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 A Guide to Social Group Work/Working with Groups 1

Student’s Guide to

SOCIAL GROUP WORK

BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK

Compiled by
Dr. Mirshad Rahman T M

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 A Guide to Social Group Work/Working with Groups 2

SYLLABUS
UNIT I Introduction to Group Work: Characteristics and significance of group.
Definition of Social Group Work - Characteristics of Social Group Work. -
Historical evolution of group work with special emphasis on the Indian Context.

UNIT II Values and Principles in group work. Characteristics of Group

formation: Factors of group formation - Formulation of goals - Identification of
problems for work.

UNIT III Group Processes and Group Dynamics: Importance of group processes.
Role of group workers. Leadership – Meaning, types of leadership.

UNIT IV Recordings in Group work: Importance of recording in social group

work - Principles of recording - Recording structure - Types of recording.

UNIT V Application of Group Work: Application in health settings, school

settings, family welfare settings, industrial settings, women and child welfare
settings.

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UNIT I
Introduction to Group Work
Social group work is a primary method of social work. Group work is a method
of group leadership used in organizing and conducting various types of group
activities. Giselle Konopka defines group work as “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 and
community problems”.
Trecker gives the following definition “ Social group work is a method in social
work through which individuals in many groups in a variety of community
agencies settings are helped by a worker who guides their interaction in program
activities so that they may relate themselves to others and experience growth
opportunities in accordance with their needs and capacities to the end of
individual, group and community development”.
Allan Brown says “group work provides a context in which individuals help each
other; it is a method of helping groups as well as helping individuals; and it can
enable individuals and groups to influence and change personal, group, and
organizational and community problems.”
A definition of social work prepared by the National association of Social
workers in 1956 considers five attributes as being basic to the practice of social
work.
These attributes are:
1) Values
2) Purpose
3) Sanction
4) Knowledge
5) Method
All these attributes influence each other. Values of social work practice
influences the purpose of social work and method used to achieve them.

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Values
The values of social work are rooted in the democratic and humanitarian
principles. The inherent value of the human being and his dignity regardless of
his status, position and his actions are recognized. Social work believes in
equality, justice and freedom. Social challenges structures, institutions and
practices which prevent individuals, groups and communities from realizing these
goals.
Therefore, it can be said that human rights values are important part of social
work values also. Another important value is the recognition that everyone has
the inherent capacity to resolve his or her problems. Thus, given the right
conditions that person can successfully resolve his problems. The values of social
work are codified as professional ethics which is implemented by the professional
body. The principles of social work such as principles of acceptance,
individualization, self-determination, confidentiality, non-judgmental attitude
and controlled emotional involvement are derived from these values.
Group work values are the same as the generic values of social work. Gisela
Konopka describes the three humanistic concerns of group work. They are
(i) individuals are of inherent worth.
(ii) people are mutually responsible for each other; and
(iii) people have the fundamental right to experience mental health brought about
by social and political conditions that support their fulfilment.
These values find its expression in the practice of group work. Group work
emphasis on voluntary participation by the members. Group workers are
sometimes do work with involuntary groups due to statutory or agency demands.
But that is not the norm. Secondly, the social worker values the decisions made
by the group-the principle of self-determination. The group members are
encouraged by the group workers to participate in the planning and
implementation of group activities, even if there are disagreements between the
group and the worker regarding the effectiveness of the activity, the worker will

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not impose her decision on the group. Negotiation and discussion are the means
that the worker uses to help the group understand her point of view. Similarly,
decisions regarding the group have to be made by the group using democratic
methods. Participation by all members is stressed. everybody has equal right to
contribute to the discussions in the group. fourthly, the group has to maintain the
principle of confidentiality-members’ opinion and feelings which are shared in
the group should be kept confidential and should not be revealed outside the
group.
However, the group worker unlike the caseworker has to depend also on the group
members to achieve this aim. Therefore, often a confidential clause is attached in
the contract. Social workers take special care to ensure that confidentiality
working with children who have difficulties in doing that.
Working with Groups: Social Group Work
A child is born to a family which is the basic social group. A family consists of
father, mother and children. The child with innate faculties grows and develops
never alone but with the profound influence of the other members of the family.
As the capacity to interact and relate develops, the child associates with the age
mates in the neighbourhood. The peer group influence affects in moulding and
developing his potentials to a greater extent. Further, when the child is taken to a
school, the class mates too influence the behaviour and reinforce one’s potentials.
On assuming a profession, there too the individual’s behavioural patterns are
influenced by the members of the professional group to which one belongs. Even
after retirement the life gets largely affected by the age mates with whom one
associates.
Thus, it is true that human beings are influenced by various groups to which one
belongs from time to time. Social work profession, realizing the inevitability of
the role of group in one’s life has recognized social group work as a method. Here
group is used as an essential medium to help individuals to overcome certain
problems they face or to accomplish certain goals they cherish.

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Let us read the story of Biyas and friends.

Biyas and his friends Sarath and Somu are studying in Plus One class. They did
not participate in the seminar presentation, though several opportunities were
given to them. The class teacher discussed the matter with them and they
confessed that they were scared because of stage fright. To help them out the class
teacher directed them to the school social worker. He accepted them and
consulted the principal to check whether there are other students with the similar
problem. The principal identified thirteen more students from other classes. The
social worker formed them as a group and helped them to set the rectification of
stage fright and improvement of presentation skills as their purpose. In
consultation with the members, he helped the group to identify different
programmes to achieve the purpose. He motivated the members to participate in
those programmes. Through regulating their interactions in groups and ensuring
group experiences benefiting each member according to their capacity and needs,
he helped them to realize the set goals. Social worker conducted periodic
evaluations with members and necessary modifications were effected. At the end,
all the members expressed their improvement through the process and majority
of them completely overcame the problem.
It is clear from the story that if group is made available to individuals with certain
problems or specific needs and their interactions are facilitated, regulated and
monitored by a trained social worker, the group will act as a medium to achieve
their goals. Thus, social group work is a method of social work which develops
the ability of individuals through group activities. The group worker enables the
group to function in such a way that group interactions through programme
activities contribute to the development of the individual and the achievement of
the desired group goals.
According to Trecker, “social group work is a method through which individuals
in groups, in social agency settings are helped by worker who guides their
interaction in programme activities so that they may relate themselves to others

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and experience growth opportunities in accordance with their needs and

capacities”.
In the words of Prof. Hamilton, “social group work is a psycho-social process
which is concerned no less than with developing leadership ability and
cooperation than with building on the interests of the group for a social purpose”.
Characteristics of Social Group Work
1. Social group work is a democratic method of social work.
2. It develops democratic ideals and leadership qualities in group members.
3. Constructive relationship is the base for achieving its objectives.
4. Individual members are helped through groups to experience growth
opportunities and development.
5. The role of the worker is to facilitate the interaction process.
6. The ability and capacity for self-direction is developed by the group
worker.
7. Group activities are directed on the basis of certain skills, principles, and
techniques.
8. These activities are carried out in social agencies.
9. Group work is used for remedial as well as for personality development
purpose.
Objectives of Social Group Work
Objectives are the statements of what we are trying to do through social group
work. According to H. B. Trecker the purpose of social group work is to bring
about the highest development of human personality. Social group work enhances
the social functioning of individuals and provides them opportunity to develop
leadership skills.
The major objectives of social group work are:
• To teach the individuals to live and work together and to participate in a
group for their intellectual, emotional and physical growth.

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• To solve problems of adjustment by the development of individual’s

personality through group process.
• To prepare the individuals to learn and share the values of democracy.
• To give opportunity to those who have potentialities of leadership.
• To make best use of leisure time of the people.
• To learn division of labour and specialization of roles.
• To provide a substitute for family in institutions and in industrial towns
to get emotional security and opportunity for adjustment with secondary
groups.
• To widen one’s horizon of social consciousness, create friendship and
hobbies and learn skills.
• To work as a remedial tool to help the social adjustment of persons.
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF GROUP WORK IN INDIA
• Social Group Work is of recent origin in west as well as in India.
• Though social work and social welfare has been part of Indian history,
professional social work emerged much later.
• Group work as a method of social work started gaining recognition only
after social work attained a professional status.
• Group approach was being used in charity in ancient and medieval India
though it differed in its form, nature and methods.
• Group work as a method of social work came to India with the introduction
of professional social work education in 1936, a decade after it was
acknowledged as formal method of practice in the West.
• Even though there is evidence of the group approach being used in various
contexts in delivering charity services, imparting religious education
through oral tradition, in mobilising people for the freedom struggle
against the British, in social reform strategies as in the Sarvodaya (The
Sarvodaya movement was initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. It was aimed

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towards achieving progress in all sections of society) and Bhoodan (It was
started by Mahatma Gandhi's disciple Vinoba Bhave, aimed
to persuade rich people having a significant amount of land to give up
part of their land voluntarily to landless people) movements. However,
there is very little documentation or hardly any theorisation based on it.
• All the schools of social work in India teach a course/paper in social group
work (alternatively titled as “social work with groups”) at both the graduate
and the postgraduate levels. There was a brave attempt to develop some
indigenous materials in group work by the then United Nations Social
Welfare and Development Centre for Asia and the Pacific and the
Association of Schools of Social Work in 1979.
• Compared to casework and community organisation, contributions in
developing indigenous materials on group work could be traced back to the
1960s. The Association of Schools of Social Work jointly with the
Technical Cooperative Mission (USA) laid down minimum standards for
group work practice acted a benchmark to the developments in India.
• VD. Mehta (1987) and Helen Joseph (1997), two social workers who
attempted to trace the historical development of group work in India, agree
that the theoretical perspective taught in the schools of social work in India
and the practice models are primarily American as in the case of social
work itself.
• The practice of social group work in India is generally limited to
correctional and other residential institutional setting, hospitals and so on
in the urban areas.
• The general activities undertaken were recreational, educational and
cultural in character.

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• Group work method was also practiced in community work, as in the case
of Mahila mandalas and Yuvak mandals, but it was primarily recognised
as community work.
• Practice of group work is also given emphasis through the fieldwork
programme in some schools. Students placed in agencies and open
communities work with groups of children, youth, adults and elderly who
are either ‘sick’ or healthy in urban and rural areas.
• For instance, the student of social work in Kerala placed in open
communities are engaged in organising groups for children (balasamithis)
and also for adult women (Kudumbasree self-help groups) in the
disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
• Such groups have a combined objective of socialisation, structured
recreation, functional literacy, awareness generation on diverse issues such
as effective parenting, health and hygiene, environment and local self-
governance as well as other socially relevant issues.
• In the recent years, groups of adolescent girls and boys too have been
organised in the villages to deal with issues pertaining to life skill
development including home management, reproductive and sexual health,
sexuality, family planning methods, etc., considering the social reality that
majority of them will be getting married at an early age.
• Professional social workers are also involved as consultants or facilitators
of self-help groups that emphasise the mutual aid characteristics of a group.
Development of Group Work In Pre independent India
Group work practice in pre-independent India was not much organised, formal or
systematic and is closely intervened with the unique features of Indian society.
The essential functions of group work was carried out by the social institutions.
Social institutions had a great command over the lives of the people in pre-
independent India. The situations and experiences provided by these institutions

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benefitted its members and the need of external intervention by professionals or

professional agencies was limited.
The aspects of group work in pre-independent India found in all walks of life is
briefed below.
1. Familial Scenario
2. Educational Scenario
3. Economic Scenario
4. Religious Scenario
5. Political Scenario
6. Social Scenario
Familial Scenario
Joint family system is unique feature of Indian Society and was the common
practice in ancient days right from 2000 BC when the Dravidian traditions were
established in India. In a joint family three generations live together under the
same roof. The management of the joint family rests in the hands of the elder
member of the family. All its members have equal rights to income and property
of the family though they differ in their earning capacity. This system provided
its members economic support, emotional support, recreation, personality
development, care to the less privileged group such as children, elderly and
provided all its members opportunities for development.
The purpose of modern group work is also similar. Each group may have
different specific objective depending on the needs and problems of the target
group but in general, group work is expected to provide its members emotional
support and opportunities for growth and development. The joint family system
was also taking care of these aspects of its members. It could even be concluded
that as the joint families were fulfilling all the responsibilities of professional
group work, its need was not felt in the earlier days.

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Educational Scenario
Knowledge building is an important function of group work. In that sense the
ancient Gurkula system can be equated as a form of group work. Gurukulam is
yet another unique feature of ancient India. This system began in Vedic
times(1500-600 BC) . Under this system, a teacher possess the nine qualities of
bramana as mentioned in Bhagavad Gita (peacefulness, self-control, discipline,
purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness). Proper
motivation, proper disposition and natural qualifications based on in built
attributes form an integral part of student’s candidature and students must follow
strict celibacy during the entire term.
Under Gurukula system all round development of students is taken care of
by Guru and student’s must live in the house of mentor during the formative
period. The centre of educational system lies on the principle of worshipping
God. All subjects taught were from Vedic literature and it contains all necessary
knowledge of arts and science both material and spiritual. Contemporary group
work is restricted to a group of people who share same need or Problem or has
the same objective. Similarly, the gurukulas was confined only to one group. It is
a group of Brahmin boys. They shared similar interests and objectives and strive
together towards the attainment of their objective.
Economic Scenario
In the economic front a unique and multifaceted form of organisation emerged
known as guilds. The guild system (association of artisans and merchants) began
in the early Buddhist period,i.e., in the 5th century and continued through the
Mauryan period. The guilds played a vital role in the socio-economic structure of
ancient India. As more and more people became craftsmen, people of the same
craft began to band together. They found that they could do more than any one of
them alone could do, so they banded together and began an organisation called
guild. Different crafts and artisans formed different guilds. The purpose of guilds

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were to make sure that its members produced high quality of goods and were
treated fairly.
Guilds succeeded in passing many laws that controlled competition among
merchants, fixed policies and wages and limited the working hours and ensured
that the craftsmen were properly trained. These guilds also supervised community
projects, various undertakings helped amass huge fortunes and Kautilya
prescribed methods of extracting money from guilds in times of need by state.
Guilds in ancient India played an important role in protecting the rights , welfare
and privileges of a particular group which is yet another function of group work.
Religious Scenario
Caste system is also a unique feature of Indian society which was established
during 1000 BC – 600 BC 7 . Caste commands much importance in Indian social
life even today. Caste system provides identification to its members and
determine their social status. Caste rules govern the social and familial life of its
members. It provides psychological support to people. Over the years, changes
have taken place in the traditional caste system along with social changes and
through Sanskritization and social legislations. Even today in a democratic
system caste is capable of acting as a pressure group. Though caste system has its
own de-merits and brought about social discrimination to its members caste gives
a sense of belongingness and strength to work for their common needs and
welfare and hence can be considered as an aspect of group work.
The Christian missionaries also require special mention in the context of
group work in pre-independent India. Missionary activities started in British
India. The devoted service rendered by Christian missionaries and impact of
Christianity were significantly instrumental in bringing about a change in the
outlook of Indians, especially towards the then prevalent social evils like sati and
social prohibition of widow re-marriage. Christian missionaries are an organised
group of people engaged in the evangelical work of spreading the gospel, were

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active in the colonial period. Since then, Christian missionaries visited India at
different times.
The education mission began to flourish since early 1900. In 1928 Bandel
church was entrusted to the Roman Catholic group of the Salesians of Don Bosco.
Throughout the colonial period and after , they established branches of Don
Bosco school. The Christian missionaries followed humanitarian ideas and
emphasised the social development of people.
Christian missionaries laid emphasis on improvement of indigenous
language and literature and spread of education as preparatory work to
evangelation. The need of reform of Hindu social institutions was also advocated
by Serampore trio. They were instrumental in passing of laws. Serampore was
the pioneer in the field of printing and publication also. They also championed
Bengal peasant’s cause. Contact with the village reality made them aware of the
anomalies of the colonial land revenue policies and judicial system. The Christian
missionaries worked for creating public opinion in England and India in favour
of reforms in the socio-economic system in India.
Missionaries were the first to get over the gender bias regarding admission
of women missionaries to the CMC. In 1877, the women missionaries were
admitted as full members with the same status and rights of men. Such inter-
denominational missionary conferences were formed in Bombay, Madras,
Bangalore between 1845-58. The Jesuits have also made substantial contribution
in India whereby they have secured a place of prominence for themselves and the
Catholic Church. They extended their activities to various fields like religious,
spiritual, political educational, scientific and technical progress, etc. They still
continue their activities with a missionary zeal. Though caste system and
activities of Christian missionaries cannot be equated with group work in its
professional aspect, they can still be considered as beginning of professional
group work because they mobilised groups and adopted a group approach in
addressing problems and development of various target groups and areas such as

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women, peasants, education, technology, etc. Their activities targeted specific

groups and provided support and developmental opportunities for specific
groups.
Political Scenario
Political scenario of Indian society in ancient times was dominated by the
ancient rulers. All of them adopted a welfare-oriented approach towards their
subjects and undertook several works of public utility. But there were not much
of political organisations or associations or groups to which lay men were
members of. Such associations emerged in British India along with the rise of
national movement. Though there were lots of social evils prevailing in the
society at that point of time, the issue that required immediate intervention was
political freedom for the nation; the fruits of which would be equally beneficial
to the entire nation.
Indian National Congress and Gandhi needs special mention in this
context. The birth of Indian national congress marked a new political awakening.
Inspired by the words and writing of Mahatma Gandhi people from various walks
of life joined congress and it became a mass movement. Along with advocating
political freedom, they also addressed better status for women and Sarvodaya
which meant upliftment of all sections of society. To attain this Gandhi
preached and practiced the constructive programme. The leadership of Gandhi
and his activities through Indian National Congress and Sarvodaya could bring
people from various sections together and work towards a common goal, the
ultimate aim of which was total welfare.
Social Scenario
In the pre-independent India, there were a lot of reform activities at individual
and group level. Some of the earlier reform activities are briefed below.
• The campaign against sati started by the Serampore missionaries
culminated in the efforts of Raja Ram Mohan Roy who succeeded in
passing laws for the abolition of sati.

