CAFS - Prelim Notes Individuals And Groups PDF

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CAFS - Prelim Notes Individuals And Groups...

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COMMUNITY AND FAMILY STUDIES PRELIMINARY COURSE STUDY NOTES: CORE 2 INDIVIDUALS & GROUPS MODULE FOCUS:

Groups In The Community:

Types Of Groups ● Family And Friendship Groups Kinship ties/social bonds based on ancestry, marriage, adoption, most common of primary/major group types. Spend great deal of time together, engage in wide range of activities together, know each other well. Friendship groups are more likely than family—looked upon as secondary type groups to disband after short time. Dysfunctional, fragmented families, school friendships, childhood friends.

● Sporting And Leisure Groups May be long term/temporary, maintain/improve physical wellbeing, skills while providing enjoyment to participation, provide fun, interactive way to get fit, healthy. Often rely on each other for motivation to continue activities. Reaching body goal, winning game for team, physical, health needs. Age specific—Little Athletics, location specific—surf lifesaving clubs, competition—triathlon clubs.

● Study And Work Groups Individuals feel connected, engaged, included in academic work, degree of personal satisfaction achieved. Common goal of wanting to succeed, meeting education needs, sense of identity, social interaction, as one works in a group to accomplish things. Pairs/groups of students who study, problem-solve, assist each other with learning, international aid, charity organisations.

● Religious Groups Formed around common beliefs, traditions, values held by specific doctrine of faith, “set of individuals whose identity is distinctive in terms of common religious creed, beliefs, doctrines, practices, or religions.” Sense of belonging/identity, spiritual needs. Promote spiritual growth. Australia is multicultural—people from over 200 different countries. Nurture individuals and their community through spirituality.

● Cultural Groups Holds shared culture, blind trust, cohesion, sense of identity among members—furthering collaboration. Share social, cultural characteristics. Based on geographic location—similar support structure, companionship in some common background. Since they have same culture, they have similar experiences, similar interests, sense of identity, communicate in same language.

● Other Specific Groups Within The Community For aspects of wellbeing to be equitably addressed, satisfied—health, financial status, age, education, gender, class (basis of group formation). Formed for the need of heightened esteem, enhanced self-esteem. Recognition, power, status—political groups. Support groups for people suffering mental/physical problem. Father groups—breaking traditional stereotypes.

Reasons For Group Formation ● Locality/Geographics Groups form as a result of living in a specific region, area or geographical place, e.g. bushwalking group in the Blue Mountains. Friendship groups may form among retirees living in a caravan village. People living in rural communities often enjoy the company of others who live in their locality—generally tight-knit, surviving many generated shared hardships.

● Gender Gender identification usually begins at birth, the child swaddled in a pink/blue wrap, and later gifted a doll/ truck. This begins the journey into another societal grouping. Events and venues may be more attractive to one gender than the other, or may be restricted on the basis of gender. For example, gyms.

● Shared Interest/Common Goals Individuals tend to seek out others with similar values, interests and goals. An interest in bike riding, travelling or cooking could be the basis for forming a group. Individuals forming groups around the common goal to help others or heighten their own wellbeing is becoming more prevalent; research indicates that more Australian individuals and families are engaging in ‘volunteer vacations’, sharing their interest in helping people in developing nations.

● Security It is one of the longer-term safety needs, identified on the second level of Maslow’s hierarchy. Individuals more often choose to form groups by living in close proximity to others to realise their need to feel safe and secure. Community health, emergency and welfare services further work to enhance this need. Ageing individuals may choose to live in retirement villages or enclosed compounds to feel a greater sense of security. An individual living alone will feel increased security if other individuals/groups live nearby.

● Sexuality Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) individuals may form social groups in response to their shared values, beliefs and experiences. Current legislation is providing greater acknowledgement of the legal formation of such groups and of the discrimination against groups on the basis of sexuality. Gentlemen’s clubs, Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Sex Discimination Bill 2013.

