12 Angry Men Group Behavior Essay

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Group Dynamics in 12 Angry Men

In the 1957 classic 12 Angry Men, group dynamics are portrayed through a jury deliberation. Group dynamics is concerned with the structure and functioning of groups as well as the different types of roles each character plays. In the film, twelve men are brought together in a room to decide whether a boy is guilty of killing his father. The personality conflicts, the joint effort and the functioning of several minds together to search for the truth are just a few characteristics of group dynamics at work. The whole spectrum of humanity is represented in this movie, from the bigotry of Juror No.10 to the coldly analytical No.4. Whether they brought good or bad qualities to the jury room, they all affected …show more content…
After ridicule and scorn by his fellow jurors, Juror No. 8 suggests a startling compromise. He will abstain from the second ballot and if they all vote guilty, so will he. But if he has gathered any support for the defendant, then the rest of the jurors have to agree to stay awhile and discuss the case with him. It is Juror No. 9 who has risen to stand by No. 8, giving support in a time of need. No. 8 chooses not to go with the norm and plays the 'nonconformist' who also comes up with original ideas throughout the movie. Juror #10 is the most horrifying character in the film. He votes guilty and does not even try to hide the fact hat he does so only because of the boy's social background. The tragedy comes from the fact that his own social position is only a cut above the boy's ' which makes him all the more eager to stress the difference. The repulsive and poisonous bigotry of No. 10 puts him in 'aggressive', 'debunker', and 'blocker' roles throughout the film. Juror #11, an immigrant watchmaker, is a careful analytical man, well mannered and soft spoken. He respects the right of people to have different opinions to his ' and is willing to look at both sides of the problem. He loses his temper only once ' horrified by the complete indifference of Juror No. 7. His role is that of 'group observer' as well as 'opinion giver.'

Juror #12 is a young business type ' perhaps he has his own opinions ' but is careful to
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