Reference Groups as Perspectives

In spite of ambiguity, reference group has become an increasingly popular concept, utilized in hypotheses concerning a variety of social pehnomena. The restriction of this concepts to a single referent, namely, group whose perspective is used as a frame of reference by the actor, will increase its usefulness as an analytic tool. Shared perspectives arise through participation in common communication channels, and the cultural pluralism of modern mass societies arises from the easy accessibility of a multiplicity of channels. The concept of reference group, if defined with greater precision, can greatly facilitate research on the manner in which each actor's orientation toward his world is structured.