8: Small Group Communication
- Page ID
- 24006
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- 8.1: Understanding Small Groups
- Small group communication refers to interactions among three or more people who are connected through a common purpose, mutual influence, and a shared identity. In this section, we will learn about the characteristics, functions, and types of small groups.
- 8.2: Small Group Development
- Small groups have to start somewhere. Even established groups go through changes as members come and go, as tasks are started and completed, and as relationships change. In this section, we will learn about the stages of group development, which are forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning (Tuckman & Jensen, 1977).
- 8.3: Small Group Dynamics
- Any time a group of people come together, new dynamics are put into place that differ from the dynamics present in our typical dyadic interactions. Groups also develop norms, and new group members are socialized into a group’s climate and norms just as we are socialized into larger social and cultural norms in our everyday life. Last, the potential for productive and destructive conflict increases as multiple individuals come together to accomplish a task or achieve a purpose. This section explo