Cooley's Doctrine of Primary Groups

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Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929) argues that the group is a small social group sharing personal and permanent relationships. People participating in key relationships spend a lot of time together, participating in various activities, and they feel that they know each other very well. In short, they show real attention to each other. In all societies, families are the most important major group. A group based on permanent friendship is also a major group. : 149 Compared to the secondary education group, the secondary education group is a large group including formal and institutional relations. Secondary relations include weak emotional connections and mutual personal knowledge. Most secondary groups are short-lived, with no special meaning at the beginning and end. : 149 They may last for years or may dissolve in a short period of time. Formation of primary group occurs in secondary group

Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley (1864-1929) argues that the group can be largely divided into two categories, primary and secondary (Cooley 1909). According to Cooley, this group plays an important role in our life. The main group is usually very small, usually composed of individuals who communicate face to face in a long-term emotional way. This group fulfills emotional needs: expressing functions rather than practical functions. The main group usually consists of other important groups that have the greatest impact on our socialization. The best example of a major group is the family.