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  • Essay / Social Groups By Georg Simmel - 1184

    The bond between members, unlike the dyad, is not as strong even though the social group or organization may be formed with the aim of advancing the group or the organization as a whole. The importance of each individual member's identity and participation within larger groups decreases significantly with increasing membership, in addition to a more divided work system and dispersed informal communication. Over the course of a year, in a large organization, meetings may take place in which members can communicate and discuss various aspects of running the organization. However, these meetings are usually organized and occur in a certain order, and each member may not have the opportunity to present their opinions, confront an idea they oppose, or express support for a point. discussion. In college, I was a member of a sorority with about 90 members at full capacity or quota; not everyone could hold an executive or official position, and there simply was not time at our scheduled meetings to allow every member to speak. Sorority members would form coalitions (often in the form of dyads and triads) within the organization by interacting outside of formal meetings; these coalitions could strengthen ties between members and unite them toward common goals, or divide members and cause conflict within the organization. An advantage for larger groups, however, is the possibility of distributing the tasks necessary to support the social group among an increased number of members. “As the size of a group exceeds three people, members tend to specialize in different tasks and daily communication patterns change” (Kendall 145). When tasks are divided and distributed among a larger number of members, less stress is placed on individual members responsible for the well-being of the social group, which can