coalitions could strengthen the bond between members and unite them toward common goals, or it could divide members and cause conflict within the organization. An advantage to larger groups, however, is the ability to divide tasks needed to support the social group among an increased number of members. “As the size of a group increases beyond three people, members tend to specialize in different tasks, and everyday communication patterns change” (Kendall 145). When tasks are divided and distributed among more members, less stress is placed on individual members responsible for the well-being of the social group and this can