Social group work

1st module : Introduction to groups

Understanding group : Definition, charechteristics,and significance
of group in society. Types of group primary and secondary group

Meaning of group
A group is a collection of individuals who interact with each other such
that one person‘s actions have an impact on the others. In other words, a
group is defined as two or more individuals, interacting and
interdependent, who have come together to achieve particular objectives.
Groups where people get along, feel die desire to contribute to the team,
and are capable of coordinating their efforts may have high-performance
levels. Group can be defined as a collection of individuals who have
regular contact and frequent interaction, mutual influence, the common
feeling of camaraderie, and who work together to achieve a common set
of goals.
The definition of a group can be given by some other simple ways
like:
 Several people or things that are together or in the same place.
 Several people who are connected by some shared activity,
interest, or quality.
 Several individuals assembled or having some unifying
relationship.
 A set of people who meet or do something together because they
share the same purpose or ideas.
Definition of group
  Doubloon R. Forsyth-‗A group is defined as two or more
individuals who are connected to one another by social relations.‘
 Wendell L. French –‗A group is a number of persons , usually
reporting to a common superior and having some face to face
interaction, who have some degree of interdependence in carrying
out tasks for the purpose of achieving organizational goals.‘

Characteristics of Groups
 Size: To form a group, it must be having at least two members.
Practically, the number of group members ranges from 15 to 20.
The more the members in the group, the more complex it is to
manage.
 Goals: Every group has certain goals that are the reasons for its
existence.
 Norms: A group has certain rules, for interacting with the group
members.
 Structure: It has a structure, based on the roles and positions held
by the members.
 Roles: Every member of a group has certain roles and
responsibilities, which are assigned, by the group leader.
 Interaction: The interaction between the group members can occur
in several ways, i.e. face to face, telephonic, in writing or in any
other manner.
 Collective Identity: A group is an aggregation of individuals,
which are separately called as members, and collectively called as
a group.

Types of Groups
1) Formal Groups
Formal groups are created to achieve specific organizational objectives.
Usually, they are concerned with the coordination of work activities.
People are brought together based on different roles within the structure
of the organization. The nature of the task to be undertaken is a
predominant feature of the formal groups.
Goals are identified by management and short and rules relationships
and norms of behavior established. Formal groups chain to be related to
permanent although there may be changes in actual membership.
However temporary formal groups may also be created by management,
for example, the use of project teams in a matrix organization.
2) Informal Groups
Within the formal structure of the organization, there will always be an
informal structure. The formal structure of the organization and system
of role relationship, rule, and procedures, will be augmented by
interpretation and development at the informal level. Informal groups
are based more on personal relationships and agreement of group‘s
members than on defined role relationships. They serve to Satisfy
psychological and social needs not related necessarily to the tasks to be
undertaken.
Groups may devise ways of attempting to satisfy members‘ affiliations
and other social motivations that are lacing in the work situation,
especially in industrial organizations.
3) Managed Group
Groups may be formed under a named manager, even though they may
not necessarily work together with a great deal. The main thing they
have in common, at least the manager and perhaps a similar type of
work.
4) Process Group
The process group acts together to enact a process, going through a
relatively fixed set of instructions. The classic environment is a
manufacturing production line, where every movement is prescribed.
There may either be little interaction within process groups or else it‘ is
largely prescribed, for example where one person hands something over
to another.
5) Semi-Formal Groups
Many groups act with less formality, in particular where power is
distributed across the group, forcing a more collaborative approach that
includes- negotiation rather than command and control. Families,
communities and tribal groups often act as semi-formal ways as they
both have nominal leaders yet members can have a high degree of
autonomy.
6) Goal Group
The goal group acts together to achieve a shared objective or desired
outcome. Unlike the process groups, there is no clear instruction on how
they should achieve this, although they may use some processes and
methods along the way. As there is no detailed instruction, the members
of the goal group need to bring more intelligence, knowledge, and
experience to the task.
7) Learning Group
The learning group comes together to increase their net knowledge.
They may act collaboratively with discussion and exploration, or they
may be a taught class, with a teacher and a syllabus.
8) Problem-Solving Group
Problem-solving groups come together to address issues that have
arisen. They have a common purpose in understanding and resolving
their issue, although their different perspectives can lead to particular
disagreements. Problem-solving may range along a spectrum from
highly logical and deterministic, to uncertain and dynamic situations
their creativity and instinct may be better ways of resolving the situation.
9) Friendship Group
Groups often develop because individual members have one or more
common characteristics. We call these formations of friendship groups.
Social alliances, which frequently extend outside the work situation, can
be based on similar age or ethnic heritage, support for Kolkata Knight
Rider‘s cricket, or the holding of similar political views, to name just a
few such characteristics.
10) Interest Group
People who may or may not be aligned into a common command or task
groups may affiliate to attain a specific objective with which each is
concerned. This is an interest group. Employees who band together to
have their vacation schedules altered, to support a peer who has been
fired, or to seek improved working conditions represent the formation of
a united body to further their common interest.

Skills for a Healthy Group Climate

To work together successfully, group members must demonstrate a
sense of cohesion. Cohesion emerges as group members exhibit the
following skills:
 Openness.
 Trust and Self-Disclosure.
 Support.
 Respect.
 Individual Responsibility and Accountability.
 Constructive Feedback
Reasons Why Individuals Join Groups
 A small group is a combination of more than two people who are
interdependent on one another.
 So communication among the members of a group consisting of a
small number of members is known as small group
communication.
 Every organization employs small groups to collect, process, and
produce information, solve problems and make decisions.
 Group communication helps to get a synergistic benefit. Synergy
means combined efforts of a group result in greater output than the
sum of the individual output.
 That is, groups can do more for individuals than individuals can do
for themselves. People join groups for many reasons.
 Some group members are motivated by working in a group and
others are motivated by creating interpersonal relationships with
other members of the group.
Reasons for Group Formation
 Personal Characteristics: Individuals with similar beliefs, attitudes
and values are more likely to form groups.
 Opportunity for interaction: If the employees of an organization,
are given an opportunity to interact with one another, they find that
they have many things similar, which also creates a group.
 Interest and goals: When individuals share common interest and
goals, it requires cooperation and coordination for its achievement,
which also results in the formation of groups.
 Influence and power: Last but not the least, a group has more
influence and power, as compared to an individual, which also
promotes its formation.
 In general, groups are created out of individual need satisfaction,
which can be personal, social or economic. Meaning that the
 members need to associate with the group in order to fulfil their
basic needs.
Importance of group
In the modern management scenario the importance of groups and its
values and norms is influencing the positive behavior in an organization.
A group is a collection of two or more people who work with one
another regularly to achieve common goals. Groups help organizations
in accomplishing important tasks. Groups are important to improve
organizational outputs and to influence the attitudes and behavior of
members of the organization. We can say that in any organization it is
necessary to understand the nature of the groups and group behavior to
improve the performance of the organization. Social groups act as a
great support system when needed. Groups can identify problems and
unify to help solve them or increase the members‘ quality of life. Social
groups may be especially important for disenfranchised members of
society since they provide a sense of safety and belonging.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY GROUP

1. PRIMARY GROUP
It is nucleus of all social organisations.it is a small group in which a
small number of persons come into direct contact with one another.
They meet face to face for mutual help, companionship and discussion
of common question, e.g., family, friend circles, etc
Characteristics of primary group
There are many characteristics of primary group but here we are
putting the main one‘s. they are:
 Physical proximity.
 Small size.
  Stability.
 Similarity of background.
 Limited self-interest.
 Intensity of shared interest.

 Physical proximity
In order that relationship of the people may be close, it is necessary that
their contacts also should be close. Seeing and talking with each other
makes exchange of ideas and opinion easy. It makes possible the
conversation of gestures.
 Small size
Relationship can be intimate and personal only in a small group. In a
small group the members can know one another personally and
develop a group character and an intimate move quicky.
 Stability
To promote intimacy of relationship, the primary group should be stable
to some extent.
 Similarity of background
Each members must have something to give as well as to take. This
feature is clearly evident in a discussion group where each members
presents his own view points and takes the viewpoints of others.
 Limited self-interest
Though members join the group with the motive of satisfying their own
interest, yet they should subordinate their interests to the central interest
of the group.
 Intensity of shared interest
The common interest is shared by every members and by being shared in
all the interest acquired a new significance, a new emphasis and a new
valuation.
These are the main characteristics of primary group which help the
members of the group to ponder over and make the group work better by
fulfilling their needs.
Importance of primary group for the individual
There are four main points concerning the importance of primary
group for the individual. They are as follows:
 Spontaneous living.
 Provision of stimulus.
 United in process.

 Spontaneous living
The first importance of primary group for the individual is spontaneous
living. The primary group tries to make an individual to living
independently or an independent life when he goes out of the group. It
means whatever he does should come out from the heart spontaneously.
When he starts to live a spontaneous life then he tries to make more
progress in his life.
 Provision of stimulus
The second importance of primary group for the individual is provision
of stimulus in the group. Here, the opportunity is provided to each
person in order to progress in their skills. Each one is given provision in
the group by the group leader so that they may use of their skills when
they are send outside of group.

 United in process
United in process is the third important point of the primary group for
the individual. In the primary group every member of the group is united
with one another in whatever work they do or the process they follow.
The unity among the primary group is very much necessary in order to
do any work in the group.

2. SECONDARY GROUP
The groups which provide experiences of social life, being in intimacy
are called the secondary group. A secondary group is one which is a
large in size such as city, nations, political party, corporation,
international centers, industry and labour union. Here these human
contacts become superficial and unified.
Characteristics of secondary group
There are many characteristics of secondary group but some of the main
ones are as follows:
 Large in size.
 Formal and impersonal relation.
 Option of members.
 Active and inactive.
 Indirect relation.
 Goal-oriented.
 State of individual

 Large in size
The secondary group is large in its size. It is much larger than the
primary group which is small in its size. In this large size of group all
the members of the group are much free like other members of the
group. In this large group everybody gets his chance to perform his best
work.
 Formal and impersonal relation
In this secondary group there is a formal and impersonal relationship
among the members of the group. There is no personal relationship in
this large group of people.
 Option of membership
Since it is the large in size, so the members of the group are given
freedom to have secondary group members. Whereas the members are
not given any option in the primary group.
 Active and inactive
One of the characteristics of the secondary group is active and inactive.is
means there are both type of members in this group called active and
inactive. They have the freedom to be active and inactive in the group
since it is large in size.
 Indirect relation
There is no direct relation between the group members in this particular
group. The members have only an indirect relation with the people.
 Goal-oriented
Though the members are not having direct relationship with one another
by they are goal-oriented persons. They work out in order to reach their
goal. And for that they work hard too.
 State of individual
In this particular group each individual state or the condition is seen by
the other members of the group. They have concern for everybody‘s
state of life in the group.
Importance of secondary group for the individuals
 The primary groups have an important place in a simple and small
society but in modern era, the trend is towards secondary groups. Man,
now depends for his needs more on secondary group than primary
group. While the group of secondary groups has created numerous
problems, it has also brought some benefits. These benefits are the
following:
 Improvement of organisational efficiency
 Channel of opportunity
 Wider outlook

 Improvement of organizational efficiency

A formal authority is setup with the responsibility of managing the
organisational efficiency. The organization of a secondary group is
carefully worked out. The emphasizes is on getting the things done.
 Channel of opportunity
They provide a greatest chance to develop individual talence. There are
thousands of occupations which open the way for specialized careers.
The talented individuals can now rise from an unknown background to
the highest positions in business industry, civil or technical service.
 Wider outlook
It broadened the outlooks of the its members. It consists of members
who are wide spread. Its boundaries extend be on the primary groups. A
secondary group has to accommodate a outlook of its members. It is
more universal in its judgement and the primary groups which is
influenced by local customs and personal Attitude.

TASK GROUP
(FORUM,COMMITTEES,AND WORK TEAM)
All day long we interact first in one group and then in another.
We live in a dwelling as part of a group, we learn in groups contained in
the same classroom, we work in groups, we interact with friends in
groups, and we spend much of our leisure time in groups. Our family
life, our leisure time, our friendships, and our careers are all filled with
groups.
Our personal identity is derived from the way in which we are perceived
and treated by other members of our groups. We learn, work, and play in
groups.

As humans we have an inherent social nature. Our life is

filled with groups from the moment of our birth to the moment of our
death.
 All these make groups one of the most important factors in our
lives. In business, government, and the military there is great
interest in improving the productivity of groups.
 There is great concern in our society with strengthening the family.
 Educators are striving to better understand how the classroom
functions as a group.
 Drug abuse, delinquency and crime, and mental illness are all
being treated through group procedures, and there is continued
concern with making those procedures more effective.
 As the effectiveness of groups goes, our quality of life goes. The
more effective our family, career, and educational groups, the
higher the quality of our lives.

Task group

The focus of task groups, in general, is on producing products,

developing policies, and making decisions as opposed to enhancing the
personal growth of members. According to Hempworth (2009),
"task groups are organized to meet client, organizational, and
community needs. Among the various types of task groups are teams,
treatment conferences, and staff development groups... Task groups
instituted to meet community needs include social action groups,
coalitions, and delegate councils―
Fatout (1995) states that task groups date back to ancient civilization
and considers early systems of social organization, such as clans or
tribes, to be a form of task groups. Task groups are at the heart of social
action and change; they are the building blocks of society. Fatout further
explains that "it is within groups that task accomplishment is
determined, planned, and carried out" (Fatout, 1995). In social action
task groups, members can take action(s) intended to bring about
environmental change.
Ideally, these groups should consist of a large, diverse membership to
represent the major constituencies affected by the problem being
targeted, and the participants should possess "adequate skills and
knowledge for addressing the group purpose" (Hapworth, 2009, p. 297).

When to use a Task-Oriented Group

Use of task-centered groups can occur in governmental settings,

administrative settings, board groups, advisory commissions, task forces
and other task and goal centered groups (Staples, 2012).
When to use a task-oriented approach:
 Social change campaigns
 Agency or governmental decision-making and information
gathering
 Project development
 Program development
 Community grassroots campaigns
 Media campaigns
 Product development
 Task forces or think tanks
 Proposal development and grant writing
Small and large scale projects, program or product development
Forum
A forum is a place, situation, or group in which people exchange ideas
and discuss issues, especially important public issues.
Members of the council agreed that it still had an important role as a
forum for discussion. The organisation would provide a forum where
problems could be discussed.

Committees

Meaning:
A number of persons may come together to take a decision, decide a
course of action, advise line officers on some matters, it is a committee
form of organisation.
It is a method of collective thinking, corporate judgment and common
decision. A committee may be assigned some managerial functions or
some advisory or exploratory service may be expected from it.
A committee is not a separated type of organisation as such. But it is a
method of attaching persons or groups to line departments for advice and
guidance in business planning and execution.
A group of competent and interested persons pool their thoughts for
facilitating decision making process.
Sometimes there is a need to get opinion of other persons for taking
important decisions. The thinking of varied persons is pooled together
through deliberations and discussions and common decisions are
reached. Because of collective information and analysis, committees are
more likely to come up with solutions to complex problems. With the
growth of organisations the need for committee is more.
Need for Committees:- The main reason for committees is to secure
common judgment on administrative matters.
The committees are set up for the following reasons:
1. The committees provide a forum for exchanging ideas among
organisational members.
2. The exchange of ideas among members may generate some
suggestions and recommendations which may be useful for the
organisation.
3. There can be proper discussion on present problems and efforts are
made to find solution
4. The committees may also be needed in establishing and developing
organisational policies.

Types of Committees

Different committees may be formed with different ideas and purposes.

Some committees may be only advisory while some may perform
managerial functions.

There may be following types of committees:

1. Formal and Informal

If a committee is formed as a part of organisation structure and is
delegated some duties and authority, it is a formal committee. An
informal committee may be formed to tackle some problem.
2. Advisory Committees
These are the committees to advice line heads on certain issues.
3. Line Committees
There may be committees with managerial powers. Instead of giving
a work to one person it may be assigned to a number of executives. The
committees having administrative powers are called line or plural
committees. Line committees help in planning company policies and
programmes and organizing efforts at fulfillment of these plans, etc.
These committees also direct and control the activities of employees for
achieving organizational goals.

Teams and Teamwork

Defining a Team
A team is a group of people who work together toward a common goal.
Teams have defined membership (which can be either large or small)
and a set of activities to take part in. People on a team collaborate on
sets of related tasks that are required to achieve an objective. Each
member is responsible for contributing to the team, but the group as a
whole is responsible for the team‘s success.

Defining Teamwork

Teamwork involves a set of interdependent activities performed by

individuals who collaborate toward a common goal.
Teamwork involves a set of tasks and activities performed by individuals
who collaborate with each other to achieve a common objective. That
objective can be creating a product, delivering a service, writing a
report, or making a decision.
Teamwork differs from individual work in that it involves shared
responsibility for a final outcome.

Teamwork Processes

While the substance of the tasks involved in teamwork may vary from
team to team, there are three processes that are common to how
teamwork gets done: the transition process, action processes, and
interpersonal processes. During each of these processes, specific sets of
activities occur.

1. The transition process: is the phase during which a team is

formed. Activities include:
Mission analysis: establishing an understanding of the overall objective
Goal specification: identifying and prioritizing the tasks and activities
needed to achieve the mission
Strategy formulation: developing a course of action to reach the goals
and achieve the mission

2. Action processes : comprise the phase during which a team performs

its work. Activities include:
Monitoring milestones and goals: tracking progress toward completion
of tasks and activities
Monitoring systems: tracking the use of resources such as people,
technology, and information
Coordination: organizing and managing the flow of team activities and
tasks
Team monitoring and support: assisting individuals with their tasks by,
for example, providing feedback and coaching

3. Interpersonal processes : include activities that occur during both

the transition and action processes. These include:
Conflict management: establishing conditions to avoid disagreement and
resolving conflict when it occurs
Motivation and confidence building: generating the willingness and
ability of individuals to work together to achieve the mission
Affect management: helping team members to regulate their emotions as
they work together

Characteristics of Effective Teamwork

five characteristics:
 Shared values: a common set of beliefs and principles about how
and why the team members will work together
 Mutual trust: confidence between team members that each puts
the best interest of the team ahead of individual priorities
 Inspiring vision: a clear direction that motivates commitment to a
collective effort
 Skill/talent: the combined abilities and expertise to accomplish the
required tasks and work productively with others
 Rewards: recognition of achievement toward objectives and
reinforcement of behavior that supports the team‘s work

CONCLUSION

Task group (or task facilitation group ) are common in many

organizations and agencies ,and they include task force , committee,
planning groups, staff developing group , treatement conference
,community organizations, social action groups , discussion groups ,and
other similar groups.
Task groups are common in community, business, and educational
settings. The task group specilalist might develop skills in organizational
assessement , traning , programe development , consultaion and
programe evaluation .
The focus of these groups is on the application of group dynamic
principles and process to improve practice and to foster accomplishment
of identified work goals.

TREATMENT GROUPS- [SUPPORT GROUPS ,

EDUCATIONAL GROUPS ,SOCIALIZATION GROUP,
THERAPUTIC GROUP ]
The treatment groups often aim at meeting the members‘ need for
support, education, therapy, growth and socialization. Treatment groups
include growth groups (e.g. encounter groups for couples, value
clarification groups for adolescents, or educative groups for community
women); therapy groups (psychotherapy groups, support groups for de-
addicted or the sober) (konopka1983); socialization groups (YMCA,
half-way homes) (Middleman, 1982; Whittaker, 1985). In contrast, task
groups come in existence with the purpose of accomplishing a goal that
is neither intrinsically nor immediately linked to the needs of the group
members, but rather, of broader constituency. The classic example for
task groups in social work practice setting are Medical Teams,
Treatment conferences convened to monitor treatment as well as Staff
Development (Programs). Some of the major difference between
treatment and task groups include the following:
 Member in treatment groups are bonded to their common needs,
where as in a task group, the members are working towards
 accomplishing a task or a mandate which eventually might lead to
bonding
 roles develop through interaction in treatment groups, while in
task roles are usually defined based on competencies
 communication is open in treatment groups, while communication
in task groups are focused around a particular task
 procedures in treatment groups are flexible, while it is formal and
based on agendas in task groups
 self-disclosure is high in treatment groups, whereas it might not at
all happen in task groups
 proceedings are confidential and kept within the context of the
treatment groups, where as in task groups it may be open to public
scrutiny
 success of treatment groups is evaluated on the basis of the group
meeting the members‘ treatment goals, where as in task groups it
is based on the achievement of task or a mandate
Support Groups:
Social group Worker uses supportive intervention strategies for fulfilling
the primary roles like mutual aid, help to cope members from stressful
situations, goals to foster mutual aids, effectively adapting to the future
stressful situations and life events. In these groups leadership is
characterized by facilitative approach which works when members share
collective experiences of coping stressful situations. Groups worker
helps everyone to share their experiences and empathetically responds to
them. Strong emotional bonds develop quickly in these support groups
because of shared experiences. Emotional bonding also occurs because
of member stigmatization by a large community and they find comfort in
their own association with each other.
Educational Groups:
The primary purpose of this group is to help members learn something
new information and skills. Educational groups are used in a variety of
settings like agencies, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Most of
these groups are aimed at increasing and involving the presentation of
information and knowledge by experts. They give opportunities for
group discussions, learning and reinforcement.
Therapy Groups:
Members are encouraged to give feedback to others. Feedback includes
expressing your own feelings about what someone says or does.
Interaction between group members are highly encouraged and provides
each person with an opportunity to try out new ways of behaving it also
provides members with an opportunity for learning more about the way
they interact with others.
Socialization Groups:
Socialization groups are goal driven and results oriented. They are
designed to help children, teens, and young adults learn social skills:
getting along with others, making friends, handling and expressing
frustrations, improve self confidence and self-concept and learn
cooperation with peers and adults in a goal directed but fun setting.
The groups are designed for individuals who act out or withdraw in
social situations, have a poor self image, and have either knowledge
based deficits such as, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder or
Socialization Groups:
Socialization groups are goal driven and results oriented. They are
designed to help children, teens, and young adults learn social skills:
getting along with others, making friends, handling and expressing
frustrations, improve self confidence and self-concept and learn
cooperation with peers and adults in a goal directed but fun setting.
The groups are designed for individuals who act out or withdraw in
social situations, have a poor self image, and have either knowledge
based deficits such as, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder or Asperger‘s
Syndrome or a performance based deficit such as, Attention Deficit
Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorders. These are children who
know what to do but Struggle to do it.

