Cross-sector collaborations can generate the resources and political will necessary to tackle urgent, complex issues. Because these partnerships involve local leaders, they are typically responsive to their surrounding communities, addressing local concerns, and capitalizing upon local assets. These strengths-oriented, locally driven…

Communication is the process by which all the pieces of the living world find their relationships to the other pieces to form larger wholes and to enable the living world to grow, adapt, and survive. This article explores cooperation, as it refers to the matter of sharing communication in groups. (CB)

Claims that group cohesiveness has proven to be astonishingly difficult to define precisely and consistently, although it remains a critical group-level variable. Notes that some researchers rely on classic definitions while others leave it undefined. Suggests that greater focus on the definitional issue should improve the quality of future…

This article briefly discusses some important elements of group effectiveness, then outlines characteristics of groupthink, provides examples of situations in which it occurs, and recommends actions in each case for preventing or lessening it. (Author/CT)

Asserts that all behavior is result of individual-group interaction, determined by attachment to and identification with various groups to which one belongs. Presents this social cohesion as a function of member's levels and types of group involvement. Describes types ranked according to degree of involvement (identification, alienation, autonomy,…

I reflect on the preceding five contributions in this issue by focusing on the power dimensions of participation. I emphasize how power underlies and frames not only the activities and management of participatory development, but also our own personal/institutional involvement as development researchers and workers. I end with some thoughts on…

Describes a memorable year in the life of a high school drama coach and his 17-member acting troupe. (RBW)

Tested Sherif and Sherif's hypotheses on intergroup competition and cooperation in a natural setting involving a scout camp for well-acquainted subjects rather than for previously unacquainted subjects. In-group solidarity showed no increase during camps, as would have been predicted by the Sherifs; indeed a decrease was found. (LLL)

Any outdoor educator knows about rules. Outdoor educators spend a considerable amount of time at conferences talking about them: risk management plans, accepted safety practices, and first aid protocols. You name it, they've got a rule. When a Buddhist friend asked if rules really made programs safer, the author's first response was yes. His…

The group syntality concept of Raymond B. Cattell furnishes a useful framework for teaching parliamentary procedure. Although there are contrasts between the histories, subject matters, and perspectives of the areas of parliamentary procedure and group dynamics, teachers and students of parliamentary procedure might profitably draw from some of…

Feminism is experiencing a similar dual crisis in the United States and France. One aspect of this crisis, the movement's alignment with other groups, is destructive, inevitably leading to the subordination of women's issues to "human" issues. The other dimension of the crisis, internal differences, is potentially creative, offering the…

Recent decree laws in Chile, if implemented, will eliminate all professional "colegios" (governing bodies), including those for medicine, law, and journalism, and allow them the alternative of forming free trade unions. The twenty "colegios" of Chile require university education for membership and serve as monitors of the…

Of the many specific situations in which the exercise of suasory influence may be necessary to assure that a decision making group meets its analytical responsibilities, five appear to be particularly important. These are circumstances in which (1) a group is violating accepted procedural norms, (2) an authority figure or high status group member…

Describes and explains the classroom group process and group leadership of a sixth-grade teacher in an urban classroom. Discusses the importance of classroom grouping and its implications for teachers. (MLF)

Presents results of a study contrasting different forms of group cohesiveness in a student military organization. Reports that task cohesiveness was more strongly associated with lower role uncertainty, higher individual performance, and lower absenteeism than was interpersonal cohesiveness. Concludes that data provide evidence for a…