Group Communication in Context : Studies in Bona Fide Groups

by Frey, Lawrence R.; Petronio, Sandra; Tracy, Karen; Yep, Gust A.

• ISBN13: 9780805831504
• ISBN10: 0805831509
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-10-01
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

The study of group communication has never been more critical, as recent national and international events point to the fragility of group life. An emerging perspective, the bona fide group perspective, offers hope for improving group communication, for it recognizes that any group--a family, community group, expedition team, social support group, organizational work group, interorganizational collaboration, or international team--must be studied and understood within the multiple contexts in which it is embedded and that significantly affects who is considered to be part of a group, what occurs within that group, and how that group interacts with other groups. In the second edition of his award-winning volume, editor Lawrence R. Frey showcases original research studies conducted on and about communication in bona fide groups, demonstrating the conceptual promise of the bona fide group perspective as realized in research practice. Divided into six sections, the chapters cover a wide range of new or relatively understudied groups--including youth community groups, Internet support groups, climbing expedition groups, families, neighborhoods, and school boards--and demonstrate the wealth of methodological approaches that can be used to study bona fide group communication--including survey methods, interviews, textual analysis, content analysis, participant observation, and discourse analysis. Group Communication in Context: Studies of Bona Fide Groups, Second Editionshows that the bona fide group perspective has the power to transform our thinking about groups and group communication and, in time, the practices in which groups and group members engage. The volume is intended for use in group communication courses, as well as a reference for group scholars. It is also appropriate for classes in psychology, social work, counseling, sociology, anthropology, and related disciplines.

Table of Contents

Introduction Group Communication in Context: Studying Bona Fide Groups	1	(23)
Lawrence R. Frey
Part I: Tales From the Home and Hood: Managing Group Boundaries and Borders
Family Privacy Dilemmas: Managing Communication Boundaries Within Family Groups	23	(34)
Sandra Petronio
Susanne Jones
Mary Claire Morr
Negotiating (Im) permeable Neighborhood Borders	57	(28)
Rona Buchalter
Part II: Community Groups: Engaging in Group Decision Making, Deliberation, and Development
A Multicultural, Intergenerational Youth Program: Creating and Sustaining a Youth Community Group	85	(24)
Sharon Howell
Bernard Brock
Eric Hauser
Selecting a School Superintendent: Sensitivities in Group Deliberation	109	(28)
Karen Tracy
Christina Standerfer
Part III: Groups Confronting Crisis: Contextual Effects on Group Communication
In the Mask of Thin Air: Intragroup and Intergroup Communication During the Mt. Everest Disaster	137	(20)
Renee Houston
Culture and Stigma in a Bona Fide Group: Boundaries and Context in a ``Closed'' Support Group for ``Asian Americans'' Living With HIV Infection	157	(26)
Gust A. Yep
Sachiko T. Reece
Emma L. Negron
Part IV: Cooperatives and Collaborations: Communicating Amidst Multiple Identities, Boundaries, and Constituents
Multiple Identities in Teams in a Cooperative Supermarket	183	(26)
John G. Oetzel
Jean Robbins
Environmental Collaboration and Constituency Communication	209	(26)
Jonathan I. Lange
On the Verge of Collaboration: Interaction Processes Versus Group Outcomes	235	(28)
Joann Keyton
Virginia Stallworth
Part V: Global Groups: Interfacing the Macro and the Micro
Influences on the Recommendations of International Business Consulting Teams	263	(28)
John C. Sherblom
Indexing the Polish Transformation: The Case of Eco-S From a Bona Fide Group Perspective	291	(18)
John Parrish-Sprowl
Part VI: Mediated Groups: Negotiating Communication and Relationships Electronically
Help Is at Your Keyboard: Support Groups on the Internet	309	(26)
Stewart C. Alexander
Jennifer L. Peterson
Andrea B. Hollingshead
Bona Fide Groups as Self-Organizing Systems: Applications to Electronic Newsgroups	335	(32)
Dean Krikorian
Toru Kiyomiya
Doing ``Groupness'' in a Spatially Distributed Work Group: The Case of Videoconferences at Technics	367	(32)
Christoph Meier
Epilogue Communication in Bona Fide Groups: A Retrospective and Prospective Account	399	(16)
Cynthia Stohl
Linda L. Putnam
About the Editor	415	(2)
About the Authors	417	(8)
Author Index	425	(10)
Subject Index	435