Development group
Self-help groups, also known as mutual help, mutual aid, or support
groups, are groups of people who provide mutual support for each other.
In a self-help group, the members share a common problem, often a
common disease or addiction. Self-help groups may exist separately or
as part of larger organizations. They may operate informally or
according to a format or program. The groups usually meet locally, in
members‘ homes or in community rooms in schools, churches, or other
center‘s. A variety of self-help groups exist to help people address a
wide range of issues, including emotional concerns, physical disabilities,
eating and food issues, addiction, bereavement, and illness. Self-help
groups are informal groups of people who come together to address their
common problems. While self-help might imply a focus on the
individual, one important characteristic of self-help groups is the idea of
mutual support people helping each other. People helping each other.
Self-help groups can serve many different purposes depending on the
situation and the need Self-help Groups often need considerable support
and capacity-building before they can function effectively and
independently. Important skills for group members include preparing
agendas, conducting meetings, speaking in public with confidence,
writing minutes, resolving conflicts, problem-solving, democratic
decision-making, delegation of tasks, monitoring progress. Sometimes
self-help groups will benefit from the development of specific skills, and
sometimes the skills may already exist within the group. Self-help group
meetings in themselves provide a good opportunity for members to
practise new skills.
➢ THREE STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SELF HELP
GROUP
 Usually peer led – Although some self-help groups have a
professional
Or counsellor as leader, most are peer-led. Individuals who participate
 As members take turns leading the meetings, but do not have
authority in the group. Leading and sharing are not requirements.
Members can simply listen and share, as they feel comfortable.
 Open-ended – self-help groups have no attendance requirements.
 Although, regular attendance may be encouraged, people attend
when they feel the need and their schedule permits.

 Little or no participation cost – individuals may donate funds, if

able,
To cover costs of refreshments or the cost of meeting space. It‘s
through these voluntary member donations that the groups sustain
themselves.
NEEDS OF SELF-HELP GROUP
 Inability to provide collateral security,
 Poor credit absorption capacity,
 Inadequate reach of the institutions, and Weak community
network.
 The existence of sound community networks in villages is
increasingly
Being recognised as one of the most important elements of
credit linkage in the rural areas.
• They help in accessing credit to the poor and thus, play a critical role in
poverty alleviation.
• They also help to build social capital among the poor, especially
women. This empowers women and gives them greater voice in the
society.
• Financial independence through self-employment has many
externalities such as improved literacy levels, better health care and even
better family planning.
Benefits of SELF-HELP GROUP
 Social integrity – SHGs encourages collective efforts for
combating practices like dowry, alcoholism etc.
 Gender Equity – SHGs empowers women and inculcates
leadership skill among them. Empowered women participate more
actively in gram sabha and elections.
 Pressure Groups – their participation in governance process
enables them to highlight issues such as dowry, alcoholism, the
menace of open defecation, primary health care etc and impact
policy decision.
 Voice to marginalized section – Most of the beneficiaries of
government schemes have been from weaker and marginalized
communities and hence their participation through SHGs ensures
social justice.
 Financial Inclusion – Priority Sector Lending norms and assurance
of returns incentivize banks to lend to SHGs. The SHG-Bank
linkage programme pioneered by NABARD has made access to
credit easier and reduced the dependence on traditional money
lenders and other non-institutional sources.
 Improving efficiency of government schemes and reducing
corruption through social audits.
  Alternate source of employment – it eases dependency on
agriculture by providing support in setting up micro-enterprises
e.g. personalised business ventures like tailoring, grocery, and tool
repair shops.
 Changes In Consumption Pattern – It has enabled the participating
households to spend more on education, food and health than non-
client households

 Impact on Housing & Health – The financial inclusion attained

through SHGs hthe poor to combat disease through better nutrition,
housing and health –as led to reduced child mortality, improved
maternal health and the ability of especially among women and
children.
 Banking literacy – It encourages and motivates its members to save
and act as a conduit for formal banking services to reach them.

• SUPPORT GROUP
Support groups bring together people who are going through or have
gone through similar experiences. A support group provides an
opportunity for people to share personal experiences and feelings,
coping strategies, or first-hand information about diseases or treatments.
Support group, members provide information about diseases or
treatments. Support group, members provide each particular shared,
usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can
come together for sharing coping strategies, to feel more empowered and
for a sense of community. The help may take the form of providing and
evaluating relevant information, relating personal experiences, listening
to and accepting others‘ experiences, providing sympathetic
understanding and establishing social networks. A support group may
also work to inform the public or engage in advocacy.
SUBGROUPS -MEANING AND TYPES (CLIQUES, DYADS,
TRIADS, ISOLATES)
DEFINITION
A subgroup is a collection of people who identify themselves as
members of a group that is also part of a larger social system to which
they belong. Subgroups can be formally defined, such as an office unit
or a student club, or it can be informally defined, such as a friendship
clique.
1-CLIQUES
A clique in the social sciences, is a group of individuals who interact
with one another and share similar interests. They are often bound
together by shared social characteristics such as ethnicity and
socioeconomic status.
DEFINITION FOR CLIQUES (a small close-knit group of people
who do not readily allow others to join them)
A narrow exclusive circle or group of persons especially: one held
together by common interests, views, or purposes high school cliques.
What make a clique
Cliques are groups of friends, but not all groups of friends are cliques.
The thing that makes a group a clique is that they leave some kids out on
purpose. Usually one or two popular kids control who gets to be in the
clique and who gets left out.
Why are cliques bad
But sometimes groups of employees form cliques at work. When this
happens, it is detrimental to employee morale and can lead to workplace
bullying. Cliques cause employees on the outside to feel like they are
less important or worthy than those on the inside. And, that‘s just bad for
business.
How do cliques affect students
Cliques can affect your educational performance because when you are
left out of one you feel unimportant and that‘s not a feeling you‘ll love.
Some cliques include the popular, nerd, and normal cliques, or if there is
an empty table that is where the loners are. The feeling is humiliation.
How do you avoid being part of a clique
1-Know who you are and don‘t let others change you — Think about
your values and what you believe in, and look for friends you can relate
to based on similar interests.
2-Respect yourself -It may sound corny, but we all need to ―like
ourselves‖ and feel comfortable in our own.
DYADS (something that consists of two elements or parts.)
The most basic, fundamental type of social group that consists of only
two people is called a dyad. The relationship between the two people can
be linked through romantic interest, family relation, work, school, and so
on. As personal experience, these relationships can be emotionally
intense but also unstable and sometimes only temporary. In a dyad, both
members of the group must cooperate to make it work. If just one fails to
cooperate, the group will fall apart.
DEFINITION FOR DYADS
The most basic, fundamental type of social group that consists of only
two people is called a dyad.
CHARACTERISTICS OF DYADS
1-In sociology, a dyad is a group of two people, the smallest possible
social group. As an adjective, ―dyadic‖ describes their interaction.
2-The pair of individuals in a dyad can be linked via romantic interest,
family relation, interests, work, partners in crime, and so on. The
relation can be based on equality, but may be based on an asymmetrical
or hierarchical relationship (master—servant).
3-The strength of the relationship is evaluated on the basis of time the
individuals spend together, as well as on the emotional intensity of their
relationship.
4-A dyad can be unstable because both persons must cooperate to make
it work. If one of the two fails to complete their duties, the group would
fall apart. Because of the significance of marriages in society, their
stability is very important. For this reason marital important. For this
reason marital dyads are often enforced through legal, economic, and
religious laws.
5-Dyadic friendships refer to the most immediate and concrete level of
peer interaction, which is expanded to include new forms of
relationships in adolescence — most notably, romantic and sexual
relationships
TRIADS (a group or set of three related people or things).
A distinguishing feature of cliques is that they tend to have a
hierarchical structure that is dominated by one or more leaders.
Triad refers to a group of three people in sociology. It is one of the
simplest human groups that can be studied and is mostly looked at by
microsociology.
Why a triad is considered unstable?
A triad consists of three people and is considered more stable than a
dyad because the third group member can act as the mediator during
conflict. As a group‘s size continues to grow, stability increases, but
one-on-one relationships deteriorate, and loyalty and individual
contributions decrease.
Small characteristics of triad
There are four qualities of triads: major, minor, diminished, and
augmented. A triad‘s quality is determined by the intervals it contains.
For instance, a major triad contains a major third from its root to its third
and a minor third from its third to its fifth.
ISOLATES
The state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others: the
condition of being isolated. The act of separating as an example of
isolation is a prisoner in solitary confinement. (Medicine) The separation
of a patient, suffering from a contagious disease, from contact with
others. Something from other things: the act of isolating something.
DEFINITION
Social isolation can be defined structurally as the absence of social
interactions, contacts, and relationships with family and friends, with
neighbours on an individual level, and with ―society at large‖ on a
broader level.
PRINCIPLE OF ISOLATION
The Isolation principle means to isolate only one targeted muscle group
at a time, and consciously leave the other muscle groups out of the
exercise. The tough part of this principle is to position the exercise to
minimize other muscle groups from assisting the targeted muscle.
How isolation affects the mind?
Hawkley points to evidence linking perceived social isolation with
adverse health consequences including depression, poor sleep quality,
impaired executive function, accelerated cognitive decline, poor
cardiovascular function and impaired immunity at every stage of life.
Fighting back against loneliness and isolation takes planning and effort.
Consider the following strategies.
PREVENT ISOLATION
1. Reach out to family and friends, even if it‘s just with a phone call or a
video call. Text or seeing someone‘s face on a screen can improve your
well-being.
2. Take advantage of driver services through a retirement centre or a
government-sponsored affordable ride program, so you can get out of
your house.
3. Join a club that interests you or a spiritual community, or become a
volunteer at an organization you support.
4.When youre alone, focus too much on yourself and dwell on regrets or
worries. When youre with other people.
5.your focus outward. When youre thinking less about yourself, youre
worrying less about yourself.
6.Get a pet, if you are physically and mentally able to care for it; pets
make wonderful companions, and they provide many emotional and
physical benefits.

SOCIOMETRY
The word sociometry comes from the Latin ―socius,‖ meaning social and
the Latin ―metrum,‖ meaning measure. As these roots imply, sociometry
is a way of measuring the degree of relatedness among people.
Measurement of relatedness can be useful not only in the assessment of
behavior within groups, but also for interventions to bring about positive
change and for determining the extent of change. For a work group,
sociometry can be a powerful tool for reducing conflict and improving
communication because it allows the group to see itself objectively and
to analyze its own dynamics. It is also a powerful tool for assessing
dynamics and development in groups devoted to therapy or training.

Jacob Levy Moreno coined the term sociometry and conducted the first
long-range sociometric study from 1932-38 at the New York State
Training School for Girls in Hudson, New York. As part of this study,
Moreno used sociometric techniques to assign residents to various
residential cottages. He found that assignments on the basis of
sociometry substantially reduced the number of runaways from the
facility. Many more sociometric studies have been conducted since, by
Moreno and others, in settings including other schools, the military,
therapy groups, and business corporations.

A useful working definition of sociometry is that it is a methodology for

tracking the energy vectors of interpersonal relationships in a group. It
shows the patterns of how individuals associate with each other when
acting as a group toward a specified end or goal. Moreno himself
defined sociometry as ―the mathematical study of psychological
properties of populations, the experimental technique of and the results
obtained by application of quantitative methods‖.

Sociometry is based on the fact that people make choices in

interpersonal relationships. Whenever people gather, they make choices-
-where to sit or stand; choices about who is perceived as friendly and
who not, who is central to the group, who is rejected, who is isolated. As
Moreno says, ―Choices are fundamental facts in all ongoing human
relations, choices of people and choices of things. It is immaterial
whether the motivations are known to the chooser or not; it is immaterial
whether [the choices] are inarticulate or highly expressive, whether
rational or irrational. They do not require any special justification as
long as they are spontaneous and true to the self of the chooser. They are
facts of the first existential order.‖

SOCIOGRAM

What Is a Sociogram? Definition of a Sociogram

A sociogram is a tool for charting the relationships within a group. It‘s a
visual representation of the social links and preferences that each person
has – valuable data for leaders.
Sociogram Examples
To construct a sociogram, ask each person to confidentially list two
other people to work with on an activity. The topic does not matter. In
most cases, the social relationships will be relatively constant regardless
of the activity. (I have heard counter arguments that the topic does
matter, and that would make sense depending on the context. if the
social relationships change based on the activity, that is also valuable
data.)
Make sure they put their own name on the top of the paper. Then you
write up this data as a chart. Arrows indicate who is choosing whom.
The green arrows indicate that those people chose each other:
How to Interpret a Sociogram
Here are three patterns to look for when breaking down a sociogram:
Isolates – One of the alerts a leader gets from this is that there are some
people – the isolates – who no one has chosen or who have only been
chosen by another isolate. In the sociogram above, Sam is an isolate and
so is Jill, having only been chosen by Sam. While it is wise to have a
certain degree of philosophical skepticism in making initial assumptions
about isolates, they are a cause for concern. You want to make sure they
feel connected and supported in the larger group.
Cliques – There are several quite tight groups which may merit some
degree of skepticism. Are these groups ―cliques‖ that exclude others?
Cliques are defined as groups of three or more people within a larger
group who all choose each other. In the above example, Ann, Fleur and
Meg have all chosen each other, and are clearly a tight group. You may
want to observe to make sure they aren‘t excluding other people.
Stars – Stars are people who have been chosen many times on the
sociogram. These people are generally popular and well-liked, hence
being chosen by many of their peers. In the example given above, can
you find one of the Stars?
Remember, this is simply a guide. If nothing else, the sociogram can be
used as a guide for further, more focused, observation.
FUNCTIONAL AMD NON FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF
INDIVIDUALS IN GROUP

Functional roles are all those actions and behavior of the group members
that serve the needs of the group.

Dysfunctional roles, on the contrary are, those actions and behavior of

the group members that tend to make the group inefficient or weak.
For functional, efficient and productive group interaction two items have
to be kept in mind

A) TASK NEEDS - An agenda. - The Items on which the group

members will work on to achieve the task of the group

B) SUPPORT NEEDS - The way the members of the group need behave
and perform in order to efficiently accomplish the task of the group.

TASK ROLES

Agenda - Items to work on in the Group 1.

1. Initiating Activity : - Proposing solutions, suggesting new ideas,

new definition of the problem, new organization of material or new
approaches on the problem.
2. Offering Information : - Offering suggestions, sharing additional
facts and information.
3. Seeking Opinion : - Looking for an expression of feeling from
members. Seeking and asking for clarification on values and ideas.
4. Sharing Authoritative Knowledge - Offering facts or
generalizations which are ―authoritative‖, relating to the group
problems to illustrate a point.
5. Giving Opinions : - Stating an opinion or belief concerning a
suggestion, particularly concerning its value rather than its factual
basis.
6. Elaborating : - Clarifying, giving examples or developing
meanings, trying to envision how a proposal might work if
adopted.
7. Coordinating : - Showing relationships between various ideas and
suggestions, trying to pull ideas or suggestions together, trying to
draw together activities of various sub-groups or members.
8. Summarizing : - Pooling together related ideas or suggestions, re-
stating suggestions after group has discussed them.
SUPPORT ROLES
Group members attitudes and behaviour
FUNCTIONAL ROLES
1. Encouraging - Being warm, friendly, and responsive to others,
praising others and their ideas, agreeing with and accepting
contributions of others.
2. Diagnosing - Determining sources of difficulty, appropriate
steps to be taken, Analyzing main blocks to progress.
3. Testing for consensus - Tentatively asking for group opinions in
order to find out whether the group is nearing consensus,
sending up trial balloons to test group opinions.
4. Mediating - Harmonizing, conciliating differences points of
view, suggesting compromise solutions.
5. Relieving tension - Draining of negative feeling by jesting or
pouring oil on troubled waters, putting tense situations in a
wider context.
DYS- FUNCTIONAL ROLES.
1. Being aggressive - Working for status by criticizing or
blaming others, showing hostility against group or
individuals, deflating status or ego of others.
2. Blocking - Negativistic, being stubbornly and unreasonably
resistant, interfering slowing the progress of the group by
going off on tangent, arguing too much on a point, trying to
bring back issues which the group intentionally rejected or
by-passed.
3. Recognition-seeking - Trying to call attention to self,
boasting, reporting on personal achievements, using group
as sounding board, trying not to be placed in an ―inferior‘
position.
4. Dominating - Asserting authority by manipulating the group,
giving directions authoritatively, interrupting others,
flattering, asserting superior status or right to attention.
5. Competing - Vying with others to produce best ideas, talk
the most, play the most roles, gain favor with leadership.
6. Withdrawal - Acting indifferent or passive, excessive
formality, maintaining distance from others, insulated from
 action, daydreaming, doodling, whispering to others,
wandering from subject, passive resister.
7. Horsing around - Clowning, joking, and disrupting work of
the group.
8. Seeking sympathy - Trying to induce group members to be
sympathetic to one‘s problems, disparaging one‘s ideas to
gain support.

MODULE 2
TYPICAL PATTERNS IN GROUP PROCESS AND
INTERPERSONAL CCOMMUNICATION GROUP
FORMATION, ROLE, RANK AND RELATIONSHIP.

INTRODUCTION
Group process refers to one aspect of human cooperation-the behavior of
human beings as they work together to make decisions, solve problems,
and perform tasks in working groups of between three and twelve
members. The focus of group process is on working groups as they
perform their assigned functions and attempt to meet their goals. Basic
principles underlie group process and these dimensions can be measured
to characterize the current status of the group. Characteristics of working
groups include similarity among the group members, interaction
(communication) among the members, interdependence of the members
in meeting goals, and a group structure that defines group function and
performance.
Interpersonal communication is the process of exchange of information,
ideas and feelings between two or more people through verbal or non-
verbal methods. It often includes face-to-face exchange of information,
in a form of voice, facial expressions, body language and gestures. The
level of one‘s interpersonal communication skills is measured through
the effectiveness of transferring messages to others. There are many
reasons why they are so valued; even though most workplace business is
now conducted through online communication channels; it is still
necessary to possess verbal skills in order to work effectively with your
colleagues and bosses. Therefore, interpersonal skills are crucial for
business success. Let‘s now take a look into why interpersonal
communication is crucial for your career development and productivity
in the workplace.

TYPICAL PATTERNS IN GROUP PROCESS

INTERACTION
Interaction is a kind of action that occurs as two or more objects have an
effect upon one another. The idea of a two-way effect is essential in the
concept of interaction, as opposed to a one-way causal effect. Closely
related terms are interactivity and interconnectivity, of which the latter
deals with the interactions of interactions within systems: combinations
of many simple interactions can lead to surprising emergent phenomena.
Interaction has different tailored meanings in various sciences. (citation
needed) Changes can also involve interaction.
COMMUNICATION
The transmission of the message from sender to recipient can be affected
by a huge range of things. These include our emotions, the cultural
situation, the medium used to communicate, and even our location. The
complexity is why good communication skills are considered so
desirable by employers around the world: accurate, effective and
unambiguous communication is actually extremely hard.
CHOHISIVNES
Group cohesiveness (also called group cohesion and social cohesion)
arises when bonds link members of a social group to one another and to
the group as a whole. Although cohesion is a multi-faceted process, it
can be broken down into four main components: social relations, task
relations, perceived unity, and emotions. Members of strongly cohesive
groups are more inclined to participate readily and to stay with the
group.

GROUP CONFLICT

conflict is a clash of interest. The basis of conflict may vary but it is

always a part of society. Basis of conflict may be
personal, racial, class, caste, political and international. Conflict in
groups often follows a specific course. Routine group interaction is first
disrupted by an initial conflict, often caused by differences of opinion,
disagreements between members, or scarcity of resources. At this point,
the group is no longer united, and may split into coalitions. This period
of conflict escalation in some cases gives way to a conflict resolution
stage, after which the group can eventually return to routine group
interaction.

STRUCTURERING
Group structure is defined as the layout of a group. It is a combination of
group roles, norms, conformity, workplace behaviour, status, reference
groups, status, social loafing, cohorts, group demography and
cohesiveness.

GROUP DECISION MAKING

Group decision making is a type of participatory process in which
multiple individuals acting collectively, analyse problems or situations,
consider and evaluate alternative courses of action, and select from
among the alternatives a solution or solutions.

LEADERSHIP IN GROUPS

While we‘ve examined roles, we can play in groups, the role that often
gets the most attention is that of the leader. Like defining
communication, many people have an idea of what a leader is, but can‘t
really come up with a good definition for the term as there are many
ways to conceptualize the role of leader. One way to do this is to think
of leaders in terms of their leadership styles. Let‘s look at three broad
leadership styles to better understand the communication choices leaders
can make, as well as the outcome of such choices, in a group.

NORMING
This is the phase where the team really starts to function and work
together as a team. Individuals start to understand each other work
habits and ethic and everything seems much more
natural. Responsibility and roles are much more clearly defined,
expectations are set, and collaboration is in full swing. Most people are
familiar with this and oftentimes we refer to this as being in the ―zone.‖

GROUP CULTURE
Groups tend to develop their own culture over time, based on
knowledge, beliefs, practices and behaviours their members hold in
common. Awareness of shared culture builds trust, cohesion, and a sense
of safety among the members, thus furthering collaboration. A culture is
a set of shared beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, practices, artefacts and
behaviours.
SOCIAL CONTROL
social control has been around since the formation of organized
sociology, the meaning has been altered over time. Originally, the
concept simply referred to society's ability to regulate itself. However, in
the 1930s, the term took on its more modern meaning of an individual's
conversion to conformity.

GROUP DEVELOPMENT
The goal of most research on group development is to learn why and
how small groups change over time. To do this, researchers examine
patterns of change and continuity in groups over time. Aspects of a
group that might be studied include the quality of the output produced
by a group, the type and frequency of its activities, its cohesiveness, the
existence of group conflict.

IMPORTANCE OF GROUP PROCESS

Group process refers to how an organization‘s members work together
to get things done. Typically, organizations spend a great deal of time
and energy setting and striving to reach goals but give little
consideration to what is happening between and to the group‘s greatest
resource – it‘s members. While working hard to achieve results, it is
critical that members‘ needs be addressed. Membership in an
organization is as much an opportunity to develop self-confidence,
refine skills and make friends as it is to support a cause, fundraise or
educate the campus community. All of these can be done
simultaneously, but most likely will not just happen on their own.
Effective organizations take a close look at how members work together,
which roles they fill and whether members are contributing equally.
Through group process, observation and analysis can help identify
problems early, thus alleviating the need for major overhaul as the year
progresses. Your vantage point as a group member provides a great
opportunity to regularly observe how things are going. Depending on the
frequency of meetings and an understanding of what to look for, you can
be instrumental in ensuring group and individual success. Process
observation requires patience and the ability to focus on everyone in the
group. Paying attention to these questions and roles can help you to
better understand how the group is affecting its members and vice versa.
Elements of an organization that typically influence group proceedings
include communication, participation, decision making and
organizational roles. When observing these specific areas, you will
likely see several things happening simultaneously. This is to be
expected, but it can also be rather confusing. Initially, you may want to
isolate a single aspect of the group. As you become more adept at
observation you can gradually increase your areas of focus.

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
Interpersonal communication is the process of exchange of information,
ideas and feelings between two or more people through verbal or non-
verbal methods. It often includes face-to-face exchange of information,
in a form of voice, facial expressions, body language and gestures. The
level of one‘s interpersonal communication skills is measured through
the effectiveness of transferring messages to others. Commonly used
interpersonal communication within an organization include daily
internal employee communication, client meetings, employee
performance reviews and project discussions. In addition, online
conversations today make a large portion of employees‘ interpersonal
communication in the workplace.

