It is my responsibility because I have the ability to analyze the problem, come up with a possible solution, share my ideas with my classmates.  I am capable of setting goals, and my ability to help create proper goals will affect the final outcome in this class (wiki).

5.  I have been instrumental in marshalling resources for the group. If true, explain how.

I’ve presented my ideas to my classmates, sent out emails, called people to help coordinate our collaborations.  I have shared my ideas for the wiki and taken an active role in communicating with my classmates and in putting together a proposal.

10. Our class/group has all the roles necessary to achieve optimum group growth and productivity. If true, explain. If false, which role(s) are we missing?

False.  It’s taken us a while to get the ball rolling and now we are picking things up.  We have the roles already apprearing, but I do not think we are at our optimum level of productivity.  We are in need of a procedural technician to get the wiki up correctly in between classes.

11.Our class/group has not yet generated effective work on the problem of role-requiredness. If true, what role have you been playing? If false, what evidence – on the group level – supports your claim?

False. We’ve assigned committees, we’ve gotten contact lists to get in touch, we’ve set goals for each committee. We took a while to start but we’re getting our work done.

15. I have role flexibility. If true, explain with three or more specific examples from class. If false, what are the adverse consequences to your teams and the class/group-as-a-whole?

A) Coordinator; calling, emailing, meeting up to coordinate wiki page

B) Opinion giver; share my thoughts about projects and direction. Helped with proposals and with the brewery plan.

C) Compromiser; some ideas I didn’t like especially during that first brawl we had in class. But I realized that we couldn’t all have it out way so I was open to doing stuff that I didn’t agree with.

16. Developing role flexibility is an important objective of group member training. The three roles I flex among the most are: a)________, b)________, and c)_________. My decision to flex is based upon: ___________ (name at least two factors and give an actual example).

See Above. My decision to flex is to get things done. If I weren’t to compromise during the fishbowl discussions on the direction of the wiki page we would have been stuck longer, at least in part, because of my unwillingness to cooperate. Also I want to get a good grade in this class and enjoy participating. I worked on the proposal and the brewery idea because they were things I had genuine interest in and I figured doing more could only help my grade and my fun in the class.

18. I never find myself resisting the retraining required to be a functional group member. If true, are you saying you never experience tension or anxiety in the class/group? Explain. If false, how does your resistance tend to show itself in role behavior?

False. I resist. Again, during the fishbowl fight above I felt resistance to compromising because I had some attachment to my ideas and preferences. Of course I didn’t want to make a huge scene but I did feel a resistance, though it may not have been huge, it was still there.

]]> http://sedona1.wordpress.com/2008/05/04/never-have-i-ever/feed/ 0 sedona1 http://sedona1.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/look-me-in-the-eye/ http://sedona1.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/look-me-in-the-eye/#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:17:39 +0000 sedona1 http://sedona1.wordpress.com/2008/04/02/look-me-in-the-eye/ ]]> “I thought I was being told to look the author in the eye…”

This line of thinking is pretty easy to understand. Originally I had a thought that it was either the author telling someone, maybe the reader, to look them in the eye, or that an adult was telling the child on the cover (I assumed it was the author) to look them in the eye.

“His eyes are shut on the cover to convey that he doesn’t want to reveal or share anything when in fact he’s letting us into his life through his retelling of experiences.”

This was an interesting take on the meaning. I would not have gone through that line of thinking, unless maybe I had been given an assignment to come up with a possible symbolic interpretation of the cover/title.

“I thought I was being told to look the author in the eye…”

 All of these different interpretations show how differently people will interpret the same thing.  This is a common problem in communication.  No matter how clear we think we are, we can never be sure that our intended message is received the way in which we hope.  In a way I think it is impossible for people to understand exactly what you are trying to convey, but rather one can only hope to  convy a functional expression of one’s intended message.

The current definition of opinion:

1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.

2. a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.

3. the formal expression of a professional judgment: to ask for a second medical opinion.

4. Law. the formal statement by a judge or court of the reasoning and the principles of law used in reaching a decision of a case.

5. a judgment or estimate of a person or thing with respect to character, merit, etc.: to forfeit someone’s good opinion.

6. a favorable estimate; esteem: I haven’t much of an opinion of him.

The two most common uses of the word opinion in today’s world points to the fact that opinions have no certainty. They are merely a thought and so do not carry as much weight as might a fact. A marked difference between the original connotation and the context in which it is now used is the sense of ownership to one’s thoughts. Today one can avoid direct conflict by claiming it is only one’s opinion as if it has not much weight because it is just an opinion, or that what was voiced was not entirely representative of what the person truly beliefs, it is just a passing thought they have being voiced. The origins of the word comes from the root op- which means to choose. To choose to think, judge, suppose or opine. The root connotes that one chooses their judgment, their opinions. It gives a more pronounced link back to the person with the opinion, it makes them more accountable because it points to the fact that they are choosing their judgments. I believe this change shows the differences in the cultures that originated the word and our own culture.

This changes of course when it is a professional opinion. Doctors, lawyers, and any other person deemed an expert in the eyes of society. Often times give up their own ability to make their own decisions, take up their own opinions and allow those given society approval of expertise to decide. It is not necessarily bad, doctors must go through years of schooling in order to finally become a certified doctor. The problem that arises is when we no longer feel like we have merit to question an thought, to get a second opinion, to arrive at one’s own conclusions. Doctors and lawyers are humans as well, talk to two of them and they may very well give you conflicting professional advice.

Interestingly enough, the term opinion is more closely tied to its original meaning in the context of the court system. Perhaps it is their culture and tradition by which this has occurred. In law it means “the formal statement by a judge or court of the reasoning and the principles of law used in reaching a decision of a case”. This places much more weight on an opinion than within the typical context it is used it. It connotes choice, it connotes accountability. It tells that the opinion was a chosen conclusion based on logical argument, it connotes more responsibility in the statement as well as the person choosing their judgment.

How does your decision relate to or illustrate the subject matter of this course?

I don’t know the theory so I’m just going to go off the following.

The course description says:

The dynamics of decision-making groups. topics include: leadership, networks, conformity, problem solving, mediation, and conflict resolution.

I guess the one that stands out the most here is conformity. Conformity is inaction, allowing things to be how they are. So this is what I am doing. My decision making explanation is one formula for inaction, which may be perceived as conformity by some people. Under another frame it could be interpreted as just being real. The path leading to the protest has several speed bumps and hurdles along the way (getting a ride, getting in touch with all professor for permission, missing all my classes, having to get back in time for class) and absolutely no payoff for me (I am not interested in attending a protest in Boston, I see no appeal in doing so). So for those reasons I am not attending the protest.