Group Roles and Norms - Essay Example

? Group Think: Group Roles and Norms Introduction Assignment One In 1972, Irving Janis, a social psychologist coined the term to define a social phenomena that causes a group to make faulty decisions even in light of alternatives. The main cause underlying this occurrence is the tendency of group members to respond to external pressures that invalidate their mental efficiency, moral judgment, and reality testing. A factor that indirectly causes groupthink in a group is a commonality in cultural background among the members. In my case, it happened whilst I was an undergraduate student at Columbia University located in New York City. When I joined the campus as a freshman in 2005, I hoped to graduate as a lawyer four years later. It was a dream I had promised myself to fulfill. I struggled through high school in the hope that one day I will fight for the rights of the poor and not be corrupt by the greed for power and money. Discussion ASSIGNMENT One Group Think As a law freshman at Columbia University, I was supposed to find and join a group that would help me nurture my skills in the field of Law. Within two weeks, I joined a group of junior law students who had a routine of attending federal law courts in New York. The objectives of these visits were to familiarize ourselves with protocols followed in a real court. Thereafter, we would re-enact the case covered under hypothetical conditions to find if the verdict given by the jury was fair. The group comprised of 5 members everyone inclusive. It was a manageable due to its small size. Each member of the group had a responsibility to organize the next court hearing we were to attend. The cases had to cover the area of study currently being studied in class to give us a deeper understanding of the subject. Role leadership was a collective one with every member being equally responsible of the actions of the group in entirety. For months, all was well until one member of the group hatched a plan to swing by a strip club after visiting the court house. The plan sounded as a Good Friday plan that would assist us to unwind preparing for the next week. On May 5, 2008, we meet outside the campus’s gate to plan on the mode of transport to use on our way to the court house. Due to convenience and reliability, we decided to take a taxi considering our group number. The day passed with different categories of cases in the court room. At 4pm, the group unanimously agreed to take late lunch as we have had a long tiring day as we prepared on what to do next. After taking our lunch, we headed back to our rooms to freshen up and prepare for a great night out. At around 7PM of the same day, we joined the party at a local pub to loosen our senses on what we were about to do. In my case, it was really exciting since it was the first time I was attending a strip club without worrying if my parents would scold me for arriving late in the night. By midnight, we were heavily intoxicated out of the beer we had been consuming since early evening. We strolled into one of the local strip clubs mostly frequented by campus students due to its good collection of music, drinks, and women. For hours, we had fun not worrying about any care in the world until the local Sheriff burst in the club. He demanded proof of identification for everyone in the club. I was shaking in my boots since I had left my campus and nation identification cards back at the apartment. I was not the only one without an ID as it turned out two others did not possess the same documents on them. We were taken to the New York police department to be charged with drinking and soliciting sex in places above our age limit. I was in disbelief all this time since I have never been in this situation before in my life and even my amateur law skills could not get me out of this unscathed. In no time, the word reached the Dean of students who came to our rescue in a time when we need one. This act of mercy had a cost to pay as my group members and I were summoned to the deputy vice-chancellor’s office the following Monday to plea to our case verse Columbia University. It was an informal briefing that was to give us a chance to save ourselves from being expelled for immoral misconduct. The next Monday we went to see the deputy vice-chancellor’s as instructed in the summoning letter served to us. In no time our case was heard in front of a board of internally chosen arbitrators who had a mandate to see justice was served. It was our chance to stand in a dock even before we could graduate as Lawyers to practice our authority. The board decided to suspend our studies for a period not less than 100 academic days at Columbia University. It was a big blow to my career as it delayed my semester by 100 academic days that I had to study under surveillance for misconduct. If we had not decided unanimously to visit a strip day earlier the prior week, the consequences of our youthful action would not have befallen us as it did. From that experience, I forever wish never to trend into a strip club without proper identification documents. Otherwise, attending a regular pub is a better option as the chance of being busted by cops is very low. Strip clubs have become razed with new security measures to ensure under-age kids do not engage pleasures too demining for them morally. Among the new security measures being implemented is the random possibility of police searches in clubs to seek under-age drinkers. Not having a proper form of identification in a strip club classifies one under teenage drinking which is punishable by law either through imposed lenient fines or community service. In summary, group think can affect any form of group as long as the members choose to make life-altering decisions. In my case, I was at the wrong place without the right documents to certify my legality of been there. I ignored the possibility of being arrested for indulging in activities that border to illegal issuance. Assignment Two Topic: Group Roles and Norms While still in campus, I was lucky to join the college scouting Corps since my former group had instilled in me the need to offer service to humanity. As usual there are several implicit and explicit roles that exist within the college scouting Corps Implicit and Explicit Roles and norms within the College scouting Corps Explicit Roles As a perquisite to joining the scouting training school