ABSTRACT
Groups as studied by social psychologists can be distinguished from social organizations, such as a school, a factory, a village, a political party. Many writers have suggested ways in which different kinds of groups can be distinguished. Among the most famous is C. H. Cooley's distinction between 'primary' and 'secondary' groups. If the culture is one side of the coin in the study of groups then the structure is the other side. When we consider the culture of a group, we are mainly concerned with the fact that groups have values, beliefs and norms. The focus is on the homogeneity of the members; we are stressing what they share in common. Members of groups typically find it extremely difficult to explain to an outsider what the norms of the group are. This is partly because to members the norms are simply part of the taken-for-granted aspect of life in the group and partly because norms are often not stated explicitly.
