EW: "That is not what I asked. You are off the point.
 What other reasons are there for drying your maize
 in the store?"
In the bottom left segment (B), where the control has passed to the
group members but still there is a high degree of formality, we
would place those occasions where, for instance, a group of farmers
are meeting with their own elected committee officers and follow-
ing the rules of formal business meetings.
In the bottom right segment (C) we have symbolized the kind of
group discussion where no one is exercising a controlling role and
the members are freely discussing a topic of mutual interest. Such
situations occur when the group is strongly motivated to discuss a
certain issue and the members are able to keep to the point without
anyone designated as chairman and without the need for proce-
dural rules.
However, most discussion groups need some kind of guidance from
a chairman figure. It is, though, possible to take this role without
being as authoritarian as the extension worker in the above
illustration. A group concerned with the same topic, in similar
circumstances, could operate something like this:
EW: 'Fine. You have listened to my explanation of the
 new crib and the improved basket. Can we have
 some reactions to what I have said. But first, let's
 review the reasons for drying your maize in a store
 rather than in the field. What do you think are the
 important points?"
Farmer One: "The birds do a lot of damage to the maize when it
 is left in the field."
EW: "Yes, that certainly seems to be true in this area.
 Any other reasons you would particularly mention?"
Farmer Two: "But I am concerned about the cost of these new
 structures. Can you tell us how much it would take
 to raise a basket like that?"
EW: "Certainly, that is a very important point. But I am
 going to deal with that in some detail later. Do you
 mind if we postpone my answer to that till we have
 considered some of the reasons for changing the
 practices of harvesting only when the maize is
 dry-or stocking in the field? But I do want to give
 you some figures on the costs a little later. OK?