Assignment task:
Purpose: By considering the groups that you are a member of as well as how important each of those groups is to different components of your self-concept, you will deepen your understanding of the theories behind group membership. In addition, your exploration of common group processes like social loafing will benefit you beyond this course as you participate in future groups with added insight and knowledge.
List of groups that you are members of. Some examples may be church groups, sports teams, community committees, scout leaders, mom playgroups, or etc.
After completing the interactivity
1. Think back to the list of groups you created in the interactive assignment. Choose one of your favorites. What support does this group give you? How does the group affirm your personal beliefs and attitudes? In your response, think deeply about your group memberships and the good and bad they might provide.
2. Who are you? How would you describe yourself to a stranger? Looking at your group list, does membership in a particular group make you feel proud or ashamed? How does your membership across different groups vary in visibility? (You do not have to disclose any particular group membership to answer this question)
3. What are some of the evolutionary advantages to being in a group? What advantage did it give us in the past (early on) and what advantage does it give us in modern times? From an evolutionary perspective, why were groups of people safer (i.e., how did groups promote survival?) than individual people? Think about why we still prefer groups today. What dangers do we face that are negated by group membership?
4. Think of an example of social loafing that you have experienced (maybe at school or work). Share your example. What might you do to combat social loafing in your groups in the future?
5. Can you think of a time you were ostracized from a group? What happened and how did you feel? How can you relate this experience to someone's experience of ostracism due to a group membership that you are not a part of (e.g. ostracism due to being a member of a racial, religious, ability, and/or sexual minority)?