Social Group Work, Lecture notes of Social Work

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Student’s Guide to

Social Group Work

Where there is a little common interest and activity, kindness grows like weeds by the roadside.

Compiled by

S.Rengasamy

Second Draft

Skills

The material for this compilation is taken from several sources

• Dr. Vera Mehta’s “Social Group Work” in Encyclopedia of Social Work in India (I968)
• Social Work with groups - Wikipedia
• Dr.H Y Siddique, “ Group Work: Theories and Practices: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka” Rawat Publications, 2008.
• The Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups , Inc. (AASWG) and several other web sources
• P.D. Sharma, “Social Work – Philosophy and Methods, Inter-India Publications, New Delhi, 1995

Dr.Vera Mehta

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Content Social Group Work Syllabus UGC / NET /JRF Social Group Work Social Work Practice with Groups

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Social Work with Groups Alone Vs Together (Box) # Loneliness (Box) 7 Definitions of Social Group Work 8 The Group as the unit of Social Work Practice ‗Group‘ from social work point of view Group Work and Team Work (Box) Rationale for Group Services in Social Work Individualism vs Collectivism (Box)

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Values of Group Work 10 Characteristics of Group Work #Characteristics of Group Work (Box) Characteristics of Group Work – II

1. Group work is practiced by group itself 2. Based on humanitarian philosophy
2. It gives aspiration to help each other 4.It provides more skill and information: 5 .It develops human personality

10 11

Purpose of Social Work with Groups (Box) 11 Characteristics of group work - Trecker‘s 11 Goal & Functions of Social Group Work Goal (Purpose) of Group work Objectives of Group work (Box)

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Functions of group work 12 Nature of Group work (Box) 12 Group worker (Box) 12 Principles of Social Group Work Principles of Social Group Work Douglas &Tom‘s 14 Principles of Social Group Work Trecker‘s 10 Principles of Social Group Work

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Assumptions and Theories helpful in Working with Groups Life Skills #Life Skills identified by UNICEF (Box) Sharing Feedback #Emotional support Theories Psychoanalytic Theory #Psychoanalytic Theory Diagram (Box) Learning Theory # Learning Theory (Box) #Learning Theory (Box) Kurt Lewin‘s Field Theory # Field Force Theory (Box) Systems Theory #Systems Theory (Box) #Systems Theory (Box) Conflict Theory #Exogenous & Endogenous Conflict #Function of Social Conflict Exchange Theory #Exchange Theory (Box) Power Dependence Relations Human Capital and Social Capital #Social Capital (Box) #Human Capital (Box)

15 - 25

The Importance of Social Group Worker (Box) 26 Approaches to Group Work 26 Knowledge Base for Social Group Work Knowledge of individuals (Box) # Knowledge of groups & small group behaviour (Box) #Knowledge of the function of the group worker. (Box)

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Group work (Box) #Group Work Skills Skill in understanding and dealing individual behaviour + Skill in directing the small groups + Skill in using various programmes (Box) Skills in intake and referral services +Skill to conduct interviews and group meetings in the community setting (Box) Skills in group counselling and psychotherapy (Box)

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Objectives of Group work (Box) 28 Group Work Practice Settings 29

Skills Programme Planning /Programme Laboratory in Social Group Work Is Social Group Worker is a recreationist (Box) #Programme media (Images) Factors in Programme Planning #Role of group worker in programme planning Use of Programme Media

1. Play: Drama, mime, use of puppets and masks and role-play: Music and arts and crafts: Talk Movement: Work

29 - 30

Scope of Social Group Work Scope (Box) 31 - 32 Evolution of Social Group Work in the United States Pre-1930s The Mid-Thirties to the 1950s Gisela Konopka (Box) #Harleigh Bradley Trecker (Box) Self esteem & belonging to a group (Box) The 1960s to the present #William Schwartz &Mutual – aid model (Box) Jack Rothman (Box) #Robert Vinter (Box)

33 - 36

Mutual Aid Practice Models The Mutual Aid Model Models of Group Work (Box) #Reid‘s Classification of Group Work Models (Box) Models of Group Work Cognitive-Behavioural Group Work #Group Work with Mandated Members Open-Ended Groups

