Primary & Secondary Group

Definition of Primary Group

Cooley – "By primary group I mean those characterized by intimate face to face association and co-operation. They are primary in several senses, but chiefly they are fundamental informing social nature & ideals of the individual"

Lundberg in his book "Sociology" – "Primary group means two or more person behaving in relation to each other in a way that is intimate, cohesive and personal.

Bierstead – in his book 'social order' says – "By primary group meant the intimate personal face to face groups in which we find our companions and comrades the members of our family and our daily associates.

Definition of Secondary Group

Secondary Group: Always goal oriented. There is co-operation but this co-operation is indirect. Impersonal and indirect relationship. It is optional membership. Eg. Trade Union, City, person, etc. Large in size. There is seldom face to face relationship no mutual identification.

According to Cooley – There are groups wholly backing in intimacy of association and usually most of the other primary and quasi – primary characteristic.
According to Kinsley Davis – "Secondary group can roughly be defined as opposite of everything said about primary group".
Oglourn & Nimkoff – "The group which provides experience lacking in intimacy are called secondary group.
(If difference between primary and secondary group is asked then start the answer with K. Davis's difference.)