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Addendum to "That Once and Future Field" Dr. Joseph McGrath, an internationally known researcher and theorist in the field of groups, is the author of the article Small group research: That once and future field--An interpretation of the past with an eye to the future, which is the lead article in the first volume of Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. Dr. McGrath's article examines the history of research into the dynamics of groups, and offers an overview of his recent, systems-oriented approach to both theory and research. Dr. McGrath's paper is based, in part, on a presentation made at the preconference on small groups held prior to the annual meetings of the Society of Experimental Social Psychologists held in 1992. At that presentation Dr. McGrath regaled his audience by playing recordings of songs to punctuate key points in the talk. For the sake of historical accuracy the song lyrics are included here. Group Dynamics Song Index
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF KURT LEWIN]
THE KURT LEWIN BLUES
Kurt used to play
A group dynamics game.
In his day
Gave group dynamics name!
Now they all say
It's done lost its fame!
Groups were in fashion
But they ain't today!
Were in fashion
But they did not stay!
Cognitive now
Groups done gone astray!
Started with Lewin
That's where it all began
He gave us goals
That dynamics man!
It was Lewin
Made it seem worthwhile
Now all dat jazz
Done gone out of style!
Got da' Kurt Lewin Blues
Oh Lewin knew the score!
But now we gonna' lose
All that we had before!
Now we just sing da' blues
Ain't groups no more!
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF JOHN THIBAUT AND HAL KELLEY]
EXCHANGE THEORY SERENADE
Hail to thee, Thibaut & Kelley
May thy theory reign!
Hail exchange! Thy theory tells me
Life's just costs and gain!
Oh each exchange,
yes each transaction
Brings rewards and sting
And payoff from
the interaction
Is the only thing!
We'd be happy
any place where,
Even though its hell,
The net payoff
we would face there
Would exceed CL!
And we would surely
swift abandon
Even Heaven's vault
If we expected
we could land in
Higher CL (Alt)!
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF R. F. BALES]
CODE-A-LOT
Twelve codes can plot
the whole of interaction
They're nested
in symmetrical array,
So we can track
all meaningful transactions
With IPA! Bales IPA!
Each act is
Instrumental or Expressive
There's one for
any thing that one can say.
But processing the data's
quite excessive
With IPA! Bales IPA!
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF I. D. STEINER]
PROCESS LOSSES BLUES
Teams, groups, crews!
Task performance blues!
Change in sizes ....Dramatizes:
Productivity declined!
Process losses thus defined!
Teams, groups, crews!
Such bad news!
Let's try....Delphi
Process Losses Blues!
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE DEMISE OF THE EARLY GROUP RESEARCH PARADIGMS]
THE GOOD OLD PARADIGM
In the good old Paradigm
In the good old Paradigm!
I'll test your hypotheses
And baby, you test mine!
And for tools we'll use
The Tried & Trues
For that's the very best kind.
And we will both make Tenure With
The Good Old Paradigm!
[TO HIGHLIGHT WITHIN THE "GROUPS AS INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM" METAPHOR]
SOCIOCOGNITIVE THINGS
Group task performance
is quite interactive
And groups have a memory
that's very transactive
So when groups recall,
either structured or free,
They manage it sociocognitively!
Groups sometimes parlay
with lots of invective,
And info exchange
isn't always effective
But nevertheless,
let our battle cry ring:
A group is a sociocognitive thing!
Its collective,
Introspective,
Though I fear you'll find
When I speak of these sociocognitive things
My critics all cry:
"Group Mind!"
[TO HIGHLIGHT WORK WITHIN THE "GROUPS AS CONSENSUS GENERATING CONFLICT MANAGING SYSTEMS" METAPHOR]
GOTTA' REACH CONSENSUS
Though conflict looms
In meeting rooms
No matter what matters may tense us
We just ain't free
To disagree
Cause we gotta' reach Consensus
We must define
A party line
This isn't a time for defenses!