36 - 38

Early Roots of Group Work (Box) 39 Other Influences that shaped Social Group Work Practice 40 Group Work in India ( Box) #History of Group Work in India Present Position : Academic Curriculum # Field Work #Teaching Materials Group Work Practice in Agencies Socio-Cultural Factors that influence Social Group Work Practice

41 - 44

Qualities of a Group worker 44 Evaluation of the Group Work # Group Work Evaluation (Box) Purpose of Evaluation #Content of Evaluation

• Evaluation of Individual Growth #- Chart for Evaluating Individual Growth (Table)
• Evaluation of the group #- Chart for evaluating group performance (Table)
• Measuring the performance / growth of a group (table)
• Evaluation of the member‘s contribution to group
• Chart for evaluating member‘s contribution to group

45 - 47

Recording in Social Group Work #Importance of Recording in Social Group Work (Box) #Use of records #Principles of social work recording – Lindsay Content of Social Group Work Records

48 - 49

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Alone versus together  Isolation can be positive, but prolonged isolation is stressful  People respond negatively if they expect to be alone

• increased aggression
• take risks
• reduced cognitive capacity

When alone one is free to act any way that one like But join a group, and one must tailor his/her actions to the demands of the group situation

Loneliness

Loneliness can be emotional and social. Membership in groups can reduce both types of loneliness

Groups are a fundamental part of social life. Groups can be very small – just two people – or very large. They can be highly rewarding to their members and to society as a whole, but there are also significant problems and dangers with them. All this makes them an essential focus for research, exploration and action.

Humans are small group beings. We always have been and we always will be. The ubiquitousness of groups and the inevitability of being in them make groups one of the most important factors in our lives. As the effectiveness of our groups goes, so goes the quality of our lives

However, there is a downside to all this. The socialization they offer might be highly constraining and oppressive for some of their members. They can also become environments that foster interpersonal conflict. Furthermore, the boundaries drawn around groups are part of a process of excluding certain people (sometimes to their detriment) and creating inter-group conflict. There is also evidence to show that groups can impact upon individuals in ways that warp their judgments and that lead to damaging decision making (what some commentators have talked about as ('groupthink'). Given all of this it is easy to see why the intervention of skilled leaders and facilitators is sometimes necessary. Social Work with Groups. One cannot examine the life of any group without realizing its potentialities for affecting the attitudes and consequently the values of the members. Group interaction is the social force through which individual growth and development take place. It is also the means through which societal growth and change are accomplished. While group life makes growth possible, it does not necessarily mean that any group life develops a happy, well-balanced individual or a democratic society automatically. Achievement of these ends depends upon the set of values which are the dominant ideals of the members and of the society of which they are a part. A worker is assigned to a group in order that he may influence it for some social purpose which is of value to the sponsor of the group. That social purpose may be totalitarian or it may be democratic.

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Social Group Work aims at the development of persons through the interplay of personalities in group situations, and at the creation of such group situations to provide for integrated, co operative group action for common (Coyle 1937)

2

Group work is method by which the group worker enables various types of groups to function in such a way that both group interaction and programme activities contribute to the growth of the individual and the achievement of desirable social goals (Association for the Advancement of Group Work-1948)

3

Group Work maybe defined as an educational process emphasising the development and social adjustment of an individual through voluntary association and the use of this (^1) association as a means of furthering socially desirable ends. (Newsletter - 1935)

Group Work as a social process and a method through which group life is affected by a worker who consciously direct the interacting process toward the accomplishment of goals which are conceived in a democratic frame of reference ( Wilson & Ryland - 1949 ) 4

Group Work is used within group experience as a means to individual growth and development, and that the group worker is concerned in developing social responsibility and active citizenship for the improvement of democratic society ( Coyle - 1954 ) 6

Social Group work is a psychosocial process which is concerned no less than with developing leadership ability and co operation than with building on the interests of the group for a social purpose (Hamilton - 1949 ) 5

Social Group Work is a method of social work which helps individuals to enhance their social functioning through purposeful group experiences and to cope more effectively with their personal, group or community problems ( Konapka - 1963 ) 8

Social Group Work is a method through which individuals in groups and in agency settings are helped by a worker who guides their interaction in programme activities so that they may relate themselves to others and experience growth opportunities in accordance with their needs and capacities to the end of the individual, group and community development (H.B.Trecker - 1955 )

