There are many different social groups that have their own characteristics, features, due to which they differ from one another. There are a lot of groups studied in psychology, especially their scientists did not single out. That is, the subject of study is the collective, corporation, associative association and other communities of people with the usual names. These include the diffuse group.
What is it? The concept
In psychology, there are separate concepts for each social group that give a general idea of it. From the concept, it becomes clear not only what characteristics these or other communities possess, but also what distinguishes them from other forms of human associations.
A diffuse group in psychology is a community in which there are practically no such features as:
- unity in something global;
- joint organized activities with specific goals;
- actions that can mediate the relationship of people.
To mediate means to express something through another, and not directly, in other words, to serve as an intermediate phase, a link.
What is characteristic of such groups?
The characteristic features by which a diffuse group of people differs from other forms of communities are:
- unification on a random basis, chaotically, without a global common idea or principle;
- short duration of existence.
As a rule, diffuse communities are characterized by a low number, but this feature is not constant. Under certain circumstances, a spontaneous random association of people who do not have common goals may well be large in number.
What is such a group? Examples
Despite the specific sound of the term “diffuse group”, an example of it can be observed without any effort almost everywhere and daily.
The line in front of the door of the bus or tram, people in the trading floor of the supermarket or in the elevator are diffuse communities. An example of what constitutes a diffuse group can be the temporary residence of several people in one place. That is, the train compartment, in which random companions travel, like the whole train carriage as a whole, is also a diffuse community. It also includes a dormitory room, a hospital room or a hotel room with a shared room.
Of course, public associations at concerts or other events, groups participating in demonstrations, pickets, holiday carnivals, and so on also belong to the same temporary associations of people.
What unites people in such groups?
People unite at random, but some patterns are still present in this randomness.
All members of the group do not have common global goals or are not united by anything long-term, however, the connection between people is still traced. It is expressed in the presence of:
- coincidences in the location;
- common momentary goal;
- occasional interaction between people;
- unity of temporary life circumstances.
Visually, all this can be studied during the usual grocery shopping. In the life of people moving in the trading floor, the time moment of going to the store coincided - this is a unity of circumstances. Thanks to him, a coincidence arose in the whereabouts. They are also united by one short-term goal, because of which they found themselves in one place - this is shopping. People occasionally interact while moving around the hall with each other and with sellers, but these contacts do not have consequences beyond the scope of their presence in the store.
What qualities distinguish these groups from others?
The concept of a diffuse type group implies the presence in such a community of certain characterizing qualities that distinguish it from all others. These qualities are peculiar advantages and disadvantages of at the same time a specific form of association of people in comparison with all others.
A diffuse group against the background of other forms of human associations is distinguished by the following qualities:
- lack of closure and clear social boundaries;
- high dynamism;
- ultimate locality of unifying bonds;
- simplicity and ease in achieving goals;
- composition variability.
These qualities distinguish communities of a diffuse type, they also determine those spheres and areas of life in which it is advisable to unite people into similar groups.
What type of groups do these communities belong to?
Due to such qualities or characterizing properties such as compositional variability, simplicity of goals and ease in achieving them, accessibility, lack of clearly defined restrictions and dynamism, diffuse communities are open and highly mobile.
Also, these communities, depending on the number of people included in them, can be one of two types:
An example of a large community of a diffuse type can serve as the population of any of the cities, towns, districts. However, the association of people may be deprived of such a parameter as the actual location within a particular locality. Viewers of the same TV show or playing the same online game is also a diffuse community.
Also, the classification of diffuse type groups includes such a concept as the level of organization and development. In this parameter, diffuse communities occupy one of the lowest levels. In other words, these are groups or associations of people who are in a state of low development and are not distinguished by a high, complex degree of organization.
Is there a reason for discussion?
As for the property characterizing the diffuse community, as the transience of existence, it is actually relative and causes lively discussions and debates in the scientific community.
The essence of the contradiction is this: can all absolutely diffuse groups be considered as associations of people for a short period or not? As an example of a stable short-term, you can use the community formed by the audience at any concert or performance. However, if we take the supermarket hall or the bus lounge as an example, the short-term existence of the group is not so obvious.
Such groups are characterized by a constant change in the composition of people. However, the place itself and the purpose of the stay of the diffuse group members in it remain unchanged for a sufficiently long time period, sometimes for centuries. For example, the Eliseevsky deli in Moscow opens its doors every morning in anticipation of customers for more than a hundred years, the same can be said of the GUM shopping arcade and many other stores. People, names, regimen change, but not location and purpose.
Accordingly, it is not entirely correct to classify all diffuse communities as rapidly decaying. However, this question is open today, and not only psychologists argue about it, but also sociologists and philosophers.