Archive for month: October, 2014

Like many other people taking this course, this will be my first time watching Survivor. I have only watched the first episode thus far but, I can already see why Jaimie chose to use this as the theme for the semester. I can already see how the chapter concepts come to life as I’m watching the show and, I think this will be a new and fun way to bring meaning to the topics we discuss in class.

As you all know, the theme of this season’s Survivor is Blood vs. Water and, the show opens by giving each of the cast members one night to spend with their loved one.  When thinking about course concepts, this can also be interpreted as having one final night with a primary group member. The very next day, each cast member will be forced to adjourn from their primary group member and enter into a new social group where no one knows what to expect.

This stage of joining a new group is referred to in Tuckman’s Group Development Stages as the forming stage. In this stage,  the text says that group members tend to exhibit caution in their social interactions and, they tend to be overly polite in hopes of making a good impression. I think this concept was aptly demonstrated by the very cautious answer that Nadiya gave when Jeff Probst asked her what she thought about her potential competitors. This question was posed prior to the division of the tribes and, I thought she was wise to not speak poorly of anyone who she may have later hoped to form an alliance with. That being said, I do feel that her cautious answer was based more in her hopes of making a good first impression than it was in honesty. If she had not been eliminated, I would have expected to see her voice more of her true opinions as the show went on.

It follows, however, that both the Coyopa and Hunahpu tribes had  to go about the forming stage in their own ways and, for Nadiya’s tribe, this meant getting rid of her for fear of her perceived hidden agenda.  I was somewhat surprised when Nadiya was chosen for elimination but, I can understand how the Coyopa tribe may have felt that Nadiya’s personal goals would have eventually interfered with the overall goal of the group.

During the initial forming stage, each member is trying to explore personal goals as well as group goals and, it makes sense that members might feel tentative and uncomfortable about being thrown into a group of total strangers. It is not at all surprising that members of the same tribe are suspicious of one another and not sure who to trust. I believe that this is all part of what the text calls primary tension.

In the show, one example of primary tension occurred when Wes was trying to form a bond with John Rocker based on the similar interest of baseball. Wes was asking John what his last name was and, initially, John lied and said it was “Wetland”. The whole conversation seemed strained and, John later revealed that he wasn’t sure that he could trust Wes and that he might consider getting rid of him early on.

Wes, however, seemed to be completely oblivious of John’s apprehension about him. He seemed rather pleased with the connection he felt he had made with John and, he probably had no thoughts of fearing his intentions. Meanwhile, there were other members who were definitely fearing the outcomes of the initial forming stage and, that was because they were completely excluded from it.

Keith and Val had been sent to Exile Island after the first Reward Challenge and, they both knew that they would be returning as newcomers to groups that had already started to establish themselves. There was a lot at stake for these two as they began the socialization process with their tribes and, each tried to find a way to make himself/herself valuable to the group.

Some who had stayed behind had already proven their value. For example, the Reward challenge ended on a much higher note for Val’s husband, Jeremy. He not only gained the extrinsic rewards of flint and beans for his tribe but, he also gained intrinsic rewards by way of the praise of his team. I thought it was interesting how, at first, Jeremy was so upset about having to relinquish his husbandly duties and adjourn from his role with Val but, soon after, he had a new found motivation and sense of meaningfulness with his tribe. It will be interesting to see how the relationship dynamics continue to play out throughout the season as the bonds of “blood” are continually pitted against those of “water”.

In my first time ever watching an episode of Survivor, I saw that Chapter 2 applied in many different ways. The chapter, Group Development, played a vital role in the start of this year’s new tribes in that they have to go through the natural progression of forming groups. Forming, which is the first stage in the Bruce Tuckman’s Group Development Model, describes this stage as when members are being cautious and courteous to each other just like the members of  Survivor were doing with their new teammates. They all tentatively collect information about one another and start off by treating one another with utmost respect.  Storming, Tuckman’s next stage, may just be the most crucial stage in the model because members will start to compete for the title of Alpha and are not shy to let it be known. Members compete for status and usually conflict is involved. Some of the cast members displayed that on this week’s show because roles within the tribes are starting to take place. The blue team is undefeated in challenges which tells me that their storming phase is about finished and the norming phase is set to begin.  When success is achieved early in a group, I feel like it is easier for the Group Development process to take place just as fast as they achieved their success. I will be interested to see how the yellow team responds since they are experiencing a little bit of turmoil early in this season. The yellow team has to keep their goal in mind as a team. Sometimes when you can look at the big picture and keep together as a team to ultimately realize their goal, it can supersede the adversity that the yellow team are facing. If not, the blue team will be performing, then adjourning, which are the last two phases in Tuckman’s development model.

This was the first time I have ever seen the show Survivor and I was not disappointed. I thought this was going to be  a boring, fake reality show but I was wrong.

The theme of season 29 of Survivor is blood versus water. Being that family members are all playing against each other, this makes a lot of sense. Blood symbolizes the bond between the family members and water symbolizes their opponent… the unknown.

