Favorite Concept

My favorite concept we have covered in this class was the different funtions of communication and how there are six different functions on nonverbal communication that affect the overall flow of the communication in a small group. For example one of the functions of nonverbal communication is contradiction and this means when we make the nonverbal and verbal messages congruent according to page 101 in Chapter 6 in verbal and nonverbal communication. For example as the text states, a colleague's facial expression can mean something else in comparison to their verbal communcation. When I lived with seven other girls and we wre trying to solve a problem occuring amongst our group, one or some of the girls would say something and their facial expression and gestures said another. That would always make it harder on those around them because their body language and what they were saying were or seemed different. I chose this topic and I like it because I feel nonverbal communication is more vital in a group than we think. Being able to see someone's facial expression,gesture, or body language in general gives us sometimes a better meaning of how that person is feeling and what is on their mind. I am now more aware of and more observant when someone seems unsatisfied about something, I look at their facial expression and also listen to what they have to say and see if they go hand in hand.

What I've learned, Favorite/Least Favorite Thing

What I have learned throughout this class is that how we conduct ourselves through verbal and nonverbal communication, through virtual communication all goes hand in hand and contributes to how a group operates overall as a whole. The diversity of a group is also important because diversity is needed in small to large groups because if we all were alike and though alike, the end results and the process of things would not be as interesting and cohesive. I have relearned that "two heads are better than one." My favorite thing about this class was all the chapters because I thought they were all fascinating to read and gave me a better picture and more clear standing on how vital different forms of communication are in small groups or groups in genera. I don't really have a least favorite thing about this class because all the chapter readings to making blog posts and reading and commenting on our my classmates' blogs helped me to have a better understanding on the readings and concepts. I also found the two assignments on the movie analysis and small group observation project to be very helpful and beneficial because they helped me to realize how and why people interact and act in groups and how in the movie I analyzed "Mean Girls" why the main character changed herself to fit in a small group because she wanted to be accepted. In the end, she realized what she was communiating, the message she was sending to everyone, only hurt herself and learning to be her was what mattered most.

Group Observation Project

For my Group Observation Project I observed our school's baseball team because I know of the leader(the coach) and have helped out at a few of the events over the past few years I have been at state and I have attended their games throughout the past few years. Since I am also a big baseball fan, I love the game, when we were assigned this project, I immediately thought of the baseball team because I have always wondered what it is like in a college athletic team when the coach is in a meeting with the players and what goes on and how it is conducted. I found it to be a very useful exercise because as we have been discussing throughout the semester in our class how small group communication is affected in different ways and how different forms of communication are utilized in a group interaction. What I learned from this project is that how a leader carries themself is very vital because it affects the overall vibe of the room. When I observed the coach he had a nice tone, and he did a well job on communicating to the team what had gone well and didn't in past games and how players did a well job and what can be improved. What I thought was good about this project was that we got to observe at least two team meetings because sometimes seeing something for just one time may not be able to give us a clear vision of how something is and the second time may give us a more better sense of it. For me, I thought both meetings complimented each other and both were very helpful to observe. I am not sure what can be improved. I though overall this was a great project.

Avoidance in Conflict Management

I felt Avoidance in Producing Conflict Management was quite fascinating and very helpful to be aware of in this chapter and in general because I am guilty of avoiding confrontation with individuals by just letting it go. However as even the text mentioned how avoiding a conflict within a small group can be destructive especially to the productivity of the outcome of the group's roles and responsibilities because we can't avoid an issue forever, it needs to be resolved. Avoidance can take some tension off and leave some ease if a group is coming to its' boiling point, however it all depends how much tension there is and to be aware of that avoiding something will not always be able to be the resolution. I found this section in the paper to be interesting and good to be aware of.
After reading this part of the chapter, I became more aware of how I can handle avoidance better when in a small group or evento large group.

CH.12: Collaborative Conflict Resolution

An example of a collaborative conflict resolution I have engaged in was when I was when a small group of about five to six of us were in a team meeting and two of the group members were not in a agreement with each other just because they were both two different people, the rest of us had to decide how to resolve the current conflict in both the individuals. So myself and a fellow group member of mine started changing the subject to get the girls attention away from arguing with each other and to focus on something they both could agree on. Our technique on chaning the subject kind of worked then, it made one of the individuals leave the room. How the conflict was solved was by giving both the group members time and within a few days, and they were okay with each other. Competitive conflict has more to do with making decisions straight on the subject while avoiding personal tasks at hand. Using competition to assign leadership roles is the most efficient way to assess which individual is able to hand each responsibility at hand. I prefer collaborative conflict resolution because I am not a competitive person in general, I like to work with others as a team, "there is no I in team" which is what I strongly believe in, so to be able to work together in a group and be creative on solving the conflict is how I like and eould go about resolving a conflict in a small group.

