In the last ten years or so, with the evolution of social media and digital learning platforms, we’ve discovered something new! Innovative! Earth Shattering!
Are you ready for it?
Here it is…MEMBERSHIP GROUPS.
Finally, we have a way to share ideas and provide value with a collective group of people! Thank goodness for Mark Zuckerberg or we’d still be living individualized lives, unaware and unconnected to others. (Insert huge eye roll here.)
Alright, hopefully you can sense the sarcasm.
Obviously, membership groups are NOT a new phenomenon. Sure, the internet has provided a variety of new platforms for meeting in communal groups. It’s definitely easier than it’s ever been before to find community with like minded individuals…
BUT – the concept of belonging to a community, THAT has been around since, well, the beginning of time.
Human beings have always had an inherent need for community. We crave relationships with other people.
- It’s why “solitary confinement” is one of the harshest punishments we offer only to the worst offenders.
- It’s why in 2020, a year with more isolation from other people than ever before, mental health cases skyrocketed.
See what I mean? Membership to a group of people is an essential human need. I unpacked this need for belonging in my last blog post: Community Matters – Why Everyone Wants To Belong
As I said, this isn’t a new phenomenon. Membership groups have a long history.
In the early days of humanity, this “membership” came in the form of different tribes of people. Individuals belonged to certain groups and there was deep unity amongst tribe members. Individuals were united in common shared interests (ex. Survival, passing on family customs or beliefs, etc.)
As time went on, most places evolved from a tribal system to a citizenship system. This tradition carries on today. We have “citizenship” to a particular country (or countries) and this citizenship proves that we belong to a particular nation and affords us particular rights and privileges that are reserved for citizens.
Other examples of membership groups include:
- Religious Communities: Groups of people united around a shared belief system.
- Political Parties: Individuals united around a shared political ideology.
- Clubs: Groups of people united around a shared interest (Ex Yacht clubs, Scouts,
- Professional Networking Groups: A communal group of individuals working in related fields or industries.
See what I mean?
Membership groups have always existed in one form or another. They serve as a way to provide connection and a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves.
If you consider your own life, I’m willing to bet you are involved in at least one (probably more membership group.) What is the earliest membership group you remember joining? Add a comment to this blog post and tell me about it! I’d love to hear your experience.
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