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• He started Atmiya Samaj in 1815 later on grew into Brahma Samaj

which advocated abolition of caste system, sati, promotion of equal
rights for women etc.
• These efforts were not only reforming the Indian Hindu society but was
also oriented towards the welfare of under privileged group called
women, children, untouchables, and so on.
• Ishwar Chandra Vidya Sagar was the first to launch a movement
against the prohibition of widow re-marriage by establishing that it was
not in breaking to the preaching of Hindu scriptures and it was a result of
his incessant efforts, especially of an appeal made by him to the
government in 1885, that the Hindu Widow Re-marriage Act was
passed in 1856.
• Justice Ranade pursuing the cause of widow re-marriage formed Widow
Marriage Association in 1861 which was aimed at promotion of widow re-
marriage.
• In 1875, Arya Samaj was established to fight against idolatry, caste,
child marriage, favour of widow re-marriage and abolition of
untouchability by Christian missionaries by permitting the re-
admission of converts from Hinduism.
• In 1882, Arya Mahila Samaj was organised by Pandia Ramabai- an
Indian Christian missionary with a view to improve the condition of
women. As these reform movements were organised movement for the
welfare of under privileged groups, they can be considered as the earlier
stage of development of professional group work.
The aspects of group work prevalent in pre-independent India mostly lacked
scientific knowledge. They mostly arised out of situational needs. There was no
uniformity in the principles, methods and techniques adopted. This approach of

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helping people was later modified when social work developed into a profession
in west and its influences were seen in India also.
Development of Group Work in Independent India
Social group work as a method of social work practice can be seen only in
the context of social work education in India. Group work began with the
founding of the first school of social work in 1936, the Sir Dorabji Tata School
of Social Sciences. Soon after schools of social work was established in Delhi
and Baroda and social work education received academic status and group
work was recognised as one of its courses. The Baroda School of Social Work
published the first records of group work practice in India in 1960. The
Association of Schools of Social Work in India, jointly with Technical Co-
operation Mission led down the minimum standards for group work. There was
subsequently a rapid increase in the number of schools of social work throughout
India and group work found a place in all of them along with case work and
community organisation. The strong position for group work in academic resulted
in the practice setting also . Today, social group work is practiced in various social
work settings. The practice of group work in institutional and community settings
in independent and contemporary India is analysed below.
Group Work in Institutional Setting
The feature of group work in institutional setting is that it caters to the needs of
/or solve the problems of the beneficiaries of a particular institution. Group
work developed through its practice in various settings as follows.
1. Group Work in De-addiction Centres
Addiction is a serious social problem affecting human beings and even the society
at large. Social work intervention with addicts can be done at different levels
like control, prevention and treatment. Social Group Work has a major role to
play in these areas along with other methods of social work.
Therapy Groups are important for their treatment. Alcoholic Anonymous
is a good example of group work for drug abusers. AA consists of members

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of similar problems who help each other by sharing their experiences,

motivating, guiding and inspiring each other. An addict is put into de-
toxification process at first and then put into AA group. The person passes
through various stages in AA group which starts with an awareness building
and acceptance of the problem and ends with assertive training. There can be
group activities for the family members of the addicts who share similar
problems. Through this group activity their problem-solving capacity can be
enhanced and emotional support can be provided.
Family therapy, yet another form of group work is also used sometimes in
treatment. Under this technique the groupworker meet the entire family as a
group to help them work out their problems together. These practices of group
work are commonly found in the deaddiction centres all around India.
2. Group Work for Youth Welfare
The attainment of political independence in 1947 marks a definite stage in the
progress of Indian Youth. Political parties continued to count on student
leadership. Student wings were organised by all of them in universities and
colleges and these groups addressed the common needs and problems of
student community through organised efforts. Some of the youth
organisations to channelise youth power for nation building in independent India
are Bharat Yuvak Samaj, NCC, establishment of Large number of rural
youth clubs, etc. There was also an emergence of a few non-official youth and
students organisations like the YMCA, YWCA, the Scouts and Guides, etc
Nehru Yuvak Kendra’s establishment in 1972 as a part of the sixth
five-year plan needs mention in the context of historical development of
group work in India. This was meant to serve as a focal point in the district for
rural areas. The activities undertaken are youth leadership training, camps for
community service, cultural, recreational and vocational training, etc. On the
non-official front, a significant step was the opening of the Vishwa Yuvak
Kendra in 1969 as a national centre for the training of youth leaders and

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workers for promoting awareness of the need to develop youth organisation

and youth services.
3. Group Work in Schools
School social work is gaining importance these days. Most of the private schools
today, employ school social workers and are giving stress to the personality
development aspect of children. Group work is the widely used method of social
work in schools. Generally, groups in schools are task-oriented groups. The
entire group share a common goal and activities are planned in such a way that
they work together in attaining the group goal as well as their individual goal
through group activities. The areas that are normally covered in group work in
schools are career guidance, motivation, awareness, value education,
leadership building, team work, etc. The group work practices equips the
children to learn through experiences and mistakes especially when
workshops are conducted. Some of the schools that effectively use groupwork
in India are T.I. School, Chennai, Good Sheperd School, Ooty, Choice School,
Cochin and Christ Nagar, School, Trivandrum.
4. Group Work in Hospitals
Group work practices an integral part of social work practice in hospitals in
both medical and psychiatric settings. The first medical social worker in India
was appointed in early 1930’s at J.J. Hospital, Mumbai. Mostly treatment
groups are found in hospitals. Group work techniques are used in psychiatric
settings for the possible patients for skill development. It is also used to
provide their family members emotional support and also to enlighten them on
the approach to be adopted towards the patient and how to deal with social stigma,
stress and depression.
Similarly, group work practices are common in medical setting especially
with terminally ill patients. Supportive therapy is provided to both the patients
and their family members through group work. Group work provides them
opportunities for catharsis(the process of releasing emotions), enables them

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to deal with feelings of grief, anxiety, stress, loneliness, etc. The group work
process also enables them to participate in the treatment process in a smooth
manner.
Group work practices are common in neonatal clinics and diabetic
clinics these days. In neonatal clinics, the stress is on hygiene, nutrition, family
planning, proper care for new born, etc. It concentrates mostly on awareness
building where as in diabetics clinic, the stress is on diet control and the
consequences of diabetics. The group will give its members strength to conform
to diet and provide emotional support.
The immense scope of group work has been realised by both government
and private hospitals and a growing practice of group work is seen in the hospitals
today, to mention a few J.J. hospital- Mumbai, Government General Hospital,
Chennai, NIMHANS, Bangalore, etc
5. Group Work by NGOs
Non-Government sector is a reckonable force in the field of social welfare always
in India. NGOs are highly active in providing services to specific target
groups through the process of institutionalisation and through communities.
Institutional services are provided to various target groups like women,
children, aged, mentally or physically challenged, etc. In all these centres,
social workers adopt group work approach in skill development, building self-
confidence and self-esteem, motivation, goal achievement, building
awareness and in short in the overall development of social work. Examples
of such organisations are Spastic Society of India, SCARF, Chennai, Asha Home
for mentally Challenged children, Bangalore, MV Foundation for street children,
Hyderabad, etc.
6. Group Work in Correctional Institutions
Government institutions are aware of the need for social work intervention with
under privileged and disadvantaged groups. As a result, in all government homes

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for such category social workers are appointed. Group work is used to bring about
attitudinal change, behaviour modification, goal setting, group counselling,
etc. In other government homes such as children’s home, home for women,
mentally ill, etc also social workers are appointed. The practice of group work
in majority of the government homes in India is not very effective due to the ill
effects of bureaucracy.
Group Work in Community Setting
Group work is a prominent method of empowerment in community setting.
Community organisation can be achieved through the formation and building up
of small groups. Some excellent examples of group work in community settings
are given below
1. Anganwadi
Anganwadis are part of the ICDS project implemented by the Government of
India in 1975 as part of the national policy for children. This is a highly
successful project and through Anganwadis, the educational and health needs
of children and women in rural community are catered to. Anganwadis
provide basic education and meals to the children. The anganwadi workers
also form women’s groups of the locality and give them health education.
They stress on the health and nutrition of the pregnant women and children
up to seven years in the locality. Awareness programmes and developmental
programmes are conducted for the adolescent girls in the locality. It is thus seen
that group work is a method and tool for the development of target groups in
community-based programmes.
2. Self Help Groups
Self Help Groups are a popular method of group work practice found in
community. The Self-Help Group is a viable alternative to achieve the
objectives of rural development and get community participation in all rural
development programmes. SHG is a viable organisation set up to disburse

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micro credit to rural women for the purpose of encouraging them to enter
into entrepreneurial ventures.
Self-help groups are voluntary gatherings of peers who share needs or
problems that are not being addressed by existing organisations, institutions
or other types of groups. The broad goals of a self-help group is to bring about
personal and or social change for its members and society. All of these groups
emphasise face to face interaction among members and stress a set of values or
ideology that enhances a member’s personal sense of identity.
Self-help groups play an important role in women empowerment and social
development. One area where SHGs have played an important role is in the
micro credit. The SHGs distribute micro credit to the rural women for the
purpose of making them enterprising and encouraging them to enter into
entrepreneurial activities. Their credit needs are fulfilled through SHGs. The
women led SHGs have successfully demonstrated how to mobilise and manage
thrifts, appraise credit needs, maintain linkages with banks and enforce
financial self-discipline. Thus, SHGs undertake entrepreneurial activities at a
smaller level with minimum capital required.
SHGs enhance the equality of status of women as participants, decision
makers, and beneficiaries in the democratic, economic, social and cultural
spheres of life. An example for the success of SHGs is revealed through the study
conducted by N. Laitha and Dr. B.S. Nagarajan in the three districts (Dindigul,
Madurai, Theni) in Tamil Nadu. The study provides ample evidence to the fact
that organisation of women in the form of SHGs has laid the seeds for the
economic and social empowerment of women through the strategies of
organisational savings, rotational credit system using their resources,
facilitating regular interaction, exchange of information and exposures
within and across these groups to enhance the mobility and awareness
linking SHGs with external credit sources and government programmes.

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3. Kudumbasree
Kudumbasree is a typical and successful example for group work practice in
community setting. What the Kerala Government desired when it formulated
‘Kudumbasree’ (Prosperity of the Family) in 1998 was absolute sweeping off
of elementary poverty from Kerala through the social and economic
empowerment of women. Now Kudumbasree has grown into the largest women
– empowering project in the country itself. In 2006–07, 37,69,403 families
became members of Kudumbasree through 1,79,403 ayalkoottam (neighbours
gathering) Rs. 826 crore thrift was deposited through them. It was also possible
to give loan to the tune of Rs. 2075 crore.
Kudumbasree is not targeting just economic improvement only. It has the
sublime objective of enabling the poor to implement their own initiatives in
health, education and cultural activities. Kudumbasree’ is the source of power
for the new generation women of Kerala these days. This women empowerment
organization was established by the government to strengthen the women power
and to show them the right path to grow their self-confidence and significantly
improve their way of living to be independent. With such an initiative now, it is
learnt that more than 90 percent of women in Kerala have gained their self-
confidence after being associated with Kudumbasree.
These women also informed that their standard of living and social status
also has improved a lot after their active participation in Kudumbasree. They are
now more aware of their rights, and the right way to lead a healthy life. It
also gave the women from lower society or caste the courage to stand up with
others and lead a confident life. It guided these women to enhance their financial
status by increasing their savings and plan accordingly. Kudumbasree also
made women to improve their reading habits, discussion skills and also to
develop their decision-making quality. Along with that it imparted education
to those women who were illiterate. In short, the women have shown the right
path for a better tomorrow by this social organization.

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UNIT 2
VALUES IN SOCIAL GROUP WORK
All professions have value preferences that give purpose, meaning and direction
to people who practice within them. Professional values however do not exist
separate and apart from societal values; rather professions adopt selected societal
values.
• According to Northen (2007) values are abstract propositions about what
is right, desirable or worthwhile.
• Values of group work refer to how the practitioner should view and treat
people, their goals and how these goals should be reached during the
process.
• In a profession, the values are translated into ethical principles of practice.
• According to the National Association of Social worker’s (NASW) code
of ethics “broad ethical principles are based on social work’s core values
of service, social justice, dignity and worth of individual, importance of
human relationships, integrity and competence. These principles set forth
ideals to which all social workers should aspire.”
The basic values of group work deal with human relationships. These basic values
as conceptualized by Northen (2007: 77) are given below:
Dignity and Worth
Like in case work and community organization, an important value of Social
Group Work is the belief in the inherent worth and dignity of each person. All
persons should be accepted as they are and their special strengths recognized.
They should be treated with respect irrespective of their differences and
similarities and their integrity is of paramount importance. Every individual is
unique and has an inherent worth, interactions with them as they use resources
and opportunities should not hurt rather should enhance their dignity and
individuality. Without fear of negative sanctions, they should have the freedom
to express themselves. The group worker should recognize the value that every

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member no matter whatever are her/his drawbacks and handicaps has worth and
deserves to be respected and treated as a dignified member of the society.
Social Justice
Inherent in all social work is the value of promoting social justice wherein all
should have equal access to resources and opportunities. Everybody has the right
to civil liberties and equal opportunity without discrimination as to race, ethnicity
religion, social class, gender, sexual orientation, and capacities. They should have
access to resources that are essential to meet their basic needs. They have the
right to self-determination and to participate in making group, family, or
organizational decisions within the limits imposed by the individual’s culture and
status. Individuals may sometimes need resources that are not available, the
worker has to then take on the role of an advocate and take up their cause. S/he
may organize support groups and self-help groups to help people cope with the
difficult problems of their living.
Mutual Responsibility
The value of mutual responsibility is based on the conviction that people are
interdependent for survival and fulfillment of their needs. Neither the individual
nor the society can be conceived without each other. As individuals interact, they
influence and in turn are influenced by each other. They are capable of helping
one another. Group work builds on this interdependence, which can become a
potent force for development and change. The worker is responsible for helping
members to develop patterns of communication and norms of behaviour that
foster mutual aid. Members should fulfill their responsibility to society by
actively participating in the democratic processes.
PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL GROUP WORK
Principles are the fundamental truths tested by observation and experiment which
guide action. Over the years from social group work practice, have emerged
certain principles which provide a theoretical framework to the practitioners
while working with people in groups. They provide a set of guidelines which help

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them achieve a certain level of competence by guiding practice. ‘Social workers

with groups have a responsibility to practice within the realm of the accumulated
theoretical base, tested interventions, and ethical principles.’
Douglas has described fourteen 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 members.
5. Encouragement and enabling of help and cooperative relationship between
members.
6. Appropriate modification of the 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 relationships
and accomplishments.
11.Judicious use of limitations related to the diagnostic assessment of each
individual and total situation.
12.Purposeful and differential use of programme according to diagnostic
evaluation of individual members group purpose and appropriate social
goals.
13.Ongoing evaluation of individual and group progress.

