Process: You will participate as a guest at an interest group meeting in your community to gather data for a qualitative research paper. Once you have located an interest group, contact stakeholders, and explain the purpose of your inquiry. After you receive permission to participate, you will schedule a date to attend the meeting; at which time you will observe the members and document the following for your analysis:

· How were the people arranged in the physical environment (layout of room and seating arrangement)?

· What is the composition of the group, in terms of number of people, age, sex, ethnicity, and so on?

· What are the group’s purpose, mission, and goals?

· What is the duration of the group (short- or long-term)? Explain.

· Did the group structure its discussion around an agenda, program, or rules of order?

· Describe the structure of the group. How is the group organized?

· Who are the primary facilitators of the group?

· What subject or issues did the group members examine during the meeting?

· What types of information did members exchange in their group?

· What were the group’s norms, roles, status hierarchy, or communication patterns?

· What communication patterns illustrated if the group was unified or fragmented? Explain.

· Did the members share a sense of identity with one another (characteristics of the group, similarities, interests, philosophy, and so on)?

· Was there any indication that members might be vulnerable to groupthink? Why or why not?

· In your opinion, how did the collective group behaviors influence individual attitudes and the group’s effectiveness? Provide your overall analysis.