ABSTRACT
Having considered the methods social scientists use to study social groups, we are now ready to return to our analysis of group behavior. In this chapter we will consider why we join groups and why groups have meaning for us. Most simply, we can say that people join groups for the benefits that the groups provide them, and they leave groups (if they can) if those benefits are not greater than the costs that accrue from being a group member. The goals of this chapter are to consider how people make these decisions and to review the costs and benefits that come with group membership.
