Читать книгу Essentials of Sociology - George Ritzer - Страница 164

We have already encountered the key sociological concept of groups at several points in this chapter, especially in Simmel’s ideas on the dyad and beyond. A group is a relatively small number of people who over time develop a patterned relationship based on interaction with one another. However, just because we see a small number of people who appear to be together—say, in a queue waiting to board a plane—that does not mean they necessarily constitute a group. Most people in a queue are not likely to interact with one another, to have the time or inclination to develop patterned relationships with one another, or, if they do interact, to do so beyond the time it takes to board the plane and find their seats.