new recruits must fully know and understand the reputation of the group since its formation in November 10, 1775. A college scout is expected to be focused, strong-willed, controlled, as well as be available to engage in rescue operation at any time to protect the interests of community at large (Moorhead & Griffin, 2011). Explicit roles of the college scouting Corps include participating local conservancy efforts carried out by the local youth organization located within New York City. In general, I chose to engage in adventure that was more sensible and that added value to my life and my studies (Gully & Philips, 2011). Due to the amount respect accorded to college scouting Corps I felt as being of part of something fulfilling in body and spirit. Explicit Norms From the moment I signed to be a college scouting Corps, I was expected to be dutiful as well as remain loyal to the scouting codes of conduct given to me by my seniors. A common norm that is upheld among college scouting Corps is that we are trained to act on commands without questioning the commanding authority. Our rational ideas and opinions stop to count the moment one steps on Parris Island which is the official U.S College for training scouting Corps (Gully & Philips, 2011). As a rule known to every college scouting Corps, one should never leave a man lying behind as long as he can be assisted whether injured or alive. Implicit Roles No one ever walked to me and told me that I need to be tough but it is a well known fact if one is a college scouting Corp. Regardless of what may befall a community, a scouting Corp is supposed to ensure the safety of the civilians even if it means sacrificing his life. To the mind of a civilian, a scouting Corp is viewed as a virtual punch bag that can withstand almost any torture and hurt (Moorhead & Griffin, 2011). During one training session, our commander told us that we should expect to be treated badly since we are trained to take it in without complaining. Even under pain, a scouting Corp is not expected to cry as his soul is trained to take any amount of torture that a normal human being cannot handle. Implicit Norms For a long time the scouting Corps has been confused to possess special adaptability skills not present in other persons in the same community. To carry out our responsibilities to the society, a scouting Corp is expected to draw knowledge learnt during the training to assist those close to him live a better life or adopt a healthier life style. As a scouting Corp, I know it is my responsibility to offer help to those who may need it irrespective of their race, color, or creed. Consequences Based on Implicit Norms As a scouting Corp, I am not supposed to engage in confrontations that may lead to physical conflicts. This because we live under a code of maintaining peace and continuity in any situation we find ourselves in. During my training, this misconception was corrected by my base commander who taught me how to fight without throwing punches at my enemy. In one instance, he was attacked by two junior students in a bar but instead of fighting back, he walked away. The understatement in this action was the mental torture he put the junior students wondering if he would forward their case to the campus administration for further determination (Gully & Philips, 2011). To him that was the best fight of his life as it lasted in the minds of his assailants the whole night. In addition, engaging in a fight with a fellow scouting Corp could get one expelled out of the organization for life. Benefits of Participation Being a scouting Corp has its advantages as one can feel proud belonging to the most elite and exclusive club in the world that is not open everyone irrespective of how much one may have (Yetiv, Milan). Ever since I was a small kid, I used to wonder how it feels like to be a scouting Corp. Now that I am one, it is a feeling greater than winning a medal in a race as I am always surrounded by men trained to achieve great loyalty and respect from the entire nation due to the role they play in ensuring social amenities are provided for to those in need in the society. During the hurricane Katrina, I was among the rescuers who assisted residents to come to terms with their heavy losses. Enforcement and Punishment The basic training provided to scouting Corps is meant to breakdown the person along his weaknesses to build him back as a strong being that can withstand harsh conditions. To achieve this, a mistake done by one member of the battalion during the training period is group punished. This is aimed at forging the whole battalion into one distinct unit that is responsible of each others actions. According to my Commander, one mistake by a scouting Corp during a mission can jeopardize the effectiveness of a rescue mission or a community affair. Assignment Three Topic: Individualism versus Collectivism In general, an allocentric individual’s behavior is strongly influenced by how his actions will impact those in the society. Their moral guide reflects care and concern over the feelings of those close to them. In contrast, idiocentric individuals do not care how their actions affect those close to them but rather how it does affect them. Their social life is self centered always worrying about their problems whilst ignoring those of their relatives in the society (Moorhead & Griffin, 2011). In my opinion, Idiocentric individuals achieve more in life than their allocentric counterparts as their actions are not affected by the views and opinions of those in society. They regard their actions as dependent only on fulfilling their bodily desires irrespective of what their friends and relatives may think of these actions. Under different circumstances, I have had a personal experience of how individualist and collective actions can affect one. When I was in high school, I used to engage myself in group discussions to build my understanding. I rarely relied on my own effort whilst doing my assignments or exams. From the excellent results I achieved, it was clear to me that the collective effort by the group accounted partly for my success as most of the things I knew were learned them during group discussions that I used to attend. On the other hand, individualistic actions rely on the will of the doer but not the collective effort of group. In my case, I used to rely on my intelligence to revise for the exams as I believed