Norms, Question #1

San Jose State definitely has group norms. For instance, classroom norms are very evident. There are rules in which we must follow in order to maintain classroom etiquette and structure. The first day of class is a great example of a group norm. We all pretty much know that the professor will be giving us a greensheet so that the group will know that to expect for the rest of the semester. Another well known norm is that the professor will be doing the majority of the speaking the first day of class. I guess this can be viewed as the newcomer and leader roles that the book discussed. Generally newcomers to a group tend to sit back and observe the first couple of times, while leaders tend to do a majority of the decision making within groups. For me, sports have a lot of norms as well. If it is a close game and it comes down to a final play, it is the norm to have your best player be the one to make a play. Teams rarely ever rely on a rookie to take on that responsibility, and it is often questioned when they do. I think adapting to norms comes down to trust. Trust allows group members to rely on you to make decisions that they support. What is just as important is knowing who you cannot trust to do specific tasks within a group. Adapting to the members within a group should allow you to gauge the amount of trust you have with each individual, and adapt to the norms that are in place.