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Group Work can address the two fold objectives of providing therapeutic services and also (^9) the political goal of strengthening democratic functioning ( Sallie Bright - 1955 )

Group Work include both improving the normal functioning and neutralizing the abnormal (^10) functioning of individuals ( Balgopal & Vassili - 1983 )

Social Group Work is used for the purpose of reducing or eliminating roadblocks to social (^11) interaction and accomplishing desirable social goals ( Skidmore – 1988 )

(In Indian context) Social Group Work will refer to working with a small group (members ranging from 7- 1 0) to a medium size group (members ranging from 10-20) for a variety of purposes beginning from recreation to behaviour modification on the one hand and accomplishing tasks including social change and development on the other, with a variety of clients ranging from children to elderly. The worker makes use of the expertise in human relationships to help these groups to achieve the group goals in a participatory manner while paying adequate attention to individual needs and social norms (H.Y.Siddiqui - 2008 )

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Definitions of Social Group Work

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There are specific characteristics of group work which are distinct from those of the other methods of social work.

1. Group work makes use of multiple relationships and a multi-person process (worker to member, worker to group, member to member and member to group) whereas casework relies on the interview, a two-person process. The latter also sometimes utilises joint interviews as well when there are multiple clients in family casework in which case knowledge and use of group theory and dynamics are used.
2. The group is an instrument for meeting basic needs and strengthening human capacities. It promotes identification of participants with one another and provides freedom to relate as and when the client is ready for it.
3. A unique characteristic of group work is its use of programme media such as play, discussion, arts and crafts, music, dance, drama, role play, outings and parties which facilitate mastery of skills and serve as a vehicle for fostering human relationships.
4. Programme activities offer scope for utilisation of non-verbal communication , a particularly valuable tool for clients who cannot articulate their needs and problems.
5. Mernbership in the group, exposure to its influences, participation in its activities and acquisiti on of a role and status within it can have potent effects for individuals.

Characteristics of Group work

Value: The moral principles and beliefs or accepted standards of a person or social group

1. Respect for persons and their autonomy.

Values of^ Group^ Work^ 2.^ The creation of a socially just society.

educator and group work scholar has elaborated on the role of mutual aid in the small group, noting that “as members become involved with one another, they develop helping relationships and take interest in each other and participate in the group activities". The mutual aid processes that unfold in a group context help group members  "to experience their concerns and life issues as universal,"  "reduce isolation and stigma,"  "offer and receive help from each other," and  "learn from each other‟s views, suggestions and challenges".

Values of Group Work The value system informing group work practice identify with “the ultimate value of social work” which they suggest is “that human beings have opportunities to realize their potential for living in ways that are both personally satisfying and socially desirable”. Humanistic

values guide social work practice with groups, inform worker role and use of self, and the understanding of membership in a social work group. Humanistic values "cast people in society as responsible for and to one another”. The perspective espoused by several social work group work experts is that not only are people responsible for one another but that mutual interdependence is preferable to individualism.

The following humanistic values have been highlighted by social work educators, such as Gisela Konopka, as integral to social work practice with groups: 1) "individuals are of inherent worth"; 2) "people are mutually responsible for each other; and 3) "people have the fundamental right to experience mental health brought about by social and political conditions that support their fulfilment".

Characteristics of Group Work

Group work is essential to work with a systematic plan having understanding, we feelings and concentration. Group workers are viewed as helping persons whose job is to help people by identifying her/his problem, skill and ability.

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Purpose of Social Work with Groups In 1964 the Committee on Practice of the Group Work Section of the National Association of Social Workers proposed that group work was applicable for the following purposes:  corrective/treatment;  prevention;  normal social growth and development;  personal enhancement; and citizenship indoctrination. Common needs addressed by social work groups include  coping with major life transitions;  the need to acquire information or skills;  the need to improve social relationships;  the need to cope with illness;  the need to cope with feelings of loss or loneliness

Characteristic of Group work:

1. Group work practiced by group itself
2. It‟s based on humanitarian philosophy
3. It gives aspiration to help each other
4. Group work provides more information and more skill
5. It develop human personality 1. Group work is practiced by group itself With the help of group workers, development of the individual changes and personality growth are happen. The group practiced and take steps by his own worth and dignity by the help of its workers. 2. Based on humanitarian philosophy: Group work is based on humanitarian philosophy. A group get its inspiration from the happiness, joy and prosperity of the member of that particular group within a community. A group must have a belongingness and group philosophy. 3. It gives aspiration to help each other: Because of living together, sharing problem and emotion of each other they get a aspiration to help each other. The group help the individual when she/he is in problem.