● Specific Needs Communities are made of many groups and sub-groups—specific needs are quite diverse. Individuals from all walks of life have specific needs based on their economic, physical, cultural, socioemotional and intellectual situations. Many local communities and welfare groups provide the opportunity for reformed alcoholics, gamblers and drug addicts to meet to work through their problems.

● Social Interaction Such groups generally share common values, goals, beliefs and standards. They may be long term/ transitory. Some males have a regular ‘meet’ at the football/share the responsibility of taking their children to soccer training. Stay-at-home parents regularly meet at cafes/one another’s homes to chat about their lives and to give their children opportunities to play together.

● Cultural The opportunity to reflect on and celebrate each one’s culture, or the traditions practiced in an individual’s country of origin, is a major reason for the formation of many groups. Cultural practices when acknowledged and shared within a group, serve to enhance individual and group wellbeing. Such groups also provide social interaction, based on a shared belief system. The colourful celebrations of Chinese New Year are indictive of the community being a conglomeration of many different cultures.

● Religious The religious landscape of Australia is diversifying in line with multicultural immigration. With Australia populated by people from over 200 countries, it follows that values, beliefs and religious affiliations are likewise diverse. Individuals and families seek spiritual fulfilment through worship within their specific deity. It is through this common worship that groups are formed.

● Other Group membership is generally associated with heightened self esteem and serves to enhance the selfconfidence of an individual. May join a group to gain greater recognition, poer, status. May allow individuals to achieve self-actualisation, self-transcendence—desire to connect to something beyond ego/help others find self fulfilment, realise potential. An individual who actively engages in group volunteer service work in impoverished regions, teaching English, may also achieve self-transcendence.

MODULE FOCUS: Roles Individuals Adopt Within Groups Specific Roles Of Individuals ● Specific Roles Of Individuals Adopted By Individuals In Groups - To Ensure Tasks Are Achieved : Members are largely concerned with completing the task within a specified time. They are goal oriented. Expert, brainstormer, judge, chairperson, etc.

- To Maintain/Build Relationships : Members are concerned with the wellbeing of the group and its members. They work at knowing each member so that they can cater best to their needs. Their primary focus is on group cohesion. Peace-maker, encourager, advocate, mediator, etc.

- To Influence The Group’s Progress : Members work at diverting attention from the task so that goals are either not achieved/achieved at substandard level. They may push the group to make hasty decisions and ill-informed judgements. This may impact on group harmony. Victim, distracter, husher, delayer, interrupter, monopoliser, side-tracker, hair-splitter, browbeater, etc.

● Norms, Conformity And Cohesiveness Within And Among Groups Individuals in groups likely to identify with common values, belief systems, standards. Closely linked to these are norms (standard/platform of behaviour considered normal in particular society)/code of ethics by which group operates. Norms may be established formally as rules/may be an implied/expected standard of behaviour observed by group. When individuals join a group, may need to change/modify behaviour to ‘fit in’ with expected norms of group. Failure to conform  may result in rejection by/isolation from other members, while conforming acknowledges an acceptance of group values. This promotes unity, group cohesion. Group that observes common set of values, established norms that are accepted by all members likely to be highly effective, cohesive. Members also likely to work towards common goals, demonstrate an appreciation of the contribution made by each member to total group effort. Norms, conformity, cohesiveness often link with values of community in which group is located. Allows groups to coexist. When norms do not exist, values are not shared, cohesiveness, common goals are not realised. Can cause community disharmony in form of disputes, acts of violence, vandalism.

Factors That Contribute To The Role They Adopt Within Groups ● Personal Factors | CHEPSSS - Self Esteem : Individual’s self-perception, self-value, self-worth. Individuals who believe they have very little to offer lack in self-worth, suffer low self-image, said to have low self-esteem. Contribution likely to be minimal, be withdrawn, hesitant, self-conscious. High self-esteem—more

outgoing, self-assured, project confidence when in presence of others. Generally, feel greater ease when taking on challenges.