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14.Humane and disciplined use of self on the part of the group worker
Konopka has described seven principles to work with the groups. Summary of
these principles has been narrated here.
1. The social worker’s goal is to enable clients or group members as a whole
to move toward greater independence and capacity for help.
2. The social worker must use the scientific method to prepare for action fact-
finding analysis and diagnosis in relation to the individual, group and the
social environment.
3. The social worker must form purposeful relationship. It means a conscious
focusing on the needs of the group members and attempts to fulfill them.
4. The social worker must use himself consciously. This includes self-
knowledge and discipline in relationship but without the loss of warmth
and spontaneity.
5. The social worker must accept members as they are, without condemning
their behaviour. This involves deep understanding of group members as
well as knowledge and identification of values regulating human beings.
6. The social worker must understand the origins of his own value system and
be able to handle it in relation to the value system of others.
7. He must allow members to develop their own behaviour without much
interference and to choose their own point of departure without imposing
outside demands. But the worker has responsibility for stimulating change.
Cohen has also discussed five principles which may be significant in working
with the groups. According to him:
1. The group members must be encouraged to help themselves by the social
worker playing as indirect or enabling role rather than a manipulative one.
It means the group members be given the right of self-direction and self-
determination.
2. The work with the group should be started at the level of group members.
It means that proper knowledge of educational, economic, social and other

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characteristics are essential while working with the group. If the work or
programmes are above the mental level of members, they will lose their
interest.
3. Social worker must focus not merely on the immediate problem as seen by
the group but on relation to the total situation.
4. Social worker must keep in mind that individual differences exist while
dealing with the group members.
5. It should be kept in mind that the welfare of individual is inextricably
interwoven with the welfare of the group. Therefore, social worker must
be concerned with the development of material, human and social
resources to meet all the needs of all the members of the group.
Friedlander has mentioned the following ten principles of social group work.
1. The function of the social group worker is a helping or enabling one. This
means that his goal is to help the members of the group and the group as a
whole to move toward greater independence and capacity for self-help.
2. In determining his/her way of life, the group worker uses the scientific
method--- factfinding, analysis and diagnosis in relation to the individual,
the group of the social environment.
3. The group work method requires the worker to form purposeful
relationship to group members and the group.
4. One of the main tools in achieving such relationship is the conscious use
of self.
5. A basic respect and love for people without considering his weakness.
6. The work should be started from where the group is.
7. There should be constructive use of limitations. The group worker will
mainly use himself, programme materials, interaction of the group and
awaking of insight in the group members.
8. Every member of the group should be understood separately. It means
individualization is essential.

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9. Interaction is a process through which group members develop their

strengths and power. Therefore, social group worker should properly
monitor this process.
10.It is also necessary that non-verbal activities and programmes should be
understood and used along with the verbal material.
The ten principles of Social Group Work as conceptualized by Trecker are
briefly discussed below outlining the main points:
1. The Principle of Planned Group Formation
The Social Group Work process uses group as a medium for providing services
to the individual, hence the formation of a group is a prerequisite for a group
worker. Whether a group worker works with groups already functioning or forms
her own group, s/he should be aware of certain factors while forming a group so
that the group becomes a positive potential for individual growth. A group has to
be formed in a planned way before initiating the group work process. From what
is explained by Trecker we can say this principle comprises the following
fundamentals:
• Groups like individuals are different, evolving, developmental and ever-
changing and tremendously influential upon the behaviour of individuals.
• The group in Social Group Work must possess elements of conscious
design and plan.
• The group worker should not seek to require all groups to be alike nor
expect them to meet identical needs.
• The group worker’s skill will be evident in the way s/he consciously gives
aid at the point of group formation.
In India group formation can become a difficult exercise as the people may lack
the motivation to join a group and may do so after much persuasion. So, the group
worker must have the skill to deal with the resistance of such members. The group
worker should be equipped with an in-depth understanding of the client

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population, and pay attention to inter- personal compatibility and other factors
such as age, caste, gender, socio-cultural background etc.
2. The Principle of Specific Group Objectives
Specific objectives of individual and group development must be consciously
formulated by the worker in harmony with group wishes and capacities and in
keeping with agency function. The group worker should help the members
achieve the overall objectives of social work through its own specific objectives,
which are to assist individuals to grow and change; supplement emotional and
social nourishment; promote democratic participation and remedy individual and
social disorganization.
• Agencies and their workers must be aware of what people want from group
experiences and help them to get it.
• The group worker who recognizes the need for consciously formulated
specific objectives for individuals and groups becomes a purposeful, rather
than an unfocused worker and makes the group work in a planned than
haphazard exercise.
• Objectives, thus, become a controlling force in the life of the group and the
group worker should have clarity about the specific goals s/he wants to
achieve along with the benefits s/he is hoping the members would get.
• When the worker focuses on individual and group objectives, s/ he reduces
the likelihood of permitting her/his own needs to get in the way of the
group.
• S/he helps the members to see their strengths and limitations and set their
objectives accordingly, in alignment with the agency’s formulated
purposes.
• The expectations and the aspirations of the members should also be given
due weightage while formulating the objectives and activities planned
accordingly

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3. The Principle of Purposeful Worker Group Relationship

A consciously purposeful relationship must be established between the worker
and the group members based on mutual acceptance. This principle is based on
the premise that it is both possible and necessary to create an effective working
relationship with a group before the worker can be of any help.
• Before the worker helps the group members to develop meaningful
relationships with each other, s/he should first create a meaningful and
purposeful relationship with the group.
• The worker’s relationship with the group is a major tool, and the quality
and strength of this relationship determine the extent to which the group
can be helped to the fullest realization of its potentialities.
• When the group workers adopt the procedures suggested by this principle,
they begin their work motivated by an initial desire to understand the group
as a basis for helping it.
• By encouraging the group to “be itself” and accepting it as it is, the worker
becomes accepted and helpful to the group.
4. The Principle of Continuous Individualization
Groups are different and individuals utilize group experiences in a variety of ways
to meet their differing needs; consequently, the principle of continuous
individualization must be practiced by the group worker. Each group has to be
seen as unique, different from any other group, like the members in the group.
When the group worker individualizes a group, she accepts the fact that human
beings are naturally different.
• To work with groups in awareness of their differences as well as
similarities is a reinforcement of the belief that people have a capacity to
change, when given adequate opportunities for and help in changing.
• The worker should be ready for a variety of individual responses rather
than a uniformity of response.

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• S/he should accept the differences in individual ability and growth; strive
to help individuals understand themselves and help them modify their
behaviour towards those who have special needs.
• Individualization should be a continuous process on the part of the group
worker who accepts the certainty of change.
5. The Principle of Guided Group Interaction
Social Group Work is a method through which individuals in groups in an agency
setting are helped by a professionally trained worker who guides their interaction
in various program activities. The idea is that they relate themselves with others
and experience growth opportunities in accordance with their needs and
capacities.
• Interaction is a process whereby two or more persons are in a meaningful
contact, whereby their behaviour is modified.
• When people are in groups, the possibility of interaction and inter-
stimulation are always present.
• The main source of energy which propels the group is the interaction of the
members and the group worker influences this interaction by the quality of
her/his participation.
• As the possibility of inter-stimulation through interaction is always present
in a group, the Social Group Worker must harness and consciously direct
and utilize this natural social process.
• The presence of the worker whose role is to actively influence the type and
the degree of interaction, converts the social process into the social group
work process.
• The worker is primarily interested in helping to bring about individual
growth and social development for the group as a whole as a result of
guided group interaction.

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• S/he enhances the potential for interaction by helping members to assume

participating roles.
• The Social Group Worker uses methods that stimulate the group to the
fullest possible analysis and understanding of their own situation and
thereupon influence the social interaction of the constituent members of
the society
6. The Principle of Democratic Group Self-Determination
The Principle of self-determination is a core value of the social work philosophy
and has to be practiced, irrespective of the method of working. In Social Group
Work method, as in other methods of social work this principle is of great
significance. The idea is to inculcate in the members an ideology of democracy.
• The group must be helped to make its own decisions and determine its own
activities, taking the maximum amount of responsibility in line with its
capacity and ability.
• The group has a right to make its own choices and the capacity to make
satisfactory decisions.
• The aim of the group worker is to encourage an ever-increasing capacity
on the part of the group to take responsibility for its actions.
• This principle assumes that groups can develop only when they are given
opportunity to behave responsibly but it is to be consciously judged as to
how much responsibility a group can be asked to assume at any point in its
development.
• The group worker must first help the group to develop a conscious group-
self before it can become responsibly self-determining.
• The worker should give up any need to dominate the group and instead
work with the group on the basis of her/his ability to share her/his wide
experience and competence.

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7. The Principle of Flexible Functional Organization

Every group has some informal organization of its constituent members that
enables it to function. As the group is formed for specific objectives, it should
also have a formal organization to help it achieve these objectives. This formal
organization should meet a felt need, be flexible, adaptive and should change as
the group changes.
• The principle does not imply that group worker should organize the group;
rather she should help the group organize itself.
• The group should be encouraged to explore its needs, set its objectives and
determine specific functions and helped by the group worker to make its
own decisions.
• The worker should help the group to determine who should take the
leadership assignments along with the qualifications and expectations, so
that the members are aware of what the group expects from them.
• Not only the structural details of this formal organization, but the process
through which the worker guides the group to have a formal organization
is equally important.
• Group efforts which may be scattered and haphazard become focused when
formal organization is made available, as it allows the energies of the group
members to be properly channelized.
• Tasks and duties should be identified and allocated in an orderly manner
and members helped and encouraged to assume responsibilities. The
process to organize itself is an excellent vehicle for growth.
• The formal group organization should be simple, stable yet flexible, open
to changes as per group needs.
• The experiences of the group members in solving the organizational
problems are no less valuable than the other program experiences.

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8. The Principle of Progressive Program Experiences

Program in Social Group Work does not only mean the activities or events but is
a broad concept that includes the entire range of individual and group
relationships, interactions and experiences deliberately planned and carried out
with the help of the group worker to achieve the group goals.
• The group worker should not impose her/his program plan on the group
but help the group to develop its own program by extending to the group a
variety of choices. S/he may only make suggestions as to possible
programmes.
• The program development is a continuous process and grows out of group
potentialities.
• This principle implies that there is starting point for all group programmes.
Small beginnings can culminate into bigger and more challenging tasks as
the group progresses.
• The program experiences in which the groups engage should begin at the
level of member interest, need, experience and competence and should
develop in tandem with the developing capacity of the group.
• The worker should help the group to enjoy a progressive series of program
experiences in consonance with the group’s potential and capacities. The
group cannot be expected to do the same thing all the time.
• After success in simple activities, the group can be encouraged to move to
more complex experiences.
9. The Principle of Resource Utilization
This principle guides the group worker to utilize the available resources to enrich
the content of the group experience for individuals and group as a whole. For this
it is imperative that the Social Group Worker should possess knowledge about
the resources available in the group, agency and the community. S/he should use

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her/his skill in locating and then acquainting the group with the various resources
which can be utilized by the group for different programs.
• The worker serves as a liaison between the group and the community and
her/his ability becomes apparent in the skill with which she draws upon the
environment.
• S/he not only helps to stimulate the group to action but also helps them to
discover and use the agency and community resources and those within the
group. She must ensure that the members procure the required material for
the smooth conduct of the group sessions.
• S/he should take initiative in mobilizing both material and human resources
and oversee the utilization of the available resources by the members for
the common good.
10. The Principle of Evaluation
Continuous evaluation of process and programs in terms of outcomes by the
worker, agency and the members is not only desirable, albeit essential. Carefully
maintained records can facilitate proper monitoring and evaluation.
• The social group worker should carry out the evaluation of the outcomes
in a carefully planned manner.
• Maintaining records in a systematic and orderly way aids the evaluation
process.
• Evaluation carried out in an objective and neutral way helps in revealing
the extent to which the group has been successful in achieving the group
goals.
• Feedback from the members along with the observation and assessment of
the worker help the group members develop insights into their strengths
and weaknesses.
• Evaluation should be done at the end of each session and at the time of the
termination.

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According to Siddiqui, the evaluation of the group work generally focuses on the
following points:
• What group goals have been achieved?
• What individual needs have been met?
• What programme and activities have been successful?
• What are the shortcomings?
• What changes will help improve the effectiveness of the intervention?
GROUP FORMATION
Social Work is defined as a ‘planned’ change activity. Planning, therefore, is
crucial element of all social work interventions, including social group work.
• The discussion on the stages of development through which a group
passes highlights the importance of the processes that a group worker has
to engage in before the persons joining a group ever come together.
• Planning and actions that a social group worker undertakes at the pre-
group stage have a far-reaching impact on the success of the group, in
terms of the cohesiveness a group achieves; in the context of its
performance in achieving group goals; or with reference to the
satisfaction its members experience. In fact, group formation is the
starting-point of all group development and performance.
“Assembly is the deliberate combination of parts to form an envisioned whole,
according to an implicit or explicit plan or plans. The primary challenge of
assembly is to select and combine people and resources keeping in mind how
different combinations of elements with different arrays of attributes are
likely to fit together.”
Group formation can be viewed as resulting from the ‘planned assembly
of elements’ plus dynamics emerging from the process of this collection. The
most important “elements” in a group are people with their resources, and
intentions. The other elements are external and contextual.

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Group is a collection or assemblage of persons having common

characteristics, interests, goals, or objectives; two or more persons who are
interacting with one another in such a manner that each person influences
and is influenced by the other. They both recognise themselves as a group and
are seen by other people as a group.
• The formation of a group is driven in part by the motivated action of their
members.
• The structure of new groups is also determined in part by constraints,
opportunities and demands in the contexts in which the groups are
situated.
• People who are not group members are often instrumental in forming
new groups.
• External and internal forces contribute to both assembly and dynamic
patterns emerging due to the transformation of people, resources, and
intentions in the context of the whole.
• Group formation is not a single process with minor variations. Distinctly
different sequences of events can result in the formation of new and
different groups
Cartwright & Zander (1968) identified three distinct circumstances under which
groups come into being:
• Deliberate formation - formed by one or more people in order to
accomplish some objective.
• Spontaneous formation - Formation of the group is based on voluntary
interpersonal choices. The group is formed because people expect to derive
satisfaction from associating together, for example, friendship groups,
gangs and professional groups.

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• External designation - formed because they (individuals) are treated in a

homogeneous manner by other people. These external designations can
lead to the deliberate formation of groups
All social work activity is a planned and purposeful. Very often, in a rush to get
a group going, adequate attention is not given to planning. As stated earlier, a
thorough planning is essential for the success of a social work group.
According to Northen and Kurland (200) planning comprises the
‘thinking, preparation, decision making, and actions of the social worker prior to
the first meeting of a group’. Within the social and agency contexts of service,
the following interrelated components of planning need to be considered for the
formation of the group:
1) Need – what are the problems, issues and areas of concern of the prospective
group members
2) Purpose – Purpose flows out of the previous component of Need. What ends
and objectives will the group pursue collectively? What are the goals of the group
members individually?
3) Composition - How many members will there be in the group? What are
important points of similarities and differences between them?
4) Structure – Specific arrangements to facilitate the conduct of the group,
especially in terms of time and place.
5) Content – What will actually take place in the group?
6) Pre-group contact
FACTORS AFFECTING GROUP FORMATION
Many factors come into play in the creation of groups. According to Tosi, Rizzo
and Carroll (1986) important variables which influence group formation include:
• Personal characteristics, which include shared beliefs, values, attitudes,
security needs and affiliation needs.
• Interests and goals in common.

