In sociology, we can examine groups of people and their ways of interacting. Different types of groups have different purposes and can vary widely in their influence on our lives.

• How do you define primary group and secondary group? Which primary and secondary groups have most affected your socialization process? What values, beliefs, or norms from each group have influenced you?
• In your opinion, which group in the United States is the most important or influential to the most people? (For example, Congress is a group that makes decisions that have far-reaching consequences affecting macro-level issues as well as everyday lives.) How is the group you identified either functional or dysfunctional in their influence?