pecial
             interest club groups. Each of these groups is defined by many different
             characteristics, including its individual members, group size, and even the
             group's purpose. Government is likely the largest and most formalized of
             these groups, while the family is likely the smallest. In addition, the
             ties that hold group members are often profoundly different, as special
             interest club groups are held together by common interests, while school
             groups can be held together by physical location and the purpose of
             The funeral home provides and interesting study of social groups and
             social functions. In today's society, the funeral home offers a number of
             services, including burial, cremation, grief counseling, and funeral
             services. The funeral home is in an unusual position, as it is a formal
             organization that also provides services to individuals and families at one
             of the most intensely personal and private moments of many people's lives.
             In recent years, the critically-acclaimed HBO show Six Feet Under, which
             features a dysfunctional family who own and operate a family based Los
             Angeles funeral home, has popularized the funeral home in the media, and
             created a window into the social aspects of the funeral home.
             A clearly formal organization, the funeral home also provides for the
             formation and existence of a number of diverse social groups. Employees,
             management, and owners of funeral homes likely have a clear bond based on
             their professional association. Further, the families that use funeral
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