4.It provides more skill and information: After formation of a group by a worker the group member get more information and skill. Because of belongingness and helping mind the member can share their knowledge among themselves. They get more information about science, resources and techniques.

5.It develops human personality:

After making a group their networking with other groups, workers and agency develop their personality.

Goal & Functions of Social Group Work Social group work is a orderly, systematic plan, way of working with people in groups. Social group work is not an activity but a way of conducting many different activities. The members are helped to learn new ideas, develop skills, attitude changes & responsibilities

H.B.Trecker

Characteristics of group work identified from Trecker’s definition

1. Social Group work is a method
2. Individuals helped through groups in social agency settings
3. The role of worker is to guide interaction process
4. The purpose of group work is to provide experience, growth opportunities for development

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Principles of Social Group Work While group work shares with other methods of social work, generic principles such as respect for the individual, non-judgemental attitude and objectivity, out of its own philosophy and skill evolve basic principles specific to this method which guide the worker. Change is brought about through the establishment of purposeful growth-producing relationships between the worker and group members and among the members themselves. Sometimes this may require an appropriate modification of the group interactional process and its components (such as bond, leadership, isolation, scapegoating, sub- groups, conflict, hostility and contagion) to create a conducive atmosphere. The group worker encourages each member to participate according to the stage of his capacity thus enabling him to become more capable and confident in the process of problem solving. The worker also makes judicious use of limitations to direct and control the behaviour of members to obtain the optimum interaction. Most important is the differential and purposeful use of a programme according to the diagnostic evaluation of individual members, the group purpose and appropriate social goals. Well-chosen programme media provide opportunities for a new and differing experience in relationships and accomplishments. Group work demands an ongoing evaluation of the progress made by each individual and the group and, finally and most important of all, a warm and disciplined use of self on the part of the worker. Principles of Social Group Work Douglus &Tom has mentioned 14 Principles of Social Group Work 1 Recognition and subsequent action in relation to the unique difference of each individual 2 Recognition and subsequent action in relation to the wide variety of groups as groups 3 Genuine acceptance of each individual with his unique strengths and weaknesses 4 Establishment of a purposeful relationship between group worker and group member 5 Encouragement and enabling of help and co-operative relationships between members 6 Appropriate modification of group process 7 Encouragement of each member to participate according to the stage of his capacity and enabling him to become more capable 8 Enabling members to involve themselves in the process of problem solving 9 Enabling group members to experience increasingly satisfactory forms of working through conflicts 10 Provision of opportunities for new and differing experience in relationship and accomplishments 11 Judicious use of limitations related to the diagnostic assessment of each individual and the total situation 12 Purposeful and differential use of programme according to diagnostic evaluation of individual members, group purpose and appropriate goals 13 Ongoing evaluation of individual and group progress 14 Warm human and disciplined use of self on the part of the group worker

Terence J. Cooke in his book ‘Basic Principles of Social Group Work’ mentioned 4 Principles of Group Work

Walter A Friedlander in his book ‘Concepts and Methods of Social Work’ mentioned 10 principles of Social Group Work

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Trecker’s 10 Principles of Social Group Work

1 The Principle of Planned Group Formation Group is the basic unit through which the service is provided to the individual, consequently, the agency and the worker responsible for the formation of group or the acceptance into the agency of already formed groups must be aware of the factors inherent in the group situation that make the given group a positive potential for individual growth and for meeting recognizable needs

2 The Principle of Specific Objectives Specific objectives for individual as well as group development must be consciously formulated by the worker in harmony with group wishes and capacities and in keeping with agency function

3 The Principle of Purposeful Worker Group Relationship A consciously purposeful relationship must be established between the worker and the group members based on the worker‘s acceptance of the group members as they are and upon the groups willingness to accept help from the worker because of the confidence the members have in him and in the agency

4 The Principle of Continuous Individualization In group work it is recognized that groups are different and that individuals utilize group experience in a variety of ways to meet their differing needs; consequently, continuous individualization must be practised by the worker. Groups and individuals in the group must be understood as developing and changing.

