Post 2 - Entropy and Equifinality

Entropy and equifinality impact small groups like this. The result of small groups can go one way or the other that is good or bad. Entropy would be the negative side of it. According to Harris and Sherblom, "Living systems tend toward entropy - that is: disorganization, stagnation, and chaos," (31). It's what humans do. It's natural. Small group are complex in the way that they must be combined of the right things to turn out correctly. Lots of the time they lose focus and organization and they become stagnate. If there is too little or too much energy within the group it can become disorganized and negative feedback tends to create stagnation. Lots of the time small groups have the notion that to get a project done, it is one way or the highway. Well that is impossible in a small group, or a group of any size for that matter. But for the purpose of this class, small groups will always have more than one idea or way of doing things because there is more than one mind in the group. That is where equifinality come into play. The text states that equifinality refers to, "living systems can take different routes to the same destination," (32). And that's the beauty of small groups. It opens up opportunity for creativity. There is no one set way for a group to achieve success. Groups find it out on their own. In my opinion, that's the best part, though it may be difficult at times.

Week 8/27-9/2 Post 1: Small group experiences

When parts of the system do not function well, small groups fall apart. It's part of human nature. According to Harris and Sherblom, "Living systems tend toward entropy - that is: disorganization, stagnation, and chaos," (31). A great example of I have from my personal life has to do with my event planning class a couple of semesters ago. The assignment was to create an event with your team and host it. Our event was definite chaos. A lot of us were extroverts and leaders. We were closed minded, shout over one another and most of the time give negative feedback. In the end, we all had a major contribution to the end result of our event and couldn't complete the event without everyone's participation. We learned this through experience. One person was late and another forgot something so we had to adapt accordingly. Another example I have is another small group project I had to do in another class. This group had the exact opposite problem where no one wanted to take charge or shared their ideas. Basically if one person said how about this, we just went with it because no one else voiced their opinions. Again this was another type falling apart because the small group did not fully grasp the concept of interdependence and interrelationships.

Hello Everyone! :)

I'm excited to be in this class! I am a 4th year at San Jose State University. I am majoring in public relations and have will have a concentration in hospitality. I am full time student, work and have an internship. With such a busy schedule I somehow find time to relax, and spend time with family and friends. My favorite colors are green and purple and I love dancing. Dirty Dancing is my all time favorite movie and I love gymnastics. My passion for this sport has allowed me to become a coach and get to where I am today in my life. It has helped me become motivated, determined, manage my time well and be a leader.

This will be my third class with Prof. Perez. I find communication studies to be an interesting subject because it teaches me so much about the world around me and all the social encounters I have daily. If anyone ever needs help or has any question don't hesitate to ask! I am very excited to get to know the rest of you. I also look forward to this semester with all of you!