Conformity: The Three Types Of Reference Groups

1. A primary group is “a small group whose members share personal and lasting relationships”. The people involved are often emotionally invested in one another, providing encouragement and support for one another. The members are likely family and close friends. These tend to be more exclusive groups. A secondary group in comparison is a larger group with similar goals or interests. These groups are more impersonal and often short-lived (Macionis 109). Secondary groups are not focused on maintaining relationships between members as primary groups are; they often form later on in life from things such as work or school (Devore).
2. Reference groups are groups that provide reference points that people use to make decisions in their lives (Macionis 111). The three types of reference groups are aspirational, associative, and dissociative groups. Aspirational groups are the ones people wish to

Group conformity encourages members to adhere to the norms of the group in order to fit in (Macionis 110). Simply following laws is a form of conformity. It provides a reference point to make judgements about behavior when we are involved in an unfamiliar situation. Not conforming creates discomfort, which only reinforces the need to conform later on (4). Group conformity makes its members feel more comfortable because they match the norm. How willing a person is to conform, however, depends on many characteristics, such as their political affiliation. A linguistic study done at Queen Mary University of London by Matthew Purver analyzed thousands of Twitter accounts following either the republican twitter account or the democrat one, but not the other. The republicans were more likely to use words like “we”, even in tweets that were not about politics, and democrats were more likely to use words like “I” or “me”. Purver theorized that republicans were more worried about group conformity while democrats felt like their morals come from their individualism