5 The Principle of Guided Group Interaction In group work the primary source of energy which propels the group and influences the individuals to change are the interaction and reciprocal responses of the members. The group worker influence this interaction by the type and the quality of participation

6 The Principle of Democratic Group Self Determination In group work the group must be helped to make its own decisions and determine its own activities, taking the maximum amount of responsibility in line with the capacity and ability. The primary source of control over the group is the group itself

7 The Principle of Flexible Functional Organization In group work, the group worker guides the group by setting up an organization to meet the group needs. The organization thus established should be understood by the group members, should be flexible and encouraged only if it meets the felt need of the members. The organization should be adaptive and should change as the group changes.

8 The Principle of Progressive Programme Experiences In social group work, the program experiences in which the group engages should begin at the level of the member interest, need, experience and competence and should progress in relation to the developing capacity of the group.

9 The Principle of Resource Utilization In social group work, the total environment of the agency and the community possess resources which should be utilized to enrich the content of group experience for individuals and for the group as a whole.

10 The Principle of Evaluation In social group work, continuous evaluation of process and programmes in terms of outcomes is essential. Worker, group and agency share in this procedure as a means of guaranteeing this greatest possible self fullfilment

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Feedback

Conscious Knowledge

Decision & Commitment

Undesired Results

Incorrect Action

Correct Action

Desired Results

Sharing Feedback Peer relations greatly influence children and adolescents. Hence, it is important for them to understand how others rate them. The process of nicknaming persons is a common occurrence in all societies and at all stages. Generally, the labels aptly describe how others view the behaviour of a person. The group can provide an opportunity to children and adolescents to discover how others view them. It can also help them to analyze it objectively and learn to take corrective action if needed. For example, if a person is identified as a „bully‟, what are its implications, and how can one change the label. A discussion of stereo types can also be helpful in understanding labels and how to deal with them. There are also instances of giving labels to members of a particular religious, linguistic or caste group, which are negative. The children and adolescents of these groups experience a high degree of stress leading to academic and mental health problems. The group worker can use the knowledge to design a number of programs for children and adolescents indulging in labeling and for those who are at the receiving end.

Emotional support Many persons experience trauma due to a variety of reasons. Some examples are loss of significant persons, family violence, long-term unemployment, retirement trauma, and loss of shelter or other valuables, etc. These conditions produce stress and could become traumatic. Individual counseling is helpful but emotional trauma shared with fellow sufferers has been found to be of help. The studies of children and adolescents affected by disasters indicate that the trauma produces a great deal of anxiety, resulting in loss of concentration and producing incoherent behaviour. The adolescent‟s reaction to stress may vary such as withdrawal or opting out, depression, loss of control, inability to concentrate, irritability, disturbed sleep or eating patterns, flashbacks and emotional numbing. Loss of significant members such as parents or siblings and material resources such as housing will require a different set of life skills and coping strategies to survive. The studies indicate that emotional support from others who have undergone a similar trauma is helpful. The finding is used to form groups of persons having suffered a trauma to provide emotional support to each other.

By now it is clear that in order to understand the events taking place within a group, one need to understand the individuals within the group on the one hand and their interaction in the group on the other. There are now a number of psychological theories providing an explanation of individual behaviour and how it can help in understanding the group functioning. A number of studies on group psychology and group dynamics are now available to provide important insights about groups

Theories Psychoanalytic Theory Freud is perhaps one of the earliest theorists to provide an explanation of human personality. Freud conceptualized that the human mind has two broad systems.

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One he described as conscious, pre-conscious and unconscious and the other as Id, Ego and super Ego. Freud suggested that mind was composed of thoughts (ideas), feelings, instincts, drives, conflicts and motives. Most of these elements were located in the unconscious or preconscious. There is a repressed area which serves as a barrier where a lot of disturbing material (thoughts and feelings), as unresolved conflicts, are placed through the process of defense mechanism. Defense mechanism or repression is a process in which unacceptable desires, memories and thoughts are excluded from consciousness by sending the material into the unconscious under the repressed barrier. Freud suggests that this results in producing irritants such as unwanted emotions and behaivour such as anger, hallucinations, etc.

