Soeial Group Work

3.4 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

The history of social group work cannot be traced back and focused on the
contribution of any one person. Also there is no particular date that marks its
inception. However its early beginning is linked to one particular organization the
Charity Organization Societies (COS). Many authors link the development of
modern group work to the history of social agencies. As is known, industrialization
esulted in a mass movement of people from rural to urban areas. The old social
gencies always had a base of philanthropy but the newly emerging ones came up
with the approach of 'selfhelp'. Aneed was felt for mutual help and support. The
labour movement that developed talked of adult education and outings such as
camps for the workers and their families. There were a number of youth agencies
with a strong participation of the youth. The spirit behind all these endeavours was
of citizen action and a concerted effort to involve the ones who were being
helped. The recreation movement too was at the base of group work. As a social
movement related closely to the union's fight for an eight hour day, it emphasized
the rights of the educationally and culturally disadvantaged sections. It promoted
children and for summer camps. Most
tne setting up of playgrounds for slum interaction
activities that were introduced were in groups and consequently group
became a dominant concern. Thus agencies such as the settlement houses,
work
neighbourhood centers, Jewish centers, camp fires, were the early group
agencies.
After First World War
The period following the first world war was one in which social casework was
at that time social
predominantly by the Charity Organisation Societies and of services with a
used
number
roup work was hardly developed. However a large
democratic outlook were developed in society.
Social Work Concepts and In the United States of America there was emergence of a large number as
Primary Methods voluntary organizations where group behaviour was emphasized as a democrati
way of life. Therefore, it is seen that social group work at that time
was
conceived as a goal, a philosophy, a movement, a psychology and a profession
(see Kanopka). Delineating the importance of worker 's education, many thinkers
like Mark Starr (1937) emphasized concepts of group work such as "learning hu
of
doing', starting where the group is' and the use informality.
Group Work Curriculum
The beginnings of social group work in social work curriculum were made by
Clara Kaiser who offered the first course as part of professional social work
curiculum in School of Social Work in Cleveland and her work was later taken
Grace Coyle. The integration of group work into social work practice was
not easy and was gradual. In case the objective ofrendering help to individuals in
need was easy to comprehend. The neighborhood approach and self help
movements behind group work had little to do with individual help andcoping.
In the 1920s, group work got a lot of input from different disciplines such as
education, psychology and social work. In 1936, the American Association for
Study of Group Work was constituted. Its aimwas to clarniy the concept of group
work, yet this confusion prevailed for a number of years. Kanopka reports that
the group workers saw themselves as a separate profession from social work.

Second World War and Group Work

The period during the second world war was one that made an inmpact on the
integration of group work with social work profession. It was the war services
that brought group workers and case workers together. Professionals in the field
of psychiatry now started to experiment with groups in their therapeutic
interventions. Gradually the concept of individualization in and through
groups
enthrailed many.
Grace Longwell Coyle

In the years that followed there prevailed a lot of uncertainties for supporters of
group work. The American Association for Study of Group Work found it difficult
to associate with any specific profession. Some
suggested its integration with tne
profession of education. However the fact that it was being taught in some schools
of social work brought it closer here.
Although it is difficult to name a person or
mention a date for the origin of group work, the
associated with social work was 1946 and the turning point where it came to be
person to which this can be
attributed is Grace Lohgwell Coyle. She built up the case for the integration of
group work into professional social work and this process was finalized in the
year 1955 when the American Association for
Study of Work joined the
newly formed National Association of Social Workers.Group The history of socia
group work shows howit changed from the
to a social work method.
design of a field, a movement, a goal,
The 1960s saw a decline in the
importance given to group work practice. Tns
was a result of the new
thought that gave importance to generic social work
practice. Specializations were no more offered in schools of Social Work to
people in case work, group work and community organization. This trend train
in the next decade too. However, in 1979, continued
group workers in United States and
Canada came together and organized the first Annual Symposium for the oeial Group Work
Advancement of Group Work with the aim of making practitioners aware of the
benefits of groups.

Historical Development in India

Group Work came to India in the year 1936 alongwith the introduction of
professional social work education with the establishment of the first School of
Social Work, that is, the Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work in
Mumbai. This was followed by the establishment ofthe second school of Social
Work in Delhi which also had teaching ofthe Social Group Work Method as part
of the curriculum. The third school came up in Baroda with a strong trend of
group work practice. Infact, this School came up with some ofthe first publications
of records of Group Work in 1960. The Association of Schools of Social Work
in association with Technical Cooperation Mission (U.S.A) laid down minimum
standards tor group work. By and large all schools offered courses on case
there
work, group work and community organization on an American Model and
were no specializations. Also there were no efforts to indigenize the western
model of group work practice to the Indian context.

At present group work ia taught as a generic method alongwith case work and
The group work
community organization in most schools of Social Work in India.
and in
method is used in correctional and residential institutional setting, hospitals
work, esp. with
special schools. It has been extensively applied in communitythese
activities in groups are
children, women and youth groups. The general
recreational,educational and cultural in character. The objectives are mainly
socialization, structured recreation, functional literacy,
awareness generation on
education. Professional social
health and hygiene, and issues related to family life
workers have been working with self-help groups
and emphasizing mutual support
ad assistance. In addition, hospitals, child guidance clinics,
special schools and
interventions as part of their
drug de-addiction centres use therapeutic group
treatment pln.
all most all problems
Social work discipline as a profession is being practiced with
This unit will concentrate on the group
of the individual, community and society.
which individuals are helped in
work method of social work practice through about desired
their problems and it is also directed towards bringing
solving
and community levels.
changes at the individual, group