TYPES OF INTERPERSON COMMUNICATION

VERBAL
Whenever you talk or even make an audible sound (like ―hmm‖ of
―Ahh!‖ for example), you‘re creating verbal communication. Beyond the
content of what you‘re saying and the context in which it‘s being said,
verbal communication also includes additional auditory factors like
intonation. This refers to how your voice rises and falls in tone as you
speak and can shade how the words are meant to be interpreted.
LISERNING
Chances are that some point in your life you‘ve been accused of
―hearing but not listening‖ to what someone was saying to you. The
distinction between the two concepts might have seemed nuanced at first
until the message became clear: hearing is involuntary and effortless
whereas listening is focused and intentional. Hearing is an automatic
response that is the result of having working ears. Listening takes more
effort. It‘s purposeful and requires concentration to understand what the
speaker is sharing.
WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
When you convey a message via written symbols, you‘re practicing
written communication. From emails and text messages to more formal
memoranda and reports, written communication is the cornerstone of
most information sharing in business.
NON – VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Getting meaning across without using words either written or spoken is
the essence of non-verbal communication. This can be achieved through
everything from facial expressions, to specific gestures (―jazz hands,‖
anyone?) to body language and certain postures.
CONCLUSION
Group process refers to how an organization's members work together to
get things done. ... Effective organizations take a close look at how
members work together, which roles they fill and whether members are
contributing equally social workers must communicate with clients to
gain information, convey critical information and make important
decisions. Without effective communication skills, a social worker may
not be able to obtain or convey that information, there by causing
detrimental effects to clients.

GROUP FORMATION, ROLE, RANK AND RELATIONSHIPS

INTRODUCTION

A group is formed through collective efforts of forming, norming,

storming and performing. However, adjourning a group completes the
group formation. It shows that the group has been successful in
completing its predetermined objective. And a role (also role or social
role) is a set of connected behaviours, rights, obligations, beliefs, and
norms as conceptualized by people in a social situation
The relationship between two people or groups is the way in which they
feel and behave towards each other. A relationship is a close connection
between two people, especially one involving romantic or sexual
feelings.

GROUP FORMATION

Meaning
A group is formed through collective efforts of forming, norming,
storming and performing. However, adjourning a group completes the
group formation. It shows that the group has been successful in
completing its pre-determined objective.

STAGES OF GROUP FORMATION

• Forming:
 Early on, team members "test the waters" to determine what behaviour
will be acceptable to the group. Members generally express the need to
agree on their purpose as a team, to set initial goals, and to establish
ground rules. During this period, members look to the leader for
guidance. Tuckman compared the forming stage to that period of
orientation and dependency expressed by young children. In this stage,
the group is generally on its best behaviour.
• Storming:
This stage is typically marked by conflict among team members. It is
here that the team is at its greatest risk for disillusionment. In a well-
directed, open, positive team, members are asking questions, making
trade-offs, and constructively challenging one another. This energy
should foster creativity; however, conflict can also breed resentment.
Members may develop subgroups which feed this conflict. There may be
task avoidance if members enjoy the energy created by heated
competition. Although some teams never go through this stage, it is not
to be avoided. Nor does conflict need to be counterproductive. Teams
that fail to experience storming never learn to deal with differences. As a
result, members may learn to simply go along with suggestions by more
dominant members. Teams that do not pass through the storming phase,
tend to be more divided and less creative (Tuckman, 1965).
• Norming:
As the storm passes, team members learn to resolve difficulties and to
focus on the work at hand. The danger here is that members may be so
focused on preventing conflict that they are reluctant to share
controversial ideas. The unhealthy potential for "group think" exists as
well. The competitive and informal climate can inhibit members from
challenging the prevailing thinking.

• Performing:
This stage is the payoff for team member's hard work. What was once a
group of individuals has learned to function as a team. There is frequent
agreement on goals, roles, and norms, and members are devoted to
producing results. They deal with conflicts as they arise, challenging
ideas without getting personal, and take collective pride in team
successes. Creative confrontation and innovative problem solving are the
hallmarks of the smooth-running team in the performing stage.

ROLE

Definition

A role is a comprehensive pattern of behaviour that is socially

recognized, providing a means of identifying and placing an individual
in a society. It also serves as a strategy for coping with recurrent
situations and dealing with the roles of others (e.g., parent–child roles).

Characteristics
Characteristics of the role may be studied in the following heads:
1. Action Aspect of Status:
The role is in fact the action aspect of status. In involves various types
of actions that a person has to perform in accordance with the
expectations of the society. These actions are dependent not on the
individual‘s will but on the social sanction. That is why it is said that
every social role has a cultural basis.
2. Changing Concept of Role:
Social roles as already stated, are in accordance with the social
values, ideals, patterns etc. These ideals, values and objects change
and so the concept of the role also changes. The role which is justified
at a particular time may not be justified at some other time.
3. Limited Field of Operation:
Every role has a limited area of operation and the role has to be
confined within that. For example, an officer has a role to play in the
office but when he reaches his family, that role ceases.
4. Roles are not Performed 100% for the Fulfilment of the
Expectations:
 It is not possible for anyone to perform his role fully in accordance
with the expectations of the society. There is bound to be some
distinctions. For example, one may not be able to perform his role to
the full satisfaction of the children.
5. Difference in the Importance of Role:
From the socio-cultural point of view all the roles are not equally
important. Some of the roles are more important while the others are
less. The, roles that are most important are called key roles while the
roles that are of general importance, are called general roles.

RANK AND RELATIONSHIP

• Definition

According to Merriam Webster

Rank is a relative standing or position.

• Why is ranking important

propose that effective groups require rank differentiation in addition to

role differentiation. We suggest that rank differentiation supports
division of labour by incentivizing group members, satisfying
fundamental human needs, and organizing and integrating the
contributions of differentiated group members.
Meaning of relationship
In a group or a team, we can develop our ability to depend on each other,
listen to each other, notice and accept differences, plan shared goals and
share tasks, whilst working towards the. same target.

TYPES OF RELATIONSHIP

1.Targeted Relationships These are the people you don‘t know but who
are in the same industry as you—either as peers or competitors. It‘s
worthwhile targeting and connecting with them, because ―you will
benefit from what they offer and they will benefit from knowing you.‖
Targeted relationships don‘t feel real because you don‘t actually know
these people personally; maybe you connect with them on LinkedIn or
quickly exchanged business cards at an event. You can‘t depend on
these people yet, but if you work on these relationships, these people can
be crucial to you in the future. If you target the right people, you‘ll know
exactly who to turn to if the industry or market ever changes.

2. Tentative Relationships
Before you can ask someone to do something for you, you have to form
some kind of relationship with him or her. If you‘ve spoken briefly to
someone at a conference or a networking event, that relationship is a
tentative one. You might not truly know these people yet, but you know
them enough to email them for a small favour or to ask them if they
would be interested in getting involved in your new project.
Tentative relationships are different from your targeted ones because
you actually speak or meet up with these people at least semi-regularly
for coffee or lunch. You see your relationship with them growing, and
you put effort into getting to know one another better. These people can
benefit your company: For example, if you need to know where to get
certain supplies, these people can help connect you with the right people.
If they are experts in their industries, they can advise you on different
business decisions.

3. Transactional Relationships
These types of relationships are less personal and typically used by
managers to accomplish specific business objectives. ―They are defined
by what each party can do for the other to reach near-term objectives,
seldom extended into career or personal areas,‖ Berson and Stieglitz
write. For example, relationships with customers, peers or suppliers are
often transactional relationships. ―Transactional relationship partners
trust and respect each other because they frequently work together and
consistently treat each other fairly,‖ the authors explain. ―These
relationships develop with go-to people whom you can count on to get
the job done. Likewise, they trust that you will meet your end of the
bargain.‖

4. Trusted Relationships
These are the most personal, valuable and often the ―longest-lasting‖
relationships out of all of these. The conversations that you have with
these people are usually related to long-term plans.
These people are your mentors and close peers at work. This kind of
relationship also needs to exist between seniors‘ executives and partners
in different organizations. Business deals need to be crafted through
trusted relationships. To create a trusted relationship, you need to have
had many interactions with one another that have gone well. At the
beginning of these trusted relationships, you should offer your service,
product or expertise without expecting anything in return. Once this
happens, a trust is formed between you and the other person. If you
decide to do business with one another, those interactions can eventually
lead to a trusted relationship if you treat each other well and don‘t
―abuse the relationship for a one-sided gain.‖

CONCLUSION

In conclusion according to group work these terms are very relevant for
smooth and effective functioning of group work. group formation is a
beneficial but highly dynamic process. The life cycle of teams can often
closely resemble various stages in individual development. ... Many
issues that can plague groups can also hinder the efficacy of a team.
behaviour that is socially recognized, providing a means of identifying
and placing an individual in a society

GROUP NORMS , BOND ,ACCEPTANCE: ISOLATION

REJECTION,CONFLICT AND CONTROL
INTRODUCTION
The primary function of group norms on the individual level is to serve
as a reference point. Every group develops its own customs, habits and
expectations or group norms as they are sometimes
GROUP NORM
Norm are the set of belief‘s, feelings, and attitudes commonly shared by
group members. These are also referred to as rules or standards of
behavior that apply to group members.
Group have what we call ‗norms‘ of behavior or ‗rules‘. Depending on
the types of group , this can be unspoken or laid out explicitly, perhaps
in a contract.
Types of Norms
 Descriptive Norms
 Prescriptive norms
Characteristics

1.Represents characteristics of group

2.Basis for predicting and controlling behavior of others
3.Related to behaviors considered important for their group
4.They are applied to all members.
5. Norms are related to the factual order
6. Norms incorporate value judgment
7. Norms are relatives to situations and groups
8. Norms are not always obeyed by all
9. Norms vary with sanctions
10.Norms are normally internalized by the people.
Bond
It refers to ‗group cohesiveness or group of belonging.‘ It is the force
bringing group members closer .Emotional bond derives from the
connection that members feel to other group members share group
goals and work together to meet these goals. The main factors that
influence group bond are members ‗similarity group size, entry
difficulty, group success, and external competition and threats, Thus
group bond is a powerful aspect of group dynamics.
ACCEPTANCE
Acceptance is the skill –bringing an open and willing attitude towards all
internal experiences. It does not mean resigning yourself to your
circumstances or giving in to where pain usually leads you .
Isolation -Rejection
Rejection by an entire group of people can have especially negative
effects, particularly when it result in social isolation. Then experience of
rejection can lead to a number of adverse psychological consequences
such as loneliness, low self-esteem, aggression, and depression.
Conflict and control
Definition of conflict(Rahim 2002)
Conflict as a natural outcome of human interaction which begins when
one individual perceives that his or her goals, attitudes, values or
believes are incongruent with those of another individual. Such conflicts
can emerge between two people, two groups or people and a group.
Reason for conflict
There are various reason for the emergence of conflict in the work
place. It can emerge when people having different opinions work under
the same group but don‘t agree on a work.
‗procedural conflict‘ emerge when people have different opinions as to
how to achieve a goal or complete a particular task. More over the
conflict can arise on the basis of territory, status , rights, property or
value system of the person or group.
Conclusion
In the modern management scenario the importance of groups and its
values and norms is influencing the positive behavior in an organization.
A group is a collection of two or more people who work with one
another regularly to achieve common goals. Groups help organizations
in accomplishing important tasks. Groups are important to improve
organizational outputs and to influence the attitudes and behavior of
members of the organization. We can say that in any organization it is
necessary to understand the nature of the groups and group behavior to
improve the performance of the organization

GROUP DYNAMICS

Group dynamics is a system of behaviours and psychological processes

occurring within a social group (intragroup dynamics), or between
social groups (intergroup dynamics). The study of group dynamics can
be useful in understanding decision-making behaviour, tracking the
spread of diseases in society, creating effective therapy techniques, and
following the emergence and popularity of new ideas and technologies.
Group dynamics deals with the attitudes and behavioral patterns of a
group.
Group dynamics concern how groups are formed, what is their structure
and which processes are followed in their functioning.
Group dynamics is relevant to groups of all kinds: both formal and
informal.

WHAT IS GROUP DYNAMICS?

The term "group dynamics" describes the way in which people in

a group interact with one another. When dynamics are positive, the
group works well together. When dynamics are poor, the group's
effectiveness is reduced.
• The term ‗group dynamics‘ means the study of forces within a
group. Since human beings have an innate desire for belonging to a
group, group dynamism is bound to occur. In an organization or in
a society, we can see groups, small or large, working for the well-
being.
• The social process by which people interact with one another in
small groups can be called group dynamism. A group has certain
common objectives & goals. Because of which members are bound
together with certain values and culture.

IMPORTANCE OF GROUP DYNAMICS

• The group can influence the thinking of its members.

• The group can give the effect of synergy.
• Group dynamism can give job satisfaction to the members.
• The group can also bring team spirit among the members.
• Even the attitude, perceptions, and ideas of members depend on
group dynamism.
• If the group works as a cohesive group, the cooperation and
convergence can result in maximization of productivity.
• Lastly, group dynamism can reduce the labour unrest and labour
turnover due to emotional attachment among the group members.
  GROUP BOND
Group bond: It refers to ‗group cohesiveness‘ or ‗sense of belonging‘. It
is the force bringing group members closer. Group bond may be
emotional or task-related. ‗Emotional bond‘ derives from the connection
that members feel to other group members and ‗task-related bond‘ refers
to the degree to which group members share group goals and work
together to meet these goals.

 SUB GROUP

• There are two cases that sound related: 1) a user joins a group and
is put into a smaller group (ex. committees, teams), which might
have access to resources that the larger group has 2) where a user
joins a smaller group and several of these smaller groups gain
access to a common workspace (ex. language sections, cross
school projects).

 DECISION MAKING

• Group decision making is a type of participatory process in which

multiple individuals acting collectively, analyze problems or
situations, consider and evaluate alternative courses of action, and
select from among the alternatives a solution or solutions.
STEPS
• Identify the decision
• Gather relevant information
• Identify the alternatives
• Weigh the evidence
• Choose among alternatives
• Take action
• Review you decision & its consequences

 ISOLATION :
• These members are a part of the group but are not totally accepted
and remains as isolation. There is no emotional attachment among
the members. The group members are just physical entities in
the groups. Isolate is usually a member who has a low self esteem.

 LEADERSHIP

• Leadership is a process of social influence, which maximizes the

efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.
• Leadership captures the essentials of being able and prepared to
inspire others. Effective leadership is based upon ideas—both
original and borrowed—that are effectively communicated to
others in a way that engages them enough to act as the leader
wants them to act.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS

• Constancy. An environment with small, infrequent changes is

helpful to clients living in the emotionally turbulent world of
recovery.
• Active listening. Excellent listening skills are the keystone of any
effective therapy.
• Firm identity.
• Spontaneity.
• Integrity.
• Trust

Importance of leadership in Group work

• Effective team leaders ensure that team morale remains high and
that workers are motivated to perform well. ... Leaders can also
affect morale by creating an environment of cooperation
between team members so that they work together to
achieve team objectives instead of only fulfilling individual goals.

 GROUP CONFLICT
Group conflict, or hostilities between different groups, is a feature
common to all forms of human social organization (e.g., sports teams,
ethnic groups, nations, religions, gangs).
• Group conflict can be separated into two sub-categories of conflict:
inter-group conflict and intra-group conflict.

WHAT IS GROUP STRUCTURE?

• Group structure is defined as the layout of a group.

• Group Roles.
• Norms
• Conformity
• Workplace behaviour
• Status
• Social Loafing
• Cohorts
• Group Demography
• Cohesiveness

 COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION PATTERN:

• Communication processes and interaction patterns are fundamental

group dynamics.
• They are the components of social interactions that influence the
behavior and attitudes of group member.
• Communication, both verbal and non verbal, facilitates interaction.
Communication is the transference and understanding of meaning.
Communication Functions:
⮚ Control members behavior
⮚ Foster motivation for what is to be done
⮚ Provide a release for emotional expression
⮚ Provide information needed to make decisions.
INTERACTION PATTERN:
In groups, observation is not just how members speak to one another
but also how they behave. This includes their facial expressions, body
posture, special positioning, and anything else that provides clues about
internal states.
Proxemics:
⮚ Proxemics is a term introduced by anthropologist Edward T. Hall
to describe set measurable distances between people as they
interact.
⮚ Proxemics specifically describes the social use of space in the
physical world, and personal space in particular.
Nonverbal Behaviour:
When observing members in the group, the leader want to monitor
not only their body positioning but also other nonverbal states.

Silences:
Silence is often a very normal, natural, useful part of any group
session. It gives members time to think, reflect on things, formulate
or process ideas, take a breath, or just relax a little between intense
intervals.

CONCLUSION

❑ Group dynamics is the study of groups, and also a general term for
group processes.
❑ Group dynamics refer to the adjustive changes that take place in
the group structure as a result of changes in any part of it.

❑ Group can be defined as several individuals who come together to

accomplish a particular task or goal. Group dynamics refers to the
 attitudinal and behavioural characteristics of a group. Group
dynamics concern how groups form, their structure and process,
and how they function.
❑ Group dynamics deals with the attitudes and behavioural patterns
of a group. It can be used as a means for problem-solving,
teamwork, and to become more innovative and productive as an
organization. The concept of group dynamics will also provide you
with the strengths, success factors and measures along with other
professional tools.
❑ The term ‗group dynamics‘ means the study of forces within a
group. Since human beings have an innate desire for belonging to a
group, group dynamism is bound to occur. In an organization or in
a society, we can see groups, small or large, working for the well-
being.
❑ The social process by which people interact with one another in
small groups can be called group dynamism. A group has certain
common objectives & goals. Because of which members are bound
together with certain values and culture.

GROUP COHESIVENESS

Group cohesiveness is one of the characteristic features of the groups,

which is very important from behavioristic point of view. Cohesiveness
refers to the bonding of group members and their desire to remain part of
the group. Many factors influence the amount of group cohesiveness.
Generally speaking, the more difficult it is to obtain group membership
the more cohesive the group. Groups also tend to become cohesive when
they are in intense competition with other groups or face a serious
external threat to survival. Smaller groups and those who spend
considerable time together also tend to be more cohesive. Cohesiveness
in work groups has many positive effects, including worker satisfaction,
low turnover and absenteeism, and higher productivity. However, highly
cohesive groups may be detrimental to organizational performance if
their goals are misaligned with organizational goals. Highly cohesive
groups may also be more vulnerable to groupthink. Groupthink occurs
when members of a group exert pressure on each other to come to a
consensus in decision making. Groupthink results in careless judgments,
unrealistic appraisals of alternative courses of action, and a lack of
reality testing. It can lead to a number of decision-making issues such as
the following:
1. Incomplete assessments of the problem,
2. Incomplete information search,
3. Bias in processing information,
4. Inadequate development of alternatives, and
5. Failure to examine the risks of the preferred choice.
Definition:
According to Seashore, ―Group cohesiveness is the attraction of the
members to the group in terms of the strength of forces on the individual
members to remain active in the group and to resist leaving it.‖
According to Stephen P Robbins, ―Group cohesiveness is the degree to
which the members are attracted to each other and are motivated to stay
in the group‖.
Factors Affecting Group Cohesiveness:
1. Similarities of Attitudes and Values: One of the major factors
affecting team cohesion is the similarity in attitudes and values among
group members. It is basic human nature people enjoy and get attached
to the people who have similar opinions, morals, beliefs, and code of
conduct as people with the same opinions provide the same kinds of
social validation.
2. Size of the Group: It is assumed that cohesiveness will decrease as
the size of the group decreases. When the size of the increases the
interaction with the members becomes more difficult and hence the goal
is hampered.
3. Time: When people spend time with each other the more they will get
close and hence it strengthens the degree of cohesiveness.
4. Inter Dependency: When each member has autonomous action, the
cohesiveness between the members of such group would be less as
opposed to the group whose members are doing the procedure and are
relying upon each other.
5. Management Behaviours: Management behavior plays a major role
in the group cohesiveness. When a manager makes close relationship
with a few in groups that may cause unhealthy competition amongst
members of the group. It is important that managers reward cooperative
behavior so that the bond grows amongst the groups.
GROUP CULTURE
The culture of a group is defined by the values, beliefs, customs,
traditions, and preferred ways of doing business that are implicitly
understood and shared by all group members. Deeply held beliefs and
assumptions that define a group culture emerge through interaction over
time. The values, preferences, and interpersonal styles of individual
members that come from their ethnic, cultural, and racial heritage,
previous life experiences, and genetic disposition have to be blended
together before a group culture develops. As members meet, they
explore their value systems and interpersonal styles, searching for a
common ground on which to relate to each other. Valuing members
from diverse backgrounds involves facilitating an exploration of their
ethnic and racial heritages and experiences, their attitudes about
themselves, and how these attitudes and feelings affect their functioning.
It also involves leaders‘ actively generating a set of group norms that are
consonant with the cultural values and perspectives of all group
members. As a result of this process, a common set of assumptions,
values, and preferred ways of doing business emerge, forming the
group‘s culture. Levi (2001) views culture as having three levels of
depth. On the surface level are symbols and rituals that display the
culture of the group. At a deeper level, culture is displayed in the styles
and approaches that group members use when interacting with each
other. For example, the way conflict or competition is handled in a
group says much about its culture. The deepest level of culture consists
of core ideologies, values, and beliefs held in common by members of
the group. The culture of a group is also determined, in part, by the
sponsoring organization, the community, and the larger society. Groups
take on some of the dominant values and traits of these larger social
systems. The influence of these systems depends on the nature and
extent of their interactions with the group. When a group is dependent
on an organization for its sanction and its resources, it is particularly
likely to take on the dominant culture of the organization. For example,
a team or a governance committee is more likely to take on the culture
of an organization than is a self-help group sponsored by the same
organization. Similarly, a sports team sponsored by a neighborhood
community center is more likely to take on the cultural values of the
larger society than is a gang that meets in a private location.
Multicultural differences are also salient interpersonal factors that have
significance for the group culture. Traditionally, group processes have
reflected the European and American values of individualism,
independence, competiveness, and achievement. These values are
different from the values of humility and modesty that are dominant in
some other cultures. A potential consequence is the worker‘s
insensitivity to group members with other racial or ethnic backgrounds.
This insensitivity has the potential to negatively affect group dynamic
processes in the whole group.
GROUP CONTROL
Control means to the control of group over the individuals. It is most
important in controlling the people themselves. Controlling is most
important group process done by the groups. A group exists for a
purpose. Control is the throttle on the group's engine--the energy that
gives it direction. As a leader exerts control, he balances what‘s the
group is working towards (its purpose or task) and keeping the group
happy and satisfied. Controlling Group Performance is a close
companion. The coordination of individual efforts for collective purpose
is externally and internally controlled by the leader and each individual
himself. Setting the Example is a personal, internal manner of control
that we hope others will model (when it's positive and appropriate). The
leader sets the example by doing what he expects others to do:
 Doing his own job well.
 Following instructions with little or no supervision.
 Trying his hardest.
 Behaving maturely.
 Showing a positive attitude.
Control is most often an overt behavior of the leader. There are specific
actions a leader can take to exert influence over a group. The leader in a
group deploys the people in his patrol in a manner to promote control,
breaking up destructive cliques, to encourage greater participation, etc.
He stands at certain times to maintain or assert control. He counsels an
individual to help him "set a better example."

