They always arise spontaneously, are unstable, monotonous and exist for a very short period of time. This could be a characteristic of a butterfly, but these are just quasi-groups - a temporary transitional formation from a social community to a social group. Now let's take a closer look at what a quasi-group is in sociology.
On quasigroups
A quasi-group is a social formation that exists for a short period of time, pursuing some common goal. After the goal is achieved, the quasi-group finally disintegrates or turns into a stable social group.
At the time when the quasi-group is formed, it has some features of social groups, but in addition it is distinguished by some characteristics:
- Spontaneously formed (e.g. fan group).
- Relationships between members are unstable.
- Member interactions are not as diverse as in social groups.
- Group members act together for a very short time.
A quasi-group is a sociala phenomenon that occurs unintentionally and is random. Simply put, this is a temporary phenomenon. In sociology, there are three types of quasi-groups.
Audience
The most unstable quasi-group is the audience - a social community of people who are united by a communicator that owns some information and conveys it to listeners. A very peculiar way of interaction stands out between members of such a community. After the speaker has finished his speech, the audience breaks up. Although, if the speaker lacks the skills to captivate listeners and explain information to them so that everyone understands it, the audience may disband even before the speaker finishes his speech.
According to the number of participants, the audience is different - from a group of students to the audience of a TV channel. The quantitative composition of this quasi-group is sometimes very difficult to determine, but it is possible to be guided by such criteria as an increase or decrease. It is also worth noting that in some cases the information provided allows you to control the audience.
Crowd
The most active kind of quasi-group is the crowd. This term refers to a certain set of individuals that are in a closed physical space and have common interests. Crowd members feel like one and interact at the subconscious level. Depending on the current situation, the behavior of the crowd may differ. For example, people in the crowd can simply observe what is happening or actively act (active political ralliesor coups). Thus, the crowds are divided into several varieties:
- Random crowd - a gathering of people on the street around some incident.
- A conditioned crowd is a relatively structured group whose meeting was planned in advance, such as a fan group gathered to watch a football match.
- Expressive crowd - a group that organizes so that each of its members will enjoy as participants in a rock festival.
- The active mob is a crowd that is prone to short-term violent actions.
- Rebellious mob - its members use antisocial behaviors to achieve a common goal.
The structure of the crowd is very simple, it consists of a leader and other members. A person in a crowd acts in a completely different way than if he were alone. Becoming a member of this quasi-group, the individual emotionally connects to it and acts in accordance with the collective subconscious.
Social circles
The last kind of quasi-group is social circles. These are peculiar communities that are created specifically for the exchange of information. In social circles, interactions are repeated. Sociologists are actively studying these communities, since it is in them that public opinion is formed.
Social circles are loose unions based on contacts of exchange, the main focus is on the transfer of information. Are the moststable quasigroups. These communities are characterized by entry criteria, among which there is an interest in information. The most common circles are professional and status. Also, social circles can be considered subcultures that have similar properties.
Quasigroups, although they tend to disintegrate quickly, thanks to them sociology can determine the moods that prevail in society and predict its further development.
