Secondary Social Group – JSS1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

A secondary social group is a formal organisation whose members are not related but come together to achieve a common goal.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define a secondary social group and list its types;
2. state the functions of secondary groups;
3. distinguish between a primary group and a secondary group;
4. define conflict and state its causes and effects;
5. explain ways of resolving conflict.

What is a secondary social group?

A secondary social group is a formal organisation whose members join to achieve a shared aim, not because they are family.

• Examples: schools, companies, trade unions, religious groups and voluntary organisations.
• Main benefit: such groups help to maintain law and order and prepare members for leadership.

What are the features of a secondary social group?

• Common goal: members work together towards one purpose.
• Formal rules: the group has rules, officers and set duties.
• Unrelated members: members are not bound by blood or marriage.
• Larger size: the group is usually bigger than a family.

What is the difference between a primary group and a secondary group?

• Primary group: a small group of people closely related by blood or marriage, such as the family.
• Secondary group: a formal group of people who join to reach a common goal, such as a school.

What are the types of secondary social group?

There are five main types of secondary social group: schools, companies, trade unions, religious groups and voluntary organisations.

• Schools: primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary institutions (universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and so on).
• Companies: corporate organisations that engage in trading and manufacturing. Examples are Unilever Nig. PLC, MTN and Globacom.
• Trade unions: workers’ associations that protect the interests of their members.
• Religious groups: all churches and mosques.
• Voluntary organisations: groups of people who render humanitarian service to society. Examples are Man ‘O’ War, Boys’ Brigade, Red Cross and National Council of Women Societies.

What are examples of trade unions in Nigeria?

• NUJ: Nigeria Union of Journalists.
• NUT: Nigeria Union of Teachers.
• NASU: Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions.
• NUP: Nigeria Union of Pensioners.
• NURTW: National Union of Road Transport Workers.

What are the functions of secondary groups?

The functions of secondary groups are to keep order, build unity and train members for roles and leadership.

• Law and order: they help to maintain law and order in the society.
• Unity: they promote unity in the society.
• Friendliness: they promote friendliness among members, which leads to peaceful relationships.
• Division of labour: they share work among members, especially in an organisation.
• Learning new roles: a worker who is promoted to a higher post takes on different roles and challenges.
• Leadership training: they prepare members for higher leadership roles in the larger society.
• Political training: they act as training grounds where members are nurtured for political leadership.

What is conflict within social groups?

Conflict is a misunderstanding or disagreement between two or more people.

What are the causes of conflict?

The main causes of conflict in social groups are selfishness, poor cooperation, bad leadership, intolerance, poor communication, laziness and crime.

• Selfishness: people are denied their rights, and a person who is cheated or deprived reacts negatively to claim them.
• Lack of cooperation: failure to work as a team often brings disagreement, misunderstanding and division.
• Bad leadership: when leaders are greedy and unfair to members, conflict follows.
• Religious intolerance: religious groups should promote peace, but forcing a religion on others or threatening people over which religion is best causes conflict.
• Communication gap: conflict sets in when needed information is not supplied at the right time.
• Laziness and inefficiency: diligent workers protest when some members are lazy or inefficient.
• Criminal activities: crimes such as kidnapping, murder, fraud and immorality cause serious conflict within a group.

What are the effects of conflict in the society?

Conflict harms the society by destroying peace, lives and progress.

• Breakdown of law and order: rules are ignored and peace is lost.
• Loss of lives and property: people are hurt or killed and goods are destroyed.
• Insecurity: people no longer feel safe.
• Hindered progress: development slows down.
• Disunity: members and communities become divided.

How can conflict be resolved?

There are six ways of resolving conflict: dialogue, the law court, the police, government intervention, family or village heads, and war.

• Dialogue: the two parties meet with a third party who acts as a mediator of peace to end the conflict.
• Through the law court: conflicts can be settled by legal methods.
• Through the police: conflict between individuals, family members, religious groups, friends and colleagues can be reported to the police for quick action.
• Government intervention: the government can set up a panel to mediate between groups in conflict.
• Through the family or village head: the family head settles conflict in the family, while the village head settles conflict in the village.
• Through war: this is a negative way of resolving conflict.

Why is war a negative way of resolving conflict?

• Winner: the more powerful side wins and the other side surrenders.
• Damage: it destroys lives and property.
• Example: the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 to 1970 ended in favour of Nigeria, after the Nigerian army overpowered the Biafra side.

Evaluation

1. Define a secondary social group.
2. List the types of secondary group and explain each.
3. State four functions of a secondary social group.
4. Define conflict and state three causes of conflict.
5. Explain five ways of resolving conflict.

Assignment

Name three secondary social groups in your community. State one function of each. Then explain two ways a conflict in one of the groups could be settled.