Series Effect Appointment - Assignment Example

Group Influence Assignment al Affiliation) Group Influence Assignment Part I: Identify the group you attended? I attended the Secure Sphere Women’s Rehabilitation Group. How were the people arranged in the physical environment (layout of the room and seating arrangement)? It was a comfortable environment, and the members of the group were allowed to sit wherever they wanted to sit and the whole atmosphere was relaxing and calm. There was a bigger sofa and many chairs that were comfortable-looking. The chairs were positioned around a coffee table. What is the composition of the group, in terms of the number of people, ages, sex, ethnicity, etc.? The group was composed of many women varied in ethnicity, age and all the women had experienced some form of domestic violence. The women were now looking for a fresh life free from the anxiety and the fear they had. What are the group purpose, mission, and goals? This group permits women who have gone through certain events that were traumatic in their lifetime to learn from the stories of one another. The mission is helping women interact and talk with one another, see that they are with others, and can build a community sense and trust. The goal is establishing or re-establishing a deeper self-understanding. What is the duration of the group (short, long-term)? Explain. The session of the group lasted for one hour making it, not too short or too long. The session was really enjoyed by the majority of the women. It helped them in finding solace and growing from their experiences. Did the group structure its discussion around an agenda, program, rules of order, etc.? The discussion of the group was on personal goals, the past events of the situation of every person, why every person was in the group meeting and what they expected to achieve from this experience. Formal rules were not there apart from discussion topics are to be within the group’s confines, to respect others and be receptive to others. Describe the structure of the group. How is the group organized? There is a facilitator of the group, some domestic violence experts, alongside people who are survivors and victims of domestic violence. Who are the primary facilitators of the group? A social worker is the primary facilitator of the group. The social worker appeared to work as a guide, counselor and mediator for the women and the meeting’s direction. What subject or issues did the group members examine during the meeting? The examined subjects were how to build up a relationship that is trusting, be in a position to trust their individual judgment in life, parenting and in getting a happy relationship. The other issue was the effect of domestic violence on kids. What types of information did members exchange in their group? The information the members exchanged includes ways of avoiding entering into another relationship that is abusive, signs of a partner who is aggressive, how to help kids in dealing with abuse. What were the groups norms, roles, status hierarchy, or communication patterns? The norm of the group was to understand that not everybody present in the meeting was in a position of sharing their experiences. Even if the experiences were provoking, they were still comforting and supportive. The group had familiarized itself with the process of finding out from one another and sharing with one another. What communication patterns illustrated if the group was unified or fragmented? Explain. In some points, the conversation had to be drawn back to the main topic by the social worker. The conversation was portioned, although this was not the full time as individuals were from diverse experiences and backgrounds. Did the members share a sense of identity with one another (characteristics of the group-similarities, interests, philosophy, etc.)? The women were in a position of identifying with each other since all of them had experienced some form of trauma whether physical, sexual, mental and verbal. Most of the members appear to be at diverse healing levels, although they had a strong system of support set aside to maintain this process. I believe that this system created a bond among its members. Was there any indication that members might be vulnerable to Groupthink? Why or why not? I am of the outlook that there is no indication that the members of the group would be susceptible to groupthink. The group appears to be working towards building a person’s understanding and perception of violence so as to make enhanced discussions and avoid repeating the same mistakes. All women have their own story and should deal with their own pain. In your opinion, how did the collective group behaviors influence individual attitudes and the groups effectiveness? Provide your overall analysis. At what time the session got to the closing stage, the women appeared to be happier. I think the progression and the mood of the group-environment made the members of the group feel less isolated in their experiences and grief. The group offered experience and knowledge that would have been otherwise impossible. Part II The group environment can be defined as the social interaction involving two or more persons. Groups are in a position of influencing the individuals’ perspective in social events. The degree of influence a group may have far extends past interpersonal relationships’ development. The development of the dynamic of a group depends greatly on the individual members’ behaviors. The members’ behaviors affect and influence fellow members of the group on a subconscious stage. The group’s events and social interactions have an effect on each Group affiliate and these behaviors have an ultimate effect on the success and quality of the experience of the group (Friedkin, 2001). The Secure Sphere Women’s Rehabilitation Group is an example of such groups. Secure Sphere is the leading intervention and advocacy center for those women who have gone through crimes and sexual violence, homelessness, trafficking, and abuse. The program offers victims and the members of their family a chance to access many different resources, including group counseling and therapy. In an observed session involving a social interaction between the participants of the Secure Sphere Women’s Rehabilitation Group, there seemed to be unity and strong social involvement among the members of the group(Friedkin, 2001). This group works towards developing its members’ self-esteem and breaking down every feeling