CH.11: The Forum

If I had to choose one specific format for group presentations, I would choose and prefer the "forum" because the whole idea about a small or to even large group, is that people in the group get to be heard, and through the forum format and technique, there is a moderator who choose who gets to speak however the fact that people do get to voice their opinions and comments and have their voices heard. The speakers get to present and support arguments as the text mentioned and they get to ask questions based on what was stated by the other speaker. There are time limits however I believe it is important that people get to be heard in a group discussion because not everyone gets to speak in other formats such as a panel or in the colloquium or the symposium. With the panel, speakers get to make claims and arguments that others part of the group also may agree with and to be able to have that time to speak for others who are unable to speak for themselves and take a position in what was being stated is imperative in communication in a small group to a large group.

Solving Problems Creatively

A concept from the reading I found interesting that we have not discussed this week is solving problems creatively which is on page 174 in our text. This topic discusses five suggestions when we are unable to think of a creative idea. The five suggestions are: trigger your unconscious which means to take a break from what we are currently thinking about on trying to solve a problem. What can help during that break is taking a walk, or some form of exercise, something that will help clear our head. The second suggestion is to loosen your mind which means to let our mind wander a little, that way we will be able to come back to the task at hand and feel more refreshed. The third is break down the problem into a series of doable tasks which means the problem can be broken down into sections such as questions or a series of problems broken down so we can solve them one at a time. The fourth is to do some research which can help show us some examples in the same type of problem that is occurring somewhere else. The fifth one is ask yourself questions such as what are the different parts to the problems? Can I apply knowledge from other situations to this one? (Harris & Sherblom, 2011, 174). I found these five suggestions to be interesting and helpful because I never really thought of being able to solve problems creatively by these five different suggestions that I read in the text.

Cultural Barriers to Creativity

Five cultural barriers to creativity according to our text are, "a requirement for conformity, an expectation of politeness and efficiency, an expectation of politeness and of following rules for social order, a trust in the power of reason and logic, and a belief in an either/or perspective on issues" (Harris & Sherblom, 2011, 168). I have seen either some or all of these cultural barriers to creativity when it comes to working in small groups or even larger groups. I especially have seen on one of the cultural barriers on the expectation of politeness and efficiency take place which does not allow creativity to occur because creativity is based on being unique and some people may have their own creative way on being polite and efficient in the process at hand. However to others, their expectation of politeness and efficiency may not be the same standards or perceived differently. That's why I think how these cultural barriers would keep a group from being creative because they block individuals in a group from being themselves, by showing their creative side. Creativity is and should be encouraged and embraced in a group especially when everyone or some of the individuals can use their creativity to help lead the group to complete the task(s) at hand in a more better and successful way. Personally, I have experienced each of these cultural barriers in the past when in groups, however the main barrier I will always remember was when I was in the process of joining a group and the requirement for conformity was a huge cultural barrier to creativity in and for this group and for me especially because I had to conform to cultural expectations and norms of that group and there was no room for creativity. All of the new individuals in the group such as myself could not be creative because we had to conform to what the group members wanted us to do and act. So due to not being available for required events, I ended up leaving the group. One of the main things I learned from being a part of that group for that short period of time is that, we need to beat those cultural barriers in creativity because when we are in the position that we have to conform to other individuals' rules and regulations, unless we have to, if we have the choice, and if we want to continue to be able to show our uniqueness and want our creativity to be acknowledged and welcomed, then we must choose the best route for us to take in forms of that group we are in.

Creativity: Example of Personal Experience vs. CH's Discussion

I believe we are all creative in our own ways. I really like how the text stated,
"When what you do is new, different, and helpful, it shows creativity" (Goman, 2000). There are quite a few other definitions on what creativity is, however for example, I always say I use my creativity when it comes to writing birthday cards, and various cards for different occasions. The way I like to design the cards, put different stickers, put unique quotes, make the card colorful. I use my creativity to complete the card. When it comes to small groups, since we all do not think the same, it is important to use our own creativity to an advantage. Like that saying goes, "two heads are better than one." Same goes with creativity, when one member of a group may have a creative idea about something, and someone else has another. When we put both of the individuals' creative ideas together, that can help the group complete the task(s) at hand. Creativity when I design and add to cards for different occasions fits in with the chapter's discussion of creativity because the text discussed how "creativity is the result of looking at things and seeing them in a new way.." (Harris & Sherblom, 2011, 164). Individuals who are creative generate ideas and make something happen as a result. So whenever we have to write a card for a certain holiday in my family, or for a wedding, or birthday, or a thank you card, my family always have me write it and design the card(its a Hallmark card) and I just add to the card and fill it up with the usual words and depending on the occasion, that is when creativity comes in by me using certain stickers, certain colors to make the card look nice and have the end result. Another example how creativity in a small group based on the chapter's discussion is, if one individual had a neat and creative idea, a different approach(seeing something in a new way, a new perspective), as the text mentioned, that idea can help add to the group's task at hand, and strengthen the end result or product.