At the beginning of the show, the family members are split up into two teams, Hunahpu and Coyopa. This is when group development begins. The initial forming stage of development explores personal goals and group goals when each member of the group try to form alliances and work in groups to win the challenge. During the storming stage, we get a sense of who is seriously competing for social acceptance and leadership. Jeremy acts like everyone wants to form an alliance with him which makes him feel like a leader. There is also primary tension that is arising in Val because she is the first one to be sent to exile island. She does not feel the confidence that the rest of her team feels because she doesn’t get those first couple of days to form alliances. The norming stage is displayed a little bit in the first episode when the Hunahpu team communicates and works as a group to win the first challenge. I think they had better verbal communication and that’s why they won the challenge. The performing stage is just beginning at the end of episode one and into episode two. Each member is starting to realize their roles and adapt accordingly. I believe each group had group motivation because they want to be the team that is safe for another week without having to worry about being voted off. However, the Coyopa team might have lost a little motivation after they lost their second challenge. The whole point of this show is trying to reveal hidden agendas. Whether they want to or not, each member almost always has to have a hidden agenda to survive in this game. If that hidden agenda pays off is never for certain. In Val’s case in the second episode, she had an immunity idol that she was hiding which turned out to backfire on her and she was voted off.

I am extremely excited for the episodes to come. Can’t wait to see who gets voted off next!

 

Group development played a role when the shows creators were deciding what to do with the show; which was pinning family members and loved ones against each other. I thought this was very interesting because we knows what happens when compatible people come together in a group, tasks are accomplished successfully.  Just to remind you of some of the factors that are considered when you are talking about group development, like the stages of group development (forming,storming,norming,performing,adjourning), group goals (ask yourself the six C’s-Clarity,Challenge,Commitment,Compatibility, Cooperation,Cost), group norms (implicit,explicit, procedural,status,achievment) as well as rewards and motivators(meaningfulness,choice,competence,progress).  All of this information has a point I promise!

So as the first episode went on and everyone split up from their loved ones two teams formed; The Hanahpu(blue) and Coyopa(orange). On the blue team is Drew – 25, Sales Rep,Jeremy – 36, Firefighter, Jon – 26, Financial Assistant, Julie – 34, Owner of Spray Tan Business, Keith – 53, Fire Captain, Kelley – 28, Marketing Manager, Missy – 47, Owner of Cheerleading Gym, Natalie – 28, Crossfit Coach, Reed – 31, Broadway Performer. On the orange team is Alec – 22, Student, Baylor – 20, Student, Dale – 55, Farmer, Jaclyn – 25, Media Buyer, John – 39, Former MLB Pitcher
Josh – 32, Actor, Nadiya – 28, Crossfit Coach, Val – 35, Police Officer, Wes – 23, Firefighter.

As the first challenge begun preconceived expectations that have been in place for each individual about each of the other players based on first impressions, or in John’s case he was a professional baseball player so people had already seen him in a certain way. So these assumptions made it hard for players to work together and really get to know each other. You started to see right off the bat that some of the contestants were trying to advance to the storming stage (choosing roles essentially) and some were still in the forming stage. It makes it difficult when the external rewards are so heavy in this show and the consequences of not bonding is elimination. So group development is, I believe, a little difficult under these particlar circumstances.

A time where some were already in another stage than others was on the orange team when Dale, the oldest member on the team, started a fire and that was his role but when he tried to interject in something other than fire others said he was “too old” or “couldn’t connect with anyone because he was too old”. Dale conformed to the idea of just being the fire guy and leaving other challenges to the younger men or he faces non conforming which is being eliminated and on Survivor that’s really bad!

The last thing I wanted to discuss was about the elimination round, they voted Natalie off because she was too big of a threat; I believe if they had kept in mind the overall goal of winning Survivor it would be easier with competent and capable to get further and win more challenges therefore making it easier for you to survive as long as possible. So basically I don’t think they really understand how groups work and a way to make it work better more towards one way or the other( more towards yourself or for everyone and in the case of survivor it’s more beneficial towards the individual).

Episode 1
This first episode shows the introduction of the competitors and their first nights in Nicaragua. The groups of couples are quickly assembled and divided into two different groups splitting up the couples between the two separate tribes. They are immediately thrown into a challenge that will result in the losing member being banned to Exile Island. The producers are immediately playing on a key concept of social group dynamics, the formation, by sending a member to the island on the first night they are isolating them from the first real social interaction between the group members. This will prevent them from being able to establish themselves in the groups as well as help with the all-important facet of alliance formation, without being able to meet her group mates and make friends she runs the risk of being ostracized from her entire team which will give her a severe disadvantage in the games to come.

After the conclusion of the first challenge groups are sent back to their camps and begin to establish themselves both as a team and as survivalist. Coyopa (Orange) group was immediately separated by age, they immediately began their storming phase attempting to create fire for their tribe, however their age separation left them divided unintentionally, however it provided them two different routes to fire generation that lead to their early success in fire generation. Their oldest member AKA Dad, was successful at starting a fire and earned his way back into the main fold of the group, he was motivated intrinsic to start fire, so much so that he broke his glasses in half to help attain his group’s goal. He was motivated intrinsically by his need for group acceptance in order to succeed in the game which leads to his extrinsic motivation to win the prize money.