revision groups wasted too much time as every member had to express his opinion or answer which usually took a lot of time. Revising alone gave me the opportunity to test my understanding of the subjects without relying on my group members for help. In my opinion, it was the best way of familiarizing myself with exam questions prior to sitting for one. It gave me a glimpse of what to expect and how to tackle each question. There exist several distinct differences between idiocentric and allocentric individuals in regard to beliefs, attitudes and behavior towards those close to them in the society. Allocentric individuals behave in a way coherent to the expectations of the society. Their actions are directly affected by how those close to them react to them. They usually consider how their actions will affect those close to them in the society (Gully & Philips, 2011). In everyday life, they strive to meet societal expectations that bind them to their family members and friends. For example, some people attend church not because they have a reason to do so but because they are concerned of being regarded as pagans by those to close them. In contrast, idiocentric individuals do not consider how their actions will affect those close to them but how it will relate to them on an individual basis (Yetiv, Milan). They are referred to as cold-socialist who concern themselves with personal achievements in pace of social integration. Difference between Allocentric and Individualistic Individuals Allocentric and Individualistic individuals differ in opinions and social perspective as they relate to it differently. For example, an individualistic person rarely empathizes with those suffering in the society such as the homeless children and street families. Instead, he is more concerned on self development whilst watching the society fall apart from a distance. In contrast, allocentric individuals take it upon themselves to assist those in the society to live a decent life (Yetiv, Milan). Based on their faith on religion, they feel obliged to assist those undergoing suffering as part of their social responsibility to them. Therefore, collectivism is the most practiced mode of socializing among human beings as they regard their family ties to be the tying knot of their relationships in the society. Lastly, an individualist living in the midst of a collectivism-allied society is usually regarded as a selfish outcast who does not deserve to live in their midst. Assignment 4 Topic: Cultural Influences on Social Cognition and Behavior Being a scouting Corp has exposed me to people sharing different cultures from mine. The scouting Corp battalion I was placed under comprised of students who shared different cultural backgrounds mostly Caucasians and a few Black Americans. Smaller populations in the group included a few Asians and Mexicans. An exposure to these different cultures over a long period gave me different perspectives in regard to how I should relate to each one of them and avoid conflicts (Moorhead & Griffin, 2011). Due to the dark past that exists between Caucasians and Black Americans, episodes of racial conflicts often reared their way into the squad with racist comments being exchanged among the group members. In some cases, physical fights broke out between the two warring sides. Cultural Groups Influence on My Thoughts and Behaviors In my opinion, Caucasians value friendship more than money and wealth. This was evident in the way they cared for each other whilst serving as scouting Corps in the community. They had close ties that were not based on family backgrounds but on a mutual understanding that friendship would assist them to bare the burden of being a scouting Corp. On the other hand, the Black American scouting Corps bonded along ideologies that all humans are equal irrespective of skin color or creed. They usually found solace in each other by sharing personal experiences back at home and the dreams they hoped to achieve. Even though not officially at war with their Caucasian counterparts, they felt uncomfortable especially in regard to how they were being treated by the other races as inferior. Officials tried all they could to keep the two groups from clashing causing paralysis to the operations of the entire battalion. As time passed on, differences between these two cultural groups melted way as they got to realize the need for cooperation rather than competition for recognition. As a rookie in the battalion, I learned a lot by watching how the two cultural groups related to each other on a daily basis. I came to learn the value of true friendship by watching how the Caucasians related to each other (Moorhead & Griffin, 2011). They respected each other’s personal possessions in contrast to their Black Americans who embraced a more liberal stand in respect to sharing personal belongings. It was an eye opener for me to realize how important our cultural backgrounds are to how we relate to individuals sharing a different cultural background. Respect is the one virtue I found common between the two groups. In addition, it helped to maintain professional relationships apart from personal feelings that may get in the way of the communication channel between two different cultural groups. Conclusion In summary, group think can affect any form of grouping as long as the members choose to make life-altering decisions though negative in nature in the spirit of adventure. I joined a group of junior law students who had a routine of attending federal law courts in New York. The objectives of these visits were to familiarize ourselves with protocols followed in a real court. In addition, In contrast, joining the college scouting corps gave me a chance to redeem myself by offering services to the community. Lastly, group-think is a phenomenon that preys on the major weaknesses of a group. In my case, our group desired to be in a strip club which I knew was morally wrong but the group felt the need to see naked women dancing poles for money. Group think led me to a lot of trouble and I have learned my lesson ever since then References Gully, M. S., & Philips, J. (2011). Organizational Behavior: Tools for Success. New York: Cengage Learning. Moorhead, G., & Griffin, W. R. (2011). Organizational Behavior. New York: Cengage Learning. Yetiv, A. S. (Milan). Explaining Foreign Policy: U.S. Decision-Making in the Gulf Wars. 2011 , JHU Press. Read More