Social Groups

Sociology of Allied Health Professional

1. SOCIAL GROUPS Unit IV Sociology of Allied Health Sciences

2. Social Groups The Concepts of social groups. Influence of formal and informal groups on health and sickness. The role of primary groups and secondary groups in the hospital and rehabilitation setup.

3. Concept of Social Groups No normal man can lives alone. His activities start as a participating member of group such as family. When he goes out for work, there he interacts with a number of people working there. On coming back, meets several people and share common ideas and feelings. It means man lives in social groups. Man lives in groups continuously and also creates groups.

4. Concept of Social Groups Group is not a mere aggregate of human beings, but it is a collection of human beings who enter into meaningful relationship with each other. A person may belong to several different groups at the same time to meet different needs. We are bounded together by some common needs and interest. A group may be of only two or three persons or even a collection of millions of people ex. Family, Sports club, a political party, trade union etc.

5. Definition of Social Groups Maciver and Page – “Any collection of Social beings, who enter into distinctive social relationships with one another”. Ogburn and Nimkoff – “Whenever two or more individual come together and influence one another, they may be said to constitute a social group”. Horton and Hunt – “Groups are aggregate or categories of people who have a consciousness of membership and of interaction”.

6. Characteristics of Social Group 1-Reciprocal Relations. 2-Sense of unity. 3-We felling. 4-Common Interests. 5-Group Norms 6-Collection of Individuals 7-Group Size 8-Groups are Dynamic 9-Stability

7. Characteristics of Social Group Reciprocal Relations: A gathering of persons from a social group only when they are interrelated. Reciprocal relations is an essential feature of a group. We felling: Members of a group help each other and defend their interests collectively. Sense of Unity: Members of a group are united by a sense of unity and a felling of sympathy.

8. Characteristics of Group Common interests: Interests and ideals of a group are common. It is for the realization of common interests that they meet together. Group Norms: Every group has its own rules or norms which the members are supposed to follow. Collection of Individual: A group cannot be formed without the gathering of individuals.

9. Characteristics of Social Group Group Size: Size of group varies from smaller to a bigger size. Groups are Dynamic: Social groups are not static but dynamic in nature. Group are subject to change according to changing needs and pressures from within or outside. Stability: Most of the groups are permanent and stable in nature.

10. Classification of Social Groups American Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley has introduced the term “primary group” in his book “Social organization”. Primary Group: Such as family, small and long lasting has close contact and face to face relationship, that are informal. Secondary Groups: Such as school, is a collection of individual with common interest and aims but lack of intimacy. Membership is voluntary and relationship are formal.

11. Primary or Informal Group Primary group is a small group like a family, neighborhood, Play group of children etc., The contact between members of group is intimate. Face to face interaction among the members. According to Lundberg – “Two or more persons behaving in relation to each other in a way that is intimate, cohesive and personal”.

12. Characteristics of a Primary Group Main Characteristics of Primary Group Close Contact Small Size Stability Similarity of background Limited self-interest Intensity of Shared interests

13. Characteristics of a Primary Group Close Contact: The people of primary group are closely related and have face to face interaction. The close contact provides an opportunity to the members to express their views, ideas, opinions. Small size: The primary groups are of small size. The members of small group can understand each other and develop a group feeling and intimate relations. Stability: To promote intimacy of relationship, the primary group should be stable to some extent:

14. Characteristics of a Primary Group Similarity of background: The members of a primary group must be not only close and near to each other but also approximately equally experienced and intelligent. Limited self-interest: The restricted common interest must predominate in their minds. Intensity of shared interests: In a primary group the common interest is shared by every member and by being shared by all the interest acquires a new significance, a new emphasis and new valuation.

15. Importance of Primary Groups Maintain social control over its member. Helps in process of socialization. The group is an important factor in shaping the personality of the individual. Teaches its member to work according to rules in society. Provide cementing force like sympathy, love, tolerance, mutual help and sacrifice to social structure and prevent social disintegration.

16. Secondary Groups or Formal Groups Secondary groups are large groups like a trade unions, political parties, corporation, factory, Rotary club and student technologists association etc., Here human contacts are superficial and undefined. He communicate with them by such indirect means as the written word. No face to face relations. H.T. Mazumdar – “When face-to-face contacts are not present in the relations of member, we may call that is secondary group”.