Describing the second system Freud explains that Id is the primitive psychic force hidden in the unconscious. It represents the basic needs and drives such as hunger, thirst, sex and self preservation, which support other personality factors. Id governed by the pleasure principle

primarily seeks to express itself irrespective of the consequences, while Ego acts as the rational component of the mind which controls the thinking of the mind. Super ego serves as the conscience by indicating what is right and wrong socially and morally. Freud conceptualized that people pass through six psychosocial development stages. During any one of the stages conflicts may arise and if it remains unresolved the person‟s personality development will be affected. He thought that disturbances can arise from several sources. Traumatic experiences which a person‟s ego is not able to cope with directly are repressed. Similarly internal unconscious processes could also cause disturbances. Freud, in elaborating the group‟s influence on human behaviour, specifically mentions about the importance of group leader, and the early life experiences of the members. The members use transference in their interactions that occur within the group and try to recreate their conflicts and defense mechanisms.

More recent psychoanalytic group treatment have adapted and modified classical psychoanalytic theory to emphasize the current experiences of group interaction. Through direct, mutual interpersonal communications members build interpersonal skills, adaptive

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By using the learning theory framework, the group can provide reinforcements to strengthen behaviour. There are both positive and negative reinforcements. A good example of negative reinforcement in a group situation is to discourage behaviour by booing, if the proper dress code or language or behaviour code is violated. The person will then behave in a particular manner to avoid the booing. However, a more server response like terminating the membership to weaken a behaivour is called punishment. Similarly extinction or withdrawal of reinforcements results in weakening of particular behaviour. The learning theory thus provides a framework for group workers to modify behaviour. The context could be achievement of group tasks and development, or helping the members to unlearn behaviors that create problems in their social functioning.

Sociologists have also studied groups and their functioning. They have come up with a number of interesting findings that are helpful in highlighting the functioning of groups.

Field Theory Kurt Lewin was one of the pioneers to scientifically study group functioning. He focused on the forces that influenced the working of groups. He and his colleagues tried to study leadership styles by creating groups with different styles of leaderships in order to see their impact on the functioning of the group. It is commonly observed that a leader becomes authoritarian when the members are seeking favours, rather than questioning the decisions or even discussing the issues objectively. Lewin argued that the leadership style is a product of leader and member interaction rather than a personality trait of the leader. Further, Lewin, while developing his Field Theory, argued that a group has a life space and it has movement. It tries to accomplish goals or group tasks and faces hurdles in its movement (locomotion). Lewin believed that group was an entity of opposing forces which keep the group members in the group and move them along in achieving group goals. However, the behaviour of individual members and the group itself should be seen as a product of the totality of the group situation (Lewin, 1964)

Lewin introduced several concepts to help in the understanding of forces at work in the group.

Some of them are  Roles- status rights and duties of group members;  Norms – Rules governing the behaviour of group members;  Power – the ability of members to influence on another;

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 Cohesion-The attraction the group members feel towards one another and towards the group  Consensus- the degree of agreement regarding goals and other group phenomena, and  Valence – the potency of goals and objects in the life space of the group.

Other field theorists have continued to work on the characteristics of group that influence the individual behaivour. Cohesion has been identified as an important factor, defined as, “the totality of forces acting on individual members to keep them in the group.

Cohesion reflects the agreement on goals and norms, shared understanding and a greater homogeneity in demographic background, as also the productivity, satisfaction and cooperative interaction patterns.

Lewin developed t-group as a means to observe the effects of group process on group members and as a means to induce changes in behaviour. Lewin thus helped in developing a theory that people change when they see their behaviour as others see it, thus leading to development of the feedback method whereby the group members and the group leader provide feedback to the individual as to how his/her behaviour was affecting them. Role plays and simulations are also used to highlight the group process. The group workers using the field theory framework can design their own interventions in working with the group for achieving the group goals along with individual development

Systems Theory Systems theory is also helpful to explain the functioning of a group. Talcott Persons defined social system as a set of interdependent elements trying to function as a unified whole to maintain order and a stable equilibrium. The social systems are constantly facing new challenges as the environment around them and within, is constantly changing. Therefore, they must act to maintain the equilibrium if they have to survive. This act of survival depends upon four basic functions: (a) Integration (b) adaptation;