"I enjoyed the book, learned a LOT, and LOVE her creativity in discussing different examples that help group constructs some to life. It represents the breadth of the new Group Communication Division in NCA better than any book I have seen." —David Seibold, University of California, Santa Barbara "I can unequivocally state that the proposed text is LONG overdue! Over the years I have reviewed several text proposals. SunWolf′s proposal ranks in the 99th percentile. . . . This is one of the most innovative, heuristic, pragmatic, and engaging proposals I have ever perused." —Jim L. Query, Jr., University of Houston "Peer Groups is different from the run-of-the-mill group text book. I can see that my students will learn so much more from Dr. SunWolf′s orientation than they have from the other books I′ve used. The benefits are that the topics related to [students′] practical world and that there is so much to foster in-class discussion. Although many students are familiar with the ′work world,′ they are not yet there. Dr. SunWolf provides them with what is relevant in their lives now!" —Audrey E. Kali, Framingham State College Clans, cliques, clubs, or classmates: Students of group communication should be encouraged to think critically about concepts to the groups that matter to them most—peers. Peer Groups is the first textbook to explore group communication dynamics with this vital group. Drawing on a combination of traditional and new theories, Dr. SunWolf uses an inviting writing style, shares the words and provocative thinking of real world group members, and draws on research from social psychology, communication, and group dynamics. This innovative book offers suggestions for critical thinking and new behaviors in students′ own peer groups and will inspire further exploration of small group dynamics. Features and Benefits Introduces students and researchers to cutting-edge cross-disciplinary thinking with new theories that explain group dynamics and member behaviors: Symbolic-Interpretive Perspective, Group Dialectics, Decisional Regret Theory, Social Comparison Theory, and the Bona Fide Group Perspective Examines the dynamics of real world peer groups: children′s play groups, adolescence cliques, street gangs, elite hot task groups, and decision-making juries Generates readers′ interest in studying group behaviors by drawing upon students′ personal experiences with groups Brings marginalized groups and ethnicities to the stage, from African American cowboys to multi-ethnic street gangs, including the painful issue of those left out of peer groups Offers a student-friendly reference guide with an extensive and easy-to-read table that summarizes group concepts and theories Guides classroom discussion, triggers critical thinking, and suggests useful written assignments and tools for break-out discussions with end-of-chapter sections Intended Audience This accessible and innovative text is designed for undergraduate students of Communication, Social Psychology, and Sociology. It is designed to supplement and partner with any current group textbook, as well as act as a stand-alone text. Dr. SunWolf is a scholar of unusual breadth and depth. She is a cross-disciplinary scholar in the fields of legal communication, persuasion, multicultural storytelling, social exclusion, and group decision making. Her national award-winning productivity in the past five years has been astonishing: the publication of five books, 22 journal articles or book chapters, a published educational DVD, and serving on the editorial board of five journals. Dr. SunWolf broke new ground by publishing in a top journal a new theory of communication (Decisional Regret Theory), expanding the field of small group communication to include the study of childhood group processes, gathering data from 680 adolescents in the Bay Area, as well as being the first author in trial advocacy to devote sustained attention to jurors′ religious beliefs and the role of empathy and compassion in jury deliberations.

Focused on understanding the key underlying group processes that contribute to youth sport experiences, The Power of Groups in Youth Sport provides an innovative and expansive overview of the research in group dynamics within youth sports. The first section of the book examines topics relating to forming and structuring groups, including team selection, athlete socialization, normative expectations, roles, coach and athlete leadership, social identity, and more. The second section reviews concepts associated with group functioning and management, such as cohesion, subgroups, motivational climate, teamwork, and team building. This book concludes with a series of chapters focused on specific developmental considerations in youth sports that are often overlooked in group dynamics research including parental involvement, bullying and hazing, mental health, ,and disability and accessibility. Synthesizes the research of group dynamics within the context of youth sport Highlights how groups form and function Discusses the role of parents and peers on youth sport experiences and development Suggests ways to advance the field of group dynamics in youth sports

In attempting to understand the psychological aspects of the developmental process and socialisation, the distinct disciplines of sociology and psychology were brought together for the first time. Titles in the Sociology of Behaviour and Psychology set of the International Library of Sociology analyse how behaviour is formed and learned.

This handbook provides an authoritative, up-to-date overview of the social psychology of group processes. The topics covered include group decisions, juries, group remembering, roles, status, leadership, social identity and group membership, socialization, group performance, negotiation and bargaining, emotion and mood, computer-mediated communication, organizations and mental health. Provides an authoritative, up-to-date overview of the social psychology of group processes. Written by leading researchers from around the world to provide a classic and current overview of research as well as providing a description of future trends within the area. Includes coverage of group decisions, juries, group remembering, roles, status, leadership, social identity and group membership, socialization, group performance, negotiation and bargaining, emotion and mood, computer-mediated communication, organizations and mental health. Essential reading for any serious scholar of group behavior. Now available in full text online via xreferplus, the award-winning reference library on the web from xrefer. For more information, visit www.xreferplus.com

Theory Groups in the Study of Language in North America provides a detailed social history of traditions and "revolutionary" challenges to traditions within North American linguistics, especially within 20th-century anthropological linguistics. After showing substantial differences between Bloomfield's and neo-Bloomfieldian theorizing, Murray shows that early transformational-generative work on syntax grew out of neo-Bloomfieldian structuralism, and was promoted by neo-Bloomfieldian gatekeepers, in particular longtime Language editor Bernard Bloch. The central case studies of the book contrast the (increasingly) "revolutionary rhetoric" of transformational-generative grammarians with rhetorics of continuity emitted by two linguistic anthropology groupings that began simultaneously with TGG in the late-1950s, the ethnography of communication and ethnoscience.

Used by hundreds of schools and school districts across the country, the Whole-Faculty Study Group (WFSG) System is a student-driven, holistic process for facilitating major staff development and schoolwide change. While providing a step-by-step methodology for the development and implementation of successful WFSGs, this newest edition of Murphy and Lick's groundbreaking bestseller incorporates the most current theoretical concepts on change, the latest refinements to change management procedures, and a wealth of new experiences from more than two thousand individual study groups. Other significant revisions to this edition include: Three additional chapters: the research foundation for WFSGs, how to recognize and understand school culture, and fourteen key findings A reorganization of chapters to make the book even more reader-friendly New material on timely topics such as "learning communities" and "learning teams" An increased focus on assessment of student results Updated sets of resources and illustrations in the appendix WFSGs are a proven way to successfully reform, improve, and transition schools to meet tomorrow's needs. Filled with real-world examples and illustrative cases, this book provides both the practical knowledge and the theoretical foundation necessary to negotiate the societal, organizational, and cultural barriers affecting education. This new edition is essential for administrators, teachers, and staff in K-12 schools, as well as district level administrators, teachers of education, and anyone interested in increasing student learning.