Effective CMC Group Meeting Facilitation

An interesting concept I found from this chapter that we have not already covered was Table 15.5 which discussed Effective Computer-Mediated Group Meeting Facilitation on page 276. It mentioned how just how face to face groups have a meeting facilitator have guidelines to follow, an effective CMC group meeting facilitator should also for example encourage group responsibility, and promote member ownership of the group process and results, they should listen, clarify, and be able to integrate new ideas. They should help keep the group focused on the goals and to develop and present clear and concise well-developed ideas. Also to create and continually reinforce an open, positive and participatory environment. I felt this one task/goal the facilitator should engage is so imperative especially in a CMC group because it is easy to not stay on task when not meeting in person and follow behind in tasks in a small group so it is important for the group facilitator to keep the group on track and to meet the group's goals and to stay on track.

Anonymity, Group Size, and Proximity

Since anonymity has to do with how one chooses to hide their identity or to remain anonymous, group size is how many individuals there are in a group and how that group size affects how the group carries their selves, and proximity is how much space we can occupy, all three of these factors can influence participation and communication in CMC groups because for example, if I were to be in a small group of about five to ten people and we are all trying to finish as project via online because none of us are able to meet, that is where proximity comes in because depending how far apart each individual is from each other, that can affect why we are not able to meet in person or if one or two of the five to ten students is in another country and we are talking to them over skype, proximity comes in and group size plays a big factor as well. Anonymity in CMC groups can influence participation and communication in CMC groups because if an individual in the small group doesn't feel like sharing their information with others or felt overwhelmed with the tasks at hand, the individual's communication and participation would be influenced by staying anonymous in certain activities.

CMC vs. f2f communication

Computer-Mediated Communication versus or compared to Face-to-Face (FTF) Communication are different in several ways. One way being, CMC groups tend to take longer to complete a task and that is usually so because when we are face to face, we are able to delegate to the person in that small group what task needs to get done and that individual can either write what they have to do down, and as a group we know that person received the message at task at hand. However, if an individual was told through computer mediated communication such as an e-mail, unless that person responds within a few hours or whenever, as a group, we will not know that individual received that e-mail or even looked at it unless we send a follow up e-mail and they said they received it. That is why CMC groups usually take longer to complete a task in comparison to individuals using face to face communication. Another way how CMC is different than f2f communication is, "when time is limited, CMC groups perform better than FTF groups on tasks that are less involving" (Harris & Sherblom, 2011, 264). That is a true statement because I've even personally noticed this, that when I have worked in a group online (CMC), members of the group were more prompt and willing to get the task done within limited time because they knew no one would be right there in front of them to tell them what to do, and all of us were able to perform better because we did not have to deal with seeing each other face to face and see the different actions of other members and deal with any expressions if someone did not want to participate, or were not willing to, or show signs of disbelief if we had limited amount of time to complete a task.

Barriers to Active Listening

Active Listening in general is not a easy task to engage in. So there are barriers we may come across on a daily basis with this. There are a total of ten barriers mentioned in the text. However, I just want to cover a few that I felt I can pertain to the most and what I have seen amongst others in a small group as well. The first barrier is lack of interest. Last semester, I took a class on person and society which was a sociology course where every wednesday we would have answered journal questions from the previous night's reading and would come to class and discuss it in a circle. We applied what we learned to our everyday lives and I loved it because we could vent about things others could pertain to as well. There were some individuals who would never participate either because they were shy or they had a lack of interest in what was being discussed. I always found that as a barrier to active listening. Another barrier which I feel I do while active listening on a daily basis with friends, or individuals in general is ambushing which thinking and wiling to react to the individual we are listening to while they are talking instead of not thinking or acting or responding at all. I found these two barriers helpful and useful because active listening is something I know I need to work in definitely because I feel at times while someone else is talking, I'm already thinking of what to say next. So for a little while now, I have been working on trying to improve my active listening skills and to overcome the barriers to active listening.

Selective Attention

In one of my classes we discuss the ideology of sport and I noticed when we even discuss sport, it seems as if football and basketball are the main American domineering sports in America, even though I feel and believe baseball should be included as well because it is America's past time and the game and games can be fun if we choose to make it fun. That is a fact! :) So I’ve noticed whenever we discuss sports such as football and certain players I have not heard of that much but all the rest of the class seems to be aware and excited about, I tend to in a way tune out that information because I rather be talking about baseball or at least not have football be the dominating sport. Hockey is a growing sport as well and we are in Sharks territory so that could be brought up more as well, same with soccer which we discuss from time to time as well. This all relates to selective attention because the process I go through stated above is selection attention. Some reasons for selective attention as stated in our text on page 115 is that, "some things are more important than others, we are more likely to listen when the content supports our point of view, expertise or understanding can decrease interest in other viewpoints..." (Harris & Sherblom, 115). I not only agree with reasons because I have experienced each of them throughout my life and also have seen others go through it as well. How I think I can overcome it, for example going back to my personal story/example of selective attention, I can try to pay attention to the sport(s) being discussed more so I can be able to relate to my other classmates enjoyment of it and why my Professor discusses it because they know everyone else can be able to relate, not everyone but the majority of the class. So I feel even when I do not feel hearing about something, I should try to think more open-minded and listen to what and why others have to say on a certain topic I may not either be into as much or am not aware of and be willing to be open about it.

