This week we’re talking about groups & performing social roles.
Discuss:
1) What are the most significant reference groups in your life? Are there reference groups that are held up by society that you feel are negative?
2) How does group behaviour change when there is a crisis? Can you think of any examples from popular culture of how groups of people behave in disasters? What do these examples tell us about popular ideas about collective behaviour?
3) Watch Boatlift, a short film about the evacuation of Manhattan in 2001. What was the immediate response to the 9/11 crisis? Does it contrast or parallel your examples from question 2? Can you think of other examples of similar responses to disaster? In your own experience, do groups in crisis tend to fragment & turn on each other or experience an increase in solidarity and mutual aid? What makes the difference?
How to organize the discussion:
Through the week, work through each of the three questions I have posted above (using the same format as week 4: one thread per question). Remember: anyone can start a thread, and everyone must participate. If a thread for a question already exists when you join the discussion, click on it and hit “reply” to add your post.