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• Influence, since a group can exert more power and influence to get proper
attention and action.
• Opportunity for interaction, which helps in developing affinities and
relationships.
• Other factors are similar functional departments, cooperative physical
activities, intellectual pursuits, emotional needs or protection, and attention
and friendship
Wilson and Ryland (1949), highlighting factors which needed to be kept in mind
while forming groups said, “Every social worker who works with groups need
to be aware of such factors such as – the size of the group; the setting-both
agency and community, in which the group is meeting; the personality and
health of the members, their cultural, social, and economic backgrounds;
and the relationship of this group to other groups in the agency and the
community. Factors of likeness and difference – religious, ethnic, political,
economic, social class, and generation – play a large role in even those groups
that are smallest in numbers and youngest in point of members’ ages.”
In nutshell, three main factors which influence group formation and subsequent
group development and performance are individual- group – society, that is,
individual and group goals; resources, expectations and motivations of individual
members; group structure including composition and size (internal factors);
environment and resources of agency, socio-economic conditions, social context
of groups (external factors).
External and internal forces, planned assembly, and emergent processes
play a part in the formation of all groups. However, the balance of forces that
shape their formation differs markedly across groups.

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UNIT 3
GROUP DYNAMICS
The social process by which people interact and behave in a group environment
is called group dynamics. Group dynamics is the scientific approach to the
understanding of the dynamics of group. It implies an interactive psychological
relationship in which members of a group develop a common perception based
on feelings and emotions.
• Group dynamics refer to the changes that take place within the group.
• It also refers to forces operating within the groups.
• Group dynamics is related to the field theory of Lewin which assumes
man’s behaviour to be a function of the field existing at the time of the
occurrence of behaviour.
• It is the study of group processes, their objective analysis and measurement
and the effect of group membership on individual members.
• Our behaviour is not static. It means that the change of behaviour is through
interaction in the group.
According to Segal, group dynamics is a process by which one considers other
individuals and a problem in a group at the same time.
• It not only tends to increase understanding of the problem, but also creates
a solution which the individual practices in bringing about emotional
balance.
• Group dynamics is influenced by sympathy, suggestion and imitation.
• Sympathy enables the members of a group to perceive the psychological
state of the other members.
• Suggestion plays a big role in influencing group behaviour. The
suggestions put forward by leader of a group are implemented by the
members of the group.

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• Group dynamics involves the influence of personality, power, and

behaviour on the group process.
• Is the relationship between individuals conducive to achieving the groups
goals?
• Is the structure and size of the group an asset in pursuing both the task and
maintenance functions of the group?
• How is formal and informal power used to build consensus or reach
decisions?
• Does the combination of individuals produce the right culture?
• How these individuals, cultures, and internal forces interact allows us to
analyze and better understand group effectiveness
Each stage presents the members with different challenges that must be
overcome before they can move on to the next stage. These stages have been
identified as forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.
1. Forming: At this first stage of development, members are preoccupied with
familiarizing themselves with the task and to other members of the group. This is
sometimes referred to as the dependent stage, as members tend to depend on
outside expertise for guidance, job definition, and task analysis.
2. Storming: At this stage, the group encounters conflict as members confront and
criticize each other and the approach the group is taking to their task. Issues that
rise include identification of roles and responsibilities, operational rules and
procedures, and the individual need for recognition of his or her skills and
abilities. This stage is also referred to as the counter dependent stage where
members tend to “flex their muscles” in search of identity. In some cases, the
group may have problems getting through this stage. This may occur if the group
encounters difficulty clarifying their task, agreeing on their mission or mandate,
or deciding how they will proceed. Lack of skills, ability or aptitude can also
contribute to their inability to get beyond this stage.

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3. Norming: At this point, members start to resolve the issues that are creating the
conflict and begin to develop their social agreements. The members begin to
recognize their interdependence, develop cohesion, and agree on the group norms
that will help them function effectively in the future.
4. Performing: When the group has sorted out its social structure and understands
its goals and individual roles, it will move toward accomplishing its task.
Mutual assistance and creativity become prominent themes at this stage. The
group, sensing its growth and maturity, becomes independent, relying on its own
resources.
5. Adjourning: During this phase, the group will resort to some form of closure
that includes rites and rituals suitable to the event. These may include socials and
parties, or ceremonies that exhibit emotional support or celebration of their
success.
GROUP PROCESS IN SOCIAL GROUP WORK
According to Toseland and Rivas (2001), the result from the interaction of the
group members are often referred to as the process of the group or group
dynamics. Despite several attempts have been made to define and classify the
group process, none of the attempts are proved to be satisfactory. However, they
have identified four processes which are seemed to have a vital part in
understanding the group process the same are mentioned below.
1. Communication and interaction pattern.
2. Group Cohesion/Unity
3. Group Control.
4. Group Culture.
In the quest of knowing the group process, someone will be definitely wondered
to know that the earlier theorist of the group worker like H.B Trecker,
Helen Northen and Konopka did not talk about the group process in their work at
all. On the other hand, Ridgways (1983) listed out the group process in the work

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'Dynamics of small groups. She has identified the following group process.
1. Communication.
2. Cohesiveness - It happens when a team remains united while working to
achieve a common goal
3. Group Development.
4. Conformity – It is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to
group norms, politics or being like-minded.
5. Deviance - a situation in which a group member expresses views that are
opposed to the views of the group and agrees with or supports an out-
group.
6. Social Control - To maintain conformity to established norms and rules
7. Differentiation of the status
8. Leadership.
9. Group Culture - based on knowledge, beliefs, practices and behaviours
their members hold in common.
Looking into the process discussed above one can see some similarities in the
social group process given by different authors in a different period of time.
However, the analysis of the group process could be different. It is certain that
the process we study about interrelated and the overall functioning of the group.
The following function or the event takes place in the group that may be known
as the group process.
1. Interaction
Interaction takes place when more than one person joins together. Interaction in
a group is a natural phenomenon. In the context of working with the group, a
prime concern is given to learning about the pattern of interaction. There are
several factors that seemingly influence the interaction pattern are as follows.
• The relationship among the members.
• The sense of homogeneity among the members.
• The group goals

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• The style of leadership.

• And the size of the group
It has been a sociological understanding that the larger the size of the group, the
lesser is the interaction among its group members. Interaction in the smaller group
tends to be easier and more intimate.
2. Communication
Communication has been one of the vital aspects of interaction among the group
members. Group is significantly influenced when there is a quality of group
communication. The communication process needs monitoring to ensure the
smooth flow of information among members to create a healthy social
environment. Communication is an instrument for both standardization and
differentiation in the group. The nature of the communication pattern will also
help the social structure in a group
3. Cohesiveness
Member willingness to be part of the group and stay on a group is known as the
scenes of group cohesiveness. Groups are not engaged in a specific definite
activity to providing members any material helps still than group members are
held together, these circumstances reflect a high level of bonding and
cohesiveness. The factor which makes the group very cohesive is group norms.
group culture, group goals, and group leader.
4. Conflict
Conflict is part of any group process. Whenever more than one individual form a
group or works together, play together than conflict is inevitable. The factor of
the conflict may differ, depending on the context of the group. The group conflict
may take place between individuals members, between members and group
leader, and between members and subgroups. Most of the Author argues that the
conflict usually takes place in the middle of the group stage which may be the
performance of the group. Following are the few sources of group conflict

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• Awareness of group norms

• Miss information and miscommunication.
• Different opinion
• Cultural difference
• Leadership Style.
• The capacity to resolve or deal with the conflict is depending on the
abilities of the group members.
5. Structuring
Allocations of responsibility and roles among the members are understood as the
Group Structuring. The structuring is carried out on the process of assessment of
the members contribute to the group they belong to. All members in the group
neither adequately similar in skills or experiences nor do they have a similar
motivation for joining the group
6. Leadership
The entire functioning of the group process governs and directed by the leader.
The development of leadership significantly affects the development of the group.
The group effectiveness is measured by the two factors; the emotional notion
and the other one task orientation. There are leaders who are very task-oriented
and some are happy to keep the team together. The emergence of social group
leader depends on the ground of prior relationship, socio-economic background,
affiliation, and achievement orientation.
7. Decision Making
The decision is the process of making or arriving at a decision. It is required to
understand the process of decision making and to analyze the product group
functioning. The overall group performance is determined by the decision-
making process.

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8. Norming the group

Norms are understood as the shared expectation and a conviction about
appropriate ways of behavior. Philosophical and cultural norms define the norms
of the group. Group cultures represent the entire lifestyles of a group. Some group
is intended to be more formal and some are very informal.
9. Social Control
The proper order is prerequisite essence of the social group. The group develops
norms to regulates the behavior of the members of the groups. However, a system
of control is inevitable. The written code of conduct is the formal rule of the group
and when and the conduct of violation of the rules may demand a penalty for the
same.
PROCESS OF GROUP FORMATION – ROLE OF GROUP WORKER
The actual tasks the worker has to engage in to initiate the process of group
formation are;
1. Once the use of group has been accepted as the best possible option (after
considering different alternatives) for helping the designated population group,
the group worker has to formulate a tentative purpose for the group.
The worker identifies a common need or concern of the target group and
translates that need into a tentative purpose of the prospective group. The
following situations may illustrate the rationale for selecting group work as a
better option to help:
a) several people facing similar situation can benefit from sharing their
experiences (parents of mentally challenged children);
b) persons belonging to same stage of development like adolescents who can
benefit from positive group experiences;
c) when individuals have problems with authority figures, in relating to
others or having problem of isolation;
d) when the target for change is in the social environment like sanitation,
educational or health services and the need is for enhanced civic amenities;

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e) when people wish or need to avail of the benefit of some beneficiary-

oriented scheme of the govt. which requires formation of a group, like self-
help groups for procuring microcredit.
2. If the worker is required to work with an already existing group, s/he needs
to comprehend its purpose before s/he begins work with the group.
3. Achieving optimally effective composition of the group is a crucial task
during the formation process.
• Will the group constitute only of women or young girls, only of men or
male youth, of children, of able-bodied or differently-abled persons?
• Will it be a mix of persons belonging to different regions, religions,
languages and cultural background, with different educational and socio-
economic status?
• This decision will largely be based on the tentative purpose formulated,
anticipated member behaviour and emotional response to prospective
members and the knowledge of the patterns of habitual social intercourse
prevailing in the larger population group.
• For example, in Indian society, groups with the mix of genders are socially
not very acceptable, unless the group’s purpose is task-oriented (for
example in the corporate sector) which may benefit by a combination of
diverse skills and perspectives; or a group composed of all aggressive or
all withdrawn persons may not benefit from interaction with each other.
• Who is selected to be the member of the proposed group has lasting impact
on the individual member and the group as a whole.
• If persons are placed in groups that are unsuitable for them, they may be
harmed by the membership or may drop out of the group.
• Different results flow from different combination of people. What is
important is to see that there is a good fit between any one person and the
other group members.

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• The size of the group should be determined by the nature of interaction

among the members and their participation necessary for achieving the
purpose of the individual members and the group as a whole.
4. The worker identifies potential members from the designated population
group on the basis of different criteria mentioned earlier.
a) The worker may select members from students of a class; from a list
prepared on the basis of a survey of the families below poverty line or
of children afflicted with some specified disability; from the census
report; from membership of previous groups; from the list of persons
who may have applied for a particular course or training; or the official
records of courts, hospitals, therapists, psychiatric clinics etc.
b) The worker may need to advertise (by word of mouth, leaflets,
posters, ads in the newspapers, letters to the institutions like schools
from where the potential members can be drawn), state the purpose of
initiating the group and invite members to join.
• In a community-based agency, the worker talked to the community
leaders, local MLA and Municipal Councillor, visited the potential
members personally and explained the purpose of the group and its
likely benefits for them.
• In an epilepsy clinic for children, parents accompanying their
wards were contacted by the social worker and the purpose, content
and structure of the proposed group was explained to them
personally.
• In a residential ‘Home’ for destitute children, the worker, though
known to the inmates on account of her different responsibilities,
explored the strengths and liabilities of the prospective members in
terms of the purpose envisaged, the contribution expected of the
members for the proposed group and informed all potential members
about the group to be launched and its purpose and structure

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5. Pre-group contacts form a significant part of the worker’s tasks during

the group formation process.
• The aim of these contacts is to secure appropriate members for the group
being planned and their preparation for participation in that group.
• Through these contacts, the people in the target population get to know the
availability and nature of the group-based service, their eligibility for that
service, ascertain if their goals are similar to others to be met through the
group and prepare them for entry in the particular group.
• The above-mentioned tasks may require more than one visit or meeting.
• The worker informs the potential members the tentatively planned group
structure, the duration and the frequency of the sessions.
• In case of a group of children or young adults, pre-group contacts also
entail meeting the parents / family members to apprise them of the
proposed group, its purpose, the benefits it will offer and its structure.
• Pre-group contacts may occur during a meeting of the community
residents and community leaders or during some social / religious event
during which the worker gets an opportunity to introduce the group to be
launched.
6. Pre-group interview (one or more than one) with potential member helps
clarify and alleviate member’s anxiety about the group’s structure, expectations
of the group in terms of his role, response of other members towards his
membership.
• It brings out valuable data about the member’s attitudes, perception of his
need, life situation or difficulty; and his capacity to relate to and to
communicate with others;
• In therapy groups, Intake interviews are held with individuals to arrive at
an in-depth assessment of the nature and severity of the problem, difficulty

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or situation; on the basis of which their compatibility or incompatibility to

group membership may be decided.
7. Even when the potential members are convinced of the purpose of the group,
they may be anxious to know as to what exactly is expected of them, how will the
group work and what will the other members be like.
8. Pre-group contact also initiates worker – member relationship, whether
conducted through an individual interview, a visit to the locality of the potential
members, or in a meeting held in the community.
9. Certain rules and norms that the members are expected to observe initially,
the issues of confidentiality, democratic participation, anti-discrimination, and
the manner of modifying the norms need to be shared with the potential members
during pre-group contacts.
Right from the point of worker / agency agreeing to plan the group; spelling
out its purpose, structure, membership; undertaking publicity; selection and
recruitment of potential members, worker has to perform numerous important
tasks which have long lasting impact on the group’s success in terms of
achievement of its goal – individual member’s and the group. Planning the
entire process of group formation before the group has its first meeting is
vital for the group’s success
PRACTICE PRINCIPLES: GUIDELINES FOR GROUP FORMATION
A number of practitioners and authors have formulated Practice Principles for
effective and efficient group work practice. Some of these are particularly
concerned with the group formation phase of group work. These principles offer
guidelines to the worker for securing effective formation of the proposed group.
1) Comfort level of the worker - Since the professional social workers are
usually not trained in the use of specific methods of social work (especially in
generic courses), the worker planning to form the group needs to ascertain his /
her own expertise and comfort level in working with groups. Whether the worker
needs to enhance his / her knowledge and skills before embarking on group

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formation or to enlist the help of a more experienced co- worker is an important

issue to be resolved.
2) Planning for a group’s formation is a most vital step in the group-based service
to the target population. To avoid its conflict with the ‘value’ of client’s right to
self-determination the plan should not be rigid. In fact, flexibility and creativity
are two essential attributes of planning undertaken for group formation.
3) Secure organizational support and sanction for group, and address
organizational resistance to groups if needed.
4) The purpose of forming the group in view should be clearly for the benefit
and service of the target population and not merely to receive aid and grants from
some financing organization, to collect data for an undisclosed purpose, or to
project certain image in the community. This kind of hidden agenda involves
manipulation of the target groups and is unethical practice.
5) Develop and articulate verbally and/or in writing a clear statement of group
purpose that reflects member needs and, where appropriate, agency mission.
The deliberate formation of a new group should be encouraged only after the
careful review of three considerations:
a) the interests, abilities, experiences and needs of each prospective
individual member,
b) the agency’s purpose,
c) the availability of suitable facilities, leadership and supervision”.
6) The workers often feel uncomfortable in honestly admitting of the purpose
envisaged by them or by the agency. They feel that the purpose as it appears in
the blue print of the plan may not sound too attractive to the prospective members
and, therefore, speak of the purpose in terms which they think may be acceptable
to the prospective members. This is likely to create mistrust, confusion and
anxiety among the potential members.