Sensing(Hearing the Message) and Noise

Earlier when I was walking with my brother on campus, he was discussing something and when he was asking me what I thought or if I found what he was talking about interesting, I sounded as if I had zoned out because of all the other individuals around us. I became distracted easily. That is why I decided to discuss Sensing(Hearing the Message) because as the text states, even being able to hear sounds and repeat words is not the same as "sensing" or hearing the message. It is important to keep in mind that sensing or hearing the message is a voluntary act and this is an important part of listening and occurs as a result when we decide which messages we want to hear. Also as the text states, "hearing and listening to the message are influenced by selective attention and the amount of external and internal noise"(Harris & Sherblom, 115-116). That is also why noise is an imperative process part of sensing (hearing the message) because since there are two types of noises (external and internal), either one of those noises can affect how we sense the message being stated to us. If I am distracted by another thought or thoughts going through my head while someone is trying to talk to me about something, such as when my brother was talking to me earlier, then I will not be able to fully sense the message that was being stated because of the noise which caused a distraction.

I could have overcome the noise (which is what I usually do) by tuning out those around us and just focusing on what my brother was trying to tell me. I noticed because I was also looking at the individuals that were coming from right behind us, in order for me to be able to have sensed the message more and have my ears open, was if I did not also look at the individuals. When I looked at the individuals, my hearing became distracted. That is why I thought this component of listening was very informative and helpful to be aware of.

Description of Groups-(Narratives vs Fantasies)

I found "description of groups" under narratives and fantasies to not only be useful and informative, however very helpful to be aware of. According to our text, a narrative "combines both reality and myth" (Harris &Sherblom, 92). However, a fantasy is the "creative and imaginative shared interpretation of event that fulfills a group's psychological ot rhetorical experience..." (93). I found the comparison to both be very interesting especially when descriptions of groups were categorized under this section because it compared and contrasted two separate groups that both are norms in our society and in history as well.

For example, this description of groups was broken down into two categories (groups), A and B. In A, there was "one big, happy family, athletic team, first class, explorers, warriors, and stage" and in B, 'insane asylum, snake pit, zoo, quicksand, boiling cauldron, and swamp" (93). Both groups relate to small group communication because both are opposite groups; one is the stereotypical good, perfect group and the other, the bad, negative type of group. In small groups such as an athletic team, a team may not always be classified in the type A group because especially in sports, a team is never perfect. Not everyone is going to get along, that’s why they say, "there's no I in team." If there was just an I, then sports teams would not be as influential in society as they are today, even in the past. In type B, a zoo for example, consists of a variety and diverse range of animals, who are all wonderful creatures. Some not as good as others, however not all are bad, and not all are good. I just thought using fantasy and narratives is a great way to explain that in life, nothing is always "black and white." We can't just judge a book by its cover, or we'll be missing the chance to read our future possible favorite book. Same with individuals and in small groups and in life. We are all lovely, unique, and wonderful individuals, and if we just stick to the same group because we have been socialized in it, then we will never have the chance to learn, grow, and develop as an individual and the whole point of the "game of life" is that we learn and experience something and someone(different people from different backgrounds) everyday.

Proxemics vs. Chronemics

When I first saw and heard of these words, I immediately thought of proximity for proxemics and chronology for chronemics. Turns out they both somewhat fit these terms. Proxemics has to do with how we "use space to communicate" (Gass & Seiter, 2007). How we take up and utilize space within one another is vital in nonverbal communication. For example, a universal rule in the Middle Eastern culture as well as Italian and Greek. These individuals tend to be touchy, feely, and warm people. So whether you’re a family member, distant relative, or friend of a family, each individual is very gentle and friendly. It is how these individuals are normalized in their culture. Chronemics has to do with studying the use of time and how according to the text, in the "western world, time is money." I have heard many individuals say that over the years, and even on a day to day basis, that since we are in a time frenzy(not enough time) in America, we have to always be going at a fast pace, there is never enough time to just kick back and relax, because that is wasting time. That is the universal rule of Americans especially for example, families who are sports oriented and each kid plays a sport. Each family member is always on the go, going to a practice, a game, on the road for a tournament. There is barely even time to "breathe." Both of these terms are essential tools utilized in our everyday lives and they help us to realize what are we doing and why we have become a society based on proxemics and chronemics.

