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One major challenge homogeneous groups face is the tendency towards Groupthink (Links to an external site

Psychology

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One major challenge homogeneous groups face is the tendency towards Groupthink (Links to an external site.).  It can be extremely difficult to challenge the status quo, even if you are convinced of the value of your position.

Another challenge is not understanding how groups are formed and misguidedly trying to counteract this natural process. You can read more about the stages of small group development (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning) in "40 years of storming: a historical review of Tuckman's model of small group development (Links to an external site.)." [PDF File, 132KB]

Recall a specific instance from your life in which you or another member of a group with which you were affiliated disagreed with the group's position. Please provide the context for the group, without referring to group members by name, then answer the following:

1. What was the reaction of the group when you disagreed?
2. What advice would you give the dissenter now to ensure that his/her position was heard and considered? Or, if you were the dissenter, what would you do differently?