Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/833

 PROLEGOMENA TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 813

of a group in some particular way necessitates relationships among the members of the group, varying according to the part which each member plays in the functioning of the whole. These varying relationships subjectively involve varying mental attitudes of the members of the group toward each other. Now, the mental attitude of one member of a group toward another is necessarily that of authority, subordination, equality, or some variation of these three primary "forms of associa- tion." ' Hence the social coordination is the beginning of social organization both on its conscious and unconscious sides. The psychical attitude of the members of a group toward each other is the initial stage of social organization on its conscious side ; while from the necessity of functional relationship in a common life-process springs social organization in both its aspects. The organization of any group is accordingly an outcome of its group- coordinations, of its life-process as a group. All social organiza- tion, then, is but an expression of social coordination ; and it is from this point of view that social organization must be studied if it is to be functionally understood.

It may be objected that "social coordination" is but a new name for the phenomenon of cooperation. The very definitions which have been given of social coordination, it may be urged, validate the objection. The reply is that if by "cooperation" is meant all that we mean by "social coordination," then there is no objection to the use of the term "cooperation." But both popularly and by scientific writers the term "cooperation" has been used in a much more restricted sense. It implies just that element of consciousness on the part of the individuals engaged in group-action which the term "social coordination" is especially designed to exclude. Thus Professor Giddings speaks of cooperation as requiring "unity of purpose and of method on the part of two or more individuals," and says: "There can be no cooperation except among those who are, in good degree, like-minded, and who are so far conscious of their agreement

"The valuable work of Dr. Simmel,of the university of Berlin, in making out and classifying these "forms of association," or, as we would prefer to call them, "types of social coordination," deserves here to be referred to. It is the most serious and important study of social organization yet attempted.