A membership group is a group to which an individual is integrated by sharing behaviors, interests and values with the rest of the members.
The Italian word gruppo came to our language as a group . The concept can refer to a set of elements or individuals.
Belonging , meanwhile, comes from the Low Latin pertinentia . The notion has several meanings; In this case, we are interested in its meaning as the fact of integrating an entity, a community, a class, etc.
The idea of membership group is used in several Latin American countries to name the group to which a person is integrated by sharing values, interests and behaviors with other members . These groups, therefore, are formed with individuals who recognize each other as peers due to certain traits or activities carried out.
Characteristics of a membership group
A membership group is a social group . Those who are included in them forge their identity based on said affiliation, forming a homogeneous block with the other members.
It should be noted that, when establishing what a membership group is, subjective factors come into play. There is an individual view regarding one's belonging to a group , and another that is directed at others (that is, at the groups of other men and women to which they belong).
A social group becomes a group of belonging when the subject is committed to the group in question and maintains loyalty to his or her peers. From this belonging, one's own identity is defined.
A sport or an art can be vehicles for the formation of a group of belonging.
Its importance in adolescence
Membership groups have great relevance in the development of personality . That is why they are particularly important during adolescence, when human beings begin to define the essential traits of their character.
Friends usually constitute the first group of belonging, beyond the family . Adolescents tend to think that adults do not understand them, so they find in their friends those who do understand them. Friends also protect each other and are a source of consultation.
Belonging, in this context, is often marked by cultural and social interests . A style of music, a political ideology or a football club, for example, can provide the framework for the development of a belonging group.
The belonging group and the outside
Although the group to which one belongs confers security and well-being , at the same time it can cause among its members a rejection of the outside world. Those who are not part of the group, in this way, can be seen as hostile or even enemies .
Of course, this question also depends on other factors, especially psychological ones. But it is common for clashes to occur between different communities or groups (such as punks against hippies; fans of one club vs. supporters of another entity, etc.).
Sometimes, a moral distortion occurs about what is perceived within the group to which one belongs and what is seen outside. A behavior that, in the group to which it belongs, is accepted, can be condemned if it is carried out by someone who is not a member of it. In extreme cases, the rejection of what has been done by other groups or by outsiders leads to episodes of violence that can become serious.