Research & Summaries
1. Overview
View the film “Twelve Angry Men” (1957 version) and write a paper analyzing the group discussion dramatized in the film.
While watching the film, take notes that include specific examples to illustrate concepts related to group communication.
You may want to rent the film from a local video store and view it again as you develop ideas for your paper.
The paper should contain the following:
1) Cover page (including title of the paper, course title & no., and your name).
Cover page information should NOT appear in the body of your paper. Or this will result in serious penalty.
2) Introduction (1 page)
Briefly discuss the content of the movie
Have a clear main statement and a preview statement.
3) Issues for Analysis (at least 3 pages)
Your analysis of the jury should address following five issues. Provide specific examples from the film to support your claim.
Leadership:
Choose a theory or theories relevant to leadership. Define (or describe) your chosen theory (theories) with textbook citation.
Describe how your chosen theory (theories) best explain (s) the different leadership behaviors played by several different jury members in the movie.
Participation:
Define the task, maintenance, and self-centered roles. Cite textbook
Describe the task, maintenance, and self-centered roles represented in the film.
What were some of the participation problems confronted by the group?
How did the group deal with these problems?
Climate (Gibb’s supportive vs. defensive climate):
– Define supportive and defensive climate with textbook citations.
– Define specific behaviors (e.g., certainty, provisionalism, superiority, indifference, etc.) that applied the most under these two climates (supportive vs defensive) in the movie.
-Describe how these specific behaviors are displayed throughout most of the jury’s deliberations.
-What specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors contributed to these specific behaviors?
Conflict:
–Briefly define task, procedural, and personal conflict. Cite textbook.
-Provide examples of task, procedural, and personal conflict represented in the film.
-Define the conflict styles (e.g., avoiding, competing, compromising, etc.) that applied most in group members. Cite textbook.
-Provide examples of the conflict styles represented in the film.
-How successfully were conflicts resolved in the group?
Argumentation:
–Evaluate the jury members’ arguments. How well did the characters evaluate information?
4) Conclusion (at least 1 page):
Briefly summarize what you have discussed (i.e., main points in your paper) in this paper.
Discuss what you have learned from this movie
Discuss how this analysis could be applicable in your current/future work.
