- Action group
In
sociology andanthropology , an action group or task group is a group of people joined temporarily to accomplish some task or take part in some organizedcollective action .As an example, imagine that in a hypothetical
culture , fourbridesmaid s are traditionally selected to play a role in awedding ceremony, and eligibility to be chosen as a bridesmaid is dependent on being a young, female relative of thebride . Several people may fall into thissocial category : they have no automatic entitlement to the role but are eligible to assume it if chosen. Most members of the category who could theoretically be bridesmaids at the wedding are not selected. There are no criteria relating tokinship , age, or other such status that necessitate this, but for simpler reasons of practicality or chance four members of the category are chosen, and it is these who form the action group. As the members of the action group are brought together on a single occasion and then disband, they cannot be regarded as constituting a fully-fledgedsocial group , for which they would need to interact recurrently in accordance with their social identities.In Latin American context
In Cuba and elsewhere in Latin America, the word "action group" ("grupo de acción") was given to violent activists who gathered together to perform violent guerrilla activities e.g. (see
Antonio Guiteras ,Fidel Castro ,Emilio Tro ,Lauro Blanco andRolando Masferrer when young university students) [http://www.cadal.org/articulos/nota.asp?id_nota=290] [http://www.amigospais-guaracabuya.org/oagjs098.php] .Commonly regarded as gang-related killing there were said to have been 200 of these killings in the Grau administration alone.(Martin, Lionel. "The Early Fidel: Roots of Castro's Communism". 1978. Lyle Stuart, Secaucus New Jersey; 1st ed, p. 25). ISBN 0-8184-0254-7.
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