Meera belongs to her housing society's cleanliness committee in Pune. Its twelve members do not all meet in person; several of them only send and read updates on a phone chat. At each Sunday meeting, Mr. Rao writes the minutes, Meera collects funds and two members check the lanes, and each does the same job every week. Everyone comes on time and stays until the work list is read; a late member gets disapproving looks. Last month a cleanliness drive failed. The other members asked the secretary, the committee's chief, to explain the failure, and none of them saw it as their own lapse.
Which of the following correctly classifies the cleanliness committee as a collection of people?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → It is a group, as its interactions are structured by a set of roles and norms
Option (1) It is a group, as its interactions are structured by a set of roles and norms — Correct. Each member does the same job every week (roles) and all follow shared rules such as coming on time (norms). Interaction structured by roles and norms marks a group.
Option (2) It is a team, as its members are mutually accountable for their activities — Incorrect. In teams, although there is a leader, members hold themselves responsible. Here the members asked the chief to explain the failure and none saw it as their own lapse; in groups, the leader or whoever is heading the group holds responsibility for the work.
Option (3) It is an audience, as its members have assembled for a special purpose — Incorrect. An audience assembles for a special purpose, such as watching a match, and is generally passive. Committee members work together and have jobs, so they are more than onlookers.
Option (4) It is a mere collection of people, as several members interact only indirectly — Incorrect. A group is also a gathering of individuals who interact with one another either directly or indirectly. Members who only follow updates on a phone chat still interact indirectly, and the committee's set jobs and shared rules make it a group.
NCERT (2026-27): “Introduction … “Groups can be differentiated from other collections of people. For example, a crowd is also a collection of people who may be present at a place/situation by chance. Suppose you are going on the road and an accident takes place. Soon a large number of people tend to collect. This is an example of a crowd. There is neither any structure nor feeling of belongingness in a crowd. Behaviour of people in crowds is irrational and there is no interdependence among members. …” “An audience is also a collection of people who have assembled for a special purpose, may be to watch a cricket match or a movie. Audiences are generally passive but sometimes they go into a frenzy and become mobs. In mobs, there is a definite sense of purpose. There is polarisation in attention, and actions of persons are in a common direction. Mob behaviour is characterised by homogeneity of thought and behaviour as well as impulsivity.” |