of isolation brought about by being violence victims. This allows them to create relationships and share more than they usually can in a normal environment. Social influence often takes place when a person acts together with other people or members of a group. This interaction’s impact can either be negative or positive depending on those exterior influences’ ultimate goals and generally influences the individual’s future behaviors. The group session’s goal is to offer a safe environment that is free from judgment, where there can be sharing of these experiences and learning from them. The session was consisted of about ten members all being women. Some women had children while others did not have children, and all of them had differing experiences from one another in the group. All the women had different stories. Each woman appeared to be coming from diverse backgrounds, and they experienced abuse in diverse ways. Other women had gone through prolonged sexual, verbal, mental and physical violence for years prior to seeking help; others had gone through abuse of their kids, or short-term interaction with an abusive or aggressive partner or spouse (Friedkin, 2001). On entering the meeting room, there was a circle created by many seats and a bigger sofa surrounding a coffee table. The chairs were positioned on one side of the coffee table, and the sofa was placed on the other side. In the central point of the two divides of the sphere formed by furniture was a smaller chair, which appeared to be comfortable. The facilitator utilized the small chair. There was no specific sitting arrangement for the members of the group, therefore, allowing them to sit where they felt most comfortable. Establishment of the hierarchy in the group session was based on seniority. The meeting started with a greeting and a short introduction of the group members beginning with the facilitator; Janelle, a social worker. The next level of the conversation was a short overview of the previous meeting, repeating some of the discussions and relating the previous meeting’s discussion to fresh topics. The conversation was drawn to a recent local newspaper article by the facilitator (Friedkin, 2001). The group affiliates were permitted to be part of the developing conversation; stating their views on news topics, and how they can be related to their individual experiences. The members that were more vocal were considered the group’s senior members, and their passion appeared to be working as an invitation for fresh members of the group. The members of the group exchanged their perspectives, concerns and thoughts based on individual situations. All the members of the group were permitted to join the conversation without any limits. Groupthink is the psychological word that relates the desire of the group to have a united perspective and frequently does so by the submission of the group member to the ideal of the group and conforming to the beliefs of the group (Friedkin, 2001). Social groups that exhibit signs of having the desire for groupthink and have a need for completely controlling its members, do so using conformity processes. This is done hoping to preserve the group’s ideals at the expense of the personality of the member of the group. The conformity process called on three basic principles; that the group should be consistent, isolated from views that are opposing, and a steady leader whose decisions do not exclusively benefit him or her. The Secure Sphere Women’s Rehabilitation Group did not show any indication that groupthink plays whichever meticulous role in the group’s success. The members of the group sought the group’s comfort as a way of escaping isolation and being freed from feelings of obeying the rules of a cruel spouse in the past. Conformity can be defined as the assuming or altering attitudes and behaviors that are useful to fit with social norms in a social or group environment (Friedkin, 2001). The Secure Sphere Women’s Rehabilitation Group while displaying social protocols and norms, such as respecting others and not discussing the information of the group outside the environment of the group, there seemed to be no conformity among the members of the group. The group’s purpose seemed to promote personality against attempting to create a single unit from the members. The members were honest and authentic in the whole session, and they did not show any signs of desiring to ever again stoop to another person’s or group whims. It is a reality that mainstream of these women were susceptible because of what they had experienced, but the group environment’s support and the facilitator’s aid appeared to be empowering as opposed to trying to diminish the personality of an individual. The group dynamic’s influence can significantly affect an individual. In fact, it is even shown by some studies that interpersonal relationships and bonds can develop an individual’s emotional state (Friedkin, 2001). The information obtained from the observation of the session of this group suggests that this is true. The emotional state manifested by this group was positive, and members seemed to appreciate it. Social interactions improve cognitive skills in groups and individuals to develop communication, language skills, solve problems, intellect, knowledge, technology, among others. Although it is a fact that there are people taking advantage of the environment of the group through the creation of negative influence on individuals, it is not the rule. The idea of totally keeping away from social interaction is more or less obscene, as it does not have any useful components. The Secure Sphere Women’s Rehabilitation Group is a constructive social group, which serves its members through a shared and supportive atmosphere. This organization helps in saving lives, rebuilding self-esteem, and helping its members to recover a self-sense (Friedkin, 2001). The Group affiliates gain knowledge of the manner within which they can be able to move beyond their experiences, unconstructiveness, and suffering. This will help them to put their lives in order, accomplish individual objectives, as well as help other women like them get the need that they need. This makes it easier for women to get a place that they can feel safe away from their troubles. Reference Friedkin, N. (2001). Norm Formation in Social Influence Networks. Science Direct, 23(3), 167-189. Myers, D. (2010). Social Psychology (10th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill Read More