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Self Confidence :

Relationship between self-confidence, self-esteem is very close. If confident in own abilities, more likely to take on challenges. Effective leader generally self-confident. Success experienced when realising goal helps increase self confidence, thus self-esteem. Failure would contribute to low self-confidence, diminished self-esteem. Inevitably affects group contribution.

- Sense Of Belonging : When identified with group, feel like they ‘fit in’, ‘belong’, input is valued. gives rise to higher levels of personal fulfilment, giving lives greater meaning. Experiencing sense of belonging more likely to see projects through to completion, have strong sense of ownership over group decisions, pride in group outcomes. Individual belonging to sports team actively engages in fundraising to assist in refurbishment of club house, make working bees high priority. Reverse applies with when feeling excluded from group—tend to feel life has less meaning, may suffer from anxiety, depression, anger.

- Education : Level of academic education, qualifications, work history may each, collectively, play significant part in shaping role individual plays within group. Quite often, group members will look to ‘more educated’ member for direction. Sometimes assumed higher level of education equates to better decision-making—not always case. Group member may not have academic qualifications, life experiences may be just as valuable. Frequently seen when groups of students engage in camps. Outdoor skills possessed by some may not be learned in classroom, indeed valuable in terms of group’s survival

- Heredity : Factors (physical appearance—hair colour, intelligence, personal disposition), passed down via genes. Whether individual suffers from illness (cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, muscular dystrophy) determined by genetics—have negative impact on development. Role of genes in shaping development is area requiring much medical research. May influence role within group/indeed ability to contribute. Temperament unquestionably something that will impact group progress, very formation of group.

- Previous Experiences : lessons learned from life events, past encounters, workplace roles, interactions with others, examples of previous experience, may shape way individuals act, interact within group. Impact may be negative/positive. Ineffective boss may cause individual to have difficulty respecting authority. Positive experience of working with efficient, dynamic team may lead to implementing strategies learned in new context. To degree, all impacted by previous experience. How future opportunities, potential for change is looked at, impact most on role within group.

- Culture : Culturally determined behaviour within groups may be misunderstood if not discussed within group. Cultural awareness programs immensely valuable, enable members to gain understanding of norms, values, social cues exercised by members. Helps members understand influence of cultural differences on interaction. Understanding will strengthen roles played by culturally diverse group members. Important in multicultural country (Australia).

● Social Factors | GRAM - Relationship With Group Members : Group members connected by relationships with each other, ‘group cohesion’. Strong ties—everyone connected through informal socialising, expect heightened solidarity, trust, support. Opposite applies for group of individuals with fractures relationships—formed, may become strained. Can cause disharmony, group member polarisation may also incite other members to take on different roles to bring group back into focus.

- Attitudes Of Group Members, Eg: Peer Acceptance : Acceptance within group generally determined by degree which people of similar age (peers) accept them. Maslow’s hierarchy—need love, belonging to feel acceptance. If not accepted, rejection will impact self-esteem, self-confidence. Often due to differences in values, standards. Acknowledgment enables individuals to re-evaluate positions, adapt/develop strategies to help better cope with given situation. Individuals (children, adolescence) willingly amend actions, preferences to match norms of group belonged to.

- Gender Expectations : Consciously/subconsciously, employ strategies that reinforce perceptions of masculinity/femininity. Begins early in life. Dressing a newborn in pink, identifies the baby as girl. Such perceptions will play major role in shaping child’s development. Male child most likely receives gifts in blue. As adults in group situation, often expect male take on lead role, female record minutes, supply morning tea. Changing stereotypes may cause conflict, group disharmony, critical to acknowledge change in traditional roles. Males, females more frequently taking on shared parenting roles, in turn gives rise to formation of different collection of groups.

