Language and Diversity

One concept from the text that I found very interesting is the concept of language use. I found this concept interesting because language and the context in which it is used is in no way universal. The things that I might say to a friend or family member may not be considered appropriate or acceptable within another culture. I know from personal experience that the English language has many words that do not have a translated meaning. For instance a friend of mine grew up in South Africa and they speak Afrikaans as their primary language. This friend is also a co-worker that works with me at an elementary school, and she shares with her children an Afrikaans word of the day. I just discovered this week that there is no translation for the English work "both". I was telling this friend a story and they interrupted me to say "You know we don't have a word for "both", and I was just thinking how much longer it takes us (people who speak Afrikaans) to explain things to each other". It never really dawned on me until that moment that language is something that many people take for granted and that someone like my friend leads a challenged communication life. This friend grew up in South Africa and moved to the states when they were a teenager, and it breaks my heart everytime I hear them talk about how people treated them and how hard it was to learn the language and slang that people used once they were living and going to school here. I have had the privilege of being present when this friend talks to their parents on the phone in South Africa and I can honestly say that their language is beautiful, and being able to share the moment with them and get a small glimpse into their world is priceless. It also amazed me how much of the conversation I could follow through my friend's non verbal communication and how much respect I had gained for them just by realizing how difficult it must be to live and communicate everyday in English and still work so hard to retain their culture. Like many things in life are fragile and not to be taken lightly, and language from culture to culture and even generation to generation is one of these delicate things that need to be balanced in all facets of our lives.

White Men of Privilege

I agree that this concept exists especially since I have seen it firsthand, but I do not agree with it at all. I think that it should be referred to as "People of privilege" because I have seen it with many cultures/ethnicities not just European Americans. The concept means that being a person with connections (familial or other) have a more likely opportunity to gain something over a person without connections or limited resources. In my personal life I have some into contact with many people that live a life or privilege. I have friends and family that depend on their close and extended family to bail them out of life's situations constantly. I think there is nothing wrong with family helping each other out once and a while especially when you are younger (for instance in college or just entering the workforce) but to be an adult not in school with children or other dependents and still taking large lifestyle contributions from your family is irresponsible. I also have people in my professional life that held the same title as many of us in the workplace but because a parent works within the company they have special jobs created for them, or they are not subject to the same rules of fraternization (etc). All in all privilege does exist within our society, but the power that we give to these people resonates in ourselves. I cannot hold my life to the same standard of another. If I did this I would have tremendous disappointment in my life because as they say "The grass is always greener on the other side".  

Valuing Diversity

Valuing the diversity of others does not necessarily come easy in our personal or professional lives. For instance in my professional life I work with a multitude of cultures on many different levels. I always take into consideration  the other persons culture at all times. From my co-workers and their lifestyle choices to the children and their cultural differences.

I work at an elementary school where many of the employees and students are of the Indian culture. I have become aware of their lifestyle choices and have over time become in tune with their personalities through understanding and making the attempt to understand them. For example I am not a vegetarian, but I have come to understand how important it is within their culture/religion, so i make the conscious decision to understand and during lunch time with the students I make the effort to talk to them about their food and share with them my favorites within their cultural food group.

I have found that taking each persons individual personality into consideration is very important. I have found many different personalities within my professional group, and my ability to adjust to them is essential. I work with people who are sensitive to tone and comments, so I make the effort to keep my sarcasm to a minimum and make every attempt to avoid a mis interpretation of words. I also have co workers that are on a much personal level to me and the things we talk about are definitely things we would not talk about with many others.

One specific example is one of my best friends being from South Africa.This friend means so much to me, so I go out of my way to make sure that they are not left out of conversations or jokes that they may not understand. I make the effort to ask them things about their culture and how they react or deal with certain life situations. I love to explore their culture and incorporate their lifestyle and culture with my own.

In conclusion I don't think that valuing diversity comes easily, but I think that with the effort (no matter how tremendous it may be) we all can understand one another and move to a society that does not seclude people and makes us all feel equal.

Decision Making and Problem Solving

One topic in the readings that I found interesting was the portion of Decision making and problem solving.
I will take example from a a situation in my own life and try and incorporate the reading into my pattern of problem solving.

The text says first we should define the goal: My goal is to rid myself to people in my life that use and abuse my sympathy and concern to benefit their own twisted sense of self due.

Second we examine the constraints that prevent us from reaching our goal:The constraints that prevent me from achieving my goal are; My inability to reach my breaking point with people, and my inability to hold my ground when those around me crumble.

Third we consider the possible alternatives: In my situation the only possible alternative would be the disregard of my feelings and the logical conclusions I have come to from conversations with others and personal introspection.

Fourth we make the initial decision after considering alternatives: After contemplating on my predicament I think that the only option I have is to eliminate the area of stress and strife before me by holding my ground and doing that I believe is the most beneficial scenario for my life (present and future).

Fifth we develop a plan of action to implement the decision: My plan of action is to not be corrupted by any outside source and to be happy with my decision so I don't waver in my plan.

Sixth we take the final step and evaluate the results and consequences: In my scenario I can step back and contemplate my decision and feel stoic that my choice will benefit my life in the positive. By doing what I think is best regardless of what others think I know I am giving myself a better opportunity for my future.

