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Lawrence R. Frey (Ed.), GROUP COMMUNICATION IN CONTEXT: STUDIES OF BONA FIDE GROUPS (2nd ed.), Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2003; pp. 456, $99.95 hardcover, ISBN: 0805831495; $45.00 paper, ISBN: 0805831509.
Over a decade ago, Putnam and Stohl (1990) called for small group scholars to adopt a bona fide group perspective. They argued that studying natural groups in context would provide insights about how groups really function. Bona fide groups have permeable boundaries and flexible borders and are inextricably linked to contexts that must be examined to really understand group functioning (Putnam & Stohl, 1990; Stohl & Putnam, 1994). This edited volume testifies to the extent to which scholars have embraced their call. It is an appropriate primary or supplementary text for graduate courses in small group or organizational communication. It would serve well as a supplementary text for advanced undergraduate small group courses and for graduate methods or applied research courses.
The small group container metaphor limits our understanding of groups. But as Frey notes in the introduction, our goals are not served merely by moving from the laboratory to the field without considering specifically what field studies can add to our understanding and why we should utilize them. Each chapter addresses these considerations and demonstrates how studying natural groups reveals key issues. The chapters are interesting and help to answer questions regarding the bona fide group perspective.
The text has six sections with an epilogue. Section 1 investigates group boundaries and how they are...