as discussed

Purpose: To provide you with an opportunity to experience a group setting and analyze how the presence of others substantially influences the behaviors of its members through social facilitation.

 

Observe a group discussing a topic of interest , such as a focus group, a community public assembly, a department meeting at your workplace, or local support group .

 

Study how the group members interact and influence one another .

 

Analyze how the group behaviors and communication patterns influence social facilitation.

 

Integrate your findings with evidence-based literature from journal articles, the course text, and additional scholarly sources. The literature should be about group patterns, not about the content of the meeting.  

 

Process: You will participate as a guest at an interest group meeting in your community to gather data for a qualitative research paper. Once you have located an interest group, contact stakeholders, and explain the purpose of your inquiry. After you receive permission to participate, you will schedule a date to attend the meeting; at which time you will observe the members and document the following for your analysis:  

 

·       How were the people arranged in the physical environment (layout of room and seating arrangement)?

·       What is the composition of the group, in terms of number of people, age, sex, ethnicity, and so on?

·       What are the group’s purpose, mission, and goals?

·       What is the duration of the group (short- or long-term)? Explain.

·       Did the group structure its discussion around an agenda, program, or rules of order?

·       Describe the structure of the group. How is the group organized?

·       Who are the primary facilitators of the group?

·       What subject or issues did the group members examine during the meeting?

·       What types of information did members exchange in their group?

·       What were the group’s norms, roles, status hierarchy, or communication patterns?

·       What communication patterns illustrated if the group was unified or fragmented? Explain.

·       Did the members share a sense of identity with one another (characteristics of the group, similarities, interests, philosophy, and so on)?

·       Was there any indication that members might be vulnerable to groupthink? Why or why not? 

·       In your opinion, how did the collective group behaviors influence individual attitudes and the group’s effectiveness? Provide your overall analysis.

 

Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper incorporating your analysis with evidence to substantiate your conclusion.