Stage of Group Development

By group development we mean the stages that work groups go through
as they evolve and grow. Groups do not form and become effective
overnight. It involves a long process to develop a group of strangers to a
unit of cohesive and well-coordinated group members. From the mid
1960‘s it has been believed that groups pass through standard sequence
of five stages. These stages are forming, storming, norming, performing
and adjourning as illustrated below:
The Five Stage of Group Development:
1. Forming:
The forming stage is when the group is just formed and members are
formally placed together in a work group. At this stage, group members
try to comprehend where they stand in the group and how they are being
perceived by others in the group. The members are very cautious in their
interactions with each other and the relationships among the group
members are very superficial.Any decisions made in the group are made
by the more vocal members. Members seldom express their feelings in
the group and the individual members who are trying to understand who
are in the group have concerns about how they will fit in the group as a
permanent group member. The first stage of group development is the
forming stage. This stage presents a time where the group is just starting
to come together and is described with anxiety and uncertainty.
Members are discreet with their behavior, which is driven by their desire
to be accepted by all members of the group. Conflict, controversy,
misunderstanding and personal opinions are avoided even though
members are starting to form impressions of each other and gain an
understanding of what the group will do together.Typical consequences
of the forming stage include achieving an understanding of the group‘s
purpose, determining how the team is going to be organized and who
will be responsible for what, discussion of major milestones or phases of
the group‘s goal that includes a rough project schedule, outlining general
group rules that includes when they will meet and discovery of what
resources will be available for the group to use. At this stage, group
members are learning what to do, how the group is going to operate,
what is expected, and what is acceptable.
2. Storming:
Sometime after the formal group is created, internal sub groups get
developed. Due to the newness of the group, there are limited
interactions initially among the members of the group. However, small
groups of two or three members interact with each other and make an
effort to get to know each other better. Thus, subgroups are formed.
Once this sub grouping process takes place and members begin to feel
somewhat more comfortable in the group, they try to establish their
positions and test their powers in the bigger group.
At this stage, disagreements tend to get expressed among the group
members and feelings of anxiety and resentment are also expressed.
Some power struggle may ensure at this stage to determine who should
assume the role of informal leader. This storming stage is also known as
the sub-grouping and confrontation stage.
The second stage of group development is the storming stage. The
storming stage is where dispute and competition are at its greatest
because now group members have an understanding of the work and a
general feel of belongingness towards the group as well as the group
members. This is the stage where the dominating group members
emerge, while the less confrontational members stay in their comfort
zone. Questions around leadership, authority, rules, policies, norms,
responsibilities, structure, evaluation criteria and reward systems tend to
arise during the storming stage. Such questions need to be answered so
that the group can move further on to the next stage.

3. Norming:
Norming is the next stage where the disagreements, differences and
power issues which were dominant at the storming stage gets worked
out. The group sets norms, tries to attain some degree of cohesiveness,
understands the goals of the group, starts making good decisions,
expresses feelings openly and makes attempts to resolve problems and
attain group effectiveness. At this stage, which is also known as
individual differentiation stage or initial integration stage, the
individuals‘ roles get defined and the task and maintenance roles are
assumed by group members. Group members also begin to express
satisfaction and confidence about being members of the group.
In this stage, the group becomes fun and enjoyable. Group interaction
are lot more easier, more cooperative, and productive, with weighed give
and take, open communication, bonding, and mutual respect. If there is a
dispute or disruption, it‘s comparatively easy to be resolved and the
group gets back on track. Group leadership is very important, but the
facilitator can step back a little and let group members take the initiative
and move forward together.

4. Performing:
At the performing stage, the group has matured fully. The members are
committed to the group goals, have complete trust in each other and
allow honest disagreements to be freely expressed but make sure that the
conflicts are satisfactorily resolved as and when they occur.
The group evaluates members‘ performance so that the group members
develop and grow. Feelings are expressed at this stage without fear,
leadership roles are shared among the members and the members‘
activities are highly coordinated. The task and maintenance roles are
played very effectively. The task performance levels are high and
member satisfaction, pride and commitment to the group are also high.
Both performance and member satisfaction are sustained indefinitely.
This stage is also referred to as collaboration stage or final integration
stage. Since reaching this stage requires a long period of time and
member homogeneity in values and goals, very few work groups reach
this stage.
Once a group is clear about its needs, it can move forward to the third
stage of group development, the norming stage. This is the time where
the group becomes really united. At this stage, the morale is high as
group members actively acknowledge the talents, skills and experience
that each member brings to the group. A sense of belongingness is
established and the group remains focused on the group‘s purpose and
goal. Members are flexible, interdependent, and trust each other.
Leadership is distributive and members are willing to adapt according to
the needs of the group.
5. Adjourning:
For permanent work groups, performing is the last stage in their
development. However, for temporary committees, teams, task forces
and similar groups that have a certain specific and limited task to
perform, there is an adjourning stage. In this stage the group prepares for
its disbandment.
High task performance is no longer the group‘s top priority; rather
attention is directed towards wrapping up group activities. Responses of
group members vary at this stage. Some are very happy because of the
group‘s accomplishments whereas some may be depressed over the loss
of friendships gained during the work group‘s life
This stage of a group can be confusing and is usually reached when the
task is successfully completed. At this stage, the project is coming to an
end and the team members are moving off in different directions. This
stage looks at the team from the perspective of the well-being of the
team instead of the perspective of handling a team through the original
four stages of team growth. Group formation is a beneficial but highly
dynamic process. The life cycle of teams can often closely resemble
various stages in individual development. In order to maintain group
effectiveness, individuals should be aware of key stages as well as
methods to avoid becoming stuck along the way. Good leadership skills
combined with knowledge of group development will help any group
perform at its peak level. Teams, though similar, are different from
groups in both scope and composition. Groups are often small
collections of individuals with various skill sets that combine to address
a specific issue, whereas teams can be much larger and often consist of
people with overlapping abilities working toward a common goal.

GROUP MORALE
Morale is a word for representing the feelings and attitude in a collective
manner. When a team gets success, after success at the given tasks, the
morale is supposed to be high, and if the opposite happens, morale tends
to become low. It represents zeal, enthusiasm, willingness, ownership,
and energy at work. High morale often denotes higher satisfaction
derived from the work.
Group morale equally is a major factor to bind the group members
together. Morale refers to team spirit or unity of the group. Each and
every group has a social structure. It develops when people lead a social
life, make friends and enemies, meet socially after working hours,
exchange ideas and confidences.
Definition

Morale is a word for representing the feelings and attitude in a collective

manner. When a team gets success, after success at the given tasks, the
morale is supposed to be high, and if the opposite happens, morale tends
to become low. It represents zeal, enthusiasm, willingness, ownership,
and energy at work. High morale often denotes higher satisfaction
derived from the work.
―A mental condition or attitude of individuals and groups which
determines their willingness to co-operate. Good morale is evidenced by
employee enthusiasm, voluntary confirmation with regulations and
orders, and a willingness to co-operate with others in the
accomplishment of an organization‘s objectives. Poor morale is
evidenced by surliness, insubordination, a feeling of discouragement and
dislike of the job, company, and associates.‖ -Flippo

―Morale is a feeling, somewhat related to esprit de corps, enthusiasm or

zeal. For group of workers, morale, according to a popular usage of the
word, refers to the over-all tone, climate or atmosphere of work, perhaps
vaguely sensed by the members.‖ -Yoder

Morale is defined by various terms from different standpoints. In

military situation morale means enthusiasm to accomplish the assigned
task in education it may be the eagerness to learn by students, in
business it is associated with the desire to achieve the goals. So it is an
overall attitude of an individual or group towards all aspects of their
work e.g., the company, the job, the supervisors, fellow workers,
working conditions, etc.

Importance of Morale

It is very important to the overall growth of the organization. People and

groups having high morale generally results in the following behavior-

 Higher productivity as compared to peers

  Showing up on time
 Improved attention to details
 Increased Focus on the task
 Increased and constructive communication with fellow workers
 Improved attendance
 A decrease in workplace accidents and injuries

Determinants of Group Morale

According to Guien (1958) morale indicates

 Absence of conflict
 Feeling of happiness
 Good personal adjustment
 Ego involvement in one‘s job
 Group cohesiveness
 Combination of group related attitudes

A group morale, thus, consists of four different aspects:

1. Feeling of being accepted by one‘s own group

2. Feeling of belongingness
3. Showing common motivation or common goals with group in
which one works
4. Having confidence and faith that these goals are actually needed
and desirable.
Individual and Group Morale:

Individual morale is a single person‘s attitude towards work,

environment etc. Whereas group morale reflects the general attitude of a
group of persons. Group morale is everybody‘s concern and may go on
changing with the passage of time. Individual and group morale are
interested but not necessarily identical. They have an effect on each
other. The individual‘s personal perception of the present conditions
may be high but the group‘s perception may be low or vice-versa.

High or Low Morale:

Morale may be referred to high morale or low morale. In the words

of McFarland, high morale exists when employee attitudes are favorable
to the total situation of a group and to the attainment of its objectives.
Low morale exists when attitudes inhibit the willingness and ability of
an organization to attain its objectives. The words such as zeal,
enthusiasm, loyalty, dependability denote high morale. Low morale may
be described by words like lack of interest, laziness, apathy, bickering,
jealousy, quarrelsome, pessimism, etc

IMPACT OF GROUP EXPERIENCE ON INDIVIDUALS

• INTRODUCTION
Man is a social animal, no man can live in isolation. In fact
every aspect of man‘s life is influenced to a great extent by the
 members of the different groups of which he/she is a part. The
ways of living can be learnt only by living a social life with
people. It means group life is the essential element in learning
processes.

Out of necessity and inevitability human beings are made to live in

groups. Knowingly or unknowingly or unwillingly, with pleasure or
contempt, people live in groups and societies. Man‘s life is to an
enormous extent lived and controlled by groups of different kinds

• Group Influence on Individual Life

• Groups are important both to the individual as well as to the
society. They are particularly important in shaping the
personality, in formulating self-concepts, in developing a sense
of worth and in becoming an accepted member of society.
• In the words of Cooley, primary groups are the ―the nursery of
human nature‖. The individual learns the first lesson of loyalty,
honesty, sympathy and develops expectations in these groups.

• Importance of groups In individual development

 Formation of habits and attitudes;

 Development of ‗social self and moral knowledge;
 Basic training in social stability, solidarity and cooperation
among persons;
 Socialization process and in the development of roles and
statuses;
 Development of personality (socialization) of the individual

Functions Of Groups in Individuals Life

• group shapes personality of individuals

• group fulfills different psychological needs of an individual
 • group provide a stimulus to each of its members in the pursuit
of interest.
• group provides security to all its members.

• It acts as an agency of social control

• group develops democratic spirit within itself.
• group introduces individuals to society.
• group increases the efficiency of individuals by creating a
favorable atmosphere of work.
• Positive and negative Impact of Group

Conclusion
People join groups for a multitude of reasons, most frequently because
membership satisfies a need of the individual. Group membership can
provide companionship, survival and security, affiliation status, power
and control, and achievement.
Individual behaviour and decision making can be influenced by the
presence of others. There are both positive and negative implications of
group influence on individual behaviour.

Module 3

Social Group Work – Definition, Characteristics, Objectives And Goals.

Definitions for social group work

Trecker - ―Social group work is method through which individuals in group in social
agency settings are helped by a worker who guides their interaction in programme
activities so that they may relate themselves to others and experiences growth
opportunities in accordance with their needs and capacities to the end of the
individual, group and community development‖.
Konopka - ―Social group work is a method of social work which helps individual to
enhance their social functioning through purposeful group experiences and to cope
more effectively with their personal, group or community problems‖.

American Association of Group Workers- ―Group work is a method by which the

group worker enables various types of groups to function in such a way that both
group interaction and programme activities contribute to the growth of the individual
and achievement of desirable social goals‖.

Characteristics of Social Group Work

Social group work is not only an educational process, it is a service. The objectives
of the group work is not only achieved by voluntary associations but both types of
associations; public and private use social group work method.

1. Social group work is a method

2. Individuals helped through groups and in social Agency settings.

3. The role of the worker is to guide interaction process

4. The purpose of social group work is to provide experience, growth opportunities

for development

5. Group work is practiced with the group.

6. Based on humanitarian philosophy.

7. Group work is used to know the individuals status of an individual with his group.

8. To obtain maximum information about the group.

 9. Some social work groups aim primarily at alleviating social isolation. Such groups
have the preventive function of reducing the debilitating effects of isolation, as well
as more creative purposes of life enrichment and increasing self-esteem.

10. It help individuals use groups to further their development into emotionally
balanced, intellectually free and physically fit persons.

11. Individualization; It helps the individual to free himself while being helped to
interact with his fellowmen.

12. Development of sense of belonging.

13. A basic development of the capacity to participate.

14. Increase of the capacity to contribute to decisions on grounds of rational

thinking and through group deliberation.

15. Increased respect for differences among people.

16. Development of warm and accepting social climate.

Goals/ Objectives of social group work

Konopka has mentioned the following objectives of group work method.

1. Individualization; It helps the individual to free himself when he interact with his
fellowmen.
2. Development of sense of belonging.
3. Development of the capacity to participate.
4. Increase of the capacity to contribute to decisions on grounds of rational thinking.
5. Increased respect for differences among people.
6. Development of warm and accepting social climate.

Other Purpose

1. To teach the individuals to live, to work together and to participate in the activities

of a group for their intellectual, emotional and physical growth

2. To solve problems of adjustment by development of individual's personality

through the group process

3. To prepare the individual to learn to share responsibility

4. To develop one's inherent leadership qualities or to make opportunities to those

who have leadership qualities.

5. To make creative use of people's leisure time

6. To teach division of labor and specialization of roles

7. To teach democratic functioning

8. To provide substitute for family in a industrial and urban settings

9. To help people to develop physical, mental and emotional adjustment

10. To increase people's social consciousness

 11. To educate people in social action and social change

12. To provide opportunity for individual empowerment, and growth in self-esteem

and self-confidence

13. To provide resources for learning

14. To develop consistency and predictability of individual's behavior

15. To obtain integration between individual and group

Historical Development Of Group Work

• Social group work and group psychotherapy has primarily developed along parallel
paths. Where the roots of contemporary group psychotherapy are often traced to the
group education classes of tuberculosis patients conducted by Joseph Pratt in 1906,
the exact birth of social group work can‘t be easily identified

• Social group work approaches are rooted in the group activities of various social
agencies that arose in the latter part of the 19th century and the early years of the
20th century. -

• Social upheaval and new found demands as a result of post-Civil War,

industrialization, migration and immigration created many societal needs.

• Some of these needs were met through group work endeavors found in settlement
houses as well as religious and charity organizations .
• Additionally group work could be found in the progressive education movement ,in
the play and recreation movement ,informal education, camping and youth service
organizations invested in character building.

• As Clara Kaiser has indicated there have been numerous philosophical and
theoretical influences on the development of social group work. Chief amongst
these influences are the ethics of Judeo Christian religions, the settlement house
movement‘s charitable and humanitarian efforts, theories eminent in progressive
education, especially those of John Dewey.

• Sociological theories about the nature of the relationship between man and society,
the democratic ethics expressed by early social philosophers, the psychoanalytic
theories of Rank and Freud, theory building, educational and research efforts of
early social group workers, Early theoretical, research and practice efforts of Grace
Coyle, Wilber Newsletter , and Neva Boyd paved the way for the advancement and
development of social group work.

• Grace Coyle presented an early theoretical framework for social group work and it
express the need for a democratic value base , identifying the role of the worker as
a group builder and noting the benefits of group morale .

• As the editor of several small group research compendiums (a comprehensive but

brief account of a subject), Many of her insights about group process were ahead of
her time.
• Social group work was introduced to the social work profession when it made its
first appearance at the National Conference for Social Work in 1935.

• At this conference, Newsletter Introduced the concept of social group work to the
social work profession and identified group work as a field process and set of
techniques.

• He described group work as an ―educational process‖ concerned with ―the

development and social adjustment of an individual through voluntary group
association‖ and ―the use of this association as a means of furthering other socially
desirable ends‖.

• The period of time between the 1930s and the 1950s was one of growth and
expansion for social group work. The economic despair and varied psychosocial
needs resultant of the Great Depression paved the way for greater affiliation
between the social work profession and the field of group work.

• The psychological needs of chronic war veterans who served in World War-II
resulted in the more frequent application of social group work in psychiatric
treatment . During this period of time not only the social group work‘s introduction
at the National Conference for Social Work but additional advances would be made.

• Academic courses and research institutions were established, a professional

organization was formed, The American Association of Social Work with Groups
(AAGW) and a journal, ‗The Group‘, was established.
• The 1950s would escort in even greater affiliation of group work with the
profession of social work. The merger of the AAGW with six other organizations to
form the National Association of Social Work (NASW) in 1955 made strong the
recognition and integration of social group work with the social work profession.

• In 1956 the NASW formed a group work section which issued a new definition that
was different in focus with that proposed by the AAGW.

• The new definition dismissed the idea of group work with normal growth and
development and instead saw group work as a Service to a group where the primary
purpose is to help members improve social adjustment, and the secondary purpose
is to help the group achieve objectives approved by society.

• The 1960s and the 1970s saw the expansion of the social welfare state, the Vietnam
War, the Woman‘s Rights Movement, and the Lesbian and Gay Rights Movement.
These social, intellectual and cultural factors influenced the social work profession
including social group work With such a wide range of social and therapeutic needs
there seemed to be an even greater appreciation of group work.

• Having expanded into differing practice settings, the purposes and goals of group
work had been more broadly described at this stage than in previous decades.

• Group work scholars made great effort in developing practice theories. The work
of Vinter and Schwartz and their respective associates would direct the group work
scene for much of this decade . In Vinter‘s approach , the treatment group is thought
 of as a small social system ―whose influences can be plan fully guided to modify
client behaviour‖.

• In this approach the worker takes a central position in providing treatment. Here
the interventions were planned, group process was highly structured, and great
emphasis is given to outcome evaluation and research.

• In 1965, Bernstein and colleagues introduced another social group work practice
theory .The centre part of the edited collection was development stage model ,
known as the Boston Model.

• In 1966 Papell and Rothman presented a typology of social group work that
included the social goals model (in the tradition of Coyle), the remedial model (as
developed by Vinter) and the reciprocal model (as articulated by Schwartz).

• In 1968 Middleman made a influential contribution in articulating an approach to

group work practice that utilized non-verbal activities.

• In 1976 Roberts and Northern presented a collection of ten group work practice
theories further illustrating the diversity of approaches to group practice.

SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN INDIA

• Group work as a method of social work came to India with the introduction of
professional social work education in1936, 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 mobilizing people for the freedom
 struggle against the British, in social reform strategies as in the Sarvodaya and
Bhoodan movements. However, there is very little documentation or hardly any
theorization based on it.
• All the schools of social work in India teach a course/paper in social group work
(instead 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 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.
• V D. Mehta and Helen Joseph , 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.
• Group work method was also practiced in community work, as in the case of mahila
mandals 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 (kudumbashree 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 were 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.
• This brief review of historical trends in group work practice is intended to enable
you to understand current trends in group work practice from a broad perspective.
• At present, a remedial approach focusing on improving the functioning of
individual group member continues as the favored method of practice. This model
of practice is based on problem identification, assessment, and treatment.
• The emphasis on mutual aid characteristics of group work also continues, where the
worker‘s role is to mediate between the needs of group members and society.
• Mutual aid and shared, reciprocal responsibility are appropriate in such settings
such as short-stay homes and nari niketans that are designed to helping women in
distress to live together, to support each other and to cope with distressing life
events.
• It is also useful in community groups like mahila mandals, youth clubs and other
community groups where reciprocal sharing of mutual concerns and the giving and
receiving of support are central purposes.
• Professional social workers are also involved as consultants or facilitators of self-
help groups that emphasise the mutual aid characteristics of a group.

THEORETICAL OR PHILOSOPHICAL ASSUMPTIONS AND

VALUES OF SOCIAL GROUP WORK
BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF SOCIAL GROUP WORK:

Douglas has given the basic assumptions of the group work practice:

Group experience is essential and an integral part of human existence.

Group bring changes in the attitude and behaviour of people. Group
gives experiences which are monitored and selected in beneficial way.
Group gives experience and a sense of belonging of growing together to
the members. Group provides changes which are more
paramount(supreme) and can be obtained more quickly. Groups also
helps in the removal of difficulties created by exposure to previous
learning. Groups are used as instruments which are/economical in use,
in place of scarce resources, groups can examine behaviour and the
general pattern of group behaviour.

Man is a social animal. Social interaction is result of group life.

Man‘s achievements can be increased and developed through group
experiences. Capacity to solve group problems can be increased by
group experiences. Group experiences changes the level of
aspiration(Goal) of the group members. Group recreational activities are
beneficial for both individual and society. Group experiences has
permanent impact on individuals. Group work focuses its attention on
two types of activities i.e. programme and social relationships.
Professional knowledge and skills are essential for working with the
group. Knowledge of social sciences is essential for dealing with the
group.

Relevance of Social Group Work

• Group social work is the process through which a social worker

guides people in a group so that they can learn to relate to others
more constructively and experience personal and communal
growth.

• Groups can help individuals by using the group as a tool to help

people change behaviors.
 • By learning to interact better with others, people in the group can
develop their ability to contribute to not only their own growth but
also that of the community through communal action.

• The outcome of the group is the personal growth of its members.

• The importance of the group also lies in its ability to foster the
communal responsibility of its members.

• The group can function as a way for individuals to improve their

self-esteem and their ability to contribute to the society at large.
Therefore, group social work is an important process through
which social workers can affect not only personal growth but also
foster communal development through empowering the group
members to contribute to their society.

Scope of Social Group Work

• Human beings are always learning and growing. They have an

inherent potential for high achievement. In professional social
work, the aim is to help individuals with the integration of their
inner motives and the demands of their social environment and to
help change social environment if it is detrimental to the social
development of the individuals. There is no more a status quo. It is
a change of one or the other, as may be required.
• The group is essentially made up of individuals in interaction.
Eubank ((1932) defines a group as ‗two or more persons in a
relationship of social interaction, whose relationships with one
another may be abstracted and distinguished from their
relationships with all others so that they might be thought to be an
entity‘.

• Olmsted ((1959) states that a group is a ‗plurality of individuals

who are in contact with one another, who take one another into
account and who are aware of some significant commonality‘.
Hare ( 1962 ) has distinguished a group from a collection of
individuals.

• The former is characterized by having members who are in

interaction with one another, share a common purpose and a set of
norms which give direction and limits to their activity, and develop
a network of interpersonal attractions and a set of roles which
serve to differentiate the group from other groups.

• There may be a number of different situations in which the group

work method is utilized by a social worker. Sometimes, an
individual with a problem, e.g. an AIDS afflicted person facing
workplace discrimination, and loosing his job, seeks assistance. In
other cases, individuals with a problem are referred to a welfare
service as is the case with a woman who has been a victim of
 domestic violence, or a drug addict who has to be rehabilitated.
Integrating them with others having similar problems helps them
learn to cope and view their problem with a changed perspective.
Oftentimes, group sharing and experience become the turning
point where some members learn to cope with their problem better.

