The psychology of large social groups is one of the most important objects of social – psychological research. The significance of these studies is due to the fact that a person carries out its vital functions as a member of a particular social group, the representative of a particular historical community of people. Everyone from birth is included in a variety of community, social, and from the beginning of work – and in professional groups. The study of the psychological processes of these communities is one of the problems of social psychology. Researchers have long paid attention to these phenomena. Actually the emergence of social psychology is connected with the study of the "spirit of the people", "psychology of peoples' psychological structures that existed in the masses of people (crowd psychology, psychology of the masses, social movements, etc.). Social Groups in the West and in Russia have been the subject of sociological research. In the West, the emphasis has shifted on the psychology of small groups. The study of large social groups, their psychological characteristics engaged primarily Marxist–oriented researchers, except, perhaps, the study of crowd panic. In domestic psychology attracted the attention of researchers a number of general theoretical and methodological issues, as well as the characteristics of the psychological characteristics of classes, nations, ages and professional groups.
Into the study of psychology of large social groups last decades were involved G. Andreeva, A. Goryacheva, M. Makarov, G. Diligensky, O. Zotova, V. Novikov, E. Shorohova , E. Kuzmin, I. Lsvykin, A. Luria, B. Parigin, B. Porshnev, V.Sharonov et al.
Types of large social groups.
The generally accepted in social psychology is the division of large social groups into two villa. The basis of this division is the nature of inter–group and within the body of new social relations. In the first case, people unite in groups common objective links that exist independently of the mind and the will of these people. In the second case it is a group, which result from combining conscious people. Diligensky taking this division, called the first objective macrogroups, the latter – subjective – psychological. To clarify the relation between the forks, he introduces the concept of the psychological community. To understand the essence of the psychological community is very important concept B. Porshnev the division of people into "us" and "them" in the process of historical development of mankind.
In the first case, processes, phenomena, conditions originating in the community (class psychology), reflect the objective connections and relationships are secondary to this objective processes. In the second case, the psychological phenomenon in a group make up its foundation, the primary phenomenon. In this case, the primary common psychological grounds.
The basis of the detailed classification of large social groups of different features taken for separation.
In the lifetime of the long – existing split large groups (classes, my father's) and existing short (meetings, the audience, the crowd). By the nature of organization – disorganization – organized groups (parties, unions, the crowd). Several large groups arises spontaneously (a crowd), others consciously organized (parties, unions).
Following the example of the classification of small groups can talk about conditional and real group of features of contact interaction also serves as an essential. Sex and age groups, professional groups are not real, and conditional to the real large groups with short, but close contacts include rallies, meetings. Large groups can be open or closed. Membership in the last defined internal regulations groups.
Large social groups can be divided by the presence of a certain number of common features and the mechanism of relations with the community. So, G. Diligensky distinguishes two types of social groups. The first type – Luden union, with a common objective exists and socially significant sign. For example, this feature can be demographic. In this case, the first type were men, women, generation, youth, middle age, old people, and so on. D. Characteristics of these groups as a social determined their importance in society, the role in the system of social relations (in the production system, in the family). These groups are homogeneous in composition, uniform, but it was on the basis of their allocation.
The second type is characterized by groups of people, their components, deliberately seek to unite. Examples of these groups are religious groups, parties, unions, social movements. By its social composition of these groups are diverse, heterogeneous. In socio – psychological characteristics are more uniform than the first group type. In the first case, the priority is the objective side of the community, in the second – subjective. It is a psychological entity. Subjective community does not coincide with a common objective.
The subject of psychology of large groups.
Other researchers on – have different definitions of the subject of the psychology of large groups.
So, G. Andreeva issues to be studied, it must be assumed:
G.Diligensky believes that psychology studies of large groups of features of various kinds of subjective and psychological groups (eg, associations, organizations), the mechanism of the addition of individual actions in the group; analysis of the group as the subject of action. The main subject of study in the psychology of large groups it considers the connection between objective social community and a community of socio – psychological study of ways, methods, mechanisms of transition from the former to the latter.
Levels of development of large social groups.
In the historical development of society and in particular the development of groups of individual social communities are a number of stages. These steps correspond to the level of group development. According to the classification G. Diligensky these three levels.
