Hello Class!
On occasion I will post to my blog about the content of what we are covering for the week. This week we are reading Chapter 2 in the Harris & Sherblom text.
Chapter 2 covers:
(Page numbers may be different depending on the edition of the book you're using)
Understanding Small Group Success
Communication in Small Groups
A Systems Approach to Small Group Communication
This section also covers Systems Theory, Open Systems and Complex Systems
Understanding Small Group Success:
Page 25 at the top highlights Figure 2.1. This diagram is helpful in understanding success in groups. It covers 4 ideas: 1). Unsuccessful, but understands why 2). Successful, and understands why 3). Unsuccessful and does not understand why 4). Successful, but does not understand why.
The success of why groups work together is quite important. Have you ever been in a relationship with someone and not really understood why the relationship is strained? Or maybe it's a great relationship, but you're not exactly sure why? Understanding Small Group Success tries explain why some groups succeed, and why some don't. It's important to understand key ideas so we can move forward with groups in the future and BE SUCCESSFUL. It's as simply as that.
Communication in Small Groups:
This section clearly outlines six basic elements of human communication, as it relates to small group communication. It may seem like an elementary idea, but come on - Small Group Communication BEGINS with communication itself.
The text goes on to highlight and explain all six types of communication:
1). Communication is the recognition of some behavior that is meaningful to one or more participants in the group.
2). Meaning is based in the symbolic interpretation of another's communication.
3). Communication is contextual.
4). Communication allows us to apply meaning to the world.
5). Our cognitive abilities are open systems.
6). We are simultaneously senders and receivers of communication.
A Systems Approach to Small Group Communication:
This section is rather long. I will not highlight everything in this section, but I will comment that it is an important section in your text. This area runs from page 27 to 38. Not a terribly long section, but important to understand.
This area covers Systems Theory. Pg. 27: "A systems is, by definition, a collection of interrelated parts or elements that function together to make a whole that is of a magnitude and order totally different from that of any of the individual parts. It is a set of elements bound together in interdependent relationships. The integrity of the whole depends on the mutual interaction among its parts."
Pg. 27: "Systems theory provides an overall explanation for the complexity of small groups (Harris & Nelson, 2008; Tubbs, 2001), allowing us to highlight the less obvious, but important, elements of the communication interaction within small groups. Groups are made up of individuals possessing different motives, personalities, and skills."
The chapter then goes on to discuss Open Systems: Wholeness and Synergy, Openness, Transformation, Interdependence, Feedback, Entropy, Equifinality, and Environment. All GOOD concepts to understand as it relates to Small Group Communication. These concepts are important to understand and apply to your course projects.
Complex Systems: This area covers the ideas of Second-Order or Quantum Change, Double-Loop Learning, Sensitivity to Initial Conditions, Strange Attractors, Phase Space, Bifurcation Points, and Irreversibility.
This entire chapter, and all of its subsections in the Systems Approach section (including Open Systems and Complex Systems) is necessary to understand before we move forward in the coming weeks. Be sure to understand these concepts. While reading through the chapters, it's important to try and relate the information you are reading, to real life situations. This will help you to better understand the concepts, and help to solidify them in your memory.
Next week we will be reading through Chapters 3 & 9 - both of which are great chapters to help further our understanding of the inner-workings of groups.
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