Two Principles of Nonverbal Communication

Two of the eight principles of nonverbal communication that stood out to me were "our nonverbal communication affects the quality of our relationships" and "both parties assign meaning, and sometimes different meanings, to nonverbal communication behaviors"(Allyn & Bacon,99). I am a strong believer on nonverbal communication and how sometimes it means more than verbal communication because just a facial expression alone, says "a thousand words." It honestly does, because from my experience and in day to day life, I have encountered nonverbal communication at various times where I can tell how someone was feeling based on their facial expressions and body languages. For example on how it affects the quality of our relationships, in any given relationship, we have our ideations of that person or people involved and we are able to differentiate how that person is, and what their normalized to do, and act. For example, if I would to make a joke and a friend or colleague of mine in a group or team I am in has a certain look on their face or doesnt say anything, I could most likely tell if they liked my joke or did not based on their expression. That's not to say our assumptions made on nonverbal communication are always accurate, however, it is always good to be aware of how it can affect our relationships.
An example on how both parties assign meaning and sometimes different meanings to nonverbal communication ties into my previous example and explanation because not one of us thinks exactly the same and especially when it comes to assumptions being made, we all have our own definitions and meanings towards how each individual acts and reacts to something. For example,in intimate relationships, who also happen to be co-workers and are in a group or team meeting,there are conflicts between the two individuals because one of them thought something different to the other person's gesture, or expression and the other individual, may have argued they got the wrong impression based on the nonverbal communication going on in the relationship. That is why it is important to be aware of nonverbal communication and to not make assumptions so soon as well, because we all assign our own meanings to nonverbal communication.

Post-Meeting Evaluation Forms

I felt this whole chapter covered the basis on what my organization does when it comes to presentations. So that is why I felt "post-meeting evaluation forms" was an interesting concept from the chapter because what this form highlights is feedback on how the participants did. It is a questionnaire like form and asks for example, how you would rate the group, and gives a few options, asks the highlights of the decision, the strengths and weaknesses and changes (improvement) that needs to be made.
When each of our group's gets evaluated, we actually have an evaluation form for the actual members and the observers so we can also rate ourselves in comparison what the observers thought as well. I feel this is a very effective method because I always like to see what others have to say on a presentation and I value each individual's feedback, even though sometimes it may be biased. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and that is the main point of the post-meeting evaluation forms.

Observer Feedback Guidelines

Whenever I have observed a group or there has been an observer for a group I have been in, there are certain guidelines that need to be followed. I have been taught over the years that just saying "good job" is not very helpful because the whole reason why a group has an observer is to see what needs to be improved(there is always need for improvement for any area in life) as well as what went really well. It is also helpful to mention and to view behaviors of the members in the group and what should or needs to be changed. The whole point of being an observer is also to not to stir up a dispute amongst any of the group members. An observer is there to observe, and report their opinions of the group's behaviors, stated comments and remarks and verbal and nonverbal communication. It is also imperative to be aware the main reason of being an observer by maintaining one's role and for example, one trait an observer should possess is starting off with their inferences on what went well (the positive) and end with what needs to be improved. It is also the observer's role to be clear and specific as to what they are trying to state and infer to the group. If a statement made by the observer is hard to follow or understand, the group will not have a concise and clear understanding on how to improve. Lastly, it is key that the observer, also tries to develop a nice bond or relationship with the group members during the feedback process because by trying to stray away from insulting, or having a negative attitude during the process, the group will feel comfortable and willing to listen more to the observer because they know the observer is a non-biased and nice person who's main goal is to be there to help the group improve and grow for the future.

CH 14: Observing and Evaluating a Small Group

In the organization I am a part of on campus, we have teachbacks which are presentations on our specialties that we present back to everyone in our organization to see first and to give us their feedback. This is usually more meant and helpful for the new volunteers because they have not had the chance to present to an audience yet, so to have their fellow peers who know somewhat on their topic watch, and be helpful and insightful. However, one thing I have noticed especially this semester more than ever, having a consultant or observer evaluating a small group who already knows what we are presenting may not be as effective in comparison to someone who does not know what we are talking about because since they already know what to look out for, sometimes the questions asked and the comments stated can be biased. However, at the same time, it is also very helpful to have an individual (the observer or consultant) know what the group is engaged in, so that individual will have an idea on what to look out for while observing. Overall, having an observer or consultant for a small group offers a non-biased (usually), strategic observation(s) made amongst the individual to get a look on the inside from an outsider's perspective on how this small group communicates with one another.

I felt giving my personal example ties in well with what this chapter discussed because it mentioned evaluations and how they are conducted and how consultant observers who are not affiliated with the members of the small group, will offer "excellent insights (p.248). I also agree with that statement as well because whether we use a consultant or observer for a small group, either are necessary so the group will know how they are doing based on someone else observing and taking notes on how the individuals interact and communicate with each other, how the verbal and nonverbal communication is dispersed among the group as well.