The first – the lower level – typological, characterized by the fact that members of the group objectively similar to each other for some features. These symptoms may be essential in the regulation of individual behavior, but do not constitute a basis for the creation of the psychological community. United people on these grounds amount to the sum of individuals, but do not constitute a unity.
An example of such a level of social groups are entrepreneurs in the early stages of this social group in our country. Each of the entrepreneurs engaged in their work, carried out a specific activity; communicate with other entrepreneurs held by the same mechanisms of interaction, as with all the other people. Often, as an example of the level of social groups cite Marx conducted analysis of partial services, where a separate family unit was closed in agricultural production.
The second level of the social group is characterized by the fact that the team members are aware of their identity as a group, identify with its members. In the example of the level of entrepreneurs is that entrepreneurs consider themselves a new social community. This level of identification.
The third level of social groups implies readiness group to act together in the name of group goals. Group members are aware of their common interests. Class in itself as a community moves to the position of a class for itself. Entrepreneurs, for example, aware of their common interests other than the interests of other social communities, united in associations, unions, corporations, establish reciprocal links with other associations. At general meetings, congresses produce the program, strategy and tactics of its activities. Entrepreneurship was formed as a social community and social movement in Russia.
This level of social groups G. Diligensky calls level solidarity can designate it as a level of integration, the development of socio – psychological community groups determines their real role in the socio – historical process as a whole, determines the development of various social processes, events, phenomena . It is the psychological component of the socio – historical phenomena.
Factors determining the level of psychological community groups.
The degree of heterogeneity and homogeneity of the group acts as one of the factors affecting the level of socio–psychological community. In reality, every community interacts with other communities and in "pure" form does not exist. The class includes layers of class "borders" do not coincide with national, professional, sexual, and so on. These are community intersect, and repeatedly. The degree of involvement of people and the various community, identify with some – some of them, and the relationships between them define the socio – psychological status of the group.
G.Diligensky as one of the factors determining the socio – psychological community, highlights the degree of empirical, evidence directly reflected in the minds of members of the group signs that could identify a group and separate it from the "others", not their groups. The immediacy of certain identification features is evident despite the socio – historical changes. These are, for example, race, language, sex. Other signs are less directly perceived. In particular, the class characteristics of social groups and currently is not as certain as it was a few decades ago grind. So, are blurred characteristics of the bourgeoisie, the working class and the intelligentsia. The emergence of new communities – entrepreneurs, "new Russian" – strengthens the process of uncertainty in the classification of communities.
On the level of communities affected by the nature of intra–group and inter – group communication. The limitations of some communities on the other characteristic, for example, community – based Russian peasantry, destroyed more close – farm associations, contacts and more intense relations with the city. The media include the previously disparate groups in a common information field, in the context of wider social processes.
Objective real opportunity to change the relationship with one group to communicate with another significant impact on the fortress of social relations in the group and reduce its level of integration. Social mobility acts as a factor that weakens the identification process at the officials, intelligentsia. For the latter characteristic was the decline in the prestige of higher education and reckoning himself rather than to social class, but to the employee by type of profession.
Integrates a sign of social – psychological community is ideology
Associations of people in the struggle against the colonialists, for national independence and in defense of the fatherland, for social change occurred on the basis of ideas. These ideas acted as the organizing principle, as an incentive for joint action. The history of society is full of these examples. To join the people in the socio – psychological community defines a group incentive motivation of human behavior.
Exceptional place in the factors determining the socio – psychological community groups, has its social – historical experience. It relies on the general position group, its distinctive signs on different parameters, organizational background, ideology. But systemically important feature of this experience is the practice of collective action. The positive result of this practice is part of the social memory of fund people, groups, communities. View this social memory are the archetypes described by K. Jung. Contemporary social movements of students in different countries have fixed the value of social experience in the life of social communities. The conflicts in Chechnya showed just how deep the roots of the national socio – psychological community, and how they manifest themselves through a number of generations in the ways of intra and inter–group communication, methods of resolution of public, group and individual problems.
Elements of social psychology.
Psychic phenomena in large groups can be divided into areas of the mind. Just what are these areas in the general psychology, we can talk about cognitive, affective and regulatory – volitional. All mental processes of these areas in the psychology of large groups acquire their specific characteristics.
