[Air-l] Listserv research

[Rosanna Tarsiero]

Steve,

You asked:
"Does the fact that you aimed your question at one member and another chose
to answer speak at all to the point?"

I addressed the reply to one member because *that* member (not others)
replied to what I had written.

Now to address what you asked...

"How would you apply the Tuckman model to this group:Air-l? Are "we" at one
of the Tuckman stages?"

IN all honesty, I don't know whether the Tuckman model is applicable to this
group, nor do I know which possible stage would fit. That is because I did
join relatively recently and most of what I read were flames (or
"counterflames). 

I would need to observe a little more, the threads, the way they are
explored, the relationships that get formed, and how the group possibly
solves the problems it stumbles onto (governance included). I wasn't
particularly impressed at the call to take some topics off list, limiting
the number of posts or the insistence toward following rules that, albeit
necessary as a general statement, were regarded as unchangeable. So I'd say
the way governance is dealt with is problematic, but I can't say anything
yet.


"Or is it your notion that the model applies only/largely/manily to
"classes," or "teams," or other kinds of "groups" that are more or less
formally organized?"

Not at all. I raised an epistemological issue, ie whether and when group
stage or model might be appropriate.

And I am used at working with communities of practice, this is to tell you
that no I don't believe models apply to "formal" groups at ALL.

However, since I care to keep myself objective, I am open to the possibility
to be wrong. What I am not open to is generalization, whether from induction
or from deduction.

Rosanna Tarsiero