Week 3 Question 1: Group Norms

There are certainly group norms at SJSU. According to Harris & Sherblom, “norms can also be explicitly stated or implicitly understood with the group.” At SJSU, by looking at how students are expected to behave in class, we can identify both explicit and implicit forms of norms. For example, students are to come to class regularly and in a timely fashion, they are to come prepared, they are to read the assigned readings, they are to demonstrate a positive attitude, they are to ask relevant questions, they are to participate in discussions, basically, the students as well as the faculty members at SJSU are expected to create a learning environment.

There are also group norms in the group of individual I spend time with. In these groups the norms are implicitly understood. For instance, everyone is expected to respect, trust, and support each other. Respect: treat each other with dignity and value each others opinion. Trust: have confidence that whatever you share with the group it will stay confidential. Support: be there when one of the group members goes through any kind of hardship.

To identify these norms, I watch closely how the other members of the group act and what their expectations are. In essence, when one members of the group go against the group norms, some kind of penalty is imposed in that individual. I get use to these norms by dedicating and committing myself in those norms and the values the norms carry out.