Thus, the scope of collective representations are cognitive, social thinking, public opinion, social consciousness, mentality. Cognitive processes in large communities are a reflection of social processes, the status of the groups in the system of social relations, the level of development of the spiritual life of society. Socio – historical processes determining the content of cognitive processes, change the object of knowledge. The question of what people think, worry about, varies depending on social conditions. But the social determination of mental processes of the group is not only the content, but also ways of reflection of objective reality. Historicity is not only conceptual, categorical structure of thinking, but also his style. There are features of the eastern and western style of thinking, a kind of mentality is togas or other people in different periods of its historical development. Empirical studies R. Luria showed originality and conceptual sensory reflection of reality in terms of significant social and cultural – historical transformations residents of Central Asian republics of the former USSR. The cognitive fixed ways and mechanisms by which the folded, stored, modified representation, stereotypes, orientation values.
In various social environments consist of more or less favorable conditions for the development of these come other cognitive features. Cognitive structures are the basis of everyday psychology. Higher its level – the consciousness of community, which is in the form of ideas, theories of ideology of individual communities and society as a whole ideology.
The second structural element of the psychology of large groups – motivation – need sphere. Specifically, it appears generally motivated group, group needs, values, interests, goals, attitudes, ideals. This list needs motivational elements constitute, in a certain sense, the basic characteristic of human psychology. The classes and large social groups psychologically differ primarily in their needs, interests and ideals.
Regardless of whether we need to consider both the need (as does the number of authors), or as the driving force of the individual activity, it concluded a social sense. V. Myasishchev expressed point of view on the needs most accurately reflects their socio – psychological essence. The need, in his opinion, reflects the unity of the needs and motivations of gravity to a particular object. He believes that the need is related to the objective reality.
As an element of social psychology needs arise and develop in the course of human life and activity. Of particular interest to the psychology of social groups is the division of the group needs two types:
The requirements of the second kind, the typical "mass" for the group and come from the need for functioning group, and the commonality of the social environment in which there are members of this group.
For the psychology of large groups in a certain period of socio – historical development of the law is important to the development needs, the ratio of individual and collective needs, the development of higher social in nature – the psychological needs – the need for labor, the development of cognitive and aesthetic needs, the need for communication.
In our comparative study of the history of the psychological characteristics of the Russian peasantry were shown significant changes in the needs of the different historical periods of development of Russia.
With the needs of the psychology of large groups of interests are organically linked. In the interests of subjectively reflected the material conditions of existence of the community. They express the psyche and orientation activities, the desire to meet the needs. "Psychologically, – said A. Goryacheva – interest is experienced as a sensual and conscious of gravity to an object by virtue of vital significance and emotional appeal of the past."
The specific motive in the field have the public interest. They reflect the needs of society as a whole and individual social groups, economic relations of a given society, the economic situation of particular social communities and associations. Interests stimulate different forms of group activity. Interest in social activities, as a rule, recognized, and satisfaction emerges as the goal of theoretical and practical activity. There are economic, political, spiritual interests. In different social and historical conditions on – differently correlate the interests of society, the individual large groups (classes, nations), small groups and individuals. But in all these subjects of interest acts as a stimulus activity, the determinant of human behavior.
In the process of social development interests, as well as needs evolve. This is especially true in times of rapid socio – economic and political changes. For example, interest in new business, entrepreneurship has arisen in the course of such transformations in Russia. The interest of Russian workers to revolutionary activity has increased dramatically in the pre–October period of 1917.
The motivational sphere of the essential place occupied by life orientation. They represent the preferences system, manifested in the conscious or unconscious electoral behavior in the choice of motivation in alternative environments. They are expressed goals of the groups of persons, by carrying to the topic will be. They define the scope of the preferred activity. This is due to the personality level of claims, the assessment of real possibilities and psychological conditions.
The essential is the conclusion of scientists that life orientation diverse ways due to the laws of society, macrogroups, micro–groups, individual biographies, important situations. In general, the orientation expressed in the specifics of the development community in a specific socio–historical period. Careful analysis of the typology of orientation in a capitalist society is contained in G. Diligensky. He identifies seven types of orientation: the orientation of the status – quo (live like – anything to stay on the surface); careerist type of orientation (to break out into the world, to make a career, to succeed within the organization); entrepreneurial type (to expand business and achieve more independence, power, influence); hedonistic orientation (focus on leisure, entertainment); focus on material consumption, more nude – a consumer orientation; socio–pathological focus, focus on creativity (the ego level of self–actualization); focus on the fight for certain social ideals.
