Second Thoughts

Since we talked about power in class today, I will share this. This poster most accurately describes coercive power, which is the perception that someone can punish you for acting or not acting in a certain way. To me, coercive power seems to be an end result. What may have began as legitimate, referent, expert, or reward power oftentimes ends in coercive power. This is most apparent in authoritarian governments where the dictator was once a freedom fighter or supporter of the common man. The picture caption explains why coercive power exists.

In addition to power, we also discussed culture. Culture can be beneficial and detrimental to small group function. Depending on the audience, having members representing different cultures allows for maximum consideration amongst group members. Culture can negatively affect a group when its members' cultures clash with each other. This kind of internal conflict will destroy a small group, rendering it ineffective. The best way to avoid culture conflicts is for people to spend time as a temporary member of another culture. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. In addition to traveling to China, through my Chinese girlfriend I am involved with a small portion of the Chinese community here at Purdue. I now have a better understanding of Chinese culture and the challenges faced by international students on campus.

-Steven Gitter