Social circles are groups of socially interconnected people. A Social circle is distinguished from a social pyramid in that there are two perspectives that can be used to describe a social circle: the perspective of an individual who is the locus of a particular group of socially interconnected people; and the aggregate perspective of a group of socially interconnected people, such as cohesive blocks. While a social pyramid considers all of the people with whom an individual has contact and defines a structure to support and empower (or disempower) that person; a Social Circle can have narrowly defined boundaries, often all of the members of the circle have been in contact with each other, and there may be a process of social initiation required for people to gain membership. It has been said that what you bring to your Social Circle is what you create in your social pyramid.
Social circles are interconnected through social networks and connections between individuals. The theory of six degrees of separation points out that mathematically, there are on average 6 steps between any two living people on Earth. Social circles also overlap. For example, there may be people who work together who are also in the same tennis club or coffee clatch, or one may know someone independently of a mutual friend.
Social circles tend to have unique sets of norms and values. When an individual does not comply with them, the individual may be ostracized, admonished, or even embarrassed by other members of the group. Hierarchical social structures with socially defined positions provide an excellent example how norms and values are applied within social circles. For example, a social pyramid could be a Toastmasters club, where there are executive positions that are held by a clearly defined process. Alternatively, a social circle could be a group of Cricket enthusiasts who gather in a local pub once a week to watch a game. In the second case, group leadership and membership is informal in nature.
Famous quotes containing the words social and/or circle:
“Just as it is true that a stream cannot rise above its source, so it is true that a national literature cannot rise above the moral level of the social conditions of the people from whom it derives its inspiration.”
—James Connolly (1870–1916)
“That three times five is equal to the half of thirty, expresses a relation between these numbers. Propositions of this kind are discoverable by the mere operation of thought, without dependence on what is any where existent in the universe. Though there never were a circle or triangle in nature, the truths, demonstrated by Euclid, would for ever retain their certainty and evidence.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)