First-Year Studies: The Realities of Groups

One of the most important aspects of our lives is the web of group affiliations in which we engage. Groups are an inescapable aspect of our existence. From the very beginning of one’s life, the idea of group pervades most dimensions of our existence—from family structures to nation-states. Not only is the individual defined on the basis of his or her group memberships, but he or she also learns most facets of socialization within the confinement of groups (e.g., school, committees, gangs, and work). The groups orient, guide, and shape individual perceptions, interpretations, and actions in the social world. While social psychology has maintained an individuo-centered approach to the analysis of groups, several classic studies have demonstrated that there is no individual who is not essentially and entirely a product of the various groups to which he or she belongs. This first-year seminar explores the defining characteristics of groups and the extent to which we are indeed shaped by our groups. We are concerned primarily with people’s thoughts and behavior as group members, both from within one’s own group as well as vis-à-vis other groups. To address this material, we will focus on three questions in particular: How and why do individuals come to form specific groups? What are the dynamics operating within the group, transforming it into a cohesive unit that is more than the sum of its parts? Which processes rule the interactions between groups, in particular the “us” versus “them” dimension? The first two questions will be the objects of discussion during the first semester. In the course of the second semester, we shall address the third question while also highlighting how the realities of groups get transformed in the cultural context of the Internet.