17. Characteristics of Secondary Groups Main Characteristics of secondary groups: Formal and impersonal relations Large in size Option of membership Active and Inactive members Relations – not face to face Formal rules Individuals status Goal orientation

18. Importance of Secondary or Formal Groups The primary group have an important place in a simple and small society. But in modern era the trend is towards secondary groups. The changing trends of modern society is that now man depends for his needs more on secondary groups rather then the primary groups. Efficiency (the emphasis is on getting the job done). Open channels of opportunity. Wider Outlook.

19. Influence of Secondary or Formal Groups on Health and Sickness There are some social groups in society formally organized, regulated and guided by written rules and roles. They are deliberately formed and their membership in compulsory and goal oriented. A formal group always has a normative hierarchical structure or status system Violation of rules by the groups leads to punishment. The formal groups are also known as secondary groups. Plays an important role in determining the health status of the people and directly influence the health status of individual.

20. Influence of Secondary or Formal Groups on Health and Sickness Hospitals Hospitals are the examples of the formal groups those play an important role in promotion of health, prevention of sickness and curative of clients. Hospitals may be government, private or corporate hospital. There is a definite organizational structure and have their organizational chart that shows the hierarchical position of the staff working in the government health agencies . These hospitals may be of general, charitable and specialized in nature. Other government health agencies are also working for the promotion of health and prevention of sickness. They organize awareness camps, treatment camps at the door step of the people. The birth of a child takes place in a secondary atmosphere of the hospital.

21. Influence of Formal Groups on Health and Sickness The Hospital provides scientific equipments. Trained staffs and safety to child and mother . Total health team is included in formal group to rehabilitate the clients in different settings. Government and Non- Government organizations. After birth government and non-government organizations are emphasizing on immunization. Later in schools and college medical camps are conducted and student gets medical treatment. Many private and government organizations conduct awareness camp, etc. Many types of health benefits are also provided by certain agencies like ESI, health allowances, safe drinking water and proper sanitation to improve the health of people.

22. Influence of Formal Groups on Health and Sickness Industry Industries provides health services regularly through employee state insurance scheme. They provide maternity benefits, sickness benefits, medical benefits to the employee , who suffer from health problems. Apart from that, industries provide low cost nutritious food . Sometimes industry safety measures are not adequately implemented facilities like, ventilations, light, drinking water, canteen, etc. Pollution control measures are poor in any industries. Tanneries of Kanpur are example of this. Such conditions caused various diseases However government is taking steps to improve upon the conditions in industries through its various departments.

23. Influence of Informal or Primary Groups on Health and Sickness Role of Family during illness The most Important primary group that influences an individual is his family . Family may be nuclear, joint and extended. According to closeness every member of family take full participation in curative measures and prevents deterioration of health. The economic condition of the family also play an important role. Richer families are able to provide their children nutritiou s and delicious food, while poor or hand to mouth families find it difficult to give even meal for a day to their children. This causes malnutrition leading to health problems.

24. Influence of Informal or Primary Groups on Health and Sickness The educational level of the family also plays an important role. Highly educated parents are aware of health and sickness. They take adequate measures to prevent health problems and cure it. But in uneducated family people are relatively lacking health awareness due to ignorance and hence do not know the ways to promote health and to cope with the health problems . Family members fulfills the basic needs of client for e.g. Physiological needs, Psychological needs, social and economical needs. In physiological needs they look after the needs like hunger and thirst means food, water, rest, sleep and clothing etc. Psychologically they also support, and remove the fear of death and worseness of disease and fulfill the love and emotional needs. They also contributes money to cope with economical crisis during hospitalization and up to rehabilitation phase.

25. Influence of Informal Groups or Primary on Health and Sickness Role of friends and Peer Group during illness The next primary group influencing the health of an individual is his peer group. The Playmates, friends and peer group also play an important role in fulfilling the basic needs of individuals, family and community during the time of illness. They help in the form of providing monetary help, physical and psychological help. The peer group where individuals of the same age and more or less of same social position, help each other to recover them as early as possible.

26. Influence of Primary Groups or Informal Groups in the Hospitals and Rehabilitation setting Every individual’s life style and habits are generally influenced by the peer group. Positive life style and habits acquired by the influence of the peer group promote and maintain health. They constitute the some groups those participate and organize health camps and health welfare services. They avoid unhygienic environment to promote health. They keep vigilant eye on bad practices like smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling and other unethical issues .