If you can pinpoint and eliminate the problems in your life by taking these six easy steps and give yourself the confidence to stick by your decision I feel anyone can live a stress free life with many personal joys.  

Functions of Norms in Groups

Group norms act as a collective of actions and value systems established by the group. Some actions are accepted while others are not. Norms are put into place as acting guidelines to adhere by. The these guidelines are important and are set/agreed upon by the group as a whole. These guidelines can include, values, beliefs, procedures and behaviors. Norms influence our actions within our group. Norms define the group atmosphere by telling us what we can and cannot do. Norms can be viewed as expected behaviors for the group and not abiding by these rules may have consequences.

A norm that my social group has is not telling each other we are available to go out if we are not sure, or may change our minds. It is well known within our group that if you are not sure about your schedule and whether or not you will be available to actually attend a function that you don't make the commitment in the first place. For example if I was asked to go out with my friends and I wasn't sure I would say "Well maybe, but I will let you know for sure later In the week", but just yesterday one group member had made plans with three other group members two weeks ago for last night, and waited until four p.m. to text one group member and flake out. Now that the norm has been ignored the group has no choice but to choose to not include this other group member in its invitations for events or to accept the failure to adhere to the norm. 

Every group has norms that they set either explicit or implicit, but it is important to utilize these norms as a way to build a stronger group not to eliminate or belittle individuals within the group.

Norms

Even though I do not attend classes on campus I can reasonably assume that norms do exist on some level. Academic norms put into place by the institution are to be followed in terms of performance and procedure. These norms can affect your place within the ranks of achievement in this group. There would almost certainly be norms within the student population that would revolve around groups of individuals that share common interests. For instance the same norms may or may not be found within two different groups if individuals, so the group itself finds its foundation built on norms established with one another.
In my social group there are most certainly norms. Given that I work with elementary school children there is an implicit norm of caring for and having a desire to help children succeed.
My social group also has the implicit norm of demonstrating appropriate behavior and dress code. (Behavior in terms of language and attitude). However my social group that extends outside of my work environment does not hold the same set of implicit norms in terms of our behavior.
The largest peripheral norm within my group would be the ability to not jump to dramatic conclusions with each other that may result in conflict.
For example we try to fully understand each other and the statements we may make before we get upset with each other. Any of our norms can be identified easily because we are very blunt and honest with each other and quickly share our likes and dislikes and share the desire to remember these things about one another to keep the group functioning well.  

Double-Loop Learning

The concept of double-loop learning is intriguing because it touches on the topic of constantly looking for new avenues to reach your destination. This is a unique way to approach small group discussion/interaction because it is not something we are all used to. We are taught our whole lives that "If at first you don't succeed....Try again", but it is not told whether if you fail the first time you should try a different approach.

For example this week in my fourth grade after school program class myself and a fellow teacher were teaching our third and fourth grade children the game charades. We demonstrated the rules and gave them a few pointers on the game in general, and then sat back and watched them. When they first started they froze in place when their initial attempt was unsuccessful, but as soon as we told them "It is not working! Try something else" they jumped at the chance and started to think outside of the box.

So by allowing the individuals (even though they are children) the opportunity to go at it themselves and figure out a way to address the problem (figuring out a way to display the topic) they overcame magnificently and are presumably better at the task.

Entropy and equifinity

When working in a small group situation it is very important to take into consideration the concept of entropy/chaos. This is an interesting idea to utilize because when you have a small group that is either over-functioning, or under-functioning entropy/chaos may rear its nasty head.
A small group that has a lack of member contribution, and the remainder of the ideas are old and boring is in danger of being entropic. On the other hand a group that has too much input flying around without any organization is considered chaotic. It is a great necessity within a small group situation to create an environment where all members have a voice and an accepting team to consider their contributions to the outcome.


Within a dynamic small group one much also remember the valuable concept of equifinity.
This concept is appropriate to a well functioning group, but may not be easy for people to adjust to. Most people in a small group situation are usually so consumed with organization (especially because their grade is subject to other peoples work ethic) that the idea of being semi free spirited and exploring new options in problem solving and decision making may cause some anxiety.
However when group members have the freedom to explore other paths and/or alternative options within their contribution range they can find new combinations of ideas to create a stellar paper, or even a new way to present their ideas effectively. Therefore by allowing some space to breathe and giving team members liberty to explore within their own realm one may find a unified highly functioning small group.

Interdependence and interrelationships

When working in a group setting it is important to remember how important your responsibility as a member of the group is, and how an extreme lack of contribution, or even over reaching can impact the demeanor and results of the team effort. Group cohesion and cooperation is necessary to creating a dynamic group, and achieving results that are satisfactory to the group as a whole.

Example 1: How Lack of contributing can impact the group.

In a previous course I was paired  up with four other students and assigned a project that consisted of making a film that creatively approached and brought awareness to our topic. When one of the team members neglected their responsibilities in the larger scale of the project the rest of the group was left scrambling to cover the work. The rest of the team was resentful to this student for their lack of consideration, or acceptance of their responsibility.

Example 2: How overreaching can impact the group.

While working on a debate project with three other people I was confronted with a team member that was overbearing, and controlling. This team member was intent on leading the discussion the whole time. The other group members felt limited in their team role, and their choice of work load distribution. When the presentation came the group lacked cohesion and received a low grade on communication with one another during the presentation.