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7) Particularly in the case of involuntary groups. the clarity in the statement of

purpose, the proposed group structure and content is very vital to win prospective
members’, participation, interaction and trust.
8) Develop and articulate clear statement of worker role that reflects the group’s
purpose.
9) Use preparatory empathy to tune into members’ feelings and reactions to
group’s beginning.
10) Tuning-in helps the worker anticipate members’ needs and feelings and
develop preliminary empathy. The worker also tunes-in to one’s own feelings,
attitudes and thoughts about the ensuing group encounter.
11) Establish meeting place, time, etc. that promotes member comfort and
cohesion.
12) Negotiation and contracting with the members in the context of purpose,
structure and norms of the proposed group contribute significantly to future
stability and cohesiveness of the group.
13) Groups need to be formed in a way that enables them to do the work that they
will be asked to do. This involves minimizing barriers to group cohesiveness and
then giving them the resources, they need (in terms of talent, time, etc.).
14) For the formation to be efficient, group workers need to take into account
any constraints that can influence the performance of the group as a whole and
that of the individuals within the group, such as their previous experience, gender,
ethnicity, and interests.
15) The worker needs to pay special attention to composition issues to achieve a
balanced group.
16) The social group worker is accountable for his /her professional expertise
which is made available for the service of the people. While formulating
Standards for Social Work Practice with Groups, Association of Specialists in
Group Work (ASGW) recommended the following areas of knowledge for the
group worker at the pre-group stage:

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A) Organization’s mission and function and how this influences nature of group
work service
B) Social and institutional barriers which may impact on the development of
group work service
C) Issues associated with group composition
D) Human life cycle and its relationship to potential members’ needs
E) Cultural factors and their influence on potential members’ lives and their
ability to engage in group and relate to others
F) Types of groups and their relationship to member needs
G) Specific types of individual and social problems that lead to a need for group
STAGES IN GROUP WORK
STAGES ACTIVITIES
Members come together, learn about each other, and determine
Forming
the purpose of the group.
Members engage in more direct communication and get to know
Storming each other. Conflicts between group members will often arise
during this stage.
Members establish spoken or unspoken rules about how they
Norming communicate and work. Status, rank, and roles in the group are
established.

Performing Members fulfill their purpose and reach their goal.

Adjourning Members leave the group.

LEADERSHIP
A leader can be defined as a person who is able to get others to follow willingly.
Leader is a person committed to the organization and the people who work
together to accomplish the organization’s vision and mission.

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“Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of

individuals to achieve a common goal.” (Peter G. Nothouse) It is a process by
which a person influences the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviour of others.
According to John Newstrom and Keith Davis leadership is “the process of
influencing and supporting others to work enthusiastically towards achieving
objectives.”
• It is a process whereby one individual influence other group member
toward the attainment of defined group or organizational goals.
• Leaders set a direction for the rest of the people; they help others see what
lies ahead; visualize what to achieve; encourage and inspire others.
• Leadership is the ability to get other people to do something significant and
energize people towards a goal.
Characteristics of Leadership:
• It influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal
• It contributes for the success of an individual, group or organization.
• It transforms policies into action.
• It utilizes the potential in an organization and its people.
• It involves readiness to accept complete responsibility in all situations.
• Leadership is the function of stimulating the followers to strive willingly
to attain organizational objectives.
Functions of a Leader:
A leader has to perform many functions. The functions or the different roles that
a leader has to perform depend on the type, structure and goal of the group.
a. Policy Maker: An important function of the leader of any group is to set the
group’s goals, objectives and policies. He has to lay down specific policies and
objectives and inspire the followers to work towards the attainment of the goal.

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b. Planner: The leader plans the ways and means that are to be adopted for the
achievement of the objective of the group. The leader designs long-term and
short-term objectives.
c. Executive: In his executive function, the leader has to ensure that the plans and
policies are executed. The leader has to coordinate the activities of the group.
d. Group Representative: The leader represents the group in its external
relations. He is the official spokesperson of the group.
e. Controller of Internal Group Relationship: The leader controls the internal
relations among the members of the group. He tries to promote good relationship
among the group members. He encourages team spirit and tries to develop the
group into a cohesive unit.
f. Controller of Reward and Punishment: The leader gives rewards and
punishments to motivate, discipline and control the group members. He rewards
the members who contribute and work towards the attainment of group goals and
punishes those who obstruct the group’s progress.
g. Arbitrator and Mediator: The leader acts as an arbitrator and mediator when
there are conflicts or differences among the group members. He must resolve
disputes in a fair and just manner. He tries to establish good intergroup
relationships, reduce tensions in the group and establish harmony.
h. Exemplar: The leader serves as a role model to the members of the group. He
must serve a model for others to follow and set high standards.
i. Father Figure: The leader plays the emotional role of a father figure of the
group. He has to be a source of psychological and moral support to the followers
at the time of crisis. He guides his followers not only in work related issues but
also helps in their personal life.
j. Scapegoat: The leader is accountable for the performance of the group. Hence
when the group does well the leader gets a lot of credit for it. However, when the
group performs poorly or fails the leader is held responsible for it even though
the leader did everything possible. Thus, he has to play the role of a scapegoat.

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Types of leadership
Leadership style is closely related to the leadership skill of the individual. The
leadership style embodies the values, beliefs and traits of the leader. Different
styles are needed to handle different situations and a leader should know which
style best suits his situation. The leadership strategy determines the leadership
style.

Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Abraham Lincoln,

A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, Sree Narayana Guru, Lal Bhadur Shatri, Henry Ford,
Napoleon Bonaparte
POPULAR LEADERSHIP STYLES.
a. Autocratic Leadership Style:
In Autocratic leadership, leader retains as much power as possible. It involves
decision making and passing them to the subordinates. Employees are expected
to follow the orders without any explanation. Followers have little opportunity to
give suggestions.

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b. Bureaucratic Leadership Style:

In bureaucratic leadership, leaders are governed by the “rule book”. They strictly
abide by the rules, policies and procedures. Leaders expect the same from their
followers. The control and discipline enforced in this style limit follower’s
freedom and creativity. However, this style of leadership proves to be effective
for employees working on routine tasks, handling sophisticated items etc.
c. Democratic Leadership Style:
Democratic leadership style or participative style is the most popular leadership
style from the perspective of a team member. The participants enjoy the
confidence of their leaders and are invited to contribute to the decision-making
process. It increases their satisfaction and provides room for personal growth and
development. It also yields high quality of work and boosts the participant’s
morale by allowing them to accomplish their goals. For democratic leadership
style the only drawback lies in the fact that it is a time consuming affair.
d. Laissez-Faire Leadership Style:
Laissez-Faire literally means “leave alone to act freely”. In this style of
leadership, the leader provides little or no direction to the members. In fact, the
authority to determine the goals, making decisions and resolving problems are
vested with the team members and they enjoy the maximum freedom. This sort
of leadership style is applicable for highly experienced members working in a
creative organization.
e. Charismatic Leadership Style:
Charismatic leaders gather followers by virtue of their personality and charm.
They do not use authority or force over followers to obey their orders. They make
the best use of their body language and persuasive skills to stir up a sense of
enthusiasm in the minds of their followers. In the eyes of the followers, success
is directly linked to the presence of the leader. Thus, a charismatic leader carries
a lot of responsibility to satisfy the demands of his followers.

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There are certain other leadership styles too and let us look at some of them:
1. Situational Leadership Style:
As the name implies, situational leadership focuses on leadership in situations.
This theory believes that different situations demand different kinds of leadership.
From this perspective, to be an effective leader, a person is required to adapt his
or her style to the demand of different situations. Situational leadership stresses
that leadership has directive and supportive dimension and each has to be applied
appropriately in a given situation. Hence the strength of the Leadership lies in the
ability of the leader to switch between different leadership styles depending on
the nature of the situation and the people they lead. In the long run, leaders are
recognized and remembered by their capacity to care their followers, their
communication skills and commitment to the cause.
2. Transformational Leadership Style: In this leadership style, the leaders instil
a lot of enthusiasm in their teams by adding values with positive contribution and
focuses on transforming an organisation.
3. Transactional Leadership Style: This type of leadership style largely
involves implementing managerial activities, as it starts with the idea that team
members will abide by the leader. In this type, the leader follows “reward for
better work” policy.
4. Servant Leadership Style: According to this style of leadership, the leaders
achieve results by focusing on the needs of their peers and their bosses.
5. Paternalistic Leadership Style: The way a Paternalistic leader works is by
acting as a father figure by taking care of the group members. In this style of
leadership, the leader shows complete concern for his followers or workers.
Leadership in Social Work
The social workers take pride in themselves for helping the helpless. The core
values like code of ethics, social justice, worth and dignity etc encourage social
workers to practice their profession with full competency. Therefore, leadership
qualities are essential for social workers to excel in their practice.

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The social workers correct injustice and find ways to care for the poor and
disadvantaged. In this lead role social workers get ample opportunity to serve the
humanity.
The social worker and leaders intervene in crises, mediate conflict, advocate on
behalf of clients, and identify resources. We apply leadership ability in the
methods of social work especially in social group work, community organisation,
social action and social welfare administration.
In social group work, the social workers intervene and guide in each stage of
group formation and also promote leadership among the group members. In
community organisation, the social worker initiates the community to identify the
resources for meeting their needs. Being a facilitator in community organisation,
the social worker enables community to prioritize their identified needs through
local leadership. Each stage of community organisation promotes local
leadership.
In social action, social worker triggers the people against injustice, atrocities and
social evils. The success of these actions totally depends on effective leadership.
In social welfare administration social worker acts as a manager, coordinator,
administrator, community organiser, project manager etc. These roles can be
performed only through successful leadership. So, leadership qualities are
essential to practice social work.

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UNIT 4
RECORDINGS IN GROUP WORK
Social work recording has long been recognized as a vital component of
professional and competent practice in agency, private, and community settings.
Writing and maintaining group work records is an essential element of
professional social work. A recording well done saves the group worker the
trouble of having to emphasize to the agency about the group’s progress in
various aspects.
It is important that social work educators, students and professionals focus on
developing their written communication skills for a range of reasons. These
include:
• Writing is a core mode of communication in many fields of social work
practice. The capacity to communicate effectively in writing can enhance
practice in many ways, from promoting interdisciplinary team
communication to advancing the capacity to attract funds and influence
policy
• Writing skills, like all professional skills, can be learned. Just as social
work professionals can develop effective spoken communication skills, so
too their professional writing skills can improve through sustained
attention and effort
• Written communication can represent complex matters better than
speech can. It is a vital tool for social workers, who are often involved in
complex situations with individuals, families and communities and need to
be able to convey the intricacies to others who may have limited first-hand
experience of the specific situations. In addition, some professional writing
tasks, such as completing tender documents, can require the integration of
detailed and complex information in a succinct and cohesive format.
• Social workers’ approach to writing should reflect the distinctive
character of their professional purpose. This is shaped by the

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institutional context and audience, and must always be driven, at least in

part, by professional knowledge and an ethical value base
Importance of the recording
Keeping the record and preparing it is indeed an important component of social
work practice because of the following significances.
• Recording helps the worker to recognize and understand the group
members.
• It helps the group worker to understand the entire group.
• It helps the worker to identify needs and problem of the members
• It helps to prepare a proper comprehensive document of activities and
services rendered to the members of the group.
• It provides evidence of changes, growth, development of the members.
• Enables the group worker to facilitate better service to do a more effective
job with his group.
• It helps to assess the emergence of group consciousness.
• It plays as the source of information for future planning.
• Recording can be used as a referral document for communication between
members and agencies
• It works as a foundation for the pre-review system.
• It helps to promote continuity, and the uniformity of the group process and
with each service delivered.
• It helps to demonstrate and measure worker accountability.
• Record is considered to be an instrument of evaluation processes
• It can be used for research, performance improvement and developing
theory.
• Recording helps to organize the information and serve as the model of the
reference data.

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Principles of Recording in Social Group Work

Recording in social group work aims to make better the quality of service to the
members. The agency could assess the quality of its service, thereby
understanding its efficiency. Group records are imperative in study, research and
experimentation. According to Trecker, the principles of recording are;
Principle of Flexibility: the record must be adapted to the agency’s purpose
because group work practice and agency purpose are inseparably interwoven
Principle of Selection: worker does not include everything in his record but
selects significant material in the light of individual and group development
The Principle of Readability: form and style are important and that clarity of
expression is essential for all written material
The Principle of Confidentiality: the record is a professional document and that
as such its contents are guarded by a sense of professional ethics.
The Principle of Worker Acceptance: the worker must accept his responsibility
to write records because of his conviction that records have value in rendering
high quality professional service.
Types of Recording in Social Group Work
1. Process Recording:
It is a narrative report of all that happened during a client contact, including the
worker’s feelings and thinking about what happened. The usefulness of process
recording has depended on the willingness of a worker to honestly record the
actions and communications of both worker and client. Because of its time-
consuming qualities, process recording probably should not be used with every
case or situation but with carefully selected ones particularly suited for the
worker’s won development learning. Process recording is most often used when
working with individuals but can also be used when working with large systems.
2. Summary Recording
It is an entirely different style of writing and is preferred for intake, transfer
closing and other special aspects of official agency records. The summary

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recording is the preferred method for ongoing social work practice because it is
much briefer than process recording, hence much less time consuming to write
and to record. However, summary recording requires more thought and planning
on the worker’s part because he must decide what to record and what to omit.
Regular progress notes, periodic summaries (i.e., intake or transfer report) and
special reports are usually written in summary style.
3. Diagnostic Summary
It is a special analytical statement that assesses what is known about a client and
sets forth a specific treatment plan. The diagnostic summary provides an
opportunity for the worker to set down his/hers professional impressions,
reactions and concerns about his/her client. Put into writing, these ideas can be
helpful to other staff who work with that individual at a later date as well as to
the person making the entry. A diagnostic summary enables a supervisor to learn
quickly about the needs of the clients his/her staff are serving. It should include:
1. The problems and needs as seen by the Group members
2. The problems and needs as seen by the worker
3. The member’s feelings about the group situation
4. The appropriateness of the member’s feelings and behavior
5. Efforts initiated by the group members to solve the problem.
4. Problem Oriented Recording
It is a specialized form of documentation used to delineate problems identified
and treatment goals in interdisciplinary settings. This system requires the recorder
to identify the problem areas, assess them and then state what he plans to do about
each problem. The ideal use of problem oriented recoding is for all disciplines to
record on the same form in the same interdisciplinary record. One of the primary
purposes of recording in the interdisciplinary settings is for documentation, but it
is also intended to provide a means of exchanging information

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5. Goal Oriented Recording

Under this type of recording basic social history and background information is
gathered and recorded. However, there is considerable emphasis on including the
client in the assessment process and in setting goals and developing specific plans
for reaching the identified goals. This approach leads to uniformity in recording
and statistical reporting practices among social workers and forces staff to include
the client as an active participant in the planning phases.
Contents in a Group Work Record
A group record is expected to hold the following information. This is especially
important in the case of a worker leaving the group and when a new group worker
takes over. By referring to the group records, (assuming it is done professionally),
the new worker can be relatively at ease since group records consist of
information that enables him to take hold of the appropriate ‘strings’.
Given below is a gist of the contents a group work record shall consist of:
• Individual behaviour of the group members
• Nature and degree of members’ involvement in the group’s affairs
• Source and progress of suggestions, initiatives and innovations
• The worker’s role with minute details of what he exactly does in executing
his responsibilities
• The worker’s thoughts and feelings about the group situation
• The development, transformation and evolution observed in members and
in the group as a whole
• Affiliation among the group and the agency community relationships
inclusive

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RECORDING OUTLINE FOR GROUP PRACTICE

I. INFORMATION ABOUT THE GROUP
• Group Name:
• Group Type:
• Date of Group:
• Group Members Present:
II. PURPOSE OF THE GROUP/MEETING
a) Write a brief statement on the overall purpose of the group - This statement
include only in the first process recording, or it there is an agreed upon change in
the group's overall purpose.
b) Write a concise statement about the goals of the meeting of the group being
recorded.
• How were these goals perceived by the group?
• How did you perceive these goals?
• What are the similarities or differences between the group's perception of
these goals and yours?
III. GROUP PROCESS AT THE MEETING
Initial Observations
• Describe briefly, in general terms, the physical and emotional climate at
the beginning of the group meeting.
• Describe briefly your initial impressions of the attitudes and feelings of the
group members at the beginning of the meeting.
• Describe any significant changes in the appearance or feelings or attitudes
of the group members since the last meeting.
Group Member Interaction (Group Process)
1. Describe what went on within the group during its meeting. For example:
• Describe the means of interaction, e.g., program activity, discussion,
debate, tasks, etc.

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• Describe the feeling reactions of the members to this interaction.

