Roczniki Filozoficzne

Volume 18, Issue 4, 1970

The Attractiveness of Social Groups

One of several important problems aroused by the existence of social groups which influence the individual by his education within the group during a relatively long length of time, is the following one: how to keep the individual in contact with the group. A lasting contact depends on certain achievements accomplished by the individual, by the group and the environment in which these two entities are plunged. The present deliberations, backed by a considerable number of scru t inies pursued within a certain range of set problems, are interested in he conditioning already evident wiithin the group, or, strictly speaking, in what is capable of ’’absorbing” the individual into the group. Without doubt, such handling of this subject must leave certain questions to the care of sociologists. However, it is possible to take into account the elements in the group with which the individual can identify his aspirations, without approaching the problem of group structure and such other problems. It is preferable to limit our deliberations to the questions that fall within the competence of psychology. It appears that the attractiveness of the goals presented by the group is significant in the establishment of individual- -group contact. The same applies to the attractiveness of the group members — both in contacts between collective elements (Institutions) and in individual interpersonal relationships. The attractiveness of the group leader is also of considerable importance whereas the activeness of the group is less essential to the establishment of these contacts. Furthermore, it is important to note that the different manners of individual behaviour within the group depend on which of these elements was conclusive in the establishment of the contact with the given individual.