If we ever look around in our lives, we will realize that groups are embedded in our lives. From starting our office routine to ending our day, groups are everywhere. These groups may be formed based on several parameters, such as social groups formed by age, political opinions, or the area where the person resides. The first and foremost benefit of groups in our lives is that groups promote our physical health. In sociological terms, this is known as a ‘social cure.’ I have been implementing this social cure phenomenon in my life for the past few days.
I could not attend my physical activities due to the overwhelming academic commitments. In the meantime, I got closer to one of my university fellows who had a routine of early morning walks every day. He, along with his friends, was carrying this routine for the past few months. Their routine motivated me to follow the same healthy activity. Observing their routine, I started to catch up with them. Although I faced difficulty for a few days, the group members’ motivation made me start with a new enthusiasm every day. The support from all the group members motivated me to have more self-control over my personal life.
Another major benefit of groups in our lives is the sense of belonging. The interaction with different kinds of groups fulfils basic psychological needs. The basic psychological needs include support for a positive attitude (Bradley). Being a part of the groups and related activities shall improve a person’s mental health. Groups have played an important role in my life bringing additional positivity and motivation. I remember that when my friendship grew stronger with the group members, I could adopt healthy habits since we all were there to guide each other in case someone was going in the wrong direction.
Some of the factors present in our society highly affect groups such as culture, social class, and status. In this case, groups are often suffering from negative effects. The black-and-white cultural controversies are not hidden from anyone. That is why groups having a mix of the black and white population are rarely seen (Bradley). However, it is not necessary that the effects are always negative. Sometimes, the positivity of other races’ cultures is so strong that they belittle our negative feelings for that culture or race.
In the present time, our youth are stepping up to eradicate these barriers since they now realize that genuine happiness in life lies in living within groups no matter what culture you belong to. Working in a different group with people from diverse cultures teaches the art of being a team player, which is in great demand. In high school working with other people from different cultures made me realize the importance of diversity in our lives.
Another factor mentioned above is social class. One’s position in the social hierarchy influences the person’s image in his social circle. A person’s social class often affects their physical and mental health. However, when people are attached to support groups, they are motivated to move on confidently in society.
Social status is somewhat similar to the idea of social class. Society today praises the people with a higher ranking and gets rid of those with a lower ranking in their work field. Such perception once made me believe everything is about status; however, it is not true. To conclude, the importance of groups can never be neglected.
Work Cited
Bradlley, Jay. “Importance Of Social Groups | Synonym.” Classroom.synonym.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 9 Feb. 2018.