The ideals are the driving force, the highest form of social activity. Ideal in the socio – psychologically – this is a figurative reflection of – something real or unreal phenomenon. This is a sample, the highest goal, the last step of the aspirations of the individual or social community. The ideal is historical, it is socially determined a certain level of development of the productive forces and the character of group and personal relationships. The ideals of the people reflect the historical aspirations of communities (classes, nations) at every stage of development. Therefore, ideals can be real and unreal. "Ideal for any age – wrote Herman, – she cleared of randomness, transfigured by the contemplation of the present."
"The ideals – according to V. Belinsky, – not an arbitrary fantasy game, not fiction, not a dream, and at the same time ideals – not a list with reality, and said the mind and imagination reproduced the possibility of one or another phenomenon."
The affective sphere of the psychology of large groups includes the feelings, emotions and moods.
Specific for large groups are the social feelings. In this sense the two are included in the definition of "social feelings". In the first case we are talking about feelings, which reflect the emotional attitude to facts, situations, institutions of social reality. In the second sense of social media are bringing people, social communities. In both of these cases, people's attitudes play an important role in their communication, interrelation, interaction.
Public sentiments were one of the most important phenomena of the psychology of large groups. They are reflected in the vivid form relationships and assessment of the state of the people of objective processes and mental phenomena prevailing in certain periods of social development. A thorough description of the public mood is contained in B. Parygina. As the characteristics of the collective mood in comparison with the individual mood he highlights: a much more social than individual conditionality; collective mood – a product of the entire system of social (economic, political and ideological relations); the degree of social determinism in them than in individual moods. They factor in physical health recedes to social factors (the material conditions of people's lives, their relationships at work, at home, and so on. D.).
The public mood is not the sum of the sentiment in the group of people, it has the ability to repeated increase in the energy components of a group of individuals. Social mood has infectivity, ability to significantly enhance certain properties of individuals sentiment. "The public mood is the most mass–component group psychology, not only because it is in contrast to other elements of the mind is constantly active, but also because it is most clearly manifested in the group and with greater force than the larger social group."
In addition to these traditionally allocated areas of the psyche (cognitive, affective and regulatory – willed) can allocate activity–sphere.
Activity sphere of psychology of large groups constitute collective action and group behavior. For the activity of large social groups are the specific purpose of the activity, its structure, stakeholders, its form. According to their social purpose significantly different professional activity, social activity, social movements.
Manifestations of the psychology of large groups.
All four areas of the psychology of large social groups are organically linked. Their unique combination of certain socio – historical conditions manifested in two ways:
Psychic warehouse acts as the most stable formation in the psychology community. It includes a social character, traditions, customs, habits, and manners. These phenomena are characteristic of the different communities.
Thus, the social nature of the group of people defined by a specific culture, a system of signs, symbols. It is formed under specific conditions, under the influence of social life, the system of values orientation, which is in the process of socialization. The character of a certain logic and consistency determines a course of action, some actions and excludes others.
Traditions are historically influenced by certain conditions of life institutionalized ways of reproducing historical rules, norms of behavior, attitudes of people. They define the general direction of the group activities under specific conditions. In the tradition of continuity is carried out of certain socially significant behaviors in typical situations, in different areas, deliberately maintained, fixing this or that relationship. Stressing the psychological essence of the origin and functioning of the traditions, Engels pointed out that "the tradition of living in people's heads, play a role, although not decisive in social development."
Another integral part of community mental warehouse are customs. The practice is well–established in a particular social group, in one or another nation rules to respond to certain events, the implementation of some socially significant action (special moments of work, life, family life, the important events in human life: birth, marriage, character holidays, etc.). Custom keeps some people's experience, which is a symbol – the values developed community, teaches respect them. Custom brings a certain attitude to the group to the individual.
The element of mental warehouse adjacent to the social customs are superstitions. Prejudice – is rooted in the community opinion "without reasonable report in its solidity, but mainly related to the superstitious rules. Prejudices determine the relationship of the social group to the IPT other natural or social phenomena. Existed until some time believed that prejudices – the lot is not enough educated and uncultured people with limited world view, does not correspond to reality. Actually prejudice to some extent exist in the overwhelming majority of groups. In large social groups have their own prejudices. Public danger are national and religious prejudices. Their public danger is greatly increased when these prejudices are combined.
