por The intragroup communication It is a process of information exchange that occurs between two or more people who belong to the same group. It is the counterpart of intergroup communication, in which the communication process occurs between individuals who are members of different communities. This difference generates very different characteristics in both phenomena.
Intragroup communication is normally considered as a subtype of interpersonal. However, the special nature of the relationship between the sender and the receiver gives it a series of features that make it necessary to study it separately.
There are many different theories about intragroup communication, because there are several phenomena involved in it. Understanding aspects such as the hierarchy of the interlocutors, the common context they share, the nature of the relationships between them or their past history as a community is fundamental to understanding what is happening.
In this article we will see what are the most important characteristics of intragroup communication, and how it differs from other types of information exchange with which it shares some similarities.
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Characteristics of intragroup communication
– Occurs in specific communities
Within social psychology, not all sets of people can be considered groups. On the contrary, they are entities with a series of their own characteristics that distinguish them from other similar ones, such as organizations or common interpersonal relationships.
According to social theory, groups normally consist of between three and twenty people, with five members being the most common number. All the people that make them up share a series of interests and have a common goal, which makes them stay together over time even if there is no specific event that catches their attention.
On the other hand, groups are regulated by a series of implicit and explicit norms, as well as by common expectations that help their members to achieve their common objectives. However, these rules and regulations are not imposed by one of the members of the group, but rather develop naturally over time.
– Has a complex nature
One of the most important characteristics of intragroup communication is that it usually does not occur simply between two people who belong to the same group.
On the contrary, to correctly understand what is happening, it is necessary to understand all the information exchanges that occur dynamically between the different members of the same.
In this sense, one of the most different elements between this type of communication and other simpler ones is the context. As we have already seen, in a group the expectations of each one of the members, the hierarchies, the past history and the implicit and explicit norms of the same come into play.
Therefore, an outside observer who does not know at least the most basic of all these elements will have a hard time understanding what is really happening in a particular information exchange.
– Their function is related to the group itself
Not all information exchanges within a group fall into this category. For a message to be considered intragroup communication, it must be important for the functioning of the community. Thus, there are only a few functions that are considered valid in this sense.
The most common types of intragroup communication are those that help members set new goals, improve their relationship with each other, strengthen their group identity, increase motivation, or help keep the group stable.
Intragroup communication levels
There are many different communication theories, but most of them divide information exchange processes into certain levels, from those that involve fewer individuals to those that take place in larger contexts.
Generally, the upper levels encompass the lower ones. In this sense, communication at the level of a whole society (one of the highest levels) includes lower level processes, such as those that refer to intrapersonal or intergroup communication.
From this point of view, intragroup communication is at one of the lowest levels that exist. Thus, the most accepted hierarchy would be the following:
– Intrapersonal communication.
– Interpersonal level.
– Intragroup communication.
– Intergroup communication.
– Community level.
– Society level.
Even so, there are many variants of this theory, which add several levels at different points in the hierarchy. In addition, each of them grants a series of characteristics to each of the levels.
Importance
Understanding group communication is fundamental to understanding this social entity. The messages that are exchanged between the members of the community are one of the most useful tools to understand the nature of the relationship between its members, as well as that of the group itself.
In this sense, intragroup communication can serve to differentiate a circumstantial group from a purely social one. In addition, it also provides us with clues to understand the hierarchies and roles played by each of its members, as well as data on their past history and on the culture and values of the community.
At the level of the group itself, intra-group communication is important because it is the main tool with which the members of the group can improve their relationship, stay connected and keep going even in the most difficult moments. For this reason, it is necessary that the members of the community be able to convey their emotions and thoughts adequately.
examples
Intragroup communication makes up a large part of the interactions we develop in our day to day. This is because almost all our relationships are part of a group, some very common examples being our family or our usual group of friends.
However, as we have already seen, not all interactions that occur within a group have to be an example of this type of communication. A family debating where to go on vacation could be considered an intragroup communication interaction, but if instead they were talking about the weather we would be facing an information exchange of a different kind.
References
“What are the different levels of communication?” in: Study. Retrieved on: March 09, 2020 from Study: study.com. «Group communication» in: Encyclopedia. Retrieved on: March 09, 2020 from Encyclopedia: encyclopedia.com. “Group communication definition”in: MBA Skool. Retrieved on: March 09, 2020 from MBA Skool: mbaskool.com. «Intragroup communication» in: All About Communication. Retrieved on: March 09, 2020 from Todo Sobre Comunicación: todosobrecomunicacion.com. «Levels of the communication process» in: Eumed. Retrieved on: March 09, 2020 from Eumed: eumed.net.