• Describe your feeling reactions to this interaction.
2. Describe the effectiveness, vitality, and responsibility of the group's members
during the interaction.
3. Describe your role in the group's interaction.
4. Describe the ways the group moved toward attainment of its goals.
5. Describe how the group's members dealt with obstacles to attainment of the
meeting's goals.
IV. ANALYSIS OF THE GROUP MEETING
1. Describe your understanding of the nature of the interaction of the group
members, including you, at this group meeting.
2. Indicate the theoretical or other knowledge, learned in your other courses,
that helps you to understand the process and content of this group meeting.
3. On the basis of your analysis, what is your current assessment of:
• the stage of the group's development,
• the commitment of the group members to the group's purpose,
• the climate and tone of the group,
• if relevant, discuss specific roles played by individual group members and
how they impact the group process.
V. PLAN FOR THE GROUP'S NEXT MEETING
1. Write a brief statement of the plan for the next meeting of the group.
a. Explain how the members of the group, including you, arrived at this plan.
b. Explain how the plan relates to the purpose of the group.
2. Describe what you and the other group members are to do prior to, and in
preparation for, the next group meeting.
VI. ANALYSIS OF THE STUDENT SOCIAL WORKER'S PRACTICE
1. Discuss your use of social work practice knowledge and skills during the group
meeting.

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a. What specific social work skills and/or techniques learned in your practice
courses, did you use during the group meeting?
b. What were the strengths and weaknesses in your practice during the group
meeting?
OUTLINE FOR GROUP RECORDING
1. Relationship to Agency
• How does your group relate to the overall mission and purpose of the
agency?
• What kind of staff and administrative support exists for this group?
• Is this an ongoing service of the agency?
2. Client Population
Identify the specific population for whom the group serves.
• What are their common needs?
• How did you become aware of these commonalities you have identified?
• What factors influenced your choice of a small group approach?
3. Goals and Objectives
What are the goals/objectives for your group?
4. Theoretical Background
What theoretical knowledge/concepts will be needed to work with the group?
5. Main Themes
What are the expected themes/issues to be pursued in the group?
6. Proposed Activities
What are the proposed programs and/or activities?
7. Membership
• What are the criteria for membership in your group?
• How will group members be selected and/or recruited?
• How will they be informed or screened for the group?

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8. Role of Worker
• What will be your initial and ongoing role in this group?
• How will you work together with a co-leader to maximize effectiveness?
9. Diversity Issues
• Are there any racial, ethnic or sexual diversity issues related to the client
population, worker(s) or agency orientation?
• How will these issues relate to group functioning?
10. Size of Group
• What is the preferred and actual size of the group?
• What is your rationale for the size of the group?
11. Physical Structures
• Where will meetings be held?
• What factors were considered in selecting this location?
• What will be the length and frequency of the meetings?
• How long will group last?
12. Recording
• What types of forms are needed?
• What type of record keeping is required?
• Who needs to be kept informed of client progress?
13. Evaluation
• What is the plan for evaluating the service given?
• Who will be involved?
• By what criteria and method will service be evaluated?

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UNIT 5
APPLICATION OF GROUP WORK
Social work professionals in India work with communities, groups, families and
individuals who are elderly, delinquent, unemployed, or who have disabilities.
The services of social workers are grouped within various fields of practice as
they relate to addressing specific social problems, meeting the needs of client
groups, or reflecting particular settings. The prominent settings include family
and child welfare, health and rehabilitation, mental health, occupational social
work, community development, education or school social work, social work in
corrections, and aging or gerontological services. Social group work practice is
possible in almost all the settings. The models may vary according to the needs
and the nature of the setting. Similarly, the role of the social group worker also
will vary in different settings.
The function of a social worker in dealing with a group is to help its
members accomplish group goal. The worker in this helping role is responsible
for the provision of guidance and help for the group.
The social group worker is a person with knowledge, skills and values. The
group worker influences indirectly rather than directly. He/she is primarily a
“helping person” not a “group leader.” He allows the group to work at its own
pace and provides methodological help as and when required. The worker is not
a part of the group but he enters into it when the individual in the group or the
group as whole or both need professional help to fulfill their own purposes. It
must be noted that social group worker is not needed in all the groups.
Many groups, just as many individuals, will be perfectly capable of
carrying out their programs by themselves and will not need professional help.
The professional group worker, as part of a helping profession, will be used and
should be available wherever help is needed. The group worker’s role in the group
work can begin at various stages in different groups. He may have to perform
some role even before he actually meets the group. This is particularly true when

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a worker within an agency framework deliberately forms the group. His role in
the formed groups can depend on the need and the help required by the particular
group. The worker’s role will vary with different groups. This is because of the
groups and the situations within which they operate. As a group worker one has
to keep enough flexibility and adaptability, since an appropriate group work
contribution in one group, or at one stage of a group’s development, may be
totally inappropriate in another group or at another time.
Factors that Influence the Role of the Social Group Worker
The worker needs to understand the group as such, along with its requirements,
problems and goals and the circumstances surrounding it before attempting to
define the specific aspects of his role with the group. The primary considerations,
or factors, that influence the role of workers are:
1) The setting
2) The nature of the agency, its function and scope,
3) Facilities available with the agency
4) The kind of group
5) The interests, needs, abilities, and limitations of individual members
6) The goal of the group
7) The skill and competence of the worker
8) The amount of help the group wants and its willingness to accept help from the
worker.
The Social Group Worker’s Role in Group Process
The interactions and relationships of the members in any group are never static.
They change with time and situations. These changing interactions and
relationships along with all the developments and changes taking place in group
are known as group processes. It is the worker with his/her knowledge and
expertise helps the group to grow accommodating the processes. When looked in
such an angle a group worker has to play the following roles in the group:

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• Enabler
• Broker
• Advocate
• Activist
• Mediator
• Educator
• Initiator
• Empowerer
• Coordinator
• Group Facilitator
• Communicator and Interpreter
Application of Group work in health settings
Social workers employed in health care settings wear multiple hats; like case
managers, patient navigators, psychotherapists and community outreach
coordinators etc. Social workers are often the bridge that connects primary and
behavioral health care. In these busy environments, social workers identify
psychosocial problems that are often overlooked or go unnoticed or by other
health care practitioners. Social work practice in outpatient settings involves
multiple methods, including clinical and macro approaches, as well as policy and
advocacy.
Functions of Social workers in a health care setting delivers services that touch
all areas of their patients’ lives. The following are key functions and tasks
performed by a social worker in any health care settings
• Identification, assessment and treatment of mental health conditions, such
as depression and anxiety
• Case management/care coordination, particularly for individuals with
chronic and/or complex medical conditions

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• Patient navigation, especially for patients moving among different health

care levels (e.g., inpatient, outpatient, home health, or long-term care)
• Identification and referral for specialized services, such as drug and alcohol
treatment, legal services, financial and employment counseling, and
housing support
• Education and support programming (e.g., diabetes education, parenting
classes, domestic violence support programs) for individual and groups
• Assistance with entitlements, medications, transportation, and advance
directives
• Assessment and intervention in domestic violence and child abuse
situations
• Counseling on end-of-life issues
• Outreach and coordination with other community resources and agencies
and
• Community-level advocacy on behalf of patients and families.
Social workers are present with one of its powerful direct methods, appear in
public health, acute, and chronic care settings providing a range of services
including health education, crisis intervention, supportive counseling, and case
management. In response to critical incidents that are both global and national,
health care social workers are increasingly trained to provide interventions to
prepare for and respond to traumatic events and disasters.
The health care system is complex and multidisciplinary in nature, and may
include a network of services such as diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, health
maintenance, and prevention provided to individuals of all ages and with a range
of needs. Professional social workers are well equipped to practice in the health
care field, because of their broad perspective on the range of physical, emotional,
and environmental factors that have an effect on the well-being of individuals and
communities.

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The basic values of social work, from promoting an individual’s right to

self-determination to having an attitude of empathy for the individual, are the
foundation of social work practice in health setting. When confronting dilemmas
or needs in health care, social workers can use the principle of client self-
determination in matters where clients or their families are faced with such issues
The core values, embraced by social workers throughout the profession’s history,
are the foundation of social work’s unique purpose and perspective:
• service
• social justice
• dignity and worth of the person
• importance of human relationships
• integrity
• competence and structural factors that affect health care systems.
From the time of its evolution and growth, group work has diversified as a method
of Social Work practice. It has travelled and spread beyond the traditional areas
as well. Provided is a list of settings in which group work is practiced in health
care:
• Medical hospitals

• Psychiatric hospitals

• De-addiction centres

• Rehabilitation centers

• Palliative care centers

• Geriatric care centers

• Child guidance center

Group formation refers to the ways in which groups come into being. Group
formation can be understood in three different ways, according to Ken Heap,

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based on the degree of volition on the part of the members. The three types of
groups are compulsory groups, formed groups and natural groups.
Those groups which are formed by some external agency, through the
exercise of authority can be called as compulsory groups. Many alcoholic and
drug treatment institutions and an increasing number of psychiatric hospitals
require patients or inmates to attend group treatment sessions of various kinds
regardless of their choices. These are examples of compulsory groups.
Though formed groups are formed by external initiative, the members have
more choice. They select themselves, since they may accept or refuse the
invitation from a group worker. For example, a social worker motivates a group
of parents of differently abled children to come together in order to help each
other to work through their problems, feelings and decisions. They choose to
enter the group situation or not.
The natural group on the other hand arises spontaneously without any
external initiative or compulsion. The members simply come together through
circumstances, which often seems to involve a large element of chance. For ex: a
group of teenagers who involve in shoplifting in order to finance alcohol purchase
or a group of street children operating or residing in same locality.
The kind of group formation has a direct relevance to the practice of social
group work. Experience suggests that the conditions of formation exert
substantial influence on the members’ attitude towards the group; on their
readiness to identify with its objectives; and with each other and even with the
agency and the worker.
Rationale for Group Work in Health Setting – therapeutic factors:-
Lewin’s law of change states that it is usually easier to change individuals formed
into a group than to change any of them separately. Groups are apparently as
effective as they are due to certain inherent factors. In health care setting, groups
have not only these effective changes, but a therapeutic effect also. Yalom (1995)
suggested that therapeutic change is an enormously complex process and occurs

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through the intricate interplay of various guided human experiences, which he

called ‘therapeutic factors.’ These therapeutic factors are much higher in a group
work in health setting. This makes social group work much more powerful a
method in the same. Let us see these factors:
1. Instillation of hope – the members will be able to experience a new hope in
their life due to the group experience. Each member will be inevitably at a
different point on the coping continuum and grows at a different rate. Watching
others cope with and overcome similar problems successfully instils hope and
inspiration.
2. Universality – many members enter groups with the thought that they are
unique in their problems of life, that they alone have certain frightening or
unacceptable health problems. The group experience helps the members to
understand that they are not alone who are going through these unique problems.
3. Information giving – group becomes a platform for the group members to
learn about the illness they share. So also, the group experience helps the
members to recognize the variations in the illnesses.
4. Altruism – patients have probably very less to offer others and much to take
from the group members. Consequently, they tend to feel inadequate. The group
offers the members to be of help to other members even if it means methods
discussed in the group about anger management, activity scheduling, money
management and so on. Helping others is a powerful therapeutic tool that greatly
enhances members’ self-esteem and feeling of self-worth.
5. Corrective recapitulation of the primary family- most group members who
seek treatment would have interpersonal problems at the family level for long
periods. Group members start identifying the group as their family. Thus, the
authority figure, the worker becomes the head of the family and other active
members in the group become the dear ones in the family. The group serves the
function of a family to these members with its own rules, coalitions, affection
towards other members in the family. This recasting of the family of origin gives

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members a chance to correct dysfunctional interpersonal relationships in a way

that can have a powerful therapeutic impact.
6. Improved social skills – Groups act as a smaller unit of the society with a
number of other members who have their own behaviours, beliefs and attitudes.
Members learn to relate to other group members in appropriate ways and
frequently also get feedback about their interaction. While the feedback can be
anxiety provoking, the directness and honesty with which it is offered can provide
much needed behavioral correction and thus improve relationships both within
and outside the group.
7. Imitative behavior – members model behaviors learnt in the group from the
therapist and other group members, with in the group and outside the group.
Overtime, members pick up these behaviors and incorporate them.
8. Interpersonal learning – our lives are characterized by intense and persistent
relationships, and much of our self-esteem is developed via feedback and
reflection from important others in our life. Distortions in the way we see others
often damage even our most important relationships. Group work helps
individuals in learning to relate with each other well.
9. Group cohesiveness – belonging to a group of any nature is one of the most
basic human needs. Prior to the disease conditions, people who entered groups
like, religious, entertainment etc, may not have experienced success as group
members. For them, groups in the health care setting helps in feeling truly
accepted and valued for the first time. This can be a powerful healing factor as
the individuals replace their feelings of isolation and separateness with a sense of
belonging.
10. Catharsis – it is the release of conscious or unconscious feelings followed by
a feeling of great relief. It is a type of emotional learning as opposed to
intellectual understanding, that can lead to immediate and long lasting change.

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Groups provide a fertile ground for catharsis as it evolves around an empathetic

atmosphere.
11. Existential factors – they are certain realities of life including loss, isolation,
freedom, meaninglessness and death. The fact that one must take ultimate
responsibility for the way one lives his or her life no matter how much guidance
and support one gets from others is an existential truth.
Skills and interventions essential for a Social group worker in health care
setting:
• planning and preparing the programme for the group
• creating a rapport and establishing a relationship
• welcoming skills
• empathy
• the role of self-knowledge and intuition
• open questions
• closed questions
• ‘what’ questions
• circular questions
• paraphrasing
• clarifying
• summarizing
• giving and receiving feedback
• sticking to the point and purpose of the interview
• prompting
• probing
• allowing and using silences
• using self-disclosure
• ending an interview
• termination of the group
• giving advice

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• providing information
• providing explanations
• offering encouragement and validation
• providing reassurance
• using persuasion and being directive
• providing practical and material
• modelling and social skills training
• reframing
• offering interpretations
• adaptation
• group counselling skills
• containing anxiety
• empowerment and enabling skills
• negotiating skills
• contracting skills
• networking skills
• working in partnership
• mediation skills
• advocacy skills
• assertiveness skills
• being challenging and confrontative
• dealing with hostility, aggression and violence
• providing protection and control
• managing professional boundaries
• record keeping skills
• reflective and effective practice
• using supervision creatively.

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Issues addressed in groups in a health setting:-

The practice of group work in various settings involves discussions on various
issues. The agency setting where the group work is practiced and the population
determine the issues which will be addressed in the group work sessions. For
example, the issues addressed in group work with the elderly will address old age
issues ranging from financial burden to illnesses in geriatric conditions. The
following is an example of the areas which are addressed in group work with
people with psychiatric morbidity.
• Expectations and needs of the patients and family members
• Psycho-education – information about the illness, signs, symptoms, course
etc
• Treatment modalities, investigations
• Re-adaptation issues after discharge
• Future concerns such as marriage, having children when on medication etc.
• Relapse prevention strategies
• Training in various skills which includes social skills, assertiveness skills,
interpersonal skills, life skills etc.
Follow-up through groups:-
Group work practice in In-patient settings and residential settings is quite popular
and is generally seen to be practiced. An offshoot of the group work practice in
hospital settings has led to the evolution of group work in out-patient settings too.
This can also be referred to as follow up through groups. Such groups have certain
inherent advantaged and disadvantages.
Advantages:-
1. Members are coming from their homes and not institutional settings which
mean they are in real world situations, as they will be interacting with the family
members on a daily basis. The problems they will report are much nearer to reality

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than the imaginative, futuristic problems dealt with in institutionalized or

protected settings.
2. Members are able to field test the suggestions which the group provides by the
next follow up and provide feedback in the next sessions.
3. The rate of follow up tends to increase because of continuing advantage of the
therapeutic factors in group work. A follow up is not just an event for meeting
the social worker, but to meet the other members who are sailing the same boat.
4. Issues such as compliance to medication, lapse and relapse, dealing with anger,
dealing with emergencies are much effectively dealt in follow groups than in
individual follow ups.
5. To the hospital staff, it is a time economizing task as follow up groups involve
8-10 patients will be coming together at a time.

