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• MichalDusza

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My views on social groups

'No Man is an Island' (John Donne)

Humans are inherently social beings and belonging constitutes one of the most fundamental needs in the Maslow’s hierarchy. It is surpassed only by the physiological needs and the need for safety which guarantee physical survival of an individual. Therefore social groups – i.e. the assemblies of at least two individuals who share an identity – are so crucial for human wellbeing. In this essay I will argue that social groups are necessary for human well-being but that belonging to social groups carries some negative consequences. People have a strong need to affiliate with similar others and to feel accepted. This is particularly relevant for primary groups (such as family or a close circle of friends) but larger human groups – such as nations or ethnic groups also play a very important role in providing a sense of belonging. Frustration of these needs may result in severe psychological distress, such as depression. That is why people are willing to go to great lengths to achieve acceptance within their groups. It would be difficult to find a more fitting example than teenage peer groups. Young people are often so dependent on the acceptance of their groups that they are willing to change their physical appearance and behavior just to ensure a perfect fit into the group, even if that means breaking important social norms and crossing ones parents. This phenomenon – known as conformity – is a very powerful tool which allows groups to exert influence over their members. Groups not only fulfill their members’ needs, they also give the members a sense of who they are (i.e. identity). People very often think about themselves as representatives of social categories and this influences the way they behave. Football fans may identify very strongly with a particular club and with other people with similar preferences. This is turn may shape their behavior (wearing a particular type of clothing) and preferences (liking particular kinds of drinks). Identifying with a group and conforming to its norms shapes human behavior in a very significant way. Other people, preferably belonging to the same group as oneself, are also important sources of information. If a person finds themselves in a new situation a natural reaction is to look to others and observe their behavior in aim to establish what an appropriate reaction in a

given situation should be. Belonging to a social group may also result in some negative outcomes. The fact that the social world is divided into many groups who compete for finite resources (jobs, territory and so on) is one reason for the existence of negative phenomena such as stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. People want to see their groups as better than others because it boosts their self-esteem and their sense of self-worth. That is why they divide their social world into “us” (denominating the groups that a given person is a member of) and “them” (all groups that one does not belong to). This division is associated with a more favorable treatment of the in-groups (“us”) and a tendency to discriminate against out-groups (“them). This is one of the reasons why intergroup conflicts are so commonplace. In my opinion social groups are both a necessity – since they ensure realization of important human needs – and a source of troubles. It is very difficult to imagine a world where there are no social groups, not even families. At the same time we must be very cautious not to use the privileged position of our group and discriminate others just because of their group membership, which is often not chosen by an individual (e.g. skin color or biological sex). Michał Dusza