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RADICAL PEDAGOGY

T. R. Young
The Red Feather Institute

3 MARCH, 1995

 Menu Item No. 023
SMALL GROUP DYNAMICS

Distributed as part of the Red Feather Institute RADICAL PEDAGOGY Series.

The Red Feather Institute, 8085 Essex, Weidman, Michigan, 48893.

Cost: 20 Generic pts.  Payoff: Up to xx Quality Points.

Limit: 10 people may 'buy' this assignment.

These Field Assignments and Special Projects come from the Point Menu of The Great Flying Chaos Learning Circus...an interactively rich and informationally diverse Syllabus.   The weight assigned to each Menu Item assumes a 200 pt. budget; i.e., students are 'given' 200 points with which they may 'buy' an assignment.  Of the 200 pts, 100 must be spent on tests.  Students can earn a grade without taking final examinations in this Syllabus...hence students are greatly motivated to 'spend' points.

NOTE: One may use this assignment without reference to the GFCLC; just adapt it to your own syllabus.

DIRECTIONS:  SELECT ANY PRIMARY, VOLUNTARY GROUP TO WHICH YOU BELONG 
[OR CAN ARRANGE TO VISIT] AND DO A PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION OF IT.  
USE THE ITEMS BELOW TO GUIDE YOUR RESEARCH.  WRITE IN COMPLETE 
SENTENCES.  WRITE ENOUGH TO DEMONSTRATE YOU UNDERSTAND AND CAN 
APPLY THE CONCEPT TO THE RESEARCH SETTING.  
TYPE UP YOUR ANSWERS FOR MAXIMUM CREDIT.  
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS ARE IMPORTANT!!!  Be classy!
A.  WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE GROUP YOU ARE ANALYZING? 
	 ____________________________
B.  HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU SPEND MAKING YOUR OBSERVATIONS 
	 ____________________ HOURS
C. HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED THE MEETING [BE SURE THERE WERE MORE 
	THAN 10; FEWER THAN 30]
	 _____UNDER TEN     
	 _____ 10 TO 15
	 ____15-25 
	 ___MORE than that.
D.  DATE OF OBSERVATION: _____________

TWO POINTS FOR EACH ANSWER MEETING THE GUIDELINES ABOVE:
1.  WAS THERE A TASK LEADER?  WHAT WAS HER/HIS NAME? 
	___________________________
2, 3, 4.    WHAT DID S/HE DO TO GET THINGS MOVING ALONG TOWARD 
	    A GOAL:
     A.  SETTING THE AGENDA; DECIDING WHAT TO TALK ABOUT:
     B.  GATHERING/OFFERING RELEVANT INFORMATION:
     C.  EVALUATING AS BETWEEN OPTIONS/ALTERNATIVES:
5.   WAS THERE A SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEADER WHO HELPED KEEP THINGS 
	FRIENDLY; HELPED WITH THE RE-INTEGRATION PROCESS AT THE 
	END OF THE SESSION?  WHAT SPECIFICALLY DID THIS PERSON DO??
6.    WERE THERE SOME PEOPLE WHO SAID VERY LITTLE?? WHY WAS THAT??
	 _______________________________________________________.
7.   HOW MUCH EVIDENCE OF ALIENATION DID YOU NOTICE?  
	OBSERVE BODY TALK FOR DATA TO MAKE THIS JUDGEMENT.  
	[TOY INVOLVEMENTS, DAY DREAMING, READING PERSONAL STUFF, 
	  FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, ETC].
8.   WAS THERE A TECHNICAL DIVISION OF LABOR???  
	[SOME ONE TO MODERATE; SOMEONE TO TAKE NOTES;
	 SOME ONE TO DO OTHER SPECIAL JOBS??  IF SO, EXPLAIN.
9.   IS THERE A SOCIAL DIVISION OF LABOR [BASED ON AGE, RACE, GENDER, WEALTH 
	OR SOCIAL ESTEEM]?  EXPLAIN.
10.  WHAT WAS THE EMOTIONAL QUALITY OF INTERACTION??  
	WAS THERE EXCITEMENT, ANGER, FUN, RESENTMENT OR 
	ANY OTHER EMOTION YOU COULD PICK UP?  EXPLAIN.
WAS THERE ANY THING THAT HAPPENED---IN TERMS OF GROUP DYNAMICS---NOT MENTIONED IN THE LECTURE
OR ABOVE??  IF SO, REPORT IT IN THIS SPACE.