Overview
In this forum essay assignment, you need to think about informal groups you've belonged to (usually from school or work) that had some job to do. Informal group roles come out of the group members' communication rather than out of appointment to a set position.Use REAL-LIFE situations and examples, but use FAKE names (pseudonyms) for everyone but you. Since you were a member, communicating with your group, you can analyze yourself as part of the assignment if you want to. As a forum, this will be readable by everyone in class, so be honest but professional in your writing.
Think back to a decision-making/active/project group that you've been in. Review the group communication theories you learned in our course. Read the student sample(s)!
For your assignment: Choose a construct set of INFORMAL ROLES relating to behavior patterns of individual members and/or of relational behavior between members that you've observed in a school or work group you've been in. Informal roles are divided into task roles, social roles (aka "maintenance"), and disruptive roles.
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Rubric/Format: WITHIN each body paragraph (analyzing a specific role enacted by one group member), you will need to do the THREE following things:
(1) BOLD the construct term (role) and briefly but thoroughly define each construct using the readings (and cite from text or article) – those specific details will be the basis for your following analysis. Use enough information from the source to explain the construct, but don't go off and add hypothetical or general examples - get to the analysis (see below) instead! Make sure that your construct definitions are thorough and clear.
(2) Analyze observed behaviors: Explain HOW they illustrate the construct(s) you have chosen. Show how the construct can be used to explain what has happened in your group by giving examples of member's verbal and nonverbal communication behavior. (I provided many resources on Canvas. Our textbook does the same thing with examples. And there is a student sample or two on Canvas as well.) If you cannot clearly explain how the behaviors and the construct relate, then either you need to choose different behaviors or a different construct. Or you need to have a better understanding of the material!
(3) Still in the same paragraph, after each analysis point connecting the behaviors to the theory construct, you should evaluate the impact (on the group) of the behaviors you have analyzed. What could/should have been done better/differently? You can address the behaviors of all members (including yourself), or evaluate the actions of a few members, depending upon the situation. If the group members did everything well, tell me WHY they did so. Show your understanding of these constructs/ideas as they occur in the real world.
Use essay structure: Have a short introduction (required) that includes some background on the group(s) you're analyzing. Briefly "set the scene" so we know about the group members and the group's purpose. This intro should end with your thesis/main point preview statement. A short conclusion for your essay post should end with your new understanding about groups & members - not a summary!
For the analysis, keep to one role per paragraph/section (using the rubric below). Deeply analyze at least two task roles and two social roles. (If relevant, you can replace one of the task or social roles with one disruptive role.) *Four roles analyzed (in total) will help you understand how we reflect and/or embody our informal roles through group communication.