Assumptions and Stereotypes

For every and any small to big group, there are always norms, stereotypes, and assumptions made about the group. Especially when it comes to diversity and all the different heritages out there, I can think of many stereotypes and assumptions made on people from different backgrounds. We all know what they are; we just don't like to repeat them. So I will mention a stereotype and assumption made about people from my background, Middle East. I am an Assyrian American; we have not had our own country for over thousands of years, since it was overthrown by Iraqis. So our country is extinct. There are a little over a million of us in the world and we are all Christians. Shocking to hear, since there is an assumption made that all middle easterners are known for being Muslim which means their terrorists. Assyrians living in Iraq and Iran currently are being killed by Muslims, and even though they are from the Middle East and from Middle Eastern background, the "bad guys" of the mid east are making the entire Middle East look bad. When I tell people or am asked what my nationality is, when I say Assyrian, people assume "Syrian" from Syria, who are 90% Muslim. I say no, it is "Assyrian" and I emphasize we are all Christian and we do not believe in martyring and we had nothing to do what happened on 9/11.

Even according to our text in CH. 5, when U.S. workers were asked who is most likely to be treated unfairly at work, one of the highest ranked was Arab Americans (18%) and 12% Muslims, since 9/11 resulted in a negative perception from the U.S. towards Arab, Middle Eastern, and South Asian who are viewed as different, and dangerous to society. As the text also mentioned as well, stereotypes and assumptions can be damaging to our society. It is an ongoing battle of diversity our nation has endeared and most likely still endear, however if the communication amongst group became more clear and not given the wrong perception, diversity can move towards its' purpose in the first place; to add more culture, uniqueness, and harmony to our society.

White Men of Privilege

Dating back to what we've studied in our history textbooks, on slavery and civil rights, and exclusion acts, the whole ideation on racism came from within the power of the "white man government." In other words, it was always the caucasian male that would have the highest power in any decision making, such as government, corporations, in the home, education, sports,etc. I have never heard of a white man being refused in any restaurant unless if they are homeless and/or the male looks like a threat to society. Even then, if a African-American, or Asian-American or Middle Eastern American homeless man would to enter a restaurant, and a White homeless male came in, who would get the boot first? The "other" referring to anyone other than a Caucasian male, would be considered a threat and asked to leave first.

To piggyback back off what I expressed above on "white men of privilege", I do agree with the concept because it exists. I still think it exists, it is just not as obvious as it used to be forty to fifty years ago and beyond. An example of this was our latest Presidential election, Obama versus McCain. The reason this election made history was because Obama became the first African American to become President of the United States. This election was not about Democrat vs Republican, as each election usually is. This election was more than that, it was about a Black man versus a white man and the power of diversity, and acceptance, and change all took affect into the election. I am just glad after all those years of enslavement and being held hostage, being confined as a slave to a white man, Obama becoming President of the US, showed the African American community that a black man is just as important to society and can equally contribute to the table as well as any white man can. He offers hope and change for the current and future generations.

Valuing Diversity

The country we live in is based on diversity. It is something living in the 21st century, we endear everyday and it makes life more interesting. If we all looked the same, life would have no meaning because we would all not be able to understand different background, cultures, and customs associated being from different backgrounds. That is why valuing diversity is very crucial when it comes to being in college for example especially when attending a school such as San Jose State that as an institution of higher learning, you cannot get anymore diverse than our university. I mean Berkeley and SF state are pretty diverse however SJ contains many diverse groups of individuals and we express that in all our cultural clubs as well. The reason why it is important to also value diversity because there are many stereotypes and assumptions made on these different cultures and there are many factors that come into place as well which becomes a norm for us to assume something about someone just because they are of that race or gender or class. Diversity is all about everyone being unique and being able to express themselves through their heritage and not being ashamed and afraid to do so.

Some suggestions I can think of to enhance a group's ability to value diversity are for example, to think outside the box when it comes creating cultural events. Making sure at the event to highlight what each group is about and a little about the people that made their history. Also to not be afraid of getting to know fellow classmates in a class where there is a lot of diversity. I mean, I have had some classes here at state, where one culture dominated more than any other and there was not much diversity and there were other times it was pretty diverse and I did what I could to get to know individuals from other backgrounds because I value each individual and feel everyone has something to contribute to society.

Cohesion

One concept from Chapter 3, I found useful and interesting, that has not already been discussed is “Cohesion” which is referred to as “group cohesion” in the text. It describes how it is a result how well group members interact amongst each other and this also refers to the attraction the individual has to a group. For example, the group I am in, I was attracted to it before the first semester of my freshman year when I started at San Jose State. I had been apart of something similar just not as “legit” in high school, and was hoping our school here had something similar. Turns out, it was even way better than what I was expecting and our group has grown over the past three years I have been here. What I also found interesting and true on cohesion was the influence on cohesion which can consist of how many people are in the group, the background of the similarity of the group members, the satisfaction of the group members in the tasks they are engaged in.

