The Significance of social groups to an individual and the society written by Valentine C. Muoma

When a thing or phenomenon is tagged significant it means the thing is imperative, important, relevant, necessary, consequential, essential, etc which means that social groups are necessary for the development of an individual and the society.

A group can be defined as a number of things or persons being in some relation to one another. 

A group can also be defined as subset of a culture or of a society. According to Wikipedia, There are four main types of groups: 1) primary groups, 2) social groups, 3) collectives, and 4) categories

 In the social sciences, a social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties. For example, a society can be viewed as a large social group. The system of behaviors and psychological processes occurring within a social group or between social groups is known as group dynamics. 

Socialization Socialization is the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of the society.

 Socialization can also be defined as a process whereby an individual learns to adjust to a group (or society) and behave in a manner approved by the group (or society) 

Socialization encompasses both learning and teaching and is thus, The means by which social and cultural continuity are attained.

 Humans need social experiences to learn their culture and to survive. Socialization essentially represents the whole process of learning throughout the life course and is a central influence on the behavior, beliefs and actions of adults as well as of children.

Significance of social groups to an individual and the society. Membership of social groups are very essential for the following reasons:

i. social groups help the people know themselves better, interact, learn more about their history and cultural values.

ii. Social groups also helps to promote love and unity between the members of the community.

iii. Social groups enables the people come together to fight external aggression.

iv. Social groups helps the people come together to meliorate the challenges confronting them such as rebellion, financial challenge, land dispute, marital crises, family crises, nymphomania, psychological trauma, etc

v. Social groups come together to establish a force that help in the maintenance of law and order in the community.

vi. Social groups gives the people the privilege to partake in the decision making process of the community.

vii. Social groups endorse persons who adjudicate on the abnormalities truncating the progress of the community.

ix. Social groups contribute to the development of the community by sponsoring projects for the provision and maintenance of the infrastructural facilities of the community.

x. Social groups ensure that the customs, traditions, values and norms of their people does not go into extinction.

xi. Social groups helps in the preservation of the cultural artifacts of their people.

xii. Social groups aid Ekistics. Ekistics is the scientific study of human settlements and the planning and design of cities and other communities.