Social loafing

Unfair workloads is a reality in nearly every occupation on earth. Those who are diligent at their duties are inevitably saddled with extra duties because of a loafer. Social loafing is defined in our textbook as the “tendency for individuals to lower their work effort after they join a group.” Most of us have been in a group with a loafer, and probably have played the role as well. I have coworkers that are smokers. They generally spend ten minutes of every hour on break. I sometimes think the life expectancy a smoker loses is small compared to the amount of work they were able to shirk by exercising this habit. I've considered starting but like white teeth. Obviously this makes occupational satisfaction suffer. I have pressed for individual tasks at work to make identifying loafers easier for the boss. We’ll see if that helps.

Groupthink

Groupthink is defined in our textbook as a “dysfunction in which group members see the harmony of the group as being more important than considering new ideas, critically examining their own assumptions, changing their own flawed decisions, or allowing new members to participate.” It can been linked to Enron, Vioxx, Firestone tires, Savings and Loan collapses of the 80’s in business. Pearl Harbor, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the Bay of Pigs, and, more recently, the war in Iraq in government. Dr. Irving Janis offers four key preventative strategies for avoiding groupthink. He says the leader should establish an open climate, avoid the isolation of the group, assign the role of critical evaluator, and avoid being too directive. It’s obvious that groupthink is a very dangerous thing, costing both money and lives. Avoiding it, while difficult, is critical to maintaining a healthy work, school, and government environments.

Autocratic, heroic or both

My Grandfather, Earl Everitt Woods was born November 11, 1925, in View, Idaho. He left high school to fight the Japanese at 17 in 1942. Grandpa piloted amphibious troop transport ships similar to the ones shown in the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan for the US Navy. After the war he raised a family, which included my mother Sally. He was a very controlling parent; he showed the Autocratic leadership discussed in our textbook page 442. No dissention was tolerated, even from my dear grandmother. I never actually witnessed this, his personality changed right after I was born, shortly after hypothyroidism was diagnosed, and treatment with drugs began. While I was growing up, I could always tell when my mother had missed her thyroid medication because she turned autocratic. Happy birthday and Veterans day Grandpa. Your life and service are an inspiration to millions, but especially appreciated by me.

Self Disclosure

In the June 2005 edition of Families in Society an article entitled "Speaking the Unspeakable: Exploring the Impact of Family Dynamics on Child Sexual Abuse Disclosure" by Ramona Alaggia and Stacey Kirshenbaum discusses problems with disclosure of abuse. Self-disclosure in our textbook, is defined as “voluntary sharing information about ourselves.“ My family was torn by sexual abuse perpetrated by a step father 15 years ago. He later went to prison for this abuse. I have always struggled with the guilt of not recognizing this abuse earlier. Since I was not directly abused, those abused feel I have no right to disclose this information to others, and were even upset when I told my wife. I feel that I was a victim, those I love were hurt by someone I trusted. Telling others, in confidence, has always been a relief to me. It can help others to understand where I'm coming from, when I discuss things to look for; hopefully, lessening the likelihood this will happen to their family.

Catharsis

Catharsis is derived from katharein, a Greek word meaning “to cleanse.” In our textbook, page 417, it refers to small group communication that allows us to vent frustrations and talk about hopes and dreams. These groups can be made up of close friends, trusted family members or spouses. These interactions allow us to release tension, and are important to mental health. I have, in the past, abused this relationship with my wife. Instead of simply discussing my frustrations with her, I have allowed these frustrations to cause me to be less than civil in our interactions. We’ve probably all done this in the past. We need to remember that those we care about the most, deserve respect and adulation, not grief and animosity. Jessica, thanks for listening.

Lies: Signs That Show a Relationship's in Trouble

My brother always starts a relationship with a healthy dose of lies. Our textbook, page 402, discusses lying as a warning sign that a relationship is in trouble. My brother simply skips the initial stages of building trust. He feels this dishonesty is necessary considering he and his wife never divorced. They have been estranged for eight years now, she lives in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Human Lie Detectors, by Natasha Raymond, tells us to watch for body language when detecting lies. Any lady unfortunate enough to be ensnared by my brother, watch out, heartbreak is on your horizon.