• It is not only individuals seeking help, sometimes it is an entire

group. For example, parents of children who are mentally
challenged may find it very helpful to discuss their problems and
find solutions with others.

• They may be trained to cope better with their child within a group.
In other situations the groups may be formed to handle simple
tasks. This may be a cleanliness drive in a community, or a group
formulated to organize a cultural evening in aid of destitute
children. It goes without saying that these task groups terminate
when their objective is achieved.

• Small groups have a lot of scope in participatory approaches to

development. Groups are well known to have a lot of inherent
potential for social change. Many times, the groups from the
disadvantaged sections of society are organized, informed, mobi l
ized and empowered to identify their needs and struggle for their
interests. In doing so, they become a fertile ground for learning and
empowerment of the members.
Advantages of Group Work

The advantages of groups are multi-fold.

(a) They promote interaction and intermixing between individuals who

join as members. A lot of learning comes through sharing of experiences
and reflecting upon them in group situations. Through group experiences
members learn to share, adjust, cooperate, lead, and tolerate;

(b) This type of facilitated learning within groups brings forth a lot of
change. Members can experiment with new actions in their groups, and
learn to use them outside the group. The nature of group work promotes
collective action and the group is a place where members learn to plan,
understand and initiate collective actions;

(c) As is well known, organizations are made up of collectivity of

individuals, that is groups. At the community level, when efforts of
small groups succeed, they are used for building and strengthening
people organizations. They become the foundation stone of
organizations of youth, women or the older men. Groups thus prepare
people for these larger roles they take up.

This apart, groups are a place where the very fact that an
interaction would take place with others who are having similar
problems, provides immense security to the members. The individual
problems when shared in groups become shared problems. Members feel
less threatened with their problems when they perceive the problems of
others being as much, if not more, grave. Members share their
experiences, feel secure and find support within the group. Social
Groups are a place where activities facilitate interaction and help
members are helped to overcome their isolation and loneliness.

HELPFUL ASSUMPTIONS WHEN WORKING WITH GROUPS:

(Extra Notes)

1) Life skills

One of the frameworks used in working with group is the

assumption that many persons lack the requisite skills and experiences to
cope with stresses in their social relationships. These stresses usually
occur in their childhood when children and adolescents move from one
status and role position to the other or from one interaction milieu to the
other. For example, when a child moves out from a relatively contained,
secure and static home environment to a school which is a more open
and dynamic environment, from a primary school to middle or higher
secondary school, from school to college, etc. These changes create
stress as a child or an adolescent is expected to adapt to a new set of
norms and also rules, meant for regulating behaviour. Adolescents in
general experience stress associated with physical development, social
acceptance and academic performance. The degree of stress is directly
related to the degree of life skills they possess in coping with the change.
For example, for a young boy to move from a rural school to an urban
higher education institution will cause more stress than for a young
person moving from an urban school to a higher education institution in
an urban area. Similarly, a child from a family of uneducated parents
will face more stress at school and other educational institutions. The
inadequacy of life skills such as verbal and non verbal communications,
asserting, handling feelings and conflicts, coupled with experience of
functioning in a group consisting of members from multicultural
background, increases the stress leading to maladjustment problems.
This framework helps a group worker to understand the children and
adolescents exhibiting stress symptoms and their inability to adjust in
the group. The worker can provide these children a support group to
discuss their problems and learn from each other and to understand the
coping strategies that they are using to deal with the situation. The group
worker can also help them to learn new life skills to update their
competence to cope with stresses and sources of stresses

2) Sharing Feedback

Peer relations greatly influence children and adolescents. Hence, it

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

3) Emotional support

Many persons experience trauma due to a variety of reasons.

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

VALUES OF GROUP WORK

All intervention of a professional nature is goal-directed

regardless of whether it is dealing with inanimate objects or human
beings. An intervention which is called up on to deal with human
relationships must consider ethical values in determining its purpose.
The helping process of social work is strongly influenced by the
professional values. The key values of social group work are ethical
ones. The key values are ‗Justice‘, ‗responsibility,‘ and mental health.
Justice means the basic acceptance of the dignity of each of human
being regardless of any specific attribute, such as race, sex, economic
status, intellectual endowment, physical powers etc. Justice does not
imply that all be treated the same, it implies only that all be accord the
same consideration and opportunity. Responsibility includes the
awareness of the interdependence of human begins , of the acceptance of
the rights of others as well as of one‘s own , and of the concept of
brotherhood of all people the concept that each of his brother‘s keeper .
Mental health signifies the understanding that human being must have a
sense of inner satisfaction and inner strength to be able to give to others.
These values are so important and they are the axioms (Generally
accepted truth) of professional practice.

General Values of social group work

1. All social group workers agree of the importance of positive

relation between people of different colour, creed, national origin
and social class. The group worker accept all the members
irrespective of their different back grounds and helps the members
to accept others in the same way. Here the worker uses the
application of the value of dignity of each individual.

2. All social group workers agree on the value of cooperation. In the

frame work of highly competitive society the SGW method
consciously includes the provision for positive experience in
cooperating with each other.

3. The value system of SGW includes the importance of individual

initiative. Social group work practice must enhance individual
initiative within the frame work of creative cooperation.

4. Another important value i.e. freedom of participation .The dignity

of individual must be expressed through his freedom to express his
thoughts and ideas and his right to participate in the matters
concerning himself and his community. This concept is so basic to
the practice of SGW. This value also arises the demand for one of
the most difficult process of social group work, namely, the
 encouragement of participation of each individual in decision
making. One of the greatest skills of the SGW is to help individual
in different stages of development and with different capacities to
participate in a given group situation.

5. Another important value of SGW is individualization. One of the

basic characteristic of the group work method is individualization
in the group.

General Values:

 Value members ability to keep each other

 Value group ability to empower people
 Value the power of group to promote understanding among
members from diverse background
 Value conflicts caused by personal value system in the group
 Understanding of member‘s value system

Values of Group Work (Extra Notes):

The value system informing group work practice identify with

―the ultimate value of social work‖ which they suggest is ―that human
beings have opportunities to realize their potential for living in ways
that are both personally satisfying and socially desirable‖. Humanistic
values guide social work practice with groups, inform worker role and
use of self, and the understanding of membership in a social work
group. Humanistic values "cast people in society as responsible for and
to one another‖. The perspective espoused by several social work group
work experts is that not only are people responsible for one another but
that mutual interdependence is preferable to individualism.

The following humanistic values have been highlighted by social

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

Relevance of social Group Work

 Group social work is the process through which a social worker

guides people in a group so that they can learn to relate to others
more constructively and experience personal and communal
growth.
 Groups can help individuals by using the group as a tool to help
people change behaviors.
 By learning to interact better with others, people in the group can
develop their ability to contribute to not only their own growth but
also that of the community through communal action.
 The outcome of the group is the personal growth of its members.
 The importance of the group also lies in its ability to foster the
communal responsibility of its members.
 The group can function as a way for individuals to improve their
self-esteem and their ability to contribute to the society at large.
Therefore, group social work is an important process through
which social workers can affect not only personal growth but also
foster communal development through empowering the group
members to contribute to their society.

Scope of Social Group Work

 Human beings are always learning and growing. They have an
inherent potential for high achievement. In professional social
work, the aim is to help individuals with the integration of their
inner motives and the demands of their social environment and to
help change social environment if it is detrimental to the social
development of the individuals. There is no more a status quo. It is
a change of one or the other, as may be required.

 The group is essentially made up of individuals in interaction.

Eubank ((1932) defines a group as ‗two or more persons in a
relationship of social interaction, whose relationships with one
another may be abstracted and distinguished from their
 relationships with all others so that they might be thought to be an
entity‘

 Olmsted ((1959) states that a group is a ‗plurality of individuals

who are in contact with one another, who take one another into
account and who are aware of some significant commonality‘.
Hare ( 1962 ) has distinguished a group from a collection of
individuals.

 The former is characterized by having members who are in

interaction with one another, share a common purpose and a set of
norms which give direction and limits to their activity, and develop
a network of interpersonal attractions and a set of roles which
serve to differentiate the group from other groups.
 There may be a number of different situations in which the group
work method is utilized by a social worker. Sometimes, an
individual with a problem, e.g. an AIDS afflicted person facing
workplace discrimination, and loosing his job, seeks assistance. In
other cases, individuals with a problem are referred to a welfare
service as is the case with a woman who has been a victim of
domestic violence, or a drug addict who has to be rehabilitated.
Integrating them with others having similar problems helps them
learn to cope and view their problem with a changed perspective.
 Oftentimes, group sharing and experience become the turning
point where some members learn to cope with their problem better.
 It is not only individuals seeking help, sometimes it is an entire
group. For example, parents of children who are mentally
challenged may find it very helpful to discuss their problems and
find solutions with others.
 They may be trained to cope better with their child within a group.
In other situations the groups may be formed to handle simple
tasks. This may be a cleanliness drive in a community, or a group
formulated to organize a cultural evening in aid of destitute
children. It goes without saying that these task groups terminate
when their objective is achieved.
 Small groups have a lot of scope in participatory approaches to
development. Groups are well known to have a lot of inherent
potential for social change. Many times, the groups from the
disadvantaged sections of society are organized, informed, mobi l
ized and empowered to identify their needs and struggle for their
interests. In doing so, they become a fertile ground for learning and
empowerment of the members.

Advantages of Group Work

 The advantages of groups are multi-fold.

 (a) They promote interaction and intermixing between individuals
who join as members. A lot of learning comes through sharing of
experiences and reflecting upon them in group situations. Through
group experiences members learn to share, adjust, cooperate, lead,
and tolerate;
 (b) This type of facilitated learning within groups brings forth a lot
of change. Members can experiment with new actions in their
groups, and learn to use them outside the group. The nature of
group work promotes collective action and the group is a place
where members learn to plan, understand and initiate collective
actions;
 (c) As is well known, organizations are made up of collectivity of
individuals, that is groups. At the community level, when efforts of
small groups succeed, they are used for building and strengthening
people organizations. They become the foundation stone of
organizations of youth, women or the older men. Groups thus
prepare people for these larger roles they take up.

 This apart, groups are a place where the very fact that an
interaction would take place with others who are having similar
problems, provides immense security to the members. The
individual problems when shared in groups become shared
problems. Members feel less threatened with their problems when
 they perceive the problems of others being as much, if not more,
grave. Members share their experiences, feel secure and find
support within the group. Social Groups are a place where
activities facilitate interaction and help members are helped to
overcome their isolation and loneliness.

SOCIAL GROUP WORK – MODULE 4

SOCIAL GROUP WORK PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS

Principles of group work

1. The principles of Planned group formation.
2. The principles of specific objectives
3. The principles of purposeful worker group relationship
4. The principles of continuous individualization
5. The principles of guided group interaction
6. The principles of democratic group self-determination
7. The principles of flexile functional organization
8. The principles of progressive program experience
9. The Principle of resource utilization.
10. The principles of evaluation.

1-The Principle of Planned Group Formation.

In the field of social work, the group is always been the basic unit in
which and through which service is provided. In this social group work
process, the group is used to help individuals or provide service for
his/her better of social functioning and development. The agency and
social group worker should be responsible for the formation of the group
or should accept the agency if already formed. Hence the worker should
form the group primarily before initiating the social group work process.
2- The Principle of Specific Objective
In the social group work process, the specific objective of an individual
and the social group must be consciously formulated by the group work
in the relationship and harmony with the group as well as keeping with
the agency's purpose. The group worker should help the member achieve
the objective of social work through its own specific objectives which
are to assist individuals to grow and change for the development.
3- The Principle of Purposeful Worker Group Relationship.
Without a purposeful relationship, a group is can‘t be termed as social
group hence a consciously purposeful relationship should be established
between the worker and group members based on the practice of mutual
acceptance The group work should be more conscious of the following
points.
Before helping group members to develop a meaningful relationship the
social group worker should develop a meaningful and purposeful
relationship with the group.

4-The Principle of Continuous Individualization.

Social work recognizes every individual are unique in a similar way it is
recognized that every group is different and the individual uses group
experience in various ways to meet his /her needs. That is why
continuous individualization must be practiced by the social group
worker.
5- The Principle of Guided Group Interaction
Social group work is a method through which individuals in a group in
an agency setting are helped by trained professional group workers. The
worker helps and guides entire program activities and guides the
interaction process through his or her active participation in the process.
The worker makes use of the method to stimulate the group to the fullest
possible analysis and understanding of their own situation.
6-Principle of Democratic Group Self-determination.
In the social group work process, the group should help in making its
own decision and determine its own activities. The principles of self-
determination are the core values of social work philosophy and have to
be practiced irrespective of the method of our working. The prime
source of control over the group is the group itself.
7- The Principles of Flexible Functional Organization
Every group has some formal organization of its constituents members
and this process of organization helps an individual to functions
effectively. When a group is formed for a specific objective it should
also form a formal organization to achieve those specific goals. The
formal organization should be flexible and should be encouraged only as
it meets a felt need for a group. As the group changes the formal
organization should also change hence it should be more adaptive.
8- The principle of Progressive Program Experience
The meaning of the program here does not mean only activity and any
event. It is a border concept that includes entire pictures of individuals
and social group relationships, experience, and interaction. In program
experience, group engagement should begin at the level of member
interest, needs, experience, and competencies.
9- The principles of Resources Utilization.
Under these principles, the group work is being guided to utilize the
available resources to enrich the content of group experience for
individuals and groups as a whole. The social group worker should pass
the knowledge about the availability of resources in the group, agency,
and community for the different programs.
10- The principles of evaluation.
In social group work, a continuous process of evaluation to asses the
outcome of the group programs is very much essential. Carefully
maintained records can facilitate proper monitoring and evaluation

Qualities of a Group worker

 Social group worker must have certain essential qualities where
she/he brings harmony and co-operation between groups and the
individuals on the basis of knowledge and experience. The group
 worker could only implement her/his work plan on the basis of
skilled assessment which is as follows:
Selection of group.
 Obtaining maximum information about group.

 Establishing purposeful relationship with the individual in the

group.

 Knowledge about status of an individual and analyzing group

situation.

 Suitable programme planning and programme implementation

process.

 Knowledge about the available resources within and outside the

group.

 Optimum utilization of agency and group resources

 Evaluating the programme

Functions of Social Group Worker
• The American Association of Group Workers (1949) describes as:
• ―The group worker enables various types of groups to function in
such a way that both group interaction and programme activities
contribute to the growth of the individual, and the achievement of
the desirable social goal.
• The objectives of the group worker include provision for personal
growth according to individual capacity and need;
• The adjustment of the individual to other persons, to groups and to
society, the motivation of the individual toward the improvement
 of society and; the recognition by the individual of his own rights,
abilities and differences of others.
• Through his participation the group worker aims to effect the
group process so that decisions come about as a result of
knowledge and a sharing and integration of ideas, experiences and
knowledge, rather than as a result of domination from within or
without the group.
• Social Work Intervention with Individuals and Groups through
experience he/she aims to produce those relationship with other
groups and the wider community which contributes to responsible
citizenship, mutual understanding between cultural, religious,
economic or special groupings in the community, and a
participation in the constant improvement of our society towards
democratic goals.
• The guiding purpose behind such leadership rests upon the
common assumptions of a democratic society; namely, the
opportunity for each individual to fulfill his capacities in freedom,
to respect and appreciate others and to assume his social
responsibility in maintaining and constantly improving our
democratic societies.
• Underlying the practice of group work is the knowledge of
individual and group behaviour and of social conditions and
community relations which is based on the modern social sciences.
• On the basis of this knowledge the group worker contributes to the
group with which he works with a skill in leadership which enables
the members to use their capacities to the full and to create socially
constructive group activities.
• He is aware of both programme activities and of the interplay
(interaction)of personalities, within the group and between the
group and its surrounding community.
 • According to the interests and needs of each, he assists them to get
from the group experience, the satisfaction provided by the
programme activities, the enjoyment and personal growth available
through the social relations, and the opportunity to participate as a
responsible citizen.
• The group worker makes conscious use of his relations to the
group, his knowledge of programme as a tool for understanding of
the individual and of the group process and recognizes his
responsibility both to individuals and groups with whom he works
and the larger social values he represents‖.
Skills of Social Group Worker
According to Trecker , skill is the capacity to apply knowledge and
understanding to a given situation. Trecker also has specified skills for
social group worker as follows:
1) Skill in Establishing Purposeful Relationships
A) The group worker must be skillful in gaining the acceptance of the
group and in relating himself to the group on a positive professional
basis.

B) The group worker must be skillful in helping individuals in the group

to accept one another and to join with the group in common pursuits.

2) Skill in Analyzing the Group Situation

A) The group worker must be skillful in judging the developmental level
of the group to determine what the level is and what the group needs.
This calls for skill in direct observation of groups as a basis for analysis
and judgment.

B) The group worker must be skillful in helping the group to express

ideas, work out objectives, clarify immediate goals, and see both its
potentialities and limitations as a group.
3) Skill in Participation with the Group
A) The group worker must be skillful in determining, interpreting,
assuming and modifying his own role with the group.

B) The group worker must be skillful in helping group members to

participate, to locate leadership among themselves, and to take
responsibility for their own activities.

4) Skill in Dealing with Group Feeling

A) The group worker must be skillful in controlling his own feelings
about the group and must study each new situation with a high degree of
objectivity.

B) The group worker must be skillful in helping groups to release their

own feelings, both positive and negative. He must be skillful in helping
groups to analyze situations as a part of the working through of group
conflicts.
5) Skill in Programme Development
A) The group worker must be skillful in guiding group thinking so that
interests and needs will be revealed and understood.

B) The group worker must be skillful in helping groups to develop

programs which they want as a means through which their needs may be
met

6) Skill in Using Agency and Community Resources

A) The group worker must be skillful in locating and then acquainting(to
make aware) the group with various helpful resources which can be
utilized by them for program purposes
B) The group worker must be skillful in helping individual members to
make use of specialized services by means of referral when they have
needs which cannot be met within the group.
7) Skill in Evaluation
A) The group worker must have skill in recording the developmental
processes that are going on as he works with the group.

B) The group worker must be skillful in using his records and in helping
the group to review its experiences as a means of improvement.

Skills in Building Group Cohesiveness

• The group worker must know his group members – their strengths,
capacities, fears, problems and roles they can play in the group‘s
progress. The following are the other factors the worker needs to
concentrate upon in building himself within the group:
• Effective rapport building with the group members; to get on the
same wave length with people easily and quickly
• Winning the confidence and trust of people by accepting members
as they are and enabling them to see the worth of every job that has
to be done in the group large or small.
• Establishing a good working relationship, based on friendship
andmutual confidence that would facilitate influence over the
group members
• Ability to avoid splinter groups, especially sub groupismby
empathizing and thinking for all the group members. The group
worker has to be cautious to interpret the silence of the group
members. Silence always does not denote negative aspects; it could
just indicate the individuals‘ hesitation.
• Skill to remain cool and composed while listening to the distasteful
– understanding and internalizing the fact that two people can look
at the same thing and look at it differently. It is important that the
worker has to strengthen his inner self without getting upset or
hitting back at unpleasantness of the group. He needs to understand
that this is in light of the larger good of the group.
• Capacity to get the group to willingly shoulder responsibilities
rather than taking up all the burden on himself – the ability to
segregate works that can be delegated and executing those which
are best done by the worker.
Facilitation Skills
• This involves the group worker helping the group to stay focused
on the goals to be achieved, to ensure that the group members
work towards a common direction.
• Facilitating skill, also sometimes called the ―here-and-now‖ of
group interaction is often missed by the group workers.
• This is because group processes take a back seat when group
interactions are intense. Also, at times the group worker may
hesitate to intervene during a lively yet dispersed discussion.
• However, the group worker has to acquire this skill to enable
spirited group accomplishments. To help a group accomplish the
goals it has set for itself, the worker will often find it helpful to
guide the group‘s interaction in a particular direction. By limiting
or blocking a group member‘s communications, by encouraging
another member to speak or by linking one group member‘s
communication to those of other group members, the worker can
guide the group‘s interaction patterns. This method has been
referred to as selecting communications patterns purposely
(Middleman & Wood, 1990).
• Helping the group maintain its focus can promote efficient work by
reducing irrelevant communications and by encouraging a full
exploration of issues and problems. The group worker does this by
minimizing unwanted interactions and by stirring optimum search
investigation of concerns and tight spots.
Skills of Information Collection and Evaluation

• Information is power and this is true in working with groups too. It

is handy in impacting communiqué designs in the group. Through
information gathering and evaluation skills, the group worker
bridges the gap between the process-oriented approach of
facilitating group processes and the task oriented approach of using
action skills to achieve goals and satisfy members‘ needs. Without
effective data gathering and assessment skills, workers‘
interventions are not ground in a complete understanding of the
situation. This can result in the use of premature, oversimplified, or
previously attempted solutions that have not been carefully
analyzed and weighed.
Requesting Information, Questioning and Probing
• By skillfully questioning and probing the group worker may gather
data effectively. A broad outlook to the task in question and to the
pursuits of the group could be added (with this supplementary
information) that could benefit the group immensely. Skills are
needed in properly wording the questions – leading questions;
double questions etc should be avoided. The questions need to
extract information that is clear and precise. Care should be taken
while dealing with sensitive issues and concerns.

Analyzing Skills
• Once the data have been gathered and organized, the worker can
use analyzing skills to synthesize the information and assess how
to proceed. Analyzing skills include:
• Pointing out patterns in the data,
• Identifying gaps in the data, and
 • Establishing mechanisms or plans for obtaining data to complete
an assessment.

Synthesizing Skills
• Another useful data gathering and assessment skill is blending
verbal and nonverbal communications. Examples of synthesizing
skills include:
• Making connections among the meanings behind a member‘s
actions or words, expressing hidden agendas
• Making implicit feelings or thoughts explicit
• Making connections between communications to point out themes
and trends in member‘s actions or words
• Synthesizing skills can be useful in providing feedback to
members about how they are perceived by others.
Listening Skills

• We convey our listening skills verbally and non verbally.

• By appropriate feedback and playback the group worker conveys
verbally whereas through his eye contact, gestures and body
language he conveys it non verbally. Egan (2002) suggests that, in
addition to body position and eye contact, skills that indicate that a
worker has heard and understood a member are part of effective
listening. Research has shown that effective listening skills are an
important characteristic of successful leaders (Johnson & Bechler)
• 1998). Effective listening skills include repeating or paraphrasing
what a member says and responding empathically and
enthusiastically to the meaning behind members‘ communications.

