ABSTRACT
I observed previously that “from birth to death, small groups are interwoven into the fabric of our lives” (Frey, 1994a, p. ix), but on reflection, it is more accurate to say that from the day we are born until the day we die, we are woven into the fabric of group life. For we are inherently “group people” whose immersion into familial, educational, recreational, social, occupational, health, spiritual, commercial, political and civic, and many other types of groups over the course of our life span helps define who we are and want to be, how we live and relate to others, how successful we will be, and even how we are put to rest after we die. The small group, therefore, is probably the most important social formation; it is the crucible, the generative site, where individuals and collectives are made and remade. In the words of our Generation-X students, “Groups rule.”
