Social Group

A Social Group is a group of cooperating social agents.

• Context:
  • It can (often) overlap Social Groups (e.g. intersectionality).
  • It can (often) be defined by Social Group Member Characteristics, including but not limited to gender, age, occupation, ability, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
  • It can range from being a Social Animal Group (such as a social human group) to being a Social Artificial Agent Group (such as a team of AI agents working together).
  • It can be analyzed by Social Group Academic Displines, such as Social Psychology and Sociology.
  • It can be measured by a Social Group Measure, quantifying aspects like cohesion, collaboration, and identity.
  • It can influence and be influenced by Social Factors, such as culture, norms, and social structure.
  • It can be affected by other Social Groups (e.g. dominant social groups).
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Social Human Groups, such as:
    • Women, Men, Children, ...
  • a Tribal Society, such as the Maasai tribe.
  • Professional Groups, such as Teachers, Doctors, or Engineers.
  • Social Movement Groups, like Civil Rights Movement or Women's Suffrage Movement.
  • an Extended Family, such as the Kennedy family.
  • a Household, such as the Smith family household.
  • a Community, such as NYC's Greenwich Village.
  • a Sports Team, such as the New York Yankees.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • an Asocial Individual, who avoids or lacks social interactions.
  • an Ecosystem, where interactions are biological rather than social.
• See: Social Network, Autonomous Agent, Society, Social Sciences, Interdependence, Collective Behavior, Group Dynamics.

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References

2015

• (Wikipedia, 2015) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/social_group Retrieved:2015-7-25.
  • A social group within social sciences has been defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Other theorists disagree however, and are wary of definitions which stress the importance of interdependence or objective similarity. Instead, researchers within the social identity tradition generally define it as "a group is defined in terms of those who identify themselves as members of the group". Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties. For example, a society can be viewed as a large social group.

2014

• (Kapitan, 2014) ⇒ Tomis Kapitan. (2014). “The Reign of ‘Terror’.” In: NYTimes Blogs 2014-10-19
  • QUOTE: ... As long as groups perceive themselves to be victims of intolerable injustices and view their oppressors as unwilling to arrive at an acceptable compromise, they are likely to answer violence with more violence. ...

1962

• A. P. Hare. (1962). “Handbook of small group research.” Macmillan.

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