On the other hand, voluntary associations are directed towards the varied interests of those living in these societies, as it is the case of ethnic minorities and recent migrants to cities. They frequently form associations on the basis of their place of origin, ethnicity, religion, or line or work. .
It wasn't until this course that I learned the importance of forming groups. Even the small groups I joined when I was younger influenced my development as a child. The girl-scouts, the swimming lessons, the school classmates, and even the little group composed of few neighbors of the same age, gave me the opportunity to interact with other children, and enable me to share my thoughts and feelings in a way that I cannot do it with my family at home. It was through this socialization that I learned the aspects of my culture and acquired the values and habits that helped me adapt to that culture. In the same way, it is clear that this social interaction is one of the best ways to decrease egocentricity and increase the understanding of another person's point of view. So, I changed from being an egocentric and self-centered little girl viewing a friend as just somebody to play with, to a woman able to view friends as people who understand each other and who provide emotional support. .
As I grew older, I shifted from the groups that I was told to join to the ones that I even initiated myself. In a sense, these groups were more specialized since they had a clear objective. For example, when I was in junior high school, I formed different study groups with the purpose of assimilating better the material that it was given in class and to do well on the exams. This type of group falls into the definition of task facilitation groups given in this course, which focus on the application of group dynamics principles and processes to improve practice and to foster accomplishment of identified work goals.
