Why Do People Join Groups?

By:  Dekontee Wah

Title: Why Do People Join Groups?

           Although we interact with others, we all belong to particular groups and sometimes those groups can have positive or negative effect on us. The term “group” as sociologists defined it means, “Is any number of people with similar norms, values, and expectations who interact with one another on a regular basis.”   Groups are based on fundamental principle, such as; what we know, what we belief, what we were thought as a child, and what we see in our environments.  Groups have strong influence over an individual’s behavior and there are two (2) concepts that linked to group behavior; social interaction and social structure.  Social interaction includes; relatives, friends, co-workers, etc.  Social structure includes; organization, institution, etc. And being in a group sometimes has power over a person behavior because they have to obey the rules and adapt to the costumes of the group.  

                                              

People associate themselves with a particular group because it gives them the sense of belonging.  Like the saying goes; “Bad manner corrupts good manner”.  If a person associates mostly with bad company, he or she is mostly likely to behave like the person.  For example, a person who lives in the ghetto is way more different than a person who lives in the suburb.  And the reason for this differences is that the way of life in the ghetto is different from the way of life in the suburb.  There’s less violent in the suburb compare to the ghetto.  The people in the hood think differently; they believe in self defense, they believe in protecting themselves and family members, and most of them don’t believe that education is the key to success.  They believe in power and money because that what they were thought.  The reason why they think so is because of the social structure and their social surroundings.  They do not have role models and inspirations.  For example in the article, “The Code of the Streets” by Elijah Anderson, he discussed how children join groups to be identified or characterized based on that group.  When they are in the group, their behavior reflects the motive of the group (positive or negative). Those are the people they consider their friends.  They feel more comfortable and feel accepted when they stick to what they know best. They think no other groups will embrace them the same way without judging them.

                                

              In addition, because they are in those groups they act and follow the rules of that group.   Sometimes they are put into the situation where they are being control by authority even if what they are being told is inhuman or unjust.  Sometimes a person might want to stop, but they cannot due to the fact that he or she has to obey the command of the leader.  For example, if a person is in a gang and the leader of the group tells him or she to shoot someone, knowing very well that is wrong, that person is most likely to obey the command of the leader by killing the person.  He or she doesn’t want to do it, but they will because he or she wants to please their gang leader and prove that they are tough. That what happen when a person is obedience to authority. 
       
            In conclusion, group behavior can be positive and negative based on the environment. People form or join a group based on their beliefs, values, knowledge, social interaction, and social structure.  Also being obedience to authority can affects a person life and it can also changes a person mind set.