Action Skills
• This includes modeling, role playing and rehearsing situations in
the group. Action skills can be helpful in both task and treatment
 groups. Modeling refers to the worker or a member demonstrating
behaviors in a particular situation so that others in the group can
observe what to do and how to do it. Role playing refers to having
group members act out a situation with each other‘s help.
• The two primary purposes of role playing are to assess members‘
skill in responding to an interpersonal situation and to help
members improve particular responses.
• Responses can be improved through feedback, rehearsal of a new
response, or coaching (Etcheverry, Siporin, &
• Toseland, 1987). Role playing can be a very useful tool when
trying to help members improve responses to stressful situations.
• Rehearsing refers to practicing a new behavior or response based
on the feedback received after a role play. Because it is difficult to
learn new behaviors or to diminish less adaptive but habituated
behavior patterns, a member may have to practice a new response
several times.
Confrontation Skills
• From handling conflicts and resistance to enthusing group
members, confrontation skills could be a valuable tool for the
group worker. Confrontation is the ability to clarify, examine, and
challenge behaviors to help members overcome distortions and
discrepancies among behaviors, thoughts, and feelings (Egan,
2002; Toseland & Spielberg,
• 1982). However, one has to vigilantly judge the state of affairs and
about the acceptability of his interventions during confronting
situations. He has to be fully aware that confrontations are forceful,
emotionally charged and also anticipate strong responses. Since
confrontations often involve indicating members‘ mistakes and
limitations, the worker has to prepare the group for a candid
examination on these lines by underlining the fact that ultimately
 such discussions aid in identifying potentials and abilities of the
group.
Skills of Conflict Resolution
• Conflict resolution skills are needed to smoothen out frictions
within the group and also with those outside the group – inclusive
of social systems. There could be several grounds for conflicts
among the members. The group worker should facilitate the group
to consider conflicts as a factor nourishing the group‘s
development. Conflicts, if constructive and issue based, help the
group to get a clearer vision of its goals and discover individual
strengths and weaknesses. It is well known that conflicts are bound
to happen; through efficient group facilitation, conflicts could be
minimized and antagonistic disagreements avoided
Critiquing Skills
• Constructive criticism is an important skill for the worker, for lots
of learning happens while critiquing the group‘s progression and
activities. It enables retaining the focus on the group‘s primary
purpose. It also means appropriate questioning of the leader‘s
inputs and interventions, contribution of members and patterns of
group‘s functioning. Critiquing by members is healthier and many
a times anticipates and prevents flaws.
Leadership Skills
• This is a vital skill that is disputed by researchers – is leadership a
trait or a behavior? Is a leader born or made?
• Despite differing views, it has been proved beyond doubt that
leadership skill can be learned. However, there is no ‗one size fits
all‘ solution to mastering leadership skills.
• Group leaders have to constantly remind themselves that they are
working with human beings each with different viewpoints,
personalities and ways of functioning.
 • The key skill of the leader is communicating and keeping
communication channels open within the group at all times. This
means the leader has to involve all members in discussions – the
quiet ones, the ones who may not be comfortable talking in groups
or those who can be easily silenced. The other key skills of
leadership are:
• · Consensus seeking· Gate keeping· Setting standards
• · Self understanding that leads to enhanced communiqué
• · Inter-personal understanding that leads to understanding
members‘ viewpoints
• Preventing disruptive behaviour such as diverting, blocking,
dominating, silence, attention seeking, sympathy seeking etc.

Roles of a social worker working with Groups

Roles of a social worker working with Groups
In working with groups a social worker has to be knowledgeable and
skillful to perform variety of roles. Particular role that is selected
and suits him ideally is to determine the most effective. Let‘s learn
and study about the major roles performed by a social group worker.
1. Enabler
Group worker presents in a group as a helper/enabler to do things with
the group. He influences the group indirectly. He helps individually to
articulate their problems and also plan resolution strategies and develop
capacities to solve their problems on their own. He helps in mobilizing
strengths and resources to cope with problems.
2. Broker
He identifies the community resources, government resources, schemes
and programs which help the group to carry out their plans successfully.
Group members lack information about the resources and services. He
helps members to become aware of resources and eligibility criteria and
other conditions of using the services
 3. Advocate
Worker also acts as an advocate which helps the group members in need
of help. Group worker provides leadership for collecting information,
arguing the correctness (exactness) of client‘s need and request and
challenging the institution decision to provide services.
4. Activist
When a group is formed then the group worker acts as an activists.
Activists change the objective which involves shift in power and
resources of the group. Group workers are concerned about social
injustice, inequality and deprivation. Goal is to change the social
environment to meet the needs of individual
5. Mediator
Social group work is often a link between the members, other groups,
community and agency. As a mediator he solves disputes, conflicts,
opposing point of view within and outside the group. He finds
intervention to settle differences and to reach at mutually
satisfactory agreements. He works with the group and occupies a
liaising position.
6. Negotiator
He brings together the ones who are in conflict with each other. He
bargains, negotiates and compromise to arrive at a mutually acceptable
agreements. A negotiator he plays the role of while negotiating time,
venue, resources, etc. with the group members
7. Educator
This is one of the most important roles of a group worker in helping
members achieve the goals. He gives information to group members and
teaches them new skills. To work as an effective educator his
communication skills should also be good and it must be clearly
conveyed to get the correct information.
8. Initiator
He gives his attention to a problem, a potential problem and realizes that
problems can be recognized easily. With his experience and knowledge
he forecast the problem areas and draws attention to address the issues.
9. Empowered
The main goal of social work is of empowerment. Empowered group
worker helps individuals to increase their strengths.
10. Co-coordinator
On behalf of the agency they assume the role of coordinator and help the
group members to avail services of different agencies. He coordinates
the group members in the initial stages of group formation.
11. Group Facilitator
He serves the group as a leader. Group may be of therapy, family
therapy, or any other focus group. He provides methodology and help
the members to allow himself to become involved with the problems of
the group. He expresses his opinions and makes it clear when his
functioning as a group is clear. Facilitating discussion is also one of the
important role of group worker.
12. Communicator end Interpreter
He is a specialist in how to communicate with people. He acts as an
interpreter where relationships are to be dealt. The main role he plays is
how to help the group members to understand what is being
communicated. In certain cases it he has to explain and interpret the
meaning to the members. Group members are sometimes not able to see
the actual gains of being in the group.

 STEPS IN GROUP FORMATION

Needs assessment

• addressing needs, or "gaps" between current conditions and

desired conditions or "wants".
 • A needs assessment is a part of planning processes, often used for
improvement in individuals, education/training, organizations, or
communities. It can refine and improve a product such as a training
or service a client receives. It can be an effective tool to clarify
problems and identify appropriate interventions or solutions.
• By clearly identifying the problem, finite resources can be directed
towards developing and implementing a feasible and applicable
solution.
• Gathering appropriate and sufficient data informs the process of
developing an effective product that will address the groups needs
and wants. Needs assessments are only effective when they are
ends-focused and provide concrete evidence that can be used to
determine which of the possible means-to-the-ends are most
effective and efficient for achieving the desired results.
• Worker studies individuals attitudes, interests needs, and desires
and unite them on the basis of certain principles. He forms the
group according to the motives and the needs of the agency. , he
after the interview of the members, brings out such accepted terms
and conditions which unite them together. In the group formation
process , the group worker decides nature of the group activities (
recreational, educational etc.), working methodology , ( play
drama, role playing, discussion etc), place of activities, , frequency
of the meeting, and its meeting time , process of communication ,
selection procedure of group members, ( age , sex, education etc.),
need of the community resources.
Formulation of objectives
• In this step, the purpose for formation of group must be clear in
workers mind and it should be defined , specific , and explained in
clear and concise statements . Members and agencies should know
the extent and confined areas of group for its operation and
 activities. It should also make agencies and other related sponsors
clear about their expectations from the group. In this step goals of
the group are formed. Goals are desired levels of change in
behavior, social situation. The purpose of the group, agency's
purpose, needs of the individual members all are put together and
then the goals are set.
Developing plan for group work and programme planning
• As the group is now ready to settle down, it can be structured at
this stage. The members must now be prepared and encouraged to
assume roles and responsibilities. They are to be told about the
expectations of the group from them in terms of tasks, on the basis
of their capabilities and talents. In the Indian context the members
may have to be closely assisted till they learn to assume
responsibilities on their own. Some may need constant help of the
group worker to carry out their roles. The worker at this stage must
constantly encourage the members to use their latent talents and
capacities.
Programme planning
• Programme planning means helping the members to plan the
programme discovering and arousing interests. The various people
in the neighborhood can be tapped as a resource person and even
talented group members can be used to demonstrate skills. The
workers should know to work with in the limitations imposed by
programme materials, roles and situations, agency and community
resources, finance and time. . The group worker enables the
members to plan programmes observing, listing and acting,
visiting, consulting, analyzing and recording them. It helps him to
gain insight about the members and their needs.
 • Though group members plan and organize activities for themselves
but the worker is the key factor in making these activities lively.
He guides and directs the group so that the maximum creates
effects may come out from these activities. The worker keeps his
eyes on the interaction process of the group. If any member is not
taking interest or not participating as he desired, the worker helps
him. He resolves the group conflicts and direct them for healthy
interaction
Group development
• Bruce Tuckman presented a model of five stages Forming,
Storming, Norming, and Performing and Adjourning in order to
develop as a group.
• Orientation (Forming Stage)
• The first stage of group development is the forming stage. This
stage presents a time where the group is just starting to come
together and is described with anxiety and ambiguity.
• Members are discreet with their behavior, which is driven by
their desire to be accepted by all members of the group.
Conflict, controversy, misunderstanding and personal opinions
are avoided even though members are starting to form
impressions of each other and gain an understanding of what
the group will do together.
• Typical consequences of the forming stage include achieving
an understanding of the group's purpose, determining how the
team is going to be organized and who will be responsible for
what, discussion of major milestones or phases of the group's
goal that includes a rough project schedule, outlining general
group rules that includes when they will meet and discovery of
what resources will be available for the group to use.
At this stage, group members are learning what to do, how the group is
going to operate, what is expected, and what is acceptable
 • Power Struggle (Storming Stage)
• The second stage of group development is the storming stage.
The storming stage is where dispute and competition are at its
greatest because now group members have an understanding
of the work and a general feel of belongingness towards the
group as well as the group members.
• This is the stage where the dominating group members
emerge, while the less argumentative members stay in their
comfort zone.
• Questions around leadership, authority, rules, policies, norms,
responsibilities, structure, evaluation criteria and reward
systems tend to arise during the storming stage. Such questions
need to be answered so that the group can move further on to
the next stage.
• Cooperation and Integration (Norming Stage)
• In this stage, the group becomes fun and enjoyable. Group
interaction are lot more easier, more cooperative, and productive,
with weighed give and take, open communication, bonding, and
mutual respect.
• If there is a dispute or disruption, it‘s comparatively easy to be
resolved and the group gets back on track.
• Group leadership is very important, but the facilitator can step
back a little and let group members take the initiative and move
forward together
• Synergy (Performing Stage)
• Once a group is clear about its needs, it can move forward to the
next stage of group development. This is the time where the group
becomes really united.
• At this stage, the morale is high as group members actively
recognize the talents, skills and experience that each member
brings to the group. A sense of belongingness is established and
the group remains focused on the group's purpose and goal.
• Members are flexible, interdependent, and trust each other.
Leadership is distributive and members are willing to adapt
according to the needs of the group
• Closure (Adjourning Stage)
• This stage of a group can be confusing and is usually reached when
the task is successfully completed. At this stage, the project is
coming to an end and the team members are moving off in
different directions.
• This stage looks at the team from the viewpoint of the well-being
of the team instead of the viewpoint of handling a team through the
original four stages of team growth

• Group Work Process

• The different stages are used in social work group formation.

According to Ken Heap the process of group work : ie
formation and planning, the first meetings, the working phase,
use of activities and action and the termination of the Group.
 • Douglas (1979), described five stages as conceptualization,
creation, operation, termination and evaluation. He mainly
focused on role of leaders in performing these functions.
• Tose land and Rivas (1984) discussed the stages under
planning phase, beginning phase, middle phase and ending
phase.
• Accordingly, we can make different stages of social work
groups as follows:
• Pregroup (group formation) stage.
• Initial (first meetings) stage.
• Middle (Active working) stage.
• Evaluation of group organizations.
• Terminating/ending the group phase.

Pre group stage basically identifies the need for group formation and its
purpose for such formation.
• Initial (first meetings) phase or stage defines a specified place
where the worker and the group member meet, it can be called
as agency or other place where sessions and other information
and orientation is carried out or to be shared.
• In the middle (active working) phase, major functions and
activities are done by groups in order to accomplish its specific
goal or objective to be achieved.
• In evaluation phase, performance of group is examined and the
group purpose and member‘s goals also examined
• In the last phase i.e. termination or ending phase, the group is
dissolved (comes to an end) Let‘s discuss each stage briefly
• Stage I Planning and formation of the group(Pre Group
formation)
• In social group, person or a worker who represents an agency
providing services such as residential care, day-care and
community work may come across situations where the services of
the agency are effectively utilized by the client system through a
group experience.
• When the worker identifies the need for social group formation,
he/she starts planning for group formation. Firstly, worker has to
answer some questions on it. Some of the questions are Why there
is a need for group? Who are the persons for whom group is being
formed? How many groups are needed to form? For how much
time group is to be formed? Keeping the entire above mentioned
questions in mind, they are divided into broad steps at various
stages, such as:
• Formulating group‘s purpose
• Composition of the group
• Size of the group
• Enrolling the members, etc.
• Formulating Group’s Purpose: In this step, the purpose for
formation of group must be clear in worker‘s mind and it should be
defined, specific and explained in clear and concise statements.
Members and agencies should know the extent and restricted areas
of group for its operations and activities. It should also make
agencies and other related sponsors clear about their expectations
from the group.
• Composition of the Group: After group formation, prior step is to
establish the composition of group, whether it should be
homogeneous or heterogeneous? In general terms, homogeneity
specifies to have and share common features among group such as
same age group, educational background, interests, etc., which
helps to build the group bond more faster in a important manner
but on the other hand, it may fail to provide diverse information,
experiences and other alternative ways of doing.
• Heterogeneity gives details about the need for diversity of certain
characteristics of members such as length of time suffering with or
coping with the problem etc.. So, it is very important for group
 workers to properly decide the composition, nature of group and to
have it either closed or opened group.
• Open groups are those groups where there are no restrictions of
time to join the group i.e. a person can join the group anytime
during his/her life. Whereas, in close group, members are invited
only for a defined time period after expiry of such time,
‗enrollment for it stops.
• Size of the Group: It defines the ideal size of a group and perfect
number of members to present for it. The size of a group basically
depends on the purpose and manageability from point of time,
space, funds and other features of controls that play a vital role in
group.
• Generally, group of eight to fifteen members are considered as
ideal and perfect. The professional ability and expertise of group
members is used at its best level to determine the size of group.
• Enrolling the Members: After deciding purpose of formation
group, its composition and size, next step is to enroll members.
Various arrangements are to be made by workers to inform the
members about formulation of group. It can be given directly to
members or through notice, circulars or by advertising to media
and other agencies by newspapers or radio.
• The voluntary members may approach directly or make an
application. On receiving applications, worker should examine and
inspect them on different basis such as eligibility criteria,
demographic attributes, experience, skills etc. After such
inspection, worker can also conduct interviews accordingly to
sustain their suitability and enrollment can be done.
• Contracting: Proper agreement should be made between members
and workers to follow conditions and share responsibilities during
 the life of group. Such as assurance to attend group sessions
regularly and to complete work on time. Proper confidentiality
must be maintained as it is a major feature of being professional.
• Contact should also describe fees or charges as for any activity or
procuring any material. It may be in written or verbal and binds the
workers and members to planned schedules of the group which
facilitates an environment to conduct group process in an effective
and efficient manner. Finally, proper stage will be prepared by
worker to begin group proceedings. Place to conduct group
sessions will be chosen by worker and monetary funds will be
arranged.
• Stage II: Initial Meetings(Beginning Phase)
• Here we will look into the responsibilities of the worker and
members of the group. If considered then this is the most crucial
stage for the group because success or failure of the group depends
on the initial meetings.
• The members become a part of the meeting with a luggage of
expectations. They think that this is the end of their tough times
and they will overcome with their problems. They are also eager to
meet and interact with others who are also having same problems.
They are also having a number of fears. They do not know what
type of persons are the worker and other members.
• Is the worker and other members are of friendly nature,
understanding and sensitive, is it confidential etc ? Whether can
participate meaningfully in the group discussions? Will my
situation get more worsened? These are some of the fears of the
member.
• Steps involved in this stage are:
• Self-presentation of the workers and members.
• Orientation about the group.
• Goal formation.
• Structuring the group.
• Reviewing the contract.
• Self-presentations: When the group is met for the first time,
worker makes the group members feel comfortable. When the
members are settled comfortably then he introduces
himself/herself.
• The worker shall give adequate information about himself/herself
as possible so that it makes members confident about the worker
• After that the members are asked to introduce themselves. This
exercise of introductions shall be planned in such a way that it will
help the members to feel at ease, and come out with more details
about their situation. One way is to sit in a circle and introductions
start in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.
• Orientation about the Group: Worker must orient members
about the purpose of the group. Worker must tells about the
circumstances due to which the group so formed. Members are
explained about the functions and the roles of both the worker and
members. Worker must share his previous experiences so that
members develop confidence in the worker. Members are
encouraged to seek clarifications as to the relevance of the group‘s
purpose to their needs or problem.
• Goal Formation: In this step, the goals of the group are formed.
Goals are the desired levels of change in behaviour, social situation
or physical conditions. The purpose of the group, agency‘s
purpose, the needs of the individual members all are put together
and then the goals are set.
• Structuring Group Session: It has two implications first is
structuring the time and the second addresses to the pattern of
interactions. The group has to think in advance for how much time
meetings will go. Group then has to stick to the time schedules.
• Alternatives must also be planned in advance which in case not
followed would lead to failure of time schedules. For example, it
has to spend 30 minutes for a video show but because of the
electricity failure, the video could not be played. So instead of
wasting time group members can have a discussion on the main
topic of the video tape.
• The interactions in between the members and between members
and worker have to be structured. Structuring the interactions
includes how to address each other, how to and when to intervene
and interrupt, how to encourage passive and shy members to
participate and control the domination of some members. Group
norms must be strictly followed by the group members.
• Reviewing the Contract: While making the contract agreement is
formed that all members will work together. Till this time members
get to know each other and they all have developed a good
understanding with each other. After orientation and some initial
meetings with the members of the group, members might want to
change the contract or some of the conditions of the contract for
 example, frequency of meetings, time and duration of meetings,
fees etc.
• The contract is reviewed and new clauses are introduced or some
clauses are deleted from the original contract with mutual consent.
Creating an environment that is favorable for the healthy ways to
the group session is a continuous process
Stage III: Middle(Active Working) Stage
• This phase occupies the major part of the working life of the
group. Members attend the sessions regularly and actively working
towards accomplishing the goals.
• Making Arrangements for Group Sessions: The worker and
members plan for the group meetings. The worker spend extensive
time in the development of activities and procedures for the group
meetings. A lot of decisions are taken with regard to the selection
of task, sequencing of tasks, assigning responsibilities etc.
Materials and equipment for group activities have to be obtained .
Resource agencies and persons have to be contacted.
• Structuring the Time: The worker continues to set time limits for
group sessions. The members and the worker have to be relatively
mindful about the time and how to get maximum benefits from
these group meeting.
• This should not be done as it encourages them to be late and it
annoys the ones who come on time. It also happens that the
meetings are either closed early or late. This is also not healthy as
it causes inconvenience to members who have other works to
attend and discourage them to attending or they may not pay
proper attention to the group activity. So it is important that
members must carefully structure their time and follow it.
• Facilitating the Group Sessions: The foremost reason to form the
group is enabling the members to come on and work towards
solving their problems. The worker has to facilitate the group to
perform.
• In this stage, the members follow goals set for both individual and
group. Worker inspires members to work actively and discuss and
solve the problem. The worker, by now get to know about the
strengths and weaknesses of group members. It is also noticed that
some members are working hard and others are sitting just lazily
and due to this fact group‘s progress gets, affected. The worker
tries to encourage the non-performing members to perform.
• The worker facilitates interpersonal interactions whenever he/she
finds them weakening.
• Deteriorating interpersonal relations are visible when members
fail to communicate with each other, participate in the group
activities, avoids some members, differ and pick up quarrels with
each other, and form subgroups and work against each other.
• The worker helps to improve the interpersonal interactions by
introducing a number of ice breaking, role-playing, modeling, and
recreation exercises.
• The worker facilitates the member to perform in desired direction .
The worker then make suggestions for framing and restructuring of
the thoughts and expressions, as well as for stopping of the
recurrence of unhealthy thoughts to enable the member to deal
with these cognitive processes.
• Assessment of Group’s Performance: The group performance is
assessed to ensure group‘s attainment of its goals. It gives proper
 direction and guidance to the group. It even includes assessment of
participation and involvement in group activities, the changes that
are taking place in the members‘ perceptions, attitudes and
behaviors, acquisition of new skills, and strengthening of existing
skills that would help members to deal with their problem areas
and grow. The assessment is done by the worker and members.
The tools used in assessment are:
• Structured Observations: Worker and other members
observe themselves. For example, to assess communication
between the members then worker may not inform the
members but he silently observes the verbal and non-verbal
modes of communication of the group members. Members
are assessed on the basis of gestures, language used for each
other, verbal and non verbal modes of communication.
• Recording of Group Meetings: Written reports, audio and
videotapes, measurement scales of behaviour, and socio gram
etc. are used as a tool for assessment of group performance.
Leadership styles, sub-group formation, conflicts, are some
of the areas that can be assessed by the above mentioned
tools.
Stage IV Evaluation
• Evaluation means examining the value of anything. Evaluation
provides feed back on the performance of the group. It is carried
out at the end of group work activity and before the group is
terminated. It points out that whether the worker competently dealt
with the group work process or not.
• It enables him/her to gain confidence and make efforts to improve
his/her professional knowledge and skills, gives him/ her the
 satisfaction that he/she is contributing for good of the profession
and the society.
• Evaluation gives information to the agency about the quality of
service and additional efforts to improve its quality of services.
The support it has extended to the worker and group is at the
desired level or not.
• Evaluation is a form of research process. It involves data collection
and analysis of data which can be explained in the following steps:
• Formulation of aims and Objectives.
• Type of data collected and the sources from which data collected.
It includes both verbal and non verbal data.
• Collection of data: Evaluator responds to the issues related to the
problems through questionnaires, interviews and studies.
• The next step is the analysis of data. This is processed and
analyzed with the conclusions are drawn. This tells the members
whether goals are attained or not.
• It elaborates implications for the future. It is based on the outcome
of evaluation necessary for the future implications which may do
improvements for the future group work for better results.
Stage V Termination of the group
• Members mind could be wavering between feelings of happiness
or unhappiness. Heap termed these as feelings of ambivalence.
One state of mind looks at the ending as a good relief as there
exists no need to face a number of pressures of coping with the
group norms, need not interact with those they do not get along
well.
• Worker can suggest referral agencies to the members who need
guidance and support for other shortcomings in future. Further, the
worker give assurance to the members that whatever self-
disclosures made by them are kept confidential and will never be
used against their interests. Members themselves share same type
of assurances.
• In addition to these the worker has to do other routine tasks such as
preparing a report on the performance of the group, acknowledge
the services and support given by resource agencies persons, and
pay the pending dues. Therefore, the termination of the group may
be scheduled or unscheduled
• The unscheduled termination takes place when the members fail to
attend the group sessions to various reasons. It could be due to a
faulty enrollment, or failure of the members to develop
relationships, or unresolved conflicts among the members and sub-
groups or style of functioning of the worker and so on.
• The worker has to be aware of these type of likely reactions and
responses of the members to the idea of parting with the group and
work towards termination. The preparations for termination are
very much included in the middle phase it self. It is important to
prepare the members to the fact that what ever desirable behavior
patterns the member/s experience and exhibit have to be carried
forward even after the group comes to an end.
• The worker has to create situations within the group environment
and even identify the real life situations where the member/s can
act out the changed behaviors independently. This takes care of
many of the members worry about missing the group support once
the group ends.
• Some follow-up sessions can be promised to reassure the
member/s that they are not totally abandoned. Some support and
 guidance is still available either from worker or other members.
The worker shall arrange activities wherein both worker and other
members express their assessment of the progress already made
and improvements to be made by each and every one of them. This
exercise makes room for the group to deliberate upon what efforts
the member/s have to make after the termination.

