Superordinate groups behave differently when their elements are opposed or ranked rather than homogeneous.

Evidence

New phenomena result, however, as soon as the superordinate plurality does not act as a unit of homogeneous elements. In this case, the superordinates may be either opposed to one another, or they may form a scale on which some of them are subordinate to higher superordinates. — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 5893

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces the heterogeneous plurality as a distinct analytic case contrasted with the homogeneous coordinated plurality of prior sections.