Week 4 post on experience on being stereotyped

Are you, or have you ever been a member of a group that has been stereotyped? Does your experience reflect the concepts identified in this chapter? How? Are there differences? What are they?
I have been a member of a group that has been stereotyped. Since I am of Chinese American descent, many people may classify me as caring only about academics. Some might consider me to be a geek since I wear glasses and look like an academically focused individual. It is true that most Chinese families put a lot of pressure on their sons or daughters to get straight A’s. They want them to get accepted by high profile schools such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Harvard. Fortunately, my parents are not as demanding compared to other Asian families. They accept me for who I am, and I feel truly grateful for that.
Many classmates find it surprising that I like playing sports, enjoy watching movies, and find science to be extremely difficult. I try to explain to them that not everything in life is about school and getting good grades. It is just putting too much stress in oneself if you think too much about that. Nothing has to be taken too seriously; therefore, I try my best to be calm, be active and enjoy living life to its fullest. Other people may also think that the Chinese only care only about their own kind. To their surprise, I open up to people from all cultures. I find it discouraging how some Chinese people put down other ethnicities without getting to know them. Actually, I feel more comfortable making friends of different ethnicities.
I found that my experience reflects the concepts in Chapter 5. Harris mentions that, “This person confirms our stereotypes, the stereotype, rather than the individual” (p.89). People have these perceptions of Chinese people from word or mouth or watching television. The fact is that they only know some Asians to be bookworms, but not everyone falls under the category. We are all unique in our own way, and it would be nice for others to realize that.

Week 4 Question 2

Question #2) Explain the concept "white men of privilege". Do you agree with the concept? Why or why not?
The concept “white men of privilege” means that people of high class and well educated get first dibs on a high profile job. It is similar to the NFL coach hiring process where the general manager or owner chooses a white head coach with great football pedigree. They do interview the African American candidate to abide by the Rooney Rule, but they already know who their head coach will be. This wastes the African American’s time, since the general manager won’t assess this candidate thoroughly. Another example is housing discrimination where the person instantly lets the high class Caucasian own the house. They won’t bother handing the house keys to a minority, since they are being stereotyped in a negative way.
Therefore, I disagree with the concept “white men of privilege”. Coming from a Chinese family, my parents have been working tirelessly to support their children. Now, they have a successful restaurant business that is still running on strong. They immigrated to this country because it gives many people the opportunity to succeed. Since my parents came from a poor family, the popular corporations would not hire them. I was disappointed to hear how some companies are like that. They don’t take into consideration how hard they worked to get to this position. The tenant, who was Caucasian, gave my father the chance to run the business. It did not matter to him that he was Asian and lacked a college education. All he wanted was to have a successful restaurant run by a dependable individual.
Fortunately in my parent’s restaurant, they are an equal opportunity employer. All we care about is the effort one puts in his/her task, and if they are nice to customers. Family background, facial features and ethnicity does not factor into their decision making process.

Week 4 Question 3 on interesting chapter concepts

The concept I found the most interesting in this chapter was the importance of diversity in small groups. What is amazing about the United States are that we get to meet all kinds of people of contrasting cultures. Most individuals are willing to blend in a melting pot society. Unfortunately, some people are uncomfortable working with someone of a different ethnicity. It is not always the case where people from the same race or color come through with a well thought decision. They may agree with the decision they made without a second thought. By working with people of different ethnicities, one gets to know more about the other individual’s background and culture. By having diverse members, it makes the small group process much more fulfilling. We take time listening to each other’s different viewpoints which we had no former knowledge about.

I am fortunate enough to be a part of a diverse staff in working at a restaurant. Our group of hosts/hostesses consists of an African American, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Thai descent. One person is well organized, reserved while the other individual is a real go getter. Although we come from different backgrounds, we all work well together. One common trait is that everyone works extremely hard and is dedicated in our work. What makes it so great is that we learn about each other’s unique culture.

Week 3 Group Norms at SJSU, experiences in group norms

There are certainly group norms at San Jose State. In many classes, students are not allowed to talk when the professor is lecturing. It is considered rude and inconsiderate to speak while the teacher is speaking. Students are not supposed to text message during the class period. Some people are able to do it, but I think it is rude. Obviously, an individual can’t eat while class is going on. All professors require their students to be on time to class. If a student has been late, their grade will get docked. Another norm is students can’t talk while their classmates are giving presentations. If someone does speak, the presenter will consider it as a disruption.
In the group of individuals that I spend time with, there are norms that occur. Usually, my friends and I talk about anything like school, sports, daily life, etc. There are some things like politics or religion that we won’t even touch. There is the inevitable possibility that it will be a sore subject, and we will have disagreements. Some of my friends might be sensitive about politics and religion. I don’t want to damper our great friendship by mentioning those two topics. Another group norm is that my friends and I call each other before arriving to a hang out spot or house. If we suddenly show up without a verbal notice, it might be considered impolite. It is also best to let my friends know if I will be late to a movie, club, or café. There was another time where I asked my friend about his grades. He told me that he did not want to talk about it. I understood what he meant, and never asked about his grades again. He probably wanted to not think about his grades, and talk about another subject. It would be kind of embarrassing to tell a friend that you earned a bad grade. I think it was best for me not to bring up conversations about grades.