A complete description of the psychological characteristics of the social groups is their way of life. Lifestyle – a set of well–established, typical for certain socio – economic relations of the peoples of life forms, classes, social groups, individuals and Luda in the material and spiritual production, socio – political and family – the domestic sphere. The way of life is revealed, how people live, what actions and deeds filled their lives, what their style of thinking, their needs, interests, ideals, mentality, content and forms of communication, what goals they pursue. In the image of community life, human relations expressed their system to the society, labor, other communities, other people to himself. These relations are reflected in the outlook, value orientations, life position, social and personal settings, needs, lifestyle and behavior.
Problems of typology of modern society
By typology we mean the division of society into those or other social groups, which differ in some specific socially significant features that allow to characterize their status in society, their social orientation, and perhaps even the inherent psychological features.
We have already seen that the theory biologizing reward people the same innate psychological conditions and the types of groups arise only as a result of the ability of individuals to the struggle for existence and survival of the fittest. These theories do not hold water, because among the people "struggle for existence" depends not only on their abilities, but also on their value orientations.
Psychological concept is too one–sidedly reflect the process of socialization. They do not take into account many more, in addition to the parent, the effects as a result of which make up a particular social type of person.
Along with the socio – economic criteria were used for the differentiation of large social groups, social – demographic characteristics such as gender, age, education, profession, occupation, etc. However, the practice of sociological studies and their results showed that the aforementioned features do not help find it.. bases ideological and political orientation of citizens and especially how – that link these orientation with their socio – demographic status.
The newest trend in solving the problem was to find a typology of social – psychological criteria that would identify the differences in life, moral and political orientations of the groups allocated on the mentioned criteria and reveal the psychological bases for these differences.
The most striking example of the new approach was "VALS Program" (from the English word values and life styles – the values and lifestyles), implemented by a group of psychologists at Stanford Research Institute. In the course of work carried out in (1960–1980) for 20 years, objects of complex psychological 200 thousand Americans began the survey. On the basis of the collected material it was developed a new typology of the total US population. The main criteria for the different groups of citizens leading personal values and based on these values, motives and "lifestyles" were elected. From a methodological point of view of study was, as acknowledged by the authors themselves, eclectic character, but especially noticeable influence on him had a concept of hierarchy. Detailed description of the three big groups, divided into several sub – groups, and one small independent group.
The first group – "Driven by poverty" (11% of the US population in 1983) consists of the subgroups "survive" and "being." The central value of this group lies in the survival and maintenance of its material and physical security. The second subgroup is different from the first only a temporary improvement of their situation.
The second group – "external focus" (68%), the main landmark of its representatives in the life – "what we think of others." It is divided into three sub–groups: "Belonging", which is most important to be accepted, recognized, "belong", for example, to the middle class, "Copycats" – people who build their lives on the way – that their chosen model; "Efforts to achieve" a leading value of which – to be successful in a particular field of activity.
The third group – "inner direction" (19%) – is different orientation to the internal needs and includes three subgroups: "I am I," for the representatives of which it is important to be different than – the other (for example, youth movements such as hippies, punks and etc.).; "Experiment", that is, seeking rich inner life in the form of hobbies, such as exotic trends in philosophy, religion, art; and "social concern" – interested in the problems of society, guided by a sense of duty and social responsibility.
Representatives of private small group (only 2% of the population) are called "integrated." These are people who have managed to harmoniously integrate the most important elements of the "external focus" and "inwardly directed" life styles.
Between the second and third groups, and within them there is a constant movement, reflecting the desire of people to the psychological maturity and changes in their value orientations.
For each of the subgroups of the study's authors analyze in detail the personal characteristics of their representatives, their way of life, needs and behaviors, correlating all this with some socio – demographic indicators. Only the first group can be traced quite unique relationship between socio – economic status of its members and their value orientations. In other groups, the relationship is more complex and ambiguous.
Socio – psychological approach to the problem of the typology of the society, of course, opens up broad prospects, however, a major obstacle to its development lies in the fact that it requires a very high cost of labor and resources.
Control questions