Which sociologist coined the term ‘primary group’?

  • Definition of Primary Group
  • Types of Primary Group
  • Primary Group Pronunciation
  • Usage Notes
  • Related Video
  • Additional Information
  • Related Terms
  • Works Consulted
  • Cite the Definition of Primary Group

Definition of Primary Group

(noun) A small, intimate group whose members share face-to-face contact and emotional connections.

Types of Primary Group

  • family
  • friends
  • peer groups

Primary Group Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: pri·mar·y group

Audio Pronunciation

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /prIE-mair-ee grOOp/
  • British English – /prIE-muh-ree grOOp/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˈpraɪˌmɛri grup/
  • British English – /ˈpraɪməri gruːp/

Usage Notes

  • Coined by Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929) as part of symbolic interactionism theory.
  • Primary groups are typically long-lasting and agents of socialization.
  • Primary group is contrasted to secondary group.

Additional Information

  • Family and Kinship Resources – Books, Journals, and Helpful Links
  • Word origin of “primary” and “group” – Online Etymology Dictionary: etymonline.com
  • aggregate
  • bureaucracy
  • demography
  • formal organization
  • groupthink
  • in-group
  • member
  • organization
  • out-group
  • population
  • resocialization

Works Consulted

Abercrombie, Nicholas, Stephen Hill, and Bryan Turner. 2006. The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology. 5th ed. London: Penguin.

Andersen, Margaret L., and Howard Francis Taylor. 2011. Sociology: The Essentials. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Brinkerhoff, David, Lynn White, Suzanne Ortega, and Rose Weitz. 2011. Essentials of Sociology. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Bruce, Steve, and Steven Yearley. 2006. The SAGE Dictionary of Sociology. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Brym, Robert J., and John Lie. 2007. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Delaney, Tim, and Tim Madigan. 2015. The Sociology of Sports: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

Dillon, Michele. 2014. Introduction to Sociological Theory: Theorists, Concepts, and their Applicability to the Twenty-first Century. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Ferrante, Joan. 2011a. Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferrante, Joan. 2011b. Sociology: A Global Perspective. 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ferris, Kerry, and Jill Stein. 2010. The Real World: An Introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. New York: Norton.

Griffiths, Heather, Nathan Keirns, Eric Strayer, Susan Cody-Rydzewski, Gail Scaramuzzo, Tommy Sadler, Sally Vyain, Jeff Bry, Faye Jones. 2016. Introduction to Sociology 2e. Houston, TX: OpenStax.

Henslin, James M. 2012. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. 10th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Hughes, Michael, and Carolyn J. Kroehler. 2011. Sociology: The Core. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Jary, David, and Julia Jary. 2000. Collins Dictionary of Sociology. 3rd ed. Glasgow, Scotland: HarperCollins.

Kendall, Diana. 2011. Sociology in Our Times. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Kimmel, Michael S., and Amy Aronson. 2012. Sociology Now. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Kornblum, William. 2008. Sociology in a Changing World. 8th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Macionis, John. 2012. Sociology. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Macionis, John, and Kenneth Plummer. 2012. Sociology: A Global Introduction. 4th ed. Harlow, England: Pearson Education.

Marsh, Ian, and Mike Keating, eds. 2006. Sociology: Making Sense of Society. 3rd ed. Harlow, England: Pearson Education.

Merriam-Webster. (N.d.) Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/).

Oxford University Press. (N.d.) Oxford Dictionaries. (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/).

Schaefer, Richard. 2013. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Scott, John, and Gordon Marshall. 2005. A Dictionary of Sociology. New York: Oxford University Press.

Shepard, Jon M. 2010. Sociology. 11th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Shepard, Jon M., and Robert W. Greene. 2003. Sociology and You. New York: Glencoe.

Stolley, Kathy S. 2005. The Basics of Sociology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Thompson, William E., and Joseph V. Hickey. 2012. Society in Focus: An Introduction to Sociology. 7th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Tischler, Henry L. 2011. Introduction to Sociology. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Turner, Bryan S., ed. 2006. The Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wikipedia contributors. (N.d.) Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/).

Cite the Definition of Primary Group

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “primary group.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved November 27, 2022 (https://sociologydictionary.org/primary-group/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

primary group. (2013). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/primary-group/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2013. “primary group.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed November 27, 2022. https://sociologydictionary.org/primary-group/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“primary group.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2013. Web. 27 Nov. 2022. .

Who coined the term of primary group?

The concept of the primary group was first introduced in 1909 by sociologist Charles Cooley, a member of the famed Chicago school of sociology, through a book titled Social Organization: A Study of the Larger Mind.

Who define primary group in sociology?

“Primary group” refers to those personal relations that are direct, face-to-face, relatively permanent, and intimate, such as the relations in a family, a group of close friends, and the like.…

Who coined the term primary and secondary group?

Sociologist Charles Horton Cooley (1864–1929) suggested that groups can broadly be divided into two categories: primary groups and secondary groups (Cooley 1909). According to Cooley, primary groups play the most critical role in our lives.

Who introduced the term primary group in his book social organization?

Jandy, Charles Horton Cooley: His Life and His Social Theory (New York: Dryden Press, 1942), p. 179. nature by an individual and the organized nature of group life. To Cooley, "primary groups are the nursery of human nature."

Which scholar said primary group to the family?

Cooley, who noted that primary groups are fundamental in the development of an individual's social nature and ideals.