27. Influence of Secondary Groups or formal Groups in the Hospitals and Rehabilitation setting Secondary groups include health team e.g. Physician, Surgeon, Nurse, Technologists, Dietitian, Medical Social worker, Physiotherapist, Occupational therapist and other team member skilled and unskilled. They play a vital role in fulfilling the specific needs of client like cognitive, aesthetic, self- actualization and self esteem. In hospital setup, the health team members establish good interpersonal relationship with the patient and develop rapport and win the confidence. Disabled person now have a wide range of services available to help him to lead as normal and active life as possible. Social services are provided by social welfare department, including financial assistant.

28. Influence of Secondary Groups or Formal in the Hospitals and Rehabilitation setting The patient will fell comfortable and cooperative with health team in improving health by implementation of remedial measures. Counsellor by counselling helps him in adopting new life style to improve health and reducing sickness. In rehabilitation setting client will get training by experts or physiotherapists to maintain the activity of daily living. Rehabilitation may help him in occupational training and enable them financial sound.

29. Influence of Primary Groups or Informal Groups in the Hospitals and Rehabilitation setting Rehabilitations Rehabilitation is the restoration to health and working capacity of a person incapacitated by disease, mental, physical. Rehabilitation stands for the combined and coordinated use of all the available medical, social, educational and vocational measures, for training and retraining the persons to the highest level of functional ability. Social rehabilitation is a process the aim of which is to attain functioning ability. Rehabilitation emphasizes on the fact that the duty and obligations of doctor who cares for a patient do not end simply curing the patient. There is also an obligation to assist the patient in getting rehabilitated to that he/she gets fully adjusted in the family and social milieu and live a happy and productive life.

30. Influence of Primary Groups or Informal Groups in the Hospitals and Rehabilitation setting The patient also needs to be trained in some vocation so the he/she can make a living. The patient’s family and society have to be educated to accept the patient as a normal human being and not as one cursed by the God. The patient would be emotionally weak and also need to be emotionally supported. All these activities comes under the purview of ‘Rehabilitation’( Re-restore into, habitat- the original home or environment of the person).

31. Influence of Primary Groups or Informal Groups in the Hospitals and Rehabilitation setting Accordingly, rehabilitation in undertaken in four dimension: 1. Medical Rehabilitation This is done through medical/ surgical procedure to restore the anatomy, anatomical functions and psychological functions to as near as possible. 2. Vocational Rehabilitation This includes steps involving training and education so as to enable a livelihood. 3. Social Rehabilitation This involves steps for restoration of the family and social relationships. 4. Emotional and Psychological Rehabilitation This involves steps to restore the confidence and personal dignity.

32. Influence of Primary Groups or Informal Groups in the Hospitals and Rehabilitation setting Rehabilitation for Mental Disorders In India rehabilitation should include, development of social support system, educational system, educational facilities for patients, informational support, vocational support, day care centers, long term care facilities. Community care should include avoidance of stigma discrimination against patient, allowing them full social participation and also guaranteeing patients full human rights and treating them with dignity they deserve. The Government of India set up a Rehabilitation council of India Act , 1992, It came into force from 31 st July 1993. This is under the administrative control of ministry of social justice and empowerment.

33. Difference between Primary & Secondary Groups Primary Group Meaning: Groups which re characterized by face-to-face relations, mutual aid are primary group. Ex: family, friends etc., Nature of Social Relations: Social relations are face-to-face, direct intimate, personal, non-partisan in character. Secondary Group Groups which provide experience lacking in intimacy are secondary group. Ex: political parties, trade unions etc., Social relations are indirect, impersonal, contractual, specialized, and more economic nature.

34. Difference between Primary & Secondary Groups Size: Primary groups are smaller in size. Physical proximity: Group are confined to a small geographic area. Communication: Its not only direct but also quick and effective. Group interest: interest of members are not specific but general. Nature of co-operation: co-operation is direct. Secondary groups are relatively bigger in size. Groups are not characterized by physical area. Members are spread over a vast area direct communication is difficult. Indirect in nature. Interest of members are more specific. Hence groups are called special interest groups. Co-operation is mostly indirect.

35. Difference between Primary & Secondary Groups Group structure: its very informal. The group is not very much organized in the modern sense. Durability: groups are relatively durable. Effects on personality: the group has a long-lasting influence upon the personality. Nature of group control: informal means of social control. Group structure is formal. The organization of the group is carefully planned and worked out. Groups may be temporary or permanent. The impact of group on the personality of the members is rather limited. Formal means of control.

36. Thanks