6. Most times these groups include both the patients and the family members
which gives an opportunity for both of them to understand the others’
perspectives.
Disadvantages:-
1. Many a times the follow up groups turn out to be bilingual or much worse
multilingual which makes communication very difficult.
2. Maintaining time will evolve as a difficult issue, as different members may
turn up at different time.
3. The group worker has to be excessively careful and vigilant not to have actively
psychotic or excessively disturbing and weak/bedridden patients for the group.
4. Difference in the age group of the patients can result in a dilemma, in
programme media selection, programme planning and implementation.
5. Follow ups at times become battlegrounds for the members as well as the
family members to complain against each other.

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Recording:-
Maintaining record occupies the central position in Social work in general and in
particular, in group work in health setting. Recording in group work means
writing the description of the individuals’ activities and his/her relationship with
the group. Behavioral pattern of the members, responses to one another, type and
extend of participation, movement, growth, change in individual and group, role
in group processes etc are recorded.
The significance of recording in group work can be seen as below:
• Records help the worker to understand the member in the group
• Help the worker to understand the group as a whole
• Provide evidences of growth and changes in the members and in the worker
him/herself
• Help the worker to do more effective job with his group on the basis of
information in the record.
• The worker can see merging and changing interests of individual members
• Helps the social worker to observe the development of the skills and social
attitudes in the group members
• Can gain knowledge of a special problem in the group
• Can understand the emergence of group consciousness
• Records and provides content for supervisory conferences
• Source for future planning
• Source of information for other workers
• The records provide a permanent and continuous register of facts for the
agency
Contents of the record:-
• Identifying information of the group
• Member’s participation by name
• Description of the group as a whole

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• Description of the group problems

• The relationship and the role of the group worker
• Special assistance given
• Evaluation
A typical group work session:-
Within the realm of health, we have different settings. Particulars such as number
of sessions, duration of each session, what will be discussed during a session etc
will differ depending on the clientele etc. Provided below is an example of a
typical group work session carried out in an Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) group
of people with alcohol dependence.
• Start by greeting the group
• Introduce each member including the family members if any.
• Comment on the weather of the day, or the dominant mood of the group
which is to make the environment of the group lighter.
• Elicit responses about the previous session. Ask for the lessons learnt.
• Go for any assignments given for the day in the previous session
• Light energizing games can be used here
• Introduce the topic for the day
- Eg: what is relapse?
- Has any member experienced a relapse?
- What happens of self and family on relapse?
- Why do people generally relapse?
- Ask for the relapse story
- Ask what others will do in case of relapse?
- Conclude with ways to prevent / manage relapse which will include
all those methods the group members discussed.
• Give assignment for the day
• Summarize the day

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Other activities like role-plays, debates, motivational videos etc can be used
It is essential that group work is taught not only in classrooms but also in
the fieldwork with appropriate supervision and guidance than as a mere
component of the syllabus. Ideally patients in groups leave with a better
understanding and acceptance of themselves and stronger interpersonal and
coping skills. Some individuals continue in therapy even after the group disbands,
either individually or in another group setting. To recognize the efficacy of group
work as a method of social work by effectively practicing it should be the future
of group work
Application of Group work in school settings
An educational setting is a group setting where the social workers help children
whose problems in the school/colleges have their genesis in social and emotional
factors in the child, in his family, or in his social environment. Four parties are
directly or indirectly involved in the group work in an educational setting. They
are: the child, the family, the school staff and the community.
Rapidly changing social, moral, ethical and religious values have
destabilized certain „life styles‟ in the present society, especially among children.
These affected their health, both physical as well as mental health, significantly.
Poor eating habits, poor personal hygiene, lack of rest, need for quick results,
pleasure seeking behavior and stress make an unholy triad i.e., - Substance Abuse,
Violence & Early Sexual Experimentation.
Certain inbuilt buffers of the society which we had with our culture that
functioned as support as well as control are no longer available to today’s
children, especially the adolescents. Extended family system, a smaller
community – which was personal and closed, uniformity in culture in the smaller
circle of living, traditional ways of thinking and behavior with very little
individual need to exercise choices etc are some among the vanishing buffers in
our social fabric. As a result, the stress faced by the children is enormous. This is
reflected back by growing suicide rates and rising crime among children. The

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urgency has been felt to provide today’s children certain skills and support to
equip them to face the demands and challenges of daily living.
Since the individual rather than the system is recognized as the basic unit
of the society, it is essential and a must to help the children to develop skills to
handle a wide variety of choices, challenges and stressors in his/her life and work
towards better health. The values of a stable society and the family have to be
replaced with the skills of the individual that would enable him/her to be stable
amidst rapid transition in the environment. Social group work plays an important
role in this strengthening.
The group worker organizes group work activities in the form of recreation,
role plays, storytelling, group exercises, or any other relevant programme media
to increase the capacity of social participation and constructive group interaction
among the school/college students. Through guided group interaction the worker
promote relatedness, belongingness and the feeling of identification among
children which will help in the improvement of their social adjustment and the
development of their personality. Self, social and academic adjustments are very
common among students, especially the adolescents and among those who are on
the onset of puberty. Underachievement, disruption, drop out, loneliness,
isolation, withdrawal from meaningful peer relationships all are common among
them. Adding to this one can find the menace of substance abuse, identity crisis,
disorders like ADHD, Learning Disorders, Adjustment Disorders, Conduct
Disorders etc.
Benefits of Group work in an educational setting:-
• Helps in social and academic adjustment among the children
• Provides opportunity for constructive participation
• Value education
• Leadership development
• Life skill education

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• Orient the children about co-operation, team work and role taking.
• Ensures socialization
• Career orientation
• Helps in personality development
Characteristics of group work with educational settings:-
1. Group work in educational settings makes use of multiple relationships and a
multi-person process (worker to students, worker to teachers, worker to parents,
student to student, parent to parent, parent to teacher, teacher to teacher etc)

2. The group is an instrument for meeting basic needs among the students and to
strengthen individual 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 among students is its use of colourful
and creative 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 the expectations from a student life.
4. Programme activities offer scope for utilization of non-verbal communication,
a particularly valuable tool for children of all age who cannot articulate their
needs and problems.
5. Membership in the group, exposure to its influences, participation in its
activities and acquisition of a role and status within it can have potent effects for
individuals
Models of Social Group Work in Educational Setting:-
The three models of group work with wider scope in an educational setting may
be termed as:
1. Remedial
2. Developmental &
3. Preventive.

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1. Remedial groups focus on restoration to normalcy after a point of breakdown.

2. The term developmental can be understood when it enhances maturational
tasks in the human life cycle as the children pass through each stage thus helping
them to adjust and cope the demands of each day
3. Preventive Groups: work with the connotation that prevention is better than
cure. Providing life skills can be viewed in this respect
STAGES IN GROUP DEVELOPMENT
Stage 1 -- Orientation (Forming):
Group members are learning what to do, how the group will operate, what’s
expected, and what’s acceptable. Students watch the facilitator and each other for
cues and clues, and seek guidelines and stated expectations. They want to feel
safe and comfortable, and many will do only limited sharing until that comfort
zone is established.
Some students will be comfortable sharing openly even on the first day,
either because they enjoy this type of interaction, or because they already feel
comfortable with the facilitator and/or the other students in the group. As a
facilitator, you can call on these students to give examples, be the first to answer
questions, and model positive interactions for the other group members.
As the group leader, you can also help your students move through
orientation successfully by providing clear guidelines, information, and structure,
by listening with compassion and keeping communication open and respectful.
You may want to begin your group with some low-risk warm-up activities that
help them get to know each other or get more comfortable in the group setting.
Stage 2: Power struggle (Storming) - The next stage, which Tuckman calls
Storming, is characterized by competition and conflict. As students become more
comfortable, they may challenge each other or the facilitators, attempt to form
cliques and exclude or ignore certain students, and push limits. This can be
frustrating for everyone involved, but it helps to know it’s just a stage, and things
tend to get much better once it’s past. As a facilitator, one of your main challenges

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is to maintain boundaries, be an active but compassionate leader, let everyone be

heard and express thoughts and feelings, while teaching, reminding, and requiring
them to stay respectful and productive. You can acknowledge differences, and
still model creative problem solving, helping students to focus on what they have
in common, and building a more cohesive group. As the group members attempt
to organize for the task, conflict inevitably results in their personal relations.
Individuals have to bend and mold their feelings, ideas, attitudes, and beliefs to
suit the group organization. Because of "fear of exposure" or "fear of failure,"
there will be an increased desire for structural clarification and commitment.
Although conflicts may or may not surface as group issues, they do exist.
Questions will arise about who is going to be responsible for what, what
the rules are, what the reward system is, and what criteria for evaluation are.
These reflect conflicts over leadership, structure, power, and authority. There
may be wide swings in members‟ behavior based on emerging issues of
competition and hostilities. Because of the discomfort generated during this stage,
some members may remain completely silent while others attempt to dominate.
In order to progress to the next stage, group members must move from a "testing
and proving" mentality to a problem-solving mentality. The most important trait
in helping groups to move on to the next stage seems to be the ability to listen.
Stage 3 – Cooperation and Integration (Norming):
This is where being in group becomes fun and enjoyable most of the time. Group
interaction becomes easier, more cooperative, and productive, with balanced give
and take, open communication, bonding, and mutual respect. If there is a conflict
or disruption, it’s relatively easily resolved and the group gets back on track.
Group leadership is still important, but the facilitator can step back a little and let
group members initiate more and move forward together. As a facilitator, you can
stay aware and help the group get back on track as needed, encourage
participation and creativity, and enjoy the flow of the activities. Continue to give

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support and encouragement, reinforce the positive feel of the group, and fine tune
as needed.
During this stage, interpersonal relations are characterized by cohesion.
Group members are engaged in active acknowledgment of all members
contributions and solving of group issues. Members are willing to change their
preconceived ideas or opinions on the basis of facts presented by other members,
and they actively ask questions of one another. Leadership is shared, and cliques
dissolve. When members begin to know-and identify with-one another, the level
of trust in their personal relations contributes to the development of group
cohesion. It is during this stage of development (assuming the group gets this far)
that the children begin to experience a sense of group belonging and a feeling of
relief as a result of resolving interpersonal conflicts. Creativity is high. If this
stage of data flow and cohesion is attained by the group members, their
interactions are characterized by openness and sharing of information on both a
personal and task level. They feel good about being part of an effective group.
The major drawback of the norming stage is that members may begin to fear the
inevitable future breakup of the group; they may resist change of any sort.
Stage 4 – Synergy (Performing):
Not every group reaches this level, and if you spend most of a school year in
Stage 3, it will still be a productive and enjoyable group. Synergy emerges when
the group shifts or evolves into another level, often without realizing what’s
happening. Here, there’s a sense of group unity, group members looking out for
each other even outside of the group setting, deepening friendships or bonds, and
a dynamic energy no matter what the task. This is the epitome of “The whole is
greater than the sum of its parts.”
The Performing stage is not reached by all groups. If group members are
able to evolve to stage four, their capacity, range, and depth of personal relations
expand to true interdependence. In this stage, people can work independently, in

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subgroups, or as a total unit with equal facility. Their roles and authorities
dynamically adjust to the changing needs of the group and individuals.
Stage four is marked by interdependence in personal relations and problem
solving in the realm of task functions. By now, the group should be most
productive. Individual members have become self-assuring, and the need for
group approval is past. Members are both highly task oriented and highly people
oriented. There is unity: group identity is complete, group morale is high, and
group loyalty is intense. The task function becomes genuine problem solving,
leading toward optimal solutions and optimum group development. There is
support for experimentation in solving problems and an emphasis on
achievement. The overall goal is productivity through problem solving and work.
Stage 5 – Closure (Adjourning):
The closure stage of a group can be confusing and disconcerting if the members
of the group don’t know it’s coming. After weeks or months of a smoothly
running group, as the end of group or the school year approaches, things may start
to fall apart for no apparent reason. Students may bicker with and criticize each
other, and anger may surface in unexpected ways. This is a normal part of group
process. Many students (and adults, for that matter) have no idea how to deal with
endings, goodbyes, or losses, and they don’t know how to find closure. Being
angry with each other, or in conflict, is easier for many students than feeling or
addressing the sadness of saying goodbye. It’s easier for most to be angry than to
be vulnerable. Students who have abandonment issues may become especially
argumentative or unruly.
As a facilitator, one of the best things the worker can do is explain to the
students what’s happening, validate their feelings, set clear boundaries, and treat
the whole situation as another opportunity to learn and practice a vital skill – how
to say goodbye. The worker also has to facilitate a group closure activity, a party,
or a ceremony, and has to find ways for students to thank and celebrate each other,
and honor what they have achieved as a group.

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Adjourning, involves the termination of task behaviors and disengagement

from relationships. A planned conclusion usually includes recognition for
participation and achievement and an opportunity for members to say personal
goodbyes. Concluding a group can create some apprehension - in effect, a minor
crisis. The termination of the group is a regressive movement from giving up
control to giving up inclusion in the group. The most effective interventions in
this stage are those that facilitate task termination and the disengagement process.
For a group to develop properly through the stages of group development, it
needs to do the following.
1. Rotate the responsibility of group facilitation.
2. The purpose/mission of the group must be clear to all members and the
purpose/mission should be periodically revisited.
3. Ground rules should be established and monitored.
4. Help group understand that “conflict” (conflict in a positive way) is a normal
and perhaps necessary part of group development.
5. Group must be reminded to “listen” to each other.
6. Wrap-up at the end of each session should be comprised of meaningful and
constructive comments relative to group process.
7. Everyone must contribute and work to make the group a “learning team.”
Application of Group work in family, women and child welfare settings
The differences in techniques and strategies of group work with different
community groups are primarily due to the variations in the needs, problems,
settings and expertise required. The human behavior is considered to be the
response to internal and external stimuli and this is different to human being s as
they move from infancy through schools age, adolescence, young adulthood and
finally, to old age. In general, social workers do consider the physical, intellectual
and emotional growth and development along with cultural factors of the group
members before intervening with the groups. Some of the key elements and
strategies common to working with all the groups are;

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• Planning for the group work

• Communicating expectations
• Preparation
• Self disclosure
• Emphasizing and maintaining confidentiality
• Using appropriate techniques
• Remaining open
• Proper plan for termination
GROUP WORK PRACTICE WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
The first and foremost matter of attention in working with children is their needs
and problems. There are a variety of special needs that children have. Some of
them are;
• Needs of abused children
• Children of alcoholic parents
• Abandoned children
• Street children
• Children with low academic performance
• School drop outs
• Children with behaviour problems
• Children with learning disabilities and
• Children with development issues.
Some of the problems for which the children and adolescent are usually directed
to attend the group work sessions include but not limited to the following;
a) Low self- esteem and confidence
b) Adjustment problems with peers
c) Conflicts and fights with peers
d) Feeling of failures
e) Loss and grief

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f) Abuses (physical and emotional)

g) Isolation
h) Withdrawal
i) Cultural shocks
j) Behavior disorders
k) Violation of school rules
l) Poor academic results
m) Fear of subjects or people
n) Poor attitude toward school
o) Depression
p) Violence at home or school
q) Substance abuse
r) Children in broken families
s) Criminal behavior
t) Anti-social elements
u) Disobedience
v) Relationship problems (especially in adolescence) and
w) Development disorders.
Some of the key strategies
Developing a sound plan
A sound plan of action can help the leader to ensure result to the participants as
well as the agency (e.g., school, care homes, etc). The plan of action must include;
goals and purposes, rationale for the proposed activities and group and
procedures, approaches and evaluation formalities to be used in the group work
practice.
Planned around activities
Children are more active and are more interested in doing than discussing some
technical issues. So, discussions can be facilitated around some key activities.
Those activities must be planned and based on their needs and problems. It is

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always best to plan for relatively brief discussion and to include more activity.
Children with special needs require activities which are designed for their specific
features.
Adolescent require action + discussions
The young adults or adolescents are activity oriented but still they are capable of
generating and contributing to discussions. Activities for them can be competitive
in nature. However, adolescents around fourteen or fifteen years old and older
can participate in support and self-help groups and are included here along with
adults. Gender specification or separation in groups is sometimes needed based
on the purpose and context. For example, victims of sexual abuse or assault
should be separated by gender.
Group size and duration of session
The size and duration of the session for adults depends on the type of need or
problem under consideration, but for the children it depends on the age of the
members. It is advisable that ‘the younger the children, the smaller the group and
shorter the duration of the group session’.
Social and emotional development
Social and emotional development of children and adolescents are to be taken
care of when planning group activities and programmes. Opportunities for self-
exploration, expression of feelings and participate in team activities are to be
considered in group sessions.
Legal considerations
It is always necessary to abide by the rules of the state for children. This is true
in the case of reporting violence against children (in case the group worker comes
to know about it). Some of the key issues may have to reveal to the agency
(school, NGOs, care homes, etc) as per the rules of the service providing agency.

