Humanities Homework Help

University
of Phoenix Material

Group
Influence

This
required Portfolio assignment due in Week Four will give you
experience observing and interacting with people outside
of the classroom. It
has been designed to provide you with the opportunity to develop
skills, synthesize knowledge, and integrate learning in a real world
setting.  This assignment accomplishes that goal by
challenging you to:

• 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 impact one another

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

• Integrate
  your findings with evidence-based literature from journal articles,
  textbook, and additional scholarly sources

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.

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:

Part
I:

Complete
an oral presentation in which you answer the following questions. You
can use any presentation tools you desire such as a powerpoint,
prezi, animoto, or others.

• 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, ages,
  sex, ethnicity, etc.?

• What
  are the group purpose, mission, and goals?

• What
  is the duration of the group (short, long-term)? Explain.

• Did
  the group structure its discussion around an agenda, program, rules
  of order, etc.?

• 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,
  etc.)?

• 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.

Part
II

Write
a 1,200- to 1,500-word paper incorporating your analysis with
evidence to substantiate your conclusion. Explain how your
observations relate to research studies on norm formation, group
norms, conformity, and/or social influence. Integrate your findings
with literature from the textbook, peer-reviewed journal articles,
and additional scholarly sources. Format your paper consistent with
APA guidelines.