• Termination Phase

• Social workers' therapeutic relationships with their clients

eventually come to an end. However, the way they end and how
the social worker handles terminations can have ethical and legal
implications.
• The NASW Social Work Dictionary defines termination as: "The
conclusion of the social worker –client intervention process; a
systematic procedure for disengaging the working relationship. It
occurs when goals are reached, when the specified time for
working has ended, or when the client is no longer interested in
continuing. Termination often includes evaluating the progress
toward goal achievement, working through resistance, denial, and
flight into illness. The termination phase also includes discussions
about how to anticipate and resolve future problems and how to
find additional resources to call on as future needs indicate."
• The final phase of work is termination, separation or ending. Often
it is the beginnings and endings of a group that are the most
difficult times for members. At termination, two reactions may
occur amongst the participants:
• Last minute therapy ‐ is where a group member discloses
significant material about themselves just before the end of the
session or before the group ends completely.
• Anger exit–a group member leaves the group before the final
session as the ending is too difficult or they introduce conflict to
make that ending more justified.
• Key tasks for the group leader in the termination phase:
• Acknowledging the ending of the group, prior to the final session,
in order to help the group members prepare for the group‘s
completion
• Appreciating the achievements of the group members.
• Recognizing the challenges for group members as they face the
completion of the group.
• Having the group members provide some feed back about the
group experience that evaluates the effectiveness of the group.
• Identifying future resources and supports for group members.
• There are many reasons why therapy ends. A client may terminate
at any time for any reason. Ideally, termination occurs once the
client and therapist agree that the treatment goals have been met or
sufficient progress has been made and/or the client improves and
no longer needs clinical services. However, there are many valid
reasons that are discussed below as to why the therapist-client
relationship may end the treatment before it is completed. Some of
those reasons include
• Client has mental health needs that are beyond the social worker's
area of expertise. For example, the client requires a different level
of treatment (e.g., inpatient or crisis intervention) or more
specialized treatment (e.g., trauma or substance abuse) than the
social worker provides in the practice setting.
• Therapist is unable or unwilling, for appropriate reasons, to
continue to provide care (e.g., therapist is retiring/closing practice
or client threatened therapist with violence)
• Conflict of interest is identified after treatment begins
• Client fails to make adequate progress toward treatment goals or
fails to fulfill with treatment recommendations
• Client fails to participate in therapy.
• Lack of communication/contact from the client
• It is recommended that therapists have a final session with their
clients to review the overall progress before ending therapy, but
sometimes this cannot happen, e.g., when the client stops
communicating with the therapist. It is suggested that therapists
create a policy for their practice so that cases are routinely closed
after a certain amount of time without any contact from a client.
• Non-payment of agreed upon fees: Before a social worker
terminates for non-payment, the following criteria should be met:
• The financial contractual arrangements have been made clear to
the client, preferably in writing.
• The client does not pose an imminent danger to self or others.
• The clinical and other consequences of the non-payment
• Certain circumstances may support a delay of the termination. For
instance, it is not recommended that a therapist end treatment with
a client who is in crisis at the time termination is being considered.
A social worker has a responsibility to see that clinical services are
made available when a client is in crisis. Postponing termination is
preferred, if possible, until steps are in place to handle the crisis.
• Abandonment
• Abandonment is a specific form of malpractice that can occur in
the context of a mental health professional's termination of
services. Abandonment, also referred to as "premature
termination,' occurs when a social worker is unavailable or
suddenly discontinues service to a client who is in need.
• In a malpractice case based on abandonment, the client alleges
that the therapist was providing treatment and then unilaterally
 terminated treatment improperly. The client must show that he was
directly harmed by the abandonment and that the harm resulted in
a compensable injury.
• After beginning a therapeutic relationship with a client, a social
worker must not terminate therapy abruptly without referring the
client to another mental health practitioner. If the social worker
does not properly terminate the client-therapist relationship, the
social worker exposes himself to allegations (an assertion,
especially relating to wrongdoing or misconduct )of abandonment
which could lead to a lawsuit(court case), a complaint to the state
licensing board, or a request for professional review by the NASW
Ethics Committee.
• Proper termination that has been documented is a defense to
abandonment allegations, and it supports good client care.
• Termination of Services
• (a) Social workers should terminate services to clients and
professional relationships with them when such services and
relationships are no longer required or no longer serve the clients'
needs or interests.
• (b) Social workers should take reasonable steps to avoid
abandoning clients who are still in need of services. Social workers
should withdraw services suddenly only under unusual
circumstances, giving careful consideration to all factors in the
situation and taking care to minimize possible adverse effects.
Social workers should assist in making appropriate arrangements
for continuation of services when necessary.
• (c) Social workers in fee-for-service settings may terminate
services to clients who are not paying an overdue balance if the
financial contractual arrangements have been made clear to the
client, if the client does not create an imminent danger to self or
 others, and if the clinical and other consequences of the current
nonpayment have been addressed and discussed with the client.
• (d) Social workers should not terminate services to follow a social,
financial, or sexual relationship with a client.
• (e) Social workers who anticipate the termination or interruption of
services to clients should notify clients on time and search for the
transfer, referral, or continuation of services in relation to the
clients' needs and preferences.
• (f) Social workers who are leaving an employment setting should
inform clients of appropriate options for the continuation of
services and of the benefits and risks of the options.
• Tips for Termination
• Prepare for termination from the beginning. Termination should be
discussed early so both parties can have a number of sessions to
discuss ending therapy.
• If continued treatment is needed, provide referrals to several
mental health professionals, with addresses and phone numbers.
• Conduct the final session face -to-face, if possible. Avoid ending
with a text, in an email or with a voicemail message.
• Make sure the client understands when, why and how therapy will
be terminated.
• Document the discussions about termination.
• Formalize the termination with a personalized termination letter
• What to include in a termination letter?
• It is good practice for a social worker to draft a termination of
treatment letter to every client once treatment has ended, regardless
of the reason, to formally end the therapeutic relationship. This
provides clarity to the client, and it helps avoid any implication
that the social worker has an ongoing therapeutic
 responsibility. The termination letter would be in the form of a
business letter and include:
• Client's name
• Date treatment began
• Effective date of termination
• State the reason(s) for the termination. (e.g., treatment goals have
been met, client's needs are beyond the scope of social's workers
practice or area of expertise, non-compliance with treatment
recommendations, therapist is retiring/closing practice)
• Summary of treatment, including whether you feel further
treatment is recommended
• If continued treatment is needed, provide three referrals to mental
health professionals, with contact information
• Present the letter in person during a session or send it with delivery
tracking and confirmation service and/or certified return receipt
• Retain a copy of the letter and delivery documentation in the
client's file
• Mark the letter "confidential"
• Don't mention confidential therapeutic treatment information
• Addressing the termination of treatment is an important phase of
the therapeutic process. For termination to be handled properly,
discussions between the social worker and client should occur in
advance and be addressed in a thoughtful and sensitive manner. It
is best that clients not feel that they have been abandoned, for the
sake of the client as well as the social worker. If continued
treatment is needed, the social worker must make an effort to assist
the client in obtaining ongoing services to ensure that these needs
are adequately addressed. Proper documentation of the termination
of the therapeutic relationship with the client will provide support
 for the social workers' effort to meet the clients' needs as treatment
ends.

• SIGNIFICANCE OF EVALUATION

• Social group work is a method of social work which helps

individuals to enhance their social functioning through purposeful
group experiences, and to cope more effectively with their
personal, group or community problems. Evaluation of practice is
an essential aspect of social work practice.

• Evaluation can increase effectiveness and accountability in the

ways practitioners treat clients. Social workers engaged in program
evaluation
look at the impact of an intervention program on the group of clients or
clients system it serves.
WHAT IS EVALUATION
• Evaluation is a systemic determination of, ‗A subject‘s merit,
worth and significance‘ using criteria governed by a set of
standards.
• It can assist a organization, program, project or any other
intervention or initiative to assess aim; or to find out the degree of
achievement or value in regard to the aim and objectives and
results of any such action that has been completed.
• Evaluation means appraising or judging the worth and
effectiveness of the process/ activities carried out by the group in
order to meet the objectives of the group.
• Addressing the termination of treatment is an important phase of
the therapeutic process. For termination to be handled properly,
 discussions between the social worker and client should occur in
advance and be addressed in a thoughtful and sensitive manner.
• It is best that clients not feel that they have been abandoned, for
the sake of the client as well as the social worker. If continued
treatment is needed, the social worker must make an effort to assist
the client in obtaining ongoing services to ensure that these needs
are adequately addressed.
• Proper documentation of the termination of the therapeutic
relationship with the client will provide support for the social
workers' effort to meet the clients' needs as treatment ends.
WHAT DOES EVALUATION INVOLVES
Ascertaining whether the problem is solved? Whether the group is
helped according to the values, assumptions and principles of social
group work? What techniques, strategies and tools were utilized for
the problem solving and why? If problem still persists, why? Has
there been any progress at all? If no progress has been achieved,
Why? What are the reasons behind it?
SIGNIFICANCE OF EVALUATION
Evaluation provides a systemic method to study a program , practice,
intervention, or initiative to understand how well it achieves its
goals. Evaluation help determine what well and what could be
improved in a program or initiative. Program evaluations can be used
to :
 Suggest improvements for continued efforts
 Seek support for continuing the program
 Gather information on the approach that can be shared with
others.
 Help determine if an approach would be appropriate to
replicate in others locations with similar needs
• Evaluation also enables the worker to discover points at which
group members need to alter their procedures.
• It is helpful in planning objectives. Alter/ renew unsuited
objectives. Helps worker to adjust and modernize his methods of
working with the group. Evaluation helps as a learning process.
• It is helpful in discovering success/ failure of group work and
identifying ways to improve the same. Evaluation can, and should,
however, be used as an on going management and learning tool to
improve an organization‘s effectiveness.
• Well – run organizations and effective programs are those that can
demonstrate the achievement of results.
• Addressing the termination of treatment is an important phase of
the therapeutic process. For termination to be handled properly,
discussions between the social worker and client should occur in
advance and be addressed in a thoughtful and sensitive manner.
• It is best that clients not feel that they have been abandoned, for
the sake of the client as well as the social worker. If continued
treatment is needed, the social worker must make an effort to assist
the client in obtaining ongoing services to ensure that these needs
are adequately addressed.
• Proper documentation of the termination of the therapeutic
relationship with the client will provide support for the social
workers' effort to meet the clients' needs as treatment ends.
•
PURPOSE OF EVALUATION
Evaluation is essential because it enables the worker to discover to
what extent group has achieved its objectives.
 Evaluation enables the group to see both strengths and weakness
and it helps to discover points at which group members need to
alter their procedures.
Evaluation helps to formulate new objectives and to renew
unsuited objectives. Evaluation helps the group worker to adjust
and modernize his methods of working with group.
Evaluation can be stimulated to greater professional growth.
Evaluation can be an extension of the learning process because its
very nature is scientific and its aim is educational.
EVALUATION OF INDIVIDUAL GROWTH
The group worker evaluates the growth of,

• Skills
• Methods of problem
• solving Behavior
• Techniques and knowledge gained
EVALUATION OF THE GROUP
• Group is a medium of achieving individual‘s objectives and
individual personality development.
• Therefore, it is essential for a worker to evaluate the effects and
growth of the group as a whole.
• The group worker evaluates the group organization, a social
responsibility fulfilled by the group, maturity that has achieved,
skillfulness, and expertness has developed, the techniques of
problem solving have seen learned and mutual understanding
and cooperation have developed among group members.
Evaluation refers to a periodic process of gathering data and then
analyzing or ordering it is in such a way that the resulting information
 can be used to determine whether your organization or program is
effectively carrying out planned activities, and the extent to which it
is achieving its stated objectives and anticipated results. Evaluation in
group work is systematic determination of a subject using criteria
program officers or project or initiative assets any aim, concept, to
help decision making or achieve aim and objective the group.
• Types and methods of evaluation
Evaluation often brings to mind the words assessment, measurement,
accountability, and testing. While these are all important concepts in
evaluation, equally important is the concept of using data to improve
programs. Evaluation in the past has been associated with less than
positive or clearly negative experiences. Evaluation provides a
systematic method to study a program, practice, intervention, or
initiative to understand how well it achieves its goals. Evaluations help
determine what works well and what could be improved in a program or
initiative.
Definition of Evaluation
According to Patton 1997
Program evaluation can be defined as ―the systematic collection of
information about the activities, characteristics, and outcomes of
programs to make judgments about programs, improve the program
effectiveness, and/or inform decisions about future programming
Types of evaluation
1. Formative Evaluation
2.Process Evaluation
3.Outcome Evaluation
4. Economic Evaluation
5. Impact Evaluation
6. Summative Evaluation
7. Goals-Based Evaluation
Formative Evaluation
• Also known as ‗evaluability assessment‘
• Formative evaluation is used before program design or
implementation.
• It generates data on the need for the program and develops the
baseline for subsequent monitoring.
• It also identifies areas of improvement and can give insights on
what the program‘s priorities should be. This helps project
managers determine their areas of concern and focus, and
increases awareness of your program among the target
population .
➢When:
New program development
Program expansion
➢ Why:
Helps make early improvements to the program
Allows project managers to refine or improve the program
➢ How:
Conduct sample surveys and focus group discussions among the
target populationfocused on whether they are likely to need,
understand, and accept program elements.
2.Process Evaluation
Also known as ‗program monitoring‘
Process evaluation occurs once program implementation has
begun, and it measures how effective your program‘s
procedures are. The data it generates is useful in identifying
inefficiencies and streamlining processes, and portrays the
program‘s status to external parties
➢ When:
When program implementation begins
During operation of an existing program
➢ Why:
Provides an opportunity to avoid problems by spotting them
early
Allows program administrators to determine how well the
program is working
➢ How:
Conduct a review of internal reports and a survey of program
managers and a sample
of the target population. The aim should be to measure the
number of participants,
how long they have to wait to receive benefits, and what their
experience has been
3.Outcome Evaluation
Also known as ‗objective-based evaluation‘
Outcome evaluation is conventionally used during program
implementation. It generates data on the program‘s outcomes
and to what degree those outcomes are attributable to the
program itself. It is useful in measuring how effective your
program has been and helps make it more effective in terms of
delivering the intended benefits
➢ When:
After the program has run for some time period
At an appropriate time to measure outcomes against set targets –
usually
benchmarked time periods
➢ Why:
Helps program administrators tell whether a program is meeting
its objectives
Insights from outcome-focused feedback can help increase
effectiveness
➢ How:
A randomized controlled trial, comparing the status of
beneficiaries before and
during the program or comparing beneficiaries to similar people
outside of the
program. This can be done through a survey or a focus group
discussion.
4.EconomicEvaluation
Also known as ‗cost analysis‘, ‗cost-effectiveness evaluation‘,
‗cost-benefit analysis‘, and ‗cost-utility analysis‘
Economic evaluation is used during the program‘s
implementation and looks to measure the benefits of the
programs against the costs. Doing so generates useful
quantitative data that measures the efficiency of the program.
This data is like an audit, and provides useful information to
sponsors and backers who often want to see what benefits their
money would bring to beneficiaries.
➢ When:
At the beginning of a program, to remove potential leakages
During the operation of a program, to find and remove
inefficiencies.
➢ Why:
Program managers and funders can justify or streamline costs
The program can be modified to deliver more results at lower
costs
➢ How:
A systematic analysis of the program by collecting data on
program costs, including
capital and man-hours of work. It will also require a survey of
program officers and
 the target population to determine potential areas of waste
5. Impact Evaluation
Impact evaluation studies the entire program from beginning to
end (or at whatever stage the program is at), and looks to
quantify whether or not it has been successful. Focused on the
long-term impact, impact evaluation is useful for measuring
sustained changes brought about by the program or making
policy changes or modifications to the program.
➢ When:
At the end of the program
At pre-selected intervals in the program
➢ Why:
To show proof of impact by comparing beneficiaries with
control groups
Provides insights to help in making policy and funding
decisions
➢ How:
A macroscopic review of the program, coupled with an
extensive survey of program
participants, to determine the effort involved and the impact
achieved. Insights from
program officers and suggestions from program participants are
also useful, and a
control group of non-participants for comparison is helpful.
Summative Evaluation
• Summative evaluation is conducted after the program‘s
completion or at the end of a program cycle.
• It generates data about how well the project delivered benefits
to the target population. It is useful for program administrators
to justify the project, show what they have achieved, and lobby
for project continuation or expansion.
 • Summative evaluation is conducted after the program‘s
completion or at the end of a program cycle.
• It generates data about how well the project delivered benefits
to the target population. It is useful for program administrators
to justify the project, show what they have achieved, and lobby
for project continuation or expansion.
• ➢ When:
• At the end of a program
• At the end of a program cycle
• ➢ Why:
• Provides data to justify continuing the program
• Generates insights into the effectiveness and efficiency of the
program
• ➢ How:
• Conduct a review of internal reports and a survey for program
managers and target populations. The aim should be to measure
the change that the project has brought about and compare the
change to the costs.
7. Goals-Based Evaluation
• Also known as ‗objectively set evaluation
• Goals-based evaluation is usually done towards the end of the
program or at previously agreed-upon intervals.
• .Development programs often set ‗SMART‘ targets — Specific,
Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely — and goals-based
evaluation measures progress towards these targets.
• The evaluation is useful in presenting reports to program
administrators and backers, as it provides them the information that
was agreed upon at the start of the program.
• ➢ When:
• At the end of the program
• At pre-decided milestones
• ➢ Why:
• To show that the program is meeting its initial benchmarks
• To review the program and its progress
• ➢ How:
• This depends entirely on the goals that were agreed upon. Usually,
goals-based
• evaluation would involve some survey of the participants to
measure impact, as well
• as a review of input costs and efficiency.
• EvaluationMethods
Questionnaires. Students (and tutor) complete a process
questionnaire or checklist of the kind shown , share and discuss the
results in the group, and decide on what needs to be done to effect
improvements.
• "Do-it-yourself" checklist. Use the "Pyramid" or "Snowball"
technique in asking individual students to write down three
statements about the class, which, with successive pooling as the
groups combine, are written on a board and given a rating in turn
by everyone.
• Reporting back. At the beginning of each meeting, devote 5
minutes to a critique of the previous meeting. Discussion evolves
naturally from this.
• Diaries. Students and tutor spend a short time towards the end of
each meeting to record impressions, feelings, and what they
learned about the dynamics of the group. Diary comments are
shared at a later, designated meeting.
• Fishbowl. Students from another group are invited to sit round and
observe the group in question as it conducts a discussion and to
 reveal their observations afterwards. A questionnaire or checklist
may be used. If subsequently the inner group and outer group
reverse positions,the evaluation can be made reciprocal.
• Self-made evaluation. Two or more subgroups devise an
evaluation technique to use on the other subgroups, and then
administer it.
• Video or audio playback. The camera may be obtrusive, but the
recorded playback does give the opportunity to witness live action
and for members to contemplate their own behaviour. For any of
these techniques to be really productive there must be a shared
commitment to them, and to acting on the results, by all members
of the group and they must be employed at a time which is neither
too early for the group to have "gelled" nor too late for it to benefit
from any resulting improvements.
• Many types of evaluation exist, consequently evaluation methods
need to be customised according to what is being evaluated and the
purpose of the evaluation. It is important to understand the
different types of evaluation that can be conducted over a
program‘s life-cycle and when they should be used. The main
types of evaluation are process, impact, outcome and summative
evaluation. Before. able to measure the effectiveness of your
project, you need to determine if the project is being run as
intended and if it is reaching the intended audience

Group work module 5

Recording in group work –
MEANING
It is the record writing process which narrates step by step
development of groups, as recorded by face to face learners.
It is an account accurate, honest and thoughtful of the
various social processes that are occurring in the group,
session by session.
It is a tool for learning to the professional group worker, for
understanding the growth of the group and a tool for the
supervisory process.
DEFINITION
The Social Work Dictionary (1995)
Defines ―recording‖ as the process of the putting in writing
and keeping on file relevant information about the client
system; the problem; the prognosis; the intervention; the
process of treatment; the social economic and health factors
contributing to the situation and the procedures for
termination.

client‘s situation system and solution for changes. The

dictionary acknowledges that there are many type of
recording and the type used may depends upon factors
such as agency requirements, social workers theoretical
base, style and type of intervention
PURPOSE OF GROUP WORK RECORDING
register of facts for the agency.

program evaluation

intervention, and decision-making

IMPORTANCE OF RECORDING IN GROUP WORK
―Recording has value for the group, the worker, and the
agency and for the field of social work.‖

professional skills and techniques can learn by his own

errors.
own risk but he can improve upon his own methods.
ide evidences of growth and change in the members
and in the group worker himself.

his groups.

of interests of individual members.

ugh records the worker gains knowledge of special
problems in the group.

work he has done.

re the source of information for other workers.

facts for the agency.

PRINCIPLES OF GROUP WORK RECORDING

Lindasay has suggested the following basic principles of recording :

 The principle of Flexibility
 The principle of Selection
 The principle of Readability
  The principle of Confidentiality
The principle of Worker Acceptance
 The principle of Flexibility
As the nature and objectives of the agency and the group change , the
worker records accordingly and gives emphasis on the other aspects.
 The principle of Selection
Every thing should not be recorded in the group work recording . The
worker records the significant observations about the individuals and
their interactions .
 The principle of Readability
The most important aspect is to keep the record as simple as possible.
Records must have face sheet, presenting a brief outline of the factual
data .
 The principle of Confidentiality
One of the basic principle of recording in all social work is that records
are written on the premise that they will be held in confidence.
 The principle of Worker Acceptance
The worker should take up this responsibility as one of his important
assignment. He should realize that this work is as important as other
responsibilities .

Definition of recording
 According to the social work dictionary ( 1995) defines
―recording‖ as the process of the putting in writing and
keeping on file relevant information about the client system;
the problem ; the prognosis; the intervention ; the process of
treatment; the social economic and health factors contributing
to the situation and the procedures for termination or referral.
 Recording id defined as ―the process by the social welfare
agency maintains an account of its dealing with a service
use‖.