We all must play
The groupthink way
Cause we gotta' reach Consensus
Oh we gotta' reach Consensus
Or researcher is
gonna' get mad!
Oh we gotta' reach Consensus
Conflict's bad,
really bad,
Bad, bad, bad!
Yes we gotta' reach Consensus
Gotta' cease and desist
all this gab!
Oh we gotta' reach Consensus
Or we'll never get
out of this lab!
[TO HIGHLIGHT WORK WITHIN THE "GROUPS AS SYSTEMS FOR MOTIVTING, REGULATING, & COORDINATING MEMBER BEHAVIORS" NETAPHOR].
ADAPTIVE STRUCTURATION [with the fringe on top!]
When the context shows perturbation
Groups will strain to gain information
They display
adaptive structuration
And new things create!
When groups suffer from aggravation
They may even show some frustration
Yet display
adaptive structuration
As they integrate!
Groups modify
And amplify
Mainly things they remember
Yet all the while
They gain a style
Unless there's a change
in a Member!
Groups add tools by appropriation!
Even though they lose syncopation,
Yet they may
display structuration
As they change their fate!
Oh, Adaptive structuration is the way groups create!
Yes, Adaptive Structuration is what makes groups so great!
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING EFFECTS OF MEMBERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS]
GROUP COMPOSITION
Put in some boys, A girl or two
Give them a task,
See what they do
Such re-arrangin'
Is surely changin'
Group composition!
Just vary age, Or sex or race.
Each combination wears
A different face
Homogeneity
Ain't what it used to be!
Group composition!
Each group has got
its structure
A pattern that shapes its lot
But if you add new members
Whatever it was, its not!
There's lots of change ....
That we can try
We'll cross each "t" ....
And dot each "i"
There's lots of traffic...
In demographics
Group composition.
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING EFFECTS OF TASK CHARACTERISTICS]
SOME GROUPS MEET [to spawn new notions]
Some groups meet
to spawn new notions
Some to seek what's true!
Some convene
to show devotions
Some to drink a brew!
Its fun to run
experiments to
See what we can ask.
But for our data
to make sense, you
Can't ignore group Tasks!
Some groups come
to settle issues
Some their lives to fix.
Some excise malignant tissues
Some meet just for kicks!
Its fun to run
experiments to
See what we can ask.
But for our data
to make sense, you
Can't ignore group Tasks!
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE BURGEONING BODY OF WORK STUDYING GROUPS USING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS SYTEMS]
A MEDIUM BUILT FOR TWO
e-mail, e-mail
Can I discourse with you?
male with female
Dialogue, entre nous!
Oh please! Give me
your sign-on
And I will give
you mine on
The in-ter-net!
Safe-sex? You bet!
Technological rendezvous!
[TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING TEMPORAL FACTORS IN GROUPS]
AS TIME GOES BY
We must keep this in mind:
There're groups of every kind
We must not simplify!
And groups will always
suffer change
As time goes by!
New issues they will face,
Some learning will take place
On that we can rely
And groups will always
welcome change
As time goes by!
Process and structure
never stay the same;
Each member learns to
play a different game;
And all the while
They one another tame
And habits routinize!
It makes our task demanding
Our quest for understanding
Of how groups run and why!
Cause groups will always
seem to change
As time goes by!
[TO CELEBRATE THAT FUTURE RESURGENCE OF INTEREST IN THEORY AND RESEARCH ON SMALL GROUPS]
GROUPS, GROUPS, GROUPS, GROUPS
Groups, Groups, Groups, Groups,
Everybody: Study groups!
In your labs
In the field
Information they will yield!
Groups, Groups, Groups, Groups,
Everybody: Study groups!
Some created
Some for real
And the truth we will reveal!
We'll use methods oh so sound!
We'll have data all around!
Test hypotheses so bold
And our theories all will hold!
Groups, Groups, Groups, Groups,
Everybody: Study groups!
No denial!
Been awhile!
Group research is back in style!
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