Groups in the community - reasons for group formation & types of groups

Grreasons for group formation & types of groups

Types of groups list

• Family and Friendship groups

• Sporting and leisure groups

• Study and work groups

• Religious groups

• Cultural groups

• Other groups

Reasons for group formation list

• locality/geography

• gender

• shared interest/common goal

• security

• sexuality

• specific need

• social interaction

• culture

• religion

• other

What is an example for locality

local schools: Based in a geographical proximity to all students.

Gender

• describes someone’s sexual identity orientation and behaviour to define who they express themselves as sexually.

• identifications usually starts as soon as we are born.

• Events and venues may be more attractive to one gender than the other, or may be restricted on the basis of ____.

• fluid term

• not to be confused with sexuality

• new terms transgender, or gender fluid

• e.g. a gender based touch football team

Locality or geography

• related to position where people live

• can be broad = country

• can be categorised according to technical environmental framework e.g ‘suburban’ (the suburbs), ‘urban’ (town or city life), ‘rural’ (the countryside or a farm)

• influence persons access to resources

• geo impacts type of groups offered

• e.g. the residents of a coastal town might have surf clubs and surf skills groups to join whereas the residents of a country town will not have access to that type of group because they do not have
  access to beaches.

List some of the technical environmental framework terms that are used when describing someone’s locality/geography when choosing a group.

• ‘urban’ = City life

• ‘suburban‘ = the suburbs

• ‘rurals’ = the countryside

What are the reasons gender groups form?

• companionship
  e.g. ‘Girls in STEAM’ group at a HS meeting weekly shared interests in science and maths, providing companionship and support in a typically male-dominated field.

• identity

  e.g. The Mardi Gras Youth Hub NSW → safe space for teen to explore their gender and sexual identities alongside others → affirm and express their identity

• safety

  e.g. Women’s safety self-defence classes held by local councils (Inner West Council) Women + non-binary → learn safety skills and feel physically and emotionally secure.

• self-esteem
  e.g. “Girls Who Glow” program visits schools across NSW promoting positive body image and confidence in teenage girls through workshops and mentoring, building self-esteem in a female-only group setting.

• sense of belonging
  e.g. Men’s Shed groups in NSW give older men a place to connect, share skills, and reduce feelings of isolation, creating a strong sense of belonging within a gender-specific group.

• information
  e.g. “It’s a Man’s Issue Too” campaign → White Ribbon Australia offers male-focused workshops and resources about gender-based violence and respectful relationships, giving men access to information in a male-only setting.

One of the reasons gender groups from is companionship give an e.g for this

e.g. ‘Girls in STEAM’ group at a HS meeting weekly shared interests in science and maths, providing companionship and support in a typically male-dominated field.

One of the reasons gender groups from is identity give an e.g for this

e.g. The Mardi Gras Youth Hub NSW → safe space for teen to explore their gender and sexual identities alongside others → affirm and express their identity

One of the reasons gender groups from is safety give an e.g for this

e.g. Women’s safety self-defence classes held by local councils (Inner West Council) Women + non-binary → learn safety skills and feel physically and emotionally secure.

One of the reasons gender groups from is self-esteem give an e.g for this

e.g. “Girls Who Glow” program visits schools across NSW promoting positive body image and confidence in teenage girls through workshops and mentoring, building self-esteem in a female-only group setting.

One of the reasons gender groups from is sense of belonging give an e.g for this

e.g. Men’s Shed groups in NSW give older men a place to connect, share skills, and reduce feelings of isolation, creating a strong sense of belonging within a gender-specific group.

One of the reasons gender groups from is information give an e.g for this

e.g. “It’s a Man’s Issue Too” campaign → White Ribbon Australia offers male-focused workshops and resources about gender-based violence and respectful relationships, giving men access to information in a male-only setting.

Shared interest/common goal

• might be long term affiliation e.g. supporting a specific sports team or being a fan of the same musician.

  • These groups might network online or congregate at sporting events on a weekly basis.

• e.g. group might form in order to organise protests against a specific environmental issue or current event because the members adhere to the same ideology and want the same outcome.

• Impact on w.b.: Being part of a special interest group or a common goal group is important because the members are able to express themselves and converse with people who have the same interest.
  

Security

• a feeling of being safe from harm and absence of feeling threatened

• people will form this type of group in order to make another group feel safe and secure when they can’t themselfs

  • e.g. residents who form a neighbourhood Watch group so they can maintain the safety and/or security of their loved ones and the people who live on the same street.

• Ppl. may join to protect their own safety and security.

• might include gangs or subculture groups because the members feel safer by affiliating with it.

  • e.g. in prison when some of the inmates join a gang because they believe they will gain a sense of security, safety and power from it.

Sexuality

• Sexuality is about the sexual feelings, thoughts,

  attractions and behaviours towards other people.

• A person can find other people physically,

  sexually or emotionally attractive, and all those

  things are a part of their sexuality.

• e.g. Talking to people in support groups can help individuals facing negativity or judgement about their sexuality

• e.g. friendship/social groups can help individuals to connect with other members of their community.

Specific need

• The basic needs are food, water and shelter,

• Other needs:

  • the need to lose weight or get fit, → meeting the need by joining a gym or an exercise group

  • The need to receive support after starting a family, → meeting the need by joining a mothers’ group or an after school care group

  • the need to receive support because you have a medical illness or condition, → meeting the need by joining an online community in which the members share general support and keep up to date with current research.

  • the need to receive support because you have take up cigarette smoking or consume excessive amounts of alcohol → meeting the need by joining an appropriate support group.

Social interaction

• This desire to fit in or belong leads to

  formation of groups

• social group → sense of belonging, creation of a community in which the members share a desire to connect with other people and enjoy each other’s company.

• can be created online

• e.g. book club, group of parents at a sporting match,

Culture

• Formed because: seeking comfort and security, to overcoming language barriers, networking, and enjoyment of shared interests.

• can be socially constructed. people who migrate a specific country tend to choose to live in an area in which many people of the same culture live.

  • e.g. Migrants may choose to live in an area, such as Chinatown, where many people of the same culture live.

• Might also join a group based on their culture and heritage,

  • e.g. Maori group or an irish dancing group.

• can be formed naturally (born into a specific ethnic group)

• similar beliefs and values

Religion

• formed to strengthen their spirituality and to develop a closeness to there God.

• people may join later in life due to life experiences.

  • e.g. a family loses a child due to an illness and during the illness the family members embrace their religious faith more than they embraced it before the illness, for support and guidance

  • e.g.a prisoner might start to read the Bible in prison and on leaving prison might decide to practise Christianity by becoming involved in the community of his local church.

Other

• common reason to join a other group is they have a specific belief that is not based on any of the aforementioned factors.

• a reason for formations of other group: part of a minority group → form their own group who have things in common and have shared interests.

• They might feel a need to take action against a specific idea or concept that they believe is unjust and might therefore form a group in order to raise awareness, spread the message, and gain followers and support.

• e.g. groups formed on social media pages over a celebrity scandal, or wanting to protest against shark culling or drilling for coal.