Week 3 Discussion #2

2). What are the functions of norms in groups? Can you give a personal example not already discussed this week? Have you ever experienced a violation of a norm? Explain.
In most group work, each member has their own particular role. There is the leader who organizes the group meetings and brings up a lot of the ideas. The norms are not brought down from the leader. Instead, everyone already knows their roles and accept it. There are not that many occurrences where group members are dissatisfied with their role. Some individuals may speak out many times during the group process, but it is to help everyone out. Other individuals might not talk too much at all, but still take the notes to get a better grasp of the group discussions.
I had many experiences with group norms in preparation for presentations. Although I did not speak up as often, I was still able to listen and take detailed notes. When the group was getting off track, I referred to my notes where the topic left off. A lot of my group mates relied on me to keep the group focused in the discussions. I was used to everyone asking me if I had any opinions to offer. I always agreed with everyone else’s ideas, so I did not bother to state any possible disagreements. Basically, I accepted my role as a note taker and attentive listener.
There was an instance where I have experienced the disruption of group norms. In the restaurant, everyone was expected to dress formally which meant no jeans. At work, I was wearing jeans and my shirt was not tucked in. My sister scolded me on this, and told me that it is not showing a good example to fellow employees. They might think that because I am the manager’s brother, I could do anything I want. I understood my sister’s words, and never broke the dress code from then on.

Week Three Discussion on Interesting concept from readings.

One concept that I found to be the most interesting was Grupthink. There is a possibility of making a horrible decision that may come back and haunt a group for quite a while. Janis’s examples of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Watergate break-in relates to this fact. A group may make an immediate response instead of taking the time to think about it. They don’t think about other possible alternatives and consequences from making a particular decision. By making a rapid decision, a group may think that it will be a complete success which is not always the case. The possibility of failure never crosses their mind as a group are satisfied with the decision making process.

In group think, not everyone’s opinions are heard. Some group members are pressured to conform or agree with the majority decision. The problem is that the leader won’t bother listening to other people’s suggestions. As a result, there is no group cohesion at all which certainly leads to decision making mistakes. The best way to succeed in a group is to discuss all the ideas thoroughly and take into account everyone’s contrasting viewpoints.

Question two on entropy and equifinality

In small groups, it is not productive to be stuck in entropy. Things won’t progress when the group is stuck in neutral. By providing new ideas and input, group work will move smoothly forward. After forming new thoughts to group mates, there needs to be some time to discuss it. Everyone else might want to ask questions and give some further suggestions. Group members need to come to a complete understanding of what was just said before moving onwards. When there is too much input and not time to digest the information, it is basically an overload of information. There might be a possibility of confusion and chaos among the group.

In equifinality, each individual in the group has their strengths and weaknesses. They use different ways to get things done in a small group environment. One person may have an abundance of ideas he/she is not afraid to share with the group. Another member might be more comfortable asking questions to gain a better understanding. Someone else is great at taking notes and reminding group members what topic was just discussed if things get off track. In a small group, there needs to be a good blend of characteristics to be successful.

Week one Post 2 on Chapter 2 concept

One concept I thought interesting was the “Sensitivity to initial conditions” section. Similar to real life, first impressions are also important in small groups. If someone is twenty minutes late to the first group meeting, the other group members would be suspicious of that particular person. When he/she is tardy to future meetings, their group mates will wonder if they are really dedicated in helping the group. They will begin to have doubts on the individual’s efforts to be punctual. Not only is being on time is crucial, but providing suggestions are significant as well.
If someone in the group is just sitting there doing nothing, he/she is not making a good contribution. The other group members might think that they are disinterested in helping the group move forward. They will consider this particular person as unproductive in the group process. It is better to carefully record notes and ask questions if something is unclear. For some people, it takes time for them to get into the small group discussion. By writing notes, it helps the person think clearly and bring up new ideas. This demonstrates to other group members that he or she uses any means to participate. Most importantly, they will recognize this person as a hard worker.

Week 2 Discussion

In small groups, people often fall into the trap of relying on other members a little too much. When I was in Saint Mary’s College, we were divided into small groups to work on an upcoming presentation. I was relieved to be in a group with extremely intelligent and dedicated individuals. When we held group meetings, I never brought up a single idea. I basically agreed with everything my fellow group members said. When they asked me if I had any ideas, I just replied with, “your ideas are all better than mine.” I felt that I was kind of holding back because I was thinking too much about their possible reactions to my stupid ideas. It seemed like they were disappointed that I did not bring anything to the table. After reading chapter one, I realized how important it is to fully contribute within a small group. If someone is has many ideas in his/her head, it is better to say it right away rather than keeping it to themselves. It shows that you are trying your best and are willing to do anything make the group as successful as possible.

For the past three years, I have been working at Taiwan Restaurant for the last couple of years. There are many instances where I realize that the small group is a big factor within the job field. My position is that of an assistant and host during the busy weekends. A lot of times, my sister, dad and I discuss business related manners. We each have our own strengths and weaknesses. My father’s specialty is managing what goes on in the kitchen. My sister knows how to persuade new customers to come try the restaurant through advertisements. She is also able to deal with customer complaints and hire the right workers. My strengths are in handling business in the front of the restaurant. When we meet once every month, we each would offer our own opinions. All of us share a common goal in making the restaurant successful in the long run. We all work extremely hard to help each out when problems arise.

In group work, it is pertinent for everyone to be on the same page. Each person has their own ideas to help the group. Like in sports, all members work cohesively as a unit in order to get great results. Nothing gets done when one person does not contribute. It should be a necessity for every group member to have the desire to be successful.