- Media : In all forms, motivates, influences thoughts, actions. May be used constructively to educate/destructively to mislead innocent. Through media (social media), information is filtered quickly, available to great number of people. Shapes day-to-day life by keeping people informed. In group situation, all members may hold opinion coloured by media reports. Alternate points of view may cause conflict, fractured relationships within group.

Observation As A Primary Research Method ● Conducting And Recording Observations Require researcher to watch, record behaviour of subjects. Ethics, privacy must be adhered to; permission must be gained prior any direct observation. ‘Participant’—observer participates in activity, becomes part of action research, ‘non-participant’—observer plays no role in activity, observes, records activity. Require researchers to check for non-verbal indicators of feelings, determine interaction patterns, check time given to specific tasks. Observer able to collect data to determine group dynamic. Open to bias. Wise for researcher to be diligent in recording activity in thorough, systematic manner. Prepared recording sheets should always be used. Smart phones, tablets, invaluable for purpose.  ociogram :  Map used, track/record interactions between individuals within group; directional arrows show S flow of interaction. Useful tool for recording interrelationships between individuals. Such interrelationships can be found within peer group, workplace, family. May display conflict, power, friendship, social isolation. Maps such connections using labelled circles to represent individuals, arrowed lines to indicate flow of

communication/contact

● Advantages And Disadvantages Advantages include; provides opportunity for viewing/participating in unscheduled events, allows richly detailed description, provides direct access to considered social phenomena under consideration, provides permanent record. Disadvantages include; bias in recording of events viewed, gender may restrict access to certain information, lack of trust in observer by observed, can be very time consuming, presence of observer may influence behaviour of observed.

● Presenting Research Findings Observers should make use of ‘field books’ to record sessions. Use of photographic observation with supporting comments adds validity to findings. Notes should include data, time of observation, environment. Data may be presented according to key characteristics in tables, graphs, summary items. Flow charts, spreadsheets, sociometric models, tables, articles may all serve to present findings.

MODULE FOCUS:

Power within groups:

Power bases | CLERR ● Legitimate This power base comes with designated position, usually agreed/voted on by community members/ governing body. School protests, local mayor, Governor-General held in high esteem because of position.

● Reward In this power base, leader is able to give merit/award. Used by teacher who gives gold stars for good work/ boss who has jurisdiction over pay increases for extra work.

● Coercive Power base derived from ability of leader to give/take away privileges/rights, so influence group behaviour Power may be used in either positive/negative way. Example is parents who threaten to ground children if they misbehave.

● Referent Power base comes from followers of individual’s looks/attributes (in social media, where individuals ‘follow’/ ‘like’ others). Such power often encourages followers to strive to look like/copy leader (in pop culture, where rock star’s fans copy star’s dress, image).

● Expert Power base comes from knowledge/expertise of individual in given field. Group members may look up to leader for guidance because they hold leader’s knowledge in high regard (university professor may exert expert power over class of first-year students)

Leadership ● Self Leadership Applies to individuals who have developed sense of who they are, possess surety of knowledge, capabilities, have clear vision of goals—own/those of group being led. Such leaders able to effectively use communication, emotions, behaviour throughout leadership process to ensure final outcome positive for all. Direction self-leader will take inevitably determined by own personal values, standards, beliefs. Path generally involves identifying what must be achieved, planning actions required to achieve final result. Heightened sense of wellbeing typical of self-leader. Enthusiasm, vision often infectious, serves to carry others along in process of achieving goals.

● Leadership Styles | DALT May be task oriented, where focus is on processes required to complete task/people oriented, focus is on relationships, interrelationships of individuals involved with task completion. May demonstrate both styles for duration of project. Different styles have characteristics, make them quite distinct from each other.

- Autocratic (Hierarchical) : Characteristics—directive, determines how things will be done, does not involve members in decision-making, maintains leadership at all times, task focused,

demanding/impatient. Outcomes, impact on group wellbeing—reduces indivi...