Lesson 1: Roles and Group Influences
11 - Group Classification
Groups can be classified in a number of ways depending on the purpose and perspective of the group.
The Crowd
During mid-adolescence, the crowd becomes the most important avenue of contact. The crowd is a group of people of homogeneous or similar age grouping. Members of both sexes are represented. The crowd has a strong feeling of togetherness and a sense of community spirit among its members. Friendships are flexible among crowd members with the length of friendship varying from person to person. The crowd leader is regarded as a model or reference person for all crowd members. The crowd is a loose collection of individuals who come together to engage in mutually beneficial activities.
The Clique
The clique is a group of people with special, distinguishing features. The clique is usually quite small in numbers. The clique is structured around class lines. The higher the class, the more strict are the controls surrounding admission to the clique.
Inclusive and Exclusive Groups
These categories center around the way the group’s membership is determined. An aim of the inclusive group is to expand activities and include more people. Small inclusive groups tend to change over time as they expand in numbers and grow into larger groups. For example, many church groups are inclusive groups because they seek to include new members.
An aim of the exclusive group is to limit membership to those of special status or those who meet certain prescribed requirements. They are elite groups that often insist on initiation or other ceremonies prior to the granting of full membership. The more difficult the initiation, the more valuable membership in the group is perceived to be. Members of exclusive groups may wear special clothing, jewellery, badges, or pins to separate them from non-members. Some exclusive groups demand that new members be sponsored by an existing member. For example, the country club, the yacht club, or the police force are exclusive groups.