A society exists when a group of people with diverse cultures, background, belief system, and the like manage to live or associate together with the end hope of co-existing harmoniously. Harmonious living is a Utopian idea considering the heterogeneity of people along with the complexities these differences bring.
When you say interest group, it literally means a body of people or sector agreeing to advance a particular cause or interest, idea, belief, and the like that they deem beneficent to society. This can be easily coined by anyone and is supported by many writers. Notice that the definition stops from there, without emotional attachment. On the other hand, the term faction can be a close cousin, a synonym if used carelessly and the nuances of context not seriously considered. On closer probing, faction has another shade than being merely a group of people fighting for a common cause. It is like a jargon denoted on political topics and arenas. That is why James Madison, U.S. fourth president and a Federalist became more renowned when he liberally used the term in Federation 10 paper. Emotional hype and political color occur and this added flavor is justified by some web dictionaries. A faction exists when in an organization, club, or society, the people fighting for a certain interest strongly stand by it against other factions within the organization whose causes or beliefs run contrary to theirs). Faction connotes discord, opposition and conflict.
Interest group and faction can be interchangeably used on shallow talk. Academically though, interest group is broader and safer. Thus, there are people fighting for women rights, animal rights, ‘bicycle society’, GMOs or organic foods, hundreds of interest according to industry. In a way, they complement each other. Faction, on the other hand, can be borne out of an interest group after a considerable period due to circumstances. Later on, it ensues to rebellion, subdividing the interest group to form another interest group.
That interest groups came to be only proves the dynamism of the world we live in, on a global scale, and the society we move around with. It cannot be avoided that differences arise in any society because human existence is basically designed for variety. Diverse cultures, races, dialects and languages, belief systems in politics, religion, raising families, and even arts and culture make planet earth a Technicolor world.
Interest groups have resulted to different kinds of music that appeal to different olfactory pleasure levels; it led to substantial discussions as pros and cons over an issue are presented; it somehow educates and informs, a commendable act as a group takes charge over one interest by intensely promoting its many facets when no other group even cared to recognize, if not intentionally dismissed or ignored the presence of the cause, idea or interest. Interest groups or factions, either way, promote civilization. No two people think alike. And that makes life interesting. That makes human relations interesting.
