Chapter 1 - Introduction to Group Dynamics PDF

INTRODUCTION TO GROUP DYNAMICS ZJ VENICE S. RAGAY STAPHANIE LOUISE P. LAGRADA  WHAT IS A GROUP? Two or more individuals who are connected by and within social relationships  PRIMARY GROUP A small, long-term group characterized by frequent interaction, solidarity, and...

INTRODUCTION TO GROUP DYNAMICS ZJ VENICE S. RAGAY STAPHANIE LOUISE P. LAGRADA  WHAT IS A GROUP? Two or more individuals who are connected by and within social relationships  PRIMARY GROUP A small, long-term group characterized by frequent interaction, solidarity, and high levels of inter- dependence among members that substantially influences the attitudes, values, and social outcomes of its members.  SOCIAL GROUP A relatively small number of individuals who interact with one another over an extended period of time, such as work groups, clubs, and congregations.  COLLECTIVES A relatively large aggregation or group of indi- viduals who display similarities in actions and outlook. A street crowd, a line of people (a queue), and a panicked group escaping a fire are examples of collectives, as are more widely dispersed groups (e.g., listeners who respond similarly to a public service announcement).  CATEGORIES A perceptual grouping of people who are assumed to be similar to one another in some ways but different in one or more ways, such as all women, the elderly, college students, or all the citizens of a specific country. CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUPS Composition: Each person who belongs to a group defines, in part, the nature of the group. Boundaries: Groups' boundaries define who is a member and who is not, although open groups and social networks are more permeable than closed groups. Size: The number of possible relations in a group increases exponentially as groups increase in size. The social brain hypothesis suggests humans advanced cognitive capacity, evolved to meet the informational demands of living in large groups (Dunbar, 2008) Interaction: Bales' (1950) Interaction Process Analysis (IPA) system distinguishes between task interaction and relationship interaction. Interdependence: Groups create various types of dependencies among members (e.g., unilateral, reciprocal). Structure: Group interaction is patterned by group structure, including roles, norms, and interpersonal relations. Goals: Groups seek a variety of goals, such as those specified by McGrath (1984): generating. choosing, negotiating, and executing. Origin: Planned groups (concocted and founded) are deliberately formed, but emergent groups (circumstantial and self- organizing) come into existence gradually over time (Arrow, McGrath, & Berdahl, 2000) Unity: Group cohesion, or cohesiveness, is the unity of a group. Entitativity: The perception of entitativity (groupness), according to Campbell (1958a), is substantially influenced by common fate, sunularity, and proximity cues within an aggregation.  WHAT ARE GROUP DYNAMICS? The word dynamic comes from the Greek word dynamikos, which means to be strong, powerful, and energetic. Dynamic implies the influence of forces that essentialism. Formative processes, such as the need to belong to and affiliate in groups, contextual factors that promote the formation of groups, and the development of group cohesion. Influence processes, including aspects of group structure (norms, roles, relationships), conformity and dissent, social power, obedience to group authority, and leadership. Performance processes, such as group productivity, social motivation, working in teams, and collaborative decision making. Conflict processes within groups—intragroup conflict—and between groups—intergroup conflict. Contextual processes that are dependent on the group’s physical setting and specific purpose, including change-promoting groups and large collectives.  STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT Stages of group development. Tuckman's theory of group development suggests that groups typically pass through five stages during their develop- ment: orientation (forming), conflict (storming), structure (norming), performance (performing), and dissolution (adjourning). ORIENTATION (FORMING) Exchange of background personal information, uncertainty, tentative communication  CONFLICT (STORMING) Dissatisfaction, disagreement, challenges to leader and procedures, cliques form  STRUCTURE (NORMING) Cohesiveness, agreement on procedures, standards, and roles, improved communication  PERFORMANCE (PERFORMING) Focus on the work of the group, task completion, decision making. cooperation  DISSOLUTION (ADJOURNING) Departures, withdrawal, decreased dependence, regret  UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL WORLD The study of groups and their dynamics is crucial for understanding people, organizations, communities, and society itself. Groups serve as the building blocks that connect individuals to society, shaping its culture and institutions. Societies, regardless of their type, are characterized by the small groups within them, from tribes to modern postindustrial societies. The nature of a group is influenced by the individuals within it, while groups collectively impact a society's culture, institutions, and systems such as legal, political, religious, educational, and economic. Sociologist Gary Alan Fine emphasizes the significance of groups in sociological theorizing, highlighting how they foster allegiance, shared culture, history, and connection to the larger society.  APPLICATIONS TO PRACTICAL PROBLEMS Understanding groups and their dynamics is essential for achieving goals in the modern world. Groups play a critical role as creators, builders, and decision-makers in society. From juries determining guilt and innocence to executive teams driving financial success, and elite military forces carrying out operations, groups are at the forefront of shaping outcomes. Even in fields like medicine, teamwork among doctors is vital for ensuring optimal patient care. In today's interconnected world, groups are the driving force behind progress and success.