Norms and Small Groups

This chapter is concerned with the hypothesis that small groups actively influence and support most of an individual’s opinions, attitudes and actions. In a membership group in which certain attitudes are approved individuals acquire the approved attitudes to the extent that the membership group serves as a positive point of reference. Even long-time members who “deviate” too far from group opinion lose status, or may even lose membership in groups to which they already belong. Children were observed at play in a day nursery and those children who displayed leadership qualities were singled out and separated from the other children. The remaining children were formed into twelve groups, homogeneous as to age and sex, comprising three to six members each. Each of these twelve groups met separately over a period of several days and very soon each developed group “traditions” with regard to its activities, most of which centered about an experimentally prescribed task.

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