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The meeting place

It is very much vital to select a place where children can be freely accommodated.
A social group worker will not be in a position to make children quiet
continuously for a longer time thinking/ considering that they may cause
disturbance to the people in the adjacent rooms or places.
Ensuring the support of the agency
The support of the agency like school and family is very much important in the
group work practice with children as their involvement may require during the
process.
Involvement of parents
It is better to consider parents as partners in the group work process. Their rights
to know the process and the results need to be acknowledged. The support of the
parents and opinions may be sought during the group work stages.
Maintaining neutrality
This refers to avoiding siding with children or adolescents against their parents
or organization/agency. The children may admire the social worker’s patience
and listening and complain about parents or teachers as do not having these skills,
but the social worker need to maintain neutrality. The group worker has to deal it
realistically ‘keeping in mind that group worker is spending an hour each week
with the children as opposed to living with them every day’.
The strengths-based group work practice envisions seven practice
principles. They are;
1. From groups based on their felt needs and wants, not diagnoses
2. Structure the groups to include the whole person, not just the troubled parts
3. Integrate verbal and nonverbal activities
4. Distribute authority and turn control over to the group members
5. Widen alliances with relevant other people in group members’ lives
6. Maintain a dual focus on individual change and social reform
7. Understand and respect group development as a key to promoting change

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GROUP WORK PRACTICE WITH YOUTH

There are several things to be considered when planning group work session for
the youth. Topic oriented groups and target oriented groups are more powerful
among the young adults. The youth –serving groups are very much part of Social
Group Work since its beginning in 1800s with YMCA, YWCA, the Boy and Girl
Scout movements, etc.
The six key necessary factors necessary for working with the group are;
a) Good respectful relationships;
b) Clear, agreed and transparent aims;
c) Individual accountability and self-generated responsibility;
d) Ability to make collective decisions;
e) Effective communication; and
f) Clear, valued, understood roles.
The key elements / basic practice values in working with young people
• Promote independence and self-reliance
• Promoting social inclusion – individuals as citizens
• Promoting community cohesion – individuals as collective citizens
• Promoting choice
• Addressing the ‘moral panics’- in dealing with some crucial issues like,
HIV aids, substance abuse, abortion, etc
• Considering verbal and nonverbal communication in the groups
• Promoting good relationships within the group
• Focusing on the aim of the group
• Understanding inter-group communication
The strategies used in the group work practice differ according to the needs of the
young people who are members of the group. Many times, topic oriented and task
oriented groups are found very effective among the youth. For example, some of
the key factors in dealing with a therapeutic group are; instilling hope, accepting

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the universality of the problem, collecting information, caring for each other,
creating a healthy family environment, improving social skills and modelling
healthy behavior.
Structure of the group: In dealing with youngsters the structure of the group
should be predetermined. The boundaries of membership, inclusion in the group
and shared responsibility are to be decided in advance. Establishing firm
boundaries and making the members aware of the general rules and purposes of
the group increase the likelihood of the goal achievement.
Group Size: It is recommended to have 8-12 young members in the group. The
quality of group interaction is associated with the size of the group. If the group
size falls or rises more than the recommended one the quality of the interaction
in the group will be affected.
Format of the group: Groups can be either open or closed ones. The closed
groups have a predetermined pattern and format. The sessions are also pre
planned in closed groups. A closed group may disappear because of attrition. So
closed groups are conducive in restricted settings where the group worker has
more control on the systems. Whereas an open group may include new members
in the group and the sessions may prolong based on the demands of the group
members. The things will happen as per the group dynamics.
Homogeneity and heterogeneity: Members are more likely to benefit more
when there are people with same characteristics and expectations in the group.
The group worker will also find it easy to manage, if some element of
homogeneity is maintained. A group culture is formed more quickly among
members with homogeneous characteristics.
Additional concerns: Some of the concerns are; dealing with anger, conflicts
between members and conflict of interest of members. Some of the key issues
like substance abuse may have to be dealt in the groups.

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GROUP WORK PRACTICE WITH WOMEN

In the view of many social group workers the women’s groups have been
considered central to the contemporary group work practice. In the historical
development of Social Work, we see many types of groups for women. Some of
the examples are; consciousness raising groups, support groups, counseling
groups, psycho- educational groups, self-help groups, empowerment groups,
micro credit unions, and so on.
The key elements in working with women’s groups
Unique needs of women: the unique needs and problems of women calls for
unique attention in planning group work sessions. For example, women who have
been subject to sexual or domestic violence need single gender groups (women)
to discuss their issues. Also, in the case of substance abuse groups women need
special attention as other support systems are usually feeble. The studies show
that girls and women prefer close, confiding relationships, whereas men prefer to
have collective social action models.
Unique behavior and attitude: Women differ considerably in their behavior and
attitude in groups and this is a major factor of group work process or meeting.
Smith-Lovin and Brody identified that ‘men in groups tend to yield to
interruptions from other men but not from women, whereas women yield equally
to interruptions from either gender’. Women take longer periods of time to
communicate their traumatic experiences in the group, even it happened years
ago. Also, the group members sometimes need special orientations to listen to the
traumatic experiences of other members.
The goals of the group: It is said in general that the objectives of any group must
be specific, measurable, achievable and time bound. The women’s group needs
to have very specific targets and goals, because it is the goals of the groups that
attract the women members to the group.
Selective participation in the group: Women join in the groups as selected
options to meet their needs or to alleviate a problem. The participation in the

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groups therefore is not accidental but mostly it is with particular target they join
in the groups. It is highlighted in studies that all female groups give more attention
to issues of emotions and relationships.
Existence of the group: Many studies show that the women groups are most
likely to prevail for the whole duration of its target achievements.
The theme topics: The central theme topics selected for the group work or
session need to be meticulously planned. Women may feel safer and more at ease
in a group when it is around a common topic or a topic that matters their life.
Establishing trust and cohesion: this takes place after a series of searches for
commonalities and means for supporting and relating to one another. So, such
exercises are to be encouraged in the groups.
Attending to conflicts and struggle: In women’s groups the anger, disagreement
and disapproval may be expressed with other forms of communication like
excessive talking. Unless carefully managed those members may become
scapegoats. The group leaders need to take the role of acknowledging and
processing the value of constructive experience and expression of negative
feeling.
Avoiding gender bias: some of the gender biases like women are not good
leaders, they have specific roles or all roles are not appropriate to women are to
be avoided when dealing with women groups.
Linda Schiller’s Relational Model: This model emphasizes the idea that the
members in the groups must have established a sense of safety in group affiliation
before they start functioning effectively
GROUP WORK WITH THE ELDERLY
The purpose of the group work with the elderly is to enable the older adults to
function at the highest level possible and reduce the burden of emotional, social
and economic problems on them. For the people who join in the groups it
represents a surrogate family, a new network of friends, and a way to explore
areas in their lives.

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Coping with life transitions:

There are many transitions take place during old age and some of them include
giving up a vital role through retirement, widowhood, physical and psychological
degeneration. These transitions are to be managed effectively and group work
sessions expected to be providing assistance to the coping mechanisms.
Loss of relationships: During old age people loss the individual and social
relationships due to various reasons. So, they need the groups to substitute for the
lost relationships. Loss of relationship is a source of difficulty for many people
and they depend on groups to have new relationships.
Dissatisfactions in social relationships: They also may feel dissatisfaction in
social relationships and become anxious of their changing roles. They become
anxious of losing their routine roles.
Focusing on increased satisfaction in their daily lives:
The group work sessions are be focused on increasing the satisfaction in the day
to day lives of the elderly. There is less significant role in planning and
implementing huge development activities of long-term durations. Material well-
being, emotional well-being, social inclusion, physical well-being and
interpersonal relationships are the key areas the members of the group are
interested in.
Selective approach in designing group activities: It is a simple logic that all
group activities are not possible with the group of elderly. They are to be planned,
considering the need and the possibilities of the group. Group activities need to
include all the individuals in the group and they are to be planned according to
the physical, emotional and social conditions of the members.
Making use of experience and expertise in the group: Group sessions must be
capable of bringing out the potentials and experiences of the group members. The
old age people are happy to share their experiences and listening by others
improves their involvement.

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Recognizing and reinforcing strength: It is one of the key functions of the group
leaders to recognize the strengths of the group members and reinforce them. This
would enable the people to manage their feelings of inadequacy or fear of aging
or death to a great extent.
Promoting successful aging ageing: According to Rowe and Kahn, many of the
age-related issues are actually due to lifestyle and other factors that can
potentially be modified through exercise, nutrition, cognitive training, or active
participation in life. Group work sessions need to have wide scope for promoting
successful ageing.
Application of Group work in industrial settings
The three primary methods of social work, namely, social casework, social group
work and community organisation can be fruitfully used in business and industry.
Social worker can, apart from economic causes, study the socio-cultural and
psychological causes of personal problems in industry. Their role will be of
bringing about adjustment between men and women in business and their work
situations.
The primary method of social work can be effectively applied at two levels:
1) Difficulties and problems arising due to adjustment to family life due to any
psychological, economic and cultural factors.
2) Difficulties arising out of adjustment to work life due to environment,
personality problems, organisation structure and programs, etc
Group interaction can be used as an effective tool for helping employees
to understand themselves and improve their relations with those around. Social
Group work techniques can be used in certain group situations to help the group
to attain their efficiency and objectives through a harmonious development of the
group work process. It can be used in point consultation situations, such as labour
management council, various committees, meetings, collective bargaining
contexts, development implementations of several welfare programs inside and
outside the workplace, building of group morale, etc. It can be used in educational

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programs and workshops for at risk employees related to areas, such as coping
with job related stress, family and marital stress, anxiety, drug abuse, etc.
Scope of Social Work in Industry
If we accept that business and industry are not merely profit oriented institutions
but have social obligations as well, then social work does have plenty of scope in
industry, as it can help it to achieve its social goals. Today, it is not only the
production or sale of goods and services that is the managements’ concern, but
the structure and the mental health of the employees is of equal concern. Industrial
social work can go a long way in improving the social climate and quality of
human relations in an organisation.
Human relations propose in general that productivity should be achieved
by means of building and maintaining employee dignity and satisfaction rather
than at the cost of these values. In social work, human dignity is always upheld
and man is helped to integrate and adapt to his social environment. There is plenty
of scope for social work practice in industry. This is because the larger the
organisation, the more complex are the problems faced by human beings. In small
organisations, employees have direct access to the managers and so many of their
problems get sorted out early.
In larger organisations, there is no such opportunity for the employees, as
everything has to go through proper channels and, thus, they have access only to
the supervisors and junior managers, who are not decision makers. Relationships
between employees and management are more formalized and availability of the
management to the employees is reduced.
Paternalistic attitudes towards employees and authoritarian kind of
approach seem more prevalent in organisations. A social worker can help the
employees to overcome their problems and continue to function as productive
workers.

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According to M.M. Desai, the professionally trained social worker can develop
his/ her programmes at the following levels:
1. Preventive and developmental
2. Curative
Preventive and Developmental
1) Informal educational programmes aimed at enlightening the workers on issues
pertaining to work life like industrial safety, functional literacy, saving habits,
social security, etc.
2) Promoting the use of health and medical programmes for workers and their
families (health check-ups, inoculation campaigns, family planning, informative
sessions on nutrition, low cost diets, childcare, etc.
3) Personal and environmental hygiene, etc.
4) Developing recreational programmes like library services, prime sports
gatherings, various skill competitions, exhibitions, film shows, etc. celebration of
cultural festivals, supplementary income programmes, hobby classes, vocational
guidance programmes, etc.
Curative
Curative programmes are aimed at handling problem situations faced by the
individual worker by helping him to make maximum use of his own potentials
and the resources offered by the industry and the community. Counselling to the
individual employees and their families can be given for problems, such as
alcoholism, indebtedness, and absenteeism, etc. The counselling services can be
coupled with concrete assistance by the way of:
1) Securing medical help within or outside industry.
2) Planning the family budgets.
3) Helping employee family members in obtaining funds.
4) Seeking employment for worker’s dependents.

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5) Referring the worker/his dependents to welfare agencies in the community like

child guidance clinic, marriage counselling bureaus, alcoholic anonymous groups
and the like, wherever there is a need.
Thus, social work skill can be actively used for preventing problems from
happening, as also for enriching the life of the workers and their families. Early
detection and prompt treatments may prevent some workers from becoming
serious casualties.
Social work intervention in industrial sector can be at micro and macro
level. At micro level, the social worker can provide treatment to the worker and
his family, employer and union members. Help may be given in relation to
problems related to work, self and others around them, such as job performance,
job satisfaction, absenteeism, conflict situations, etc. Further problems, such as
anxiety, depression, phobia, mental disturbance, substance abuse, marital and
family conflict, may also be attended to.
At the macro level, it can be organisational intervention where the social
worker can provide individual and group consultation to supervisors and
managers at all levels regarding understanding of human behaviour. The
intervention may be in the form of proposing a new job design. Organising and
planning of the services at the preventive, developmental and curative levels
requires a basic study of the organisation. It is through an open and sensitive
approach, rather than a predetermined blue print that the intuitive social worker
can positively integrate the social work objectives with the management
objectives.
However, the scope of social work in business and industry would, in real
terms, depend upon:
1) the attitude of the management;
2) the quality of the goodness of bet between needs of business and the extent to
which these needs can be addressed by social work;
3) cost effectiveness of the services provided.

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Industrial social work is a new phenomenon and affords wide scope for
specialised services in industry, at work place, in the employee’s family and the
community. However, it must be admitted that the duties covered under labour
welfare form the genesis of the modern concept of industrial social work in India.
Industrial social work may be regarded as a specialisation coming within the field
of Personnel Management. It means that the personnel man hands over part of his
function to the social worker, namely, looking after the personal well-being of
individuals and groups within the undertaking.
Of late, there is a growing incidence of social work activities being
undertaken by respected organisations, who have felt the need to call upon the
skills of the professionally trained social worker in handling personnel problems
of their employees, in so far as they seriously interfere with their work life and
affect productivity. Though the phenomena of industrial social workers has come
to be accepted in Indian industries, it is still confined to Metro cities of India
where full-time social workers are appointed, but in small numbers. Till the
industry widely opens its arms to full time social workers, this function may have
to be carried out by personnel/welfare officers.
References
Alissi, A. S. 1980 Perspectives on Social Group Work Practice: A Book of
Readings, New York: The Free Press.
Balgopal, P. R. and Ecological Vassil, T. V. 1983 Groups in Social Work - A
Perspective, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc.
Brandler S. and Roman, C. P. 1999 Group Work: Skills and Strategies for
Effective Interventions, New York: The Haworth Press.
Davies, Bernard 1975 The Use of Groups in Social Work Practice, London,
Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Garland, J. A. (Ed.) 1992 Group Work Reaching Out: People, Places and Power,
New York: The Haworth Press.
Garwin, C. 1987 Contemporary Group Work, New York: Prentice-Hall Inc.

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 A Guide to Social Group Work/Working with Groups 106

Kemp, C. G. 1970 Perspectives on the Group Process, Boston: Houghton Miffiin

C.
Klein, A. F. 1970 Social Work through Group Process: School of Social Welfare,
Albany: State University of New York.
Konopka, G. 1963 Social Group Work : A Helping Process, Englewood Cliff. N
J: Prentice- Hall Inc.
Middleman, R.R.: The Non-verbal Method in Working with Groups, Association
Press, New York, 1968.
Milson, Fred: An Introduction to Group Work Skills, Routledge and Kegan Paul,
London, 1973.
Sundel, M., Glasser P Sari, R & Vinter, R: Individual Change through Small
Groups, The Free Press, New York, 1985.
Trecker, H.B: Social Group Work – Principles and Practices, Association Press,
New York, 1970.
Wilson, G. and Rayland, G: Social Group Work Practice, Boston, Houghton
Mifflin Co, 1949.

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