Group Dynamics and Power Chapter

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Rise and Fall of Peoples Temple From a Group Dynamics Perspective

The paper will cover the concept of group dynamics by analyzing power, status, role, and authority with an aim to establish what was actually happening to the individuals who joined the Peoples Temple. Following Jim Jones as their leader will also be analyzed in an attempt to understand why they were willing to follow him to the grave. This paper will attempt to answer the question that most people have when they hear or remember the events that took place in Guyana. This topic is vital because it allows us to have a concrete understanding of how groups form, and how they are influenced, which would explain some of the events that have taken place in the past relating to groups and their followers.

The Peoples Temple was a religious movement that was founded by Jim Jones in 1955 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Peoples Temple was used by its founder to spread messages that had a combination of social politics and Christianity elements, which mainly emphasized on racial equality. The events of November 18, 1978, where 909 Americans died in a mass murder/suicide at the Peoples Temple remote settlement in Guyana is what is best known about Jim Jones. In order for one to understand what led people to participate in the mass suicide, one has to analyze the organization from a group dynamics perspective. The psychological processes and system of behaviors that occur within a social group is what is referred to as group dynamics (Coleman, 2013). Studying group dynamics would allow us to better understand the decision-making behavior within groups. Group dynamics is concerned with how groups form, how they function, and their structure and process. Group dynamics can be used for both formal and informal groups of any type. There are various concepts that come into play when analyzing groups from a group dynamics perspective. The concepts of power, status, role, and authority will be used to explain and analyze the Peoples Temple. These concepts will better explain the different aspects that led individuals to leave their families and join the Peoples Temple. Following a single individual and doing as he commands will be better understood when one has a clear grasp of the four concepts. The events that took place at Guyana can be described by many as unacceptable and brainwashing, but looking at the event from the power, status, role, and authority one can be able to understand the kind of effect that a group leader can have on his followers.

B. Thesis Statement

This paper will attempt to explain what was happening using the four concepts of power, status, role, and authority in order to create a better understanding of how Jim Jones managed to lead such a huge group. The paper will demonstrate the effects of power in individuals and how if not checked it could lead to disaster. We intend to show how a simple group can grow and have loyal followers willing to do whatever the leader ask of them without question. The Peoples Temple group will be analyzed to determine the reason for them joining the group in the first place.

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The paper will sequential and will begin with the synopsis of the documentary, the definition of the four concepts in relation to the Peoples Temple, the application and analysis of the concepts with examples from the documentary, and finally the conclusion.

C. The Synopsis

The title of the documentary is Jonestown: The Life and Death of the Peoples' Temple that was produced by Stanley Nelson for the American Experience PBS series (Nelson, 2006). The documentary was written by Marcia Smith, and it examines the religious and social cult that was formed by Jim Jones and the events that resulted to the horrifying mass murder/suicide in 1978. The documentary traces Jim Jones' history from his unhappy upbringing during his childhood in rural Indiana. The documentary has made use of witness accounts and witnesses have described Jones as a strange, charismatic young man who had a sincere desire for social justice. There have been accounts that Jones used to murder small animals and conduct burial ceremonies for the animals when he was a child. Jones had a desire to befriend people from all class lines and across color, which resulted in him being alienated from his family and neighbors. Jones eventually moved to Indianapolis, where he started the first integrated church in the city.

The racism he faced in Indiana resulted in Jones moving his church to California in order to escape the racism. It is in Redwood Valley that the church took a new life and he was aggressively recruiting new members. Initially, members of the church were only required to tithe a percentage of their earning, but they were eventually required to give up all their worldly possessions to the Temple. Jones moved to San Francisco in 1974, where he managed to acquire some political influence. However, his high-profile did catch up with him. Jones moved his members to Guyana, a place he referred to as paradise that was outside the oppression and racism of America (Nelson, 2006). The reason for making the drastic move was only based on the damaging expose that was about to be published. Nelson interviewed eyewitnesses who included former members of the Temple, and some of the Congressman Leo Ryan's staff who escaped the bloodshed when the congressman investigated the Temple's activities.

D. The Concepts

1) Power

Power is defined as the ability of an individual to influence or control the behavior of others (French, Raven, & Cartwright, 1959). In group dynamics, it is power that allows an individual to be able to lead others and make them follow or perform task as specified. Without power, one would not be able to influence group members. The two types of power that would relate to the documentary are legitimate and coercive power. Legitimate power refers to the belief that someone has the formal right to make demands on others and they should comply with the demands. Coercive power refers to an individual using threats and punishment to force others to comply.

2) Status

Status refers to the position an individual held in a group or society. Individuals….....

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