I also found this concept helpful because it reminds me of why I joined the group I am in, in the first place and why I keep returning every semester (it is a semester thing) and it is rewarding for me to be a part of it each semester and I have met wonderful people from it each and every semester I have been it in while being in college. We all usually find a group we want to be a part in whether it’s a campus group such as a sorority or fraternity, an athletic team, a club, or even at work. There is something that attracts or had attracted us to it and once we find our “niche”, cohesion plays a role in that process as well and I think it is a great source to know, use, and be more aware of.

Functions of Group Norms

Every group that exists,has a norm. Each norm part of that groups serves a purpose and function. For example, I have a friend and also know of others who started and play on our school's Quidditch team-which is a game used in Harry Potter. The norm in that group is that it looks silly and the game is weird, since in the movie, the characters were playing the game on broomsticks, and chasing each other that way, however in reality, it is played on the field with broom like sticks as well. The function of this group norm in relation to Table 9.3 on the Four Preliminary Steps on p. 155, there are external constraints on the process(what are the limitations?), procedural issues(how to run the group), voting or consensus(how will the decision be made?), and ethical decisions (what are the possible ethical dimensions of the decisions?). These four steps tie into the function of the group norm I've mentioned by how I went to the first meeting when this intramural sport Quidditch was not even a team yet, there was just one girl with a vision and passion and wanted to share it with other individuals who had the same interest.

As far as experiencing a violation of a norm, I believe I have not personally experienced one, maybe a possibility could be some people who do not know me as well, did not know I like to dance(entertaining wise, fun like, not professional or serious), so when people I knew(friends) were watching me dance one time and were like "work it Mary", some people walked in on us and saw me and did not know what to say because they had this norm of me that I am a gregarious person however they did not know I like to dance jokingly so a norm was violated there and it put people into shock which is what or can happen with the function of group norms.

Chapter 3: Norms, Rules, Cohesiveness, and Groupthink

If I would to name and define all the different norms out there, I could most likely be able to write a book- that is how many that are out there! There are definitely group norms at SJSU. The two biggest ones I can think of are those who are part of Greek Life and those who are part of Athletics. Those who are part of a sorority and/or fraternity, have that norm that they are all about partying with their brothers and sisters and they each have a philanthropy they have to live up to and contribute to each semester. Truth is, those who a part of one of these organizations, they still have to balance being a college student and maintaining their duties being in their sorority or fraternity. It is not always easy and fun either. For those who are part of Athletics, they have the norm that they have it made. That once they come to SJSU, they have everything handed to them. They get priority registration, they get to miss classes, they like to party hard too, their living the dream. The truth is that norm is false because although there are perks to being an athlete, the downside for every athlete, is they still have that role of being a college student of getting their work in on time, some are on scholarship and some aren’t and they still have to pay for tuition and books just like every other college student. They have to balance school and their sports team, and I personally give each athlete a lot of credit playing college sports. I’m sure it is fun and rewarding but it can be exhausting at the same time.

I am a Peer Health Educator on campus and we are the ones who educate those on campus and in campus organizations on alcohol, drugs, stress, sexual health, violence prevention, chronic diseases, body image and put on different events each semester and conduct class presentations and workshops. I do hang out with fellow peer health educators off of being part of the group as well; however either way, the group norm we have is that we are expected to never drink or say things that contradict what we teach. Truth is, we never tell students in our presentations and events “don’t drink, don’t have sex or encourage it.” We serve our purpose that if you choose to take part in drinking, or being sexually active, then do so safely.” We provide tips, ideas, show the good and bad, and encourage students to stay on the good side of alcohol, and provide resources to get help if needed. I identified these norms because I can see it in peoples’ expressions and questions on what we do in PHE and how we have to conduct ourselves and what is expected of us, outside PHE. I am not saying we all drink or sexually active in PHE, I actually do not go around asking all of my fellow phe’s what they do in their personal lives and for those who were in it or are still in and I’m close friends with, they at least have the resources and knowledge of what they choose to engage in prior before. I adapt/adapted to these norms by never placing pictures on facebook when I hang out with friends( I actually do not drink, I won’t have a full drink until the day I turn 21-that is my vow I made to myself) and I am always careful what I say to people and what I put on my statuses and make sure anything I say is never offensive to people because being in the group I am in, we are all about promoting living a healthier and more happier lifestyle and last thing I want to contradict myself or others around me and make them feel uncomfortable.

Interesting Concept from Chapter 2

One concept I found to be interesting and a great reminder on why small group communication is needed and important is the concept on "Wholeness and Synergy." These two words are about how people working together and interacting creates an even better result in comparison to someone working alone or people in a group working alone in a group and not communicating. Having that synergy and wholeness in a group helps and leads to good problem solving skills and that ideology that "two heads are better than one."

