14 Examples of a Primary Group

John Spacey, October 06, 2022

A primary group is a sustained social group based on close personal relationships. The goals of these groups is the relationship itself. For example, the goal of parenting is typically to be a good parent and to help your children to thrive. Primary groups have strong cohesion, solidarity and group identification such that they can be viewed as a building block or foundation of a society. The following are illustrative examples of a primary group.

Classmates	Close Friends
Families	Fraternities
Life Partnerships	Marriages
Neighbors	Peer Groups
Relatives	Religious Groups (e.g. Church Group)
Romantic Relationships	Sororities
Support Groups	Teams

Primary groups depend on the actual relationships in the group. For example, some families may not be close at all such that they may not resemble a primary group.

As with all personal relationships, primary groups are interdependent such that members of the group obtain some type of social fulfillment from the group.

Where a primary group is sustained for a long period of time it begins to resemble an institution. For example, families are viewed as institutions.

Overview: Primary Group
Type	Social Groups Personal Relationship
Definition (1)	A sustained social group based on close personal relationships.
Definition (2)	A social group where the relationship between group members is the primary goal of the group.
Definition (3)	A small and close-knit social group.
Related Concepts	Social Groups » Personal Relationships » Institution »