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Communication and Group Culture 147

Fantasy is rooted in the theory of symbolic convergence, articulated and devel-
oped by Bormann. Symbolic convergence theory acknowledges that humans are sto- Symbolic Convergence
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rytelling creatures who create and share meaning through talk. Convergence refers to The theory that
the fact that during interaction the private symbolic worlds of individuals often over- humans create and
share meaning
lap, or converge. When that occurs, as it must to some extent in a group or there through talk and
would be no group, meaning is shared; the symbolic, personal communication of two storytelling,
or more individuals constructs a shared reality that bonds the individuals, helps them producing an
discover how they feel about certain events, reveals shared values, and guides them to overlapping
action. In other words, symbolic convergence theory “accounts for the creation and (convergence) of
maintenance of a group consciousness through shared motives, common emotional private symbolic
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activity, and consensual meanings for events.” We will now turn from this fairly worlds of individuals
abstract discussion to several specific examples of how fantasy helps shape a group’s during interaction.
reality.
In the short and simple fantasy chain below, members of a student group are
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planning publicity for their annual Career Day seminar. Chris asks Kevin what the
previous year’s group did for publicity:

Discussion Commentary
Chris: Kevin, do you know what they Chris asks a direct, task-relevant
did last time? question.
Kevin: Yeah, somewhere I’ve got a list Kevin answers Chris but introduces the
here. All they really did was put an ad in fantasy about the “embarrassing”
the school paper and then sent around performance of last year’s group.
this tacky memo to the faculty about a
week ahead of time asking them to
announce it in classes. It was
embarrassing!
Deirdre: I can’t believe that’s all Deirdre, animated, picks up on Kevin’s
they did! criticism of the previous group.
Lori: It was John’s fault—he didn’t want Lori adds her part.
to do anything, and the group didn’t do
anything!
Tony: What a bunch of lazy wimps! Tony contributes.
Chris: We’ve already done more than Chris contributes and adds the idea that
they ever did, and we’ve just gotten this group has already done better than
started. the last one.

Kevin: I know! We’re going to look a lot Kevin adds to Chris’s idea.
better than they did!
Lori: Okay, I like trashing those guys as Lori stops the fantasy by getting the
much as you do, but we’re really getting group back on track.
off track.

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