I remember in my online class last summer on small group communication, in a post on having to work in small groups on two essays assigned, some students explained how they prefer working alone than in groups on projects or papers because they do not have to rely on others and deal with the pressure of inconsistent group members. That's where I felt synergy and wholeness came into place because those people did not realize although especially having to work with people online and communicate virtually, having that synergy by working together, and choosing who does what and putting that together and creating one paper, that involved using consistency, persistency, usage of problem solving skills if there was an issue needed to be resolved amongst the group in which that created synergy and wholeness. That is why I feel without synergy and wholeness, a small group will not be as successful and be able to work effectively together to accomplish the task at hand.

Entropy and Equifinality's Impact on Small Groups

Whenever working in small groups, there is usually something that does not go in accordance to our plans and at times, it can lead that group off the path and direction they were headed. However, the importance of being in a small group is teamwork and helping each other getting what needs to get done in the amount of time they have. Going through the good and bad together.

There are few things however, that can have a big impact on a small group negatively and positively correlated. First we have entropy, which pertain on the group losing focus and organization and how there is no equal control in the group. If everyone in the group is saying something at the same time, and there is an over-dependence on rules and regulations and new ideas, that can lead to chaos and disorganization. In order for a group to be effective and avoid entropy occurring, it is good to watch and be aware of how ideas are coming into the group and that there is a balance within the group. Equifinality is when the small group is in harmony and is able to maintain that balance and be successful on their process and tasks by using "different routes to same destination." This impacts the group in a positive way because how the journey to the end point is conducted is what really matters. If a group does not have a good balance and all the ideas and communication is lacking, the end point will seem further and be even harder to cross. However, when equifinality is in place, then the group will be able to become more successful and complete everything in a more harmonious manner.

Chapter 2: Groups as Systems of Interaction

Whenever an individual works in a group, that person already knows they are going to have that one individual who barely ever responds, hardly contributes, is late on deadlines within the group. They are also aware of there’s always going to be that other individual who takes the role as leader right away, because each person is how they are. It is the fact when one gets in a group and has to work with others, they experience the ideology that “groups are living systems based on interdependence interrelationships.” The whole meaning and point of the word “group” is about having each member contribute something and when you put what everyone in the group did, it becomes a whole and that was established based on interdependence and having the interrelationships.

When parts of the system do not function well, the small group starts to fall apart and they lack the communication, the openness, the interdependence; all the parts of a system that are all somewhat needed for a small group to function well. As far as two examples goes from my own small group experiences that show the importance of interdependence and interrelationships, one I can think of that happened somewhat recently, which was this past summer when I took Comm 41 online which is the GE version of small group communication and we had two assignments where we were put in small groups and had to coordinate who will do what for each essay and when working online in small groups especially one of the key things to be a successful small group is constant communication. Making sure everyone is always one the same page, and at one point in one of my groups, when one individual stopped responding to e-mails, did not end up e-mail their part of the assignment they said they were going to do, the rest of our group had to take over their part fast in order to have everything ready to turn in on time to our Professor. So I felt both the groups I was in ended up being successful because we had that interdependence that we were relying on each other and working together and sharing the responsibility to meet certain dates and such and we had that interrelationship.
Another example would be in an organization I’m in on campus, we had our semester retreat right before school started this semester and we had this activity where we had to act out a skit and as a small group we were assigned to, we had to figure out who was doing what quick however at the same time we had to make sure each of us was up to par on what we were going to do, we brainstormed ideas together and came up with solutions (interdependence) and we were able to relate our own ideas to the topic at hand and we accepted each others’ ideas and built that interrelationship.

Introductory Post

Hi there everyone and Happy Thursday!

My name is Mary and I am a junior Communication Studies major. I was a Business Marketing major until last Spring when I took COMM 40 and loved it and realized I wanted to major in Communication Studies instead. I have taken COMM 101C and 144F last semester. I have taken three online classes at San Jose State so far and am taking two this semester(both communication studies courses). I’ve found online classes have taught me to me diligent, disciplined, organized, and time management skills.

One of the online classes I took this past summer was COMM 41 which is Small Group Communication and I really enjoyed it. Even though a lot of people ask, “isn’t it hard working in groups on essays and such online, if you never meet?” My response has been, online classes aren’t for everyone, but for those that it is, like me, I feel as long as we have clear and effect communication with our group members and are persistent on deadlines and who does what, it works out great. So what I hope to gain from this class is how we apply communication studies theories to small group communication and how each person brings forth their own knowledge towards and group and when you put more than one head together, what the outcome is.

A little bit about me… I am a hardcore SF Giants fan, and have grown up around it my whole life. My favorite sport is baseball in general, and although most people find it to be one of the most boring sports around, I on the other hand, not only find it fascinating and intriguing, but inspiring especially since it is America’s past time. So one can imagine since this past year when the Giants won the World Series, that was the best Christmas gift any fan can want and wish for. I love being in the outdoors and love walking different places. Lake Tahoe is my favorite vacation spot, been going there every summer with my family since I was a little girl. I love people and love making others around me smile and laugh.

I look forward to getting to know everyone more throughout this semester.

-little miss daisy