I’m comparing the movie Sex and the City to the communication theory Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making by Randy Hirokawa and Dennis Gouran. The definition of the Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making is a perspective approach that describes and predicts task-group performance when four communication functions are fulfilled. The functional perspective has four requisite functions (requirements for positive group outcome). These four are: analysis of the problem, goal setting, identification of alternative, and evaluation of positive and negative characteristics. This function allows groups to communicate more effectively when making decisions. This communication theory could definitely be applied to the movie Sex and the City.
The movie Sex and the City stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw. The movie is based off of the TV show, Sex and the City. In this movie Carrie and Mr. Big decide to get married. At first they are just going to have a small, just-friends-and-family wedding. But when Carrie is in a photo shoot for Vogue about brides over forty, Carrie gets a gift of one of the dresses she was photographed in. she then decides that she wants to have a huge wedding. She plans the whole celebration, and when the big day comes Mr. Big is not ready to say “I do.” He doesn’t get out of the car when it’s time to go inside the library (where they were getting married). When Carrie finds out about Mr. Big's doubts she leaves, calling the wedding off. Mr. Big realizes he’s wrong and tries to go after Carrie, but by then it’s too late. She is heart broken and the wedding is off. Carrie had planned a romantic honeymoon to Mexico that she was going to surprise Mr. Big with. It was already paid for. When her friends, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte, found out about the honeymoon they decide that Carrie should go on the trip anyway. And they decided that would go on it with her. So they go to Mexico and try to cure Carrie’s heartbreak with tons of fun in the sun.
The movie Sex and the City is an example of the Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making communication theory. The perfect example to use from this movie is the part when the group of friends decides to take Carrie on her honeymoon, even though the wedding was cancelled. It is perfect because the girls go through the four requisite functions to come to their decision.
Analysis if the Problem – The definition of analysis of the problem is determining the nature, extent, and cause of the problem facing the group. In Sex and the City Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda analyzed the problem of Carrie’s heartbreak. They came to the conclusion that the cause of the problem was Mr. Big. His doubt about his future with Carrie was the reason that she was heartbroken and was also the reason that the wedding did not happen. The extent of Carrie’s despair was so much that the first night after the failed wedding she was in shock and wouldn’t talk to anyone. Her friends had to do all the discussing and deciding without her. Being her best friends, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte knew how weird this was for her.
Goal Setting – The definition of goal setting is establishing criteria by which to judge proposed solutions. In Sex and the City Carrie’s friends have to use goal setting when deciding if they should go to Mexico on Carrie’s honeymoon, which is the proposed solution to Carrie’s problem. They say that going to Mexico would be good for Carrie. She can get away and not have to think about the wedding and what Mr. Big did to her. Because the trip would be a great distraction it makes the trip a great solution to her broken heartedness. Another reason to go on the trip was bonding within the group. The friends had not been able to be together very much, making them distant. So the trip would be a way to make Carrie forget her problems and it would allow the girls to get close yet again. Those were the goals of the trip.
Identification of Alternatives – the definition of identification of alternatives is generation of options to sufficiently solve the problem. Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte look at the alternative of not going on the trip and just continuing on with life as it is. They look at all aspects of how Carrie is taking the cancellation of the wedding and the separation from Mr. Big. They realize that the only way to bring Carrie out of her depression would be to get away from New York and not think about everything that happened. They also looked at the alternative of not going on the trip for the group to be close again. They saw that they would lose closeness if they did not get away together.
Evaluation of Positive and Negative Characteristics – The definition of evaluation of positive and negative characteristics is testing the relative merits of each option against the criteria selected; weighing the benefits and cost. The girls looked at the positives and negatives of the trip to Mexico. They realized that the benefits very much so outweighed the costs. They knew that they would be away from their families. And they knew that Carrie may not want to be social and still be miserable. But they also knew that the trip would help Carrie be less miserable. It would give the group of friends a change to get to know each other all over again, which is something they haven’t been able to do in a long time. To them the benefits were much more important to them than what it would cost them, so they went to Mexico.
I compared the movie Sex and the City to the communication theory Functional Perspective on Group Decision Making by Randy Hirokawa and Dennis Gouran. This theory had four requisite functions: problem analysis, goal setting, identification of alternatives, and evaluation of positive and negative consequences. This movie followed all of these functions. Sex and the City provided equipment of living through this theory by showing us that group decision making is used every day. And this theory can be used to help the decision making.
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