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In sociological terms, groups can fundamentally be distinguished from one another by the extent to which their nature influence individuals and how. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] A primary group , for instance, is a small social group whose members share close, personal, enduring relationships with one another (e.g. family, childhood friend).
The theory has three tenets: Society is composed of different groups, which compete for resources. Societies may portray a sense of co-operation, but there is a continual power struggle between social groups as they pursue their own interests. Within societies, certain groups control specific resources and means of production.
Social conflict theory is a Marxist-based social theory which argues that individuals and groups (social classes) within society interact on the basis of conflict rather than consensus. Through various forms of conflict, groups will tend to attain differing amounts of material and non-material resources (e.g. the wealthy vs. the poor).
"The existence of status groups most often shows itself in the form of endogamy or the restricted pattern of social intercourse, sharing of food and other benefits within groups, status conventions or traditions, and; monopolistic acquisition of certain economic opportunities or the avoidance of certain kinds of acquisitions. [8]
Whereas social identity theory was directed initially at the explanation of intergroup conflict in the absence of any conflict of interests, self-categorization theory was developed to explain how individuals come to perceive themselves as members of a group in the first place, and how this self-grouping process underlies and determines all ...
Political-economics also contributed to Marx's theories, centering on the concept of "origin of income" where society is divided into three sub-groups: Rentiers, Capitalist, and Worker. This construction is based on David Ricardo's theory of capitalism. Marx strengthened this with a discussion over verifiable class relationships.
In contrast to the traditional theory, the group size plays a decisive role in Olson's theory. Concerning the optimal group size it has to be stated that small groups possess a tendency toward suboptimal provision of public goods. But large groups often fail to provide themselves with a collective good at all. [15]
What this theory fails to take into account is the prospect of overcoming these qualities by garnering support from other groups. By aggregating power with other organizations, interest groups can over-power these non-transferable qualities. In this sense, political pluralism still applies to these aspects.