Importance of recording in group work

 By maintain records a group worker can improve his

provisional skills and techniques can learn b his own errors,
 Can thus make his more effective and systematic.
 Records not only help a group worker to evaluate to his own
risk but he can also improve upon his own methods.
 Through records a worker can show his agency what work he
has done
 Records helps the group worker to understand the group
 Records provide a permanent and continuous register of facts
for the agency
 Through records the worker can trace out the emergence of
group consciousness
 Records can be used for social research and planning
 Records help in providing service on a systematic basis

Types of recording

 Process record
 Problem oriented record
 Summative record
 Diagnostic summary
 Goal oriented recording
 Narrative recording
 Role recording
 Process record

 Process record is one method by which you can record the

content of an interview. It involves a written record of all
communication both verbal and nonverbal (based on the
worker‘s best recollections), and a record of the worker‘s
feelings and reflection throughout the interview. Audio or
video recordings can also be used, for the case worker to (a)
identify client‘s feelings during the interview, (b) assess
client‘s feelings, or (c) present summary comments.

 Process is continuous development involving many changes.

It is a series of actions, changes or functions that bring about
an end result. Process recording tries to record these
development and actions. These developments are directly or
meaningfully related to understanding of the person in
situation and the intervention process. It is selective in its
recording. Interactions, which have directed bearing or
meaning for intervention are recorded and the rest of the
details of interactions are discarded. The focus is not on the
development of the events as such but on the development
related to understanding of and intervening in the person‘s
psycho social life. In process recording the process of helping
is recorded which includes the relevant conversations,
observations and reaction of the worker in the developmental
sequence. It gives an idea to the supervisor if the case worker
has used his knowledge of human behavior and social
situations, if his reactions to the client‘s verbal and non
verbal communications are appropriate and if planning for
future is consistent with the presenting situation. The
 usefulness of the process recording depends to a considerable
extent to the ability of the worker to recall exactly what had
happened, and in what order and to look at the facts in an
objective manner in order to get at underlying feelings and
meanings. Process recording is time consuming, so should be
used carefully.

 Process recording is a form of recording used frequently by

the caseworker. It is one method by which the caseworker
can record the content of an interview. It involves a written
record of all communication both verbal and nonverbal based
on the worker‘s best recollections, and a record of the
worker‘s feelings and reflection throughout the interview. In
this type, the process of interview is reported and is a rather
detailed description of what transpired with considerable
paraphrasing. It preserves a sequence in which the various
matters were discussed. It includes not only what both the
worker and the client said but also significant reaction of the
client and changes in mood and response. In this method, the
interview and observation go hand-in-hand. It may be
verbatim or non-verbatim reproduction.
Problem oriented record
 Problem-oriented record (POR) a method of client case record
keeping that focuses on specific problems The components of the
POR are: (a)data base, which contains information required for
each client regardless of diagnosis or presenting problems i.e., all
history, physical findings etc. (b)problem list, which contains the
major problems currently needing attention; (c)plan, which
specifies what is to be done with regard to each problem;
(d)progress notes, which document the observations, assessments,
future plans.
  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 recording 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.

 Problem-oriented recording is a method that focuses on specific

problems. The components of this method are (a) data base, which
contains information required for each client regardless of
assessment or presenting problems, (b) problem list, which
contains the major problems currently needing attention, (c) plan,
which specifies what is to be done with regard to each problem, (d)
progress notes, which document the observations, assessments,
and future plans.

Summative record

 Summative assessment is a summary of all the formative

assessment carried out over a long period and makes statements
about the client‘s progress. Effective assessment involves
evaluation or decisions about the client‘s progress and their gives
us the information we need to plan for the next steps. This is called
assessment for learning: it is the formative assessment, based on
observations and other forms of evidence, which informs or guides
everyday planning.
  It is an entirely different style of writing and is preferred for intake,
transfer closing and other special aspects of official agency
records. Summary 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.
 Summery records are short and easy to use when considering the
total service process. It tries to summarize the main events and
avoid the details of all events. It include entry data , social history,
a plan of action, periodic summaries of significant information,
action taken by the worker and a statement of what was
accomplished as the case gets closed. Summery recordings save
time and labor when process recording comparatively is very time
consuming.

Contents of summary recordings are as follows:

a) Full name of the client

b) Identification number
c) Date of the interview
d) Date of the recording was done
e) Name of the worker
f) Purpose of the interview
g) The content – what occurred during the interview?
h) A description of any problem areas identifies by the social worker and
/ or the client
i) A description of the services provided by the social worker
j) The practitioners professional, analytical assessment of the meaning
of what has occurred during the interview usually under the diagnostic
summary.
k) Plans (Goals and treatment) for future contacts or follow up.

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 Client
2. The problems and needs as seen by the worker
3. The member‘s feelings about the Client situation
4. The appropriateness of the clients' feelings and behavior
5. Efforts initiated by the clients to solve the problem.
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.
Narrative recording

In narrative recording everything that has happened is recorded as it has

happened whether it is positive or negative. It consists of all the
statements, observations and comments of the worker. It is the narration
of all the happenings and detailed accounts of all the events which go in
the narrative recording. The attempt of narrative recording is to
reproduce all the situations.

Role recording

It is the refined version of process recording. It is highly selective in its

approach and focuses on the role of the case worker in his interaction
with client from time to time.

TECHNIQUES OF RECORDING TO ANALYZE

GROUP PROCESS AND PLAN STRATEGIES FOR
INTERVENTON
o Though recording, step by step development of groups can be
analysed.
o Recording helps to account accurately and honestly the various
social processes in the group.
o Every session can be recorded.
o A professional group worker uses recording as a tool for
understanding the growth of the
group.
Recording also helps the group worker monitor and supervise the
activities of the group.
It is the record writing process which narrates step by step
development of groups,
as recorded by face to face learners. It is an account accurate, honest
and thoughtful of the
various social processes that are occurring in the group, session by
session. It is a tool for
learning to the professional group worker, for understanding the
growth of the group and a
tool for the supervisory process.

Recording in GW means;
• Necessary practice in Social Work
• to keep an accurate, honest and thoughtful account of group process
• Writing description of the individual‘s activities.
• Individual‘s relationship with the group
• Write about the individual members & their responses to one
another
• Their behavioural pattern
• Type and extend of participation
• Growth and change in individual and group
• Individual‘s role in the group processes.
Techniques Of Recording In Group Work.

focuses and to the point.

use pencil.

ble.

or on forms.

easier for the reader to get the

information he need quickly.
social work jargon
especially when making
entries in a record that is read by members of other discipline.

as diagnostic labels applied

by members of other disciplines, highly significant, social or factual
data and so on.
client.
Techniques of Recording to Analyze Group Process
• Focus Group Discussion:
It‘s a technique to gather together from people of similar backgrounds
or
experiences to discuss a specific topic of interest. In this, the worker
introduces a topic
and assists the participants to discuss it by encouraging interaction
and guiding their
conversation.
In it the participants are free to talk with other group members. It also
encourages
discussions with other participants. Focus group discussion involves
group interviewing in
which a small group of usually 8-12 people are involved. It led by
worker in a loosely
structured discussion of various topics of interest and includes a note
taker. Focus group
discussion provides an opportunity for researcher to listen to local
voices emphasizing on
paying attention to needs of those who have little or no societal voice.
In it worker introduces the topic and assists the participants to discuss
it by
encouraging interaction and guiding the conversation. Worker plays
an major role in
obtaining good and accurate information from the focus group.
• Focus Group Interviews:
Conduct with a group of participants to collect a variety of
information. And it provides
some crucial and variety of information to analyze the group. Its an
interview with a small
group of people on a specific topic.
• Ethnographic method :
It‘s the study of people in their own environment through use of
methods such as
participant observation and face to face interviewing. Worker look at
people in their cultural
settings, ie, How group members interact with one another and with
their social and cultural
environment..It involves the worker observe behavior.
• Process mapping:
It‘s the graphical display of steps, events and operations that
constitute a group process.
It describes the flow of work ie, how the group work goes in a group.
It visually shows the
steps of a work activity and the people who are involved in carrying
out each step.
• Force field analysis:
Basic tool for root cause analysis that can help you take action once
the root cause has been identified.
Cause & effect diagrams :
Visual tool used to logically organize possible causes for a specific
problem or effect by
graphically displaying them in increasing detail, suggesting causal
relationships etc. it‘s a
tool that helps identify, sort, and display possible causes of a specific
problem. It helps group
to understand that there are many causes that contribute to an effect.
Also helps to identify
areas for improvement.
• Pareto analysis:
It‘s a simple decision making technique for assessing competing
problems and measuring
impact of fixing them. Thus allows to focus on solutions that will
provide most benefit.
It highly useful for prioritizing problems so that you can determine
which issues
have greater effect on outcome of a given situation. It also allow you
to identify problems,
also enables you to take appropriate actions to resolve most important
issues concerning
your business.
• Bar charts & Histograms :
Used to compare things between different groups or to track change
over time.
Graphical representation that organizes a group. From the bar chart,
we ca see which groups
are highest or most common, and how other groups compare against
the others.
ecords.
1) Identifying information about the group.

Member‘s participation by name

e performed

3) Description of the group as a whole

 - supportive/ formal/
informal/competitive/ supportive/
permissive etc.

– mostly all/ few members talked

and participated, supported
others.

4) Description of the group problems

- nature, types, reason, involvement level
sible causes.

5) The relationship and the role of the group worker.

group process.
6) Evaluation
  TEAMWORK IN HEALTHCARE.

Application of group work in various settings-Health (Hospitals, De-

addiction centres and mental health centres)
Teamwork is needed wherever multiple individuals with multiple skills
are required to work independently to achieve a favourable outcome.
This means that teamwork is absolutely critical in the management of
sick patients. Healthcare is a complex activity which needs many
different kinds of professionals such as physicians, nurses, case
managers, pharmacists, surgeons, physiotherapists, nutritionists, etc.
One individual working alone cannot achieve the target of healing a
patient. A team is therefore absolutely necessary.
 GOALS: The basic goal is to improve the health and well-being
of every patient. Problems and distractions occur due to:
- Increase in billing (costs)
- Increased patient volumes and overload
- Burnout
 DEFINITION OF SOCIAL WORK IN HEALTH CARE
Social work in health care settings is practiced in collaboration with
medicine and also with public health programs.
Social work addresses itself to illness brought about by or related to
social and environmental stresses that result in failures in social
functioning and social relationships.
 5 HMO and Social Work
One of the most important developments for social workers in health
care was the Health Maintenance Organization Act of l973. Originally
the HMO Act required the provision of social services in HMO‘s. This
provision was later eliminated by several subsequent congressional
actions.
 SOCIAL WORKERS IN HEALTH-CARE SERVICES
Social workers in health care services use the problem - solving method
in assisting individuals, groups and communities in solving personal and
family health problems.
Social work is involved at various levels of prevention:
Primary – health education, encouraging immunizations, good mental
health practice in families, prenatal and postnatal care.
Secondary – early screening programs for detection of disease, check-
ups, encouraging treatment.
Tertiary or rehabilitation – preventing further deterioration of a disease
or problem.
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL WORK IN HEATH CARE
SERVICES
The social workers can be most valuable at the time the patient has been
admitted or discharged from a hospital or during follow-up care once
leaving the hospital.
One purpose of social work is to support and strengthen family life.
The social worker makes use of existing services through referrals or
assists in mobilizing the untapped potential of the community to prevent
illness or to restore the sick and disabled to health and usefulness.
SOCIAL GROUP WORKER IN CLINICAL SETTINGS
In the hospitals and clinics, the social group worker becomes a member
of a team composed of the medical doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist,
therapist, nurse, and social caseworker. In such settings with a defined
treatment goal, the purpose of the service becomes. Social Work
Intervention with Individuals and Groups much more specific than in the
community setting. As service is more ―pinpointed,‖ the methods and
role of group worker also become more specific.
Social workers in medical setting extend direct services by using group
work and casework methods. In the medical setting the social worker
carry out group work and performs various roles:
i) enable patients with similar problems to come together and so feel less
isolated and alone in facing their problems;
ii) bring about a feeling of belongingness and bring a part of a
community which would give them the courage and confidence to adjust
to the larger
community outside;
iii) work through problems in an atmosphere of mutual acceptance;
iv) use the group as a therapeutic agent for emotional growth and
attitudinal change through the process of mutual sharing
ADDICTION
Drug and alcohol abuse impacts not just our physical health but also our
mental health. If you are someone who is bearing the brunt of any of
these addictions, then visiting a de-addiction centre can be really helpful.
DE-ADDICTION CENTRES
De-addiction centres are not just meant for treating drug abuse but also
many other types of addictions such as alcohol abuse, nicotine addiction
and others.
The following are some of the top advantages and benefits of attention a
de-addiction centre:
BENEFITS
One of the major benefits of going to such a centre is for rehabilitation
and healing. These centre‘s help the addicts to improve the quality of life
and teach ways to control the addiction. Addicts are able to shed off the
negativity which in turn helps them to remain happy and keep their
families around them happy.
An addiction can take a great toll on a person‘s health. For example,
regular drug and alcohol abuse can affect a person‘s health and may
damage their lungs, liver and several other parts and organs of the body.
But if a person visits the de-addiction centre on time, then he/she may
avoid going through these harmful diseases and conditions.
A de-addiction centre offers a new lease of life for an addict and opens
more opportunities for them as far as the future is concerned. The life of
an addict can be changed for good and a new chapter can be started.
An addict can feel stronger and fresher after coming out of a de-
addiction centre. Not only their life but also their personal and
professional lives can be started all over again. Due to addictions, people
may lose touch of their relatives, friends and family members but a de-
addiction centre can help them re-establish their bonds.
ADVANTAGES
One of the major advantages of visiting a de-addiction centre is that it
can greatly impact the finances. Addicts save a great deal of money after
shedding off their addictions. They amount they used to spend on
alcohol and drugs can now be saved and the financial woes can now be
avoided. This may encourage them to concentrate on earning more and
improve their finances.
One of the main practices followed at a de-addiction centre is to teach
addicts how to lead a disciplined life. They teach addicts to follow a
strict routine from start till the end of the day and meet their life goals in
a better way.
The doctors at de-addiction centres teach many good habits and
practices to those who are on the path of rehabilitation. They may teach
yoga, breathing exercises and improvement in behavior as well.
There are customized programs for each and every individual depending
upon their type of addiction or abuse.
BASIC GROUP THERAPY
Group therapy is a specific form of counselling that is used to treat
psychological disorders including substance abuse and addiction. It
typically involves regular sessions where one or more therapists work
with several individuals who are being treated for the same health issue.
Many people benefit from the peer support in group therapy.
Benefits
Group therapy can help people in several ways:
 Being able to interact with other people who are learning how to
cope with and overcome a drug or alcohol addiction can be
quite helpful for those who are beginning the process.
 This type of setting also helps members realize that they are not
alone and allows them to share information and experiences with
one another, which can help boost confidence and self-
esteem.3 Overall, sharing experiences and feelings has been shown
to reduce stress, guilt, and pain among group therapy members.4
 Group therapy becomes a setting in which members can learn how
to avoid engaging in destructive behaviours such as actively
seeking out drugs, and instead begin to practice new, healthy
behaviours.
The therapist provides a structured platform that controls the discussions
and also offers feedback and additional advice that helps each member
gain a better understanding of themselves as well as ways to make
continuous progress.
 Group Therapy Is Used to Treat Addiction
The basis for group therapy is helping members progress through the 6
stages of recovery:
 Pre-contemplation: Clients are not actively considering changing
their substance abuse behavior because they do not believe they
have a serious problem. Other factors (e.g., family, counsellors) led
them to attend group therapy.
 Contemplation: The therapist‘s guidance and group sessions begin
to cause clients to think about decreasing their drug use or quitting
altogether.
 Preparation: The client is still using the substance but plans on
stopping due to understanding the harmful consequences of
substance abuse and recognizing the advantages of quitting.
 Action: This involves choosing a strategy to stop the substance
abuse and beginning to make the necessary changes to carry out
the plan with the help of the therapist and other group members.
 Maintenance: The client works hard to remain abstinent and avoid
relapsing. Some clients achieve complete recovery at this stage.
 Recurrence: A client relapses and returns to one of the previous
stages. They can quickly progress back to the maintenance stage
and may have gained a better understanding of the problems that
led to the relapse.
Typically, a licensed therapist will be able to determine what type of
group therapy best suits a client based on how willing they are to change
and participate in group therapy.
 5 Types of Groups Used
A 5-group therapy model is a common and effective form of treatment
for substance abuse. It is led by a team of licensed therapists and entails
the following 5 types of groups:
 Psychoeducational groups focus on feelings and anger
management, conflict resolution, prevention, trauma (e.g., abuse or
violence), health and wellness, culture, and family roles.
 Cognitive behavioural groups focus on building new skills, conflict
resolution, anger/feelings management, relapse prevention, and
early recovery.
 Skills development groups focus on the same factors as the
cognitive behavioural group, as well as relaxation training,
meditation, and life skills training.
 Support groups focus on relapse prevention, trauma, spirituality,
culture, ceremonial healing practices, and gender-specific topics.
 Interpersonal Process Group psychotherapy focuses on trauma and
different forms of abuse, psychodynamics and
humanistic/existential topics.
 Length of Treatment
In general, the type and length of group therapy that is recommended to
a client depends on the member‘s motivation to participate in the
treatment and their stage of recovery.
Substance abuse treatment programs often require members to attend a
certain number of minimum sessions (e.g., 6 sessions) over a 3-month
period. But one full year of sessions may also be recommended. Most of
these types of meetings are outpatient forms of treatment where
members are responsible for attending.
There are also 4–6 week daily treatment programs for clients who need
this type of intensive therapy due to the severity of their substance
abuse. These types of sessions are usually a part of inpatient treatment
programs.
Furthermore, when a client reaches a particular stage of the recovery
process, they may also be encouraged to join a particular group. The
length of treatment may vary depending on how long a client takes to
progress from one stage to the next.
MENTAL HEALTH CENTRES
For adolescents, the following were identified as particular issues that
made it hard to reach out:
 Stigma and Embarrassment. Negative and judgmental attitudes
toward mental illness create shame and fear of being identified
with the mentally ill.
 Difficulty Recognizing Symptoms. Some young people aren‘t sure
how to identify whether their problems are typical or indicate an
underlying mental illness.
 Preference for Self-Reliance. During their developmental years,
teens commonly begin asserting their independence. This tendency
may cause a preference for relying on themselves.
Lack of Trust. From the general awkwardness of sharing personal details
to fears of exposure, distrust often becomes a barrier.
Feelings of Hopelessness. Those especially burdened by their symptoms
may perceive hopelessness that contributes to a diminished desire for
help.
 BENEFITS OF GETTING TREATMENT FOR MENTAL
HEALTH
Depending on your specific situation, there will be particular
advantages to getting treatment. But considering the overall benefits of
mental health treatment is a great place to start:
 Improved quality of life. Imagine being free of the symptoms
you‘re currently facing. Without depression, anxiety, stress, and
other psychological problems to weigh you down, you can live
your life to the fullest.
 Improved relationships. When the symptoms of the illness aren‘t
sapping your strength, you‘re better able to develop and maintain
healthy relationships, and you‘ll have more time for the people in
your life.
 Reduced chance for complications. Many people with mental
illness unfortunately also develop substance addictions, but getting
mental health treatment diminishes that possibility. Even if drugs
or alcohol are already a problem, dual diagnosis treatment can help
with both conditions.
 Better performance at school or work. Improved concentration,
enhanced creativity, reduced absenteeism, increased productivity
and better overall performance are all very real benefits of good
mental health.
 Reduced risk for medical issues. Untreated mental illness
contributes to physical problems like heart disease, ulcers, and
colitis and also reduces the strength of your immune system.
Getting treatment decreases your potential need for certain medical
services.
 Encouragement and Support. Individual therapy enables you to
understand yourself and your personal goals better. Group therapy
 provides exposure to others with similar struggles, which can offer
fresh perspectives on difficult problems. All of this gives you
needed strength for continued recovery.

GROUP WORK WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENCE

GROUP WORK WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Under this group the Educational setting group work
practiced in India and this is also one of the effective ways to
work with children and youth
GROUP WORK IN SCHOOLS
Types of Groups
Remedial - aimed to improve certain skills
Supportive - giving emotional support to the students
Psycho educational - deals with common issues occur at
different stages of development
REMEDIAL GROUP
Study skill
Building self-concept
Social skills
Stress management
Working with challenging
students
Changing families
ADHD
 Gender specific issues
PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL
GROUP
Peer relationship
‗Girls‘ issues / ‗boys‘ issues
Decision making
College career issues
Understanding parents
SOCIAL GROUP WORK WITH EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
SETTING
o Many a time neither the parent nor the teacher are aware of
the fact that child is facing stress in school or college.
o Even if they do, they are not proficient in dealing with the
problem.
o The sources of stress may from scholastic difficulties to the
problem of maintaining relationship.
GROUP WORK IS A MEDIUM
o Guidance and support is an effective way of dealing with
stress, and group is an ideal medium to provide both.
o Ensuring educational inputs to children outside the formal
school setting also poses a serious challenge in all developing
societies.
PURPOSE OF GROUP WORK WITH
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION SETTING
 Helping slow learners
 Dealing with problem of drop out
  Helping youth acquire value education
 Helping youth acquire skills to become self employed
 Generating awareness about Drug use, HIV/AIDS and
other health issues
SKILLS OF SOCIAL GROUP WORKER IN
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS SETTING
 Skill in Analysing the Group Situation
 Skill of Programme Planning
 Skill in Effective Helping Relationship
 Skill of Empathy
 Skill of Encouraging the Member‘s Feedback
 Skill of Active Listening
 Skill in prioritization of the Problem
GROUP WORK IN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS
Can be done with the students who have behavioral adjustment
problems, or on developing life skills and addressing the issues
that pertain to elementary students.
Other benefit is that there is no stigma among students in
getting group work.
GROUP WORK AMONG HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS
More challenging, tight schedule.
developmental changes (physically, emotionally, mentally,
cognitively) during the middle school years can wreak havoc on
students‘ self-concept, peer relationship, and decision making
ability.
GROUP WORK AMONG HIGHER
SECONDARY/ COLLEGE STUDENTS
Group work services can facilitate the decision making of
adolescents as they
approach adulthood.
o Opens greater opportunities.
o Structured group may have a common theme such as
relationship or family issues, groups that support accademic
progress of students should be a priority, as students are
beginning to consider their life after the study.

Application of group work in various

settings-Women development, family
welfare (family counselling centre)

Group work in women development

Groups are effectively used to support individuals in growth,
rehabilitation, personal change and also to prevent personal and social
breakdown. A lot of organizations working with women are forming
groups of women for a variety of objectives. The SHG‘s of women
mainly looks into the aspects like Education, Support, Livelihood,
Legal
aid and health related benefits.
GROUPS OF WOMEN
Women have been using groups for a variety of reasons from a long
time. It is been used for Therapeutic functions by acting as support
systems to women who unburden themselves by sharing their
problems. As mechanisms of social control. Forums of recreation,
social education, health education and so on. Gives opportunity to
address the individual issues as a common problem
OBJECTIVES OF GROUP WORK WITH WOMEN
Efforts to empower women in different aspects like Education, Health
and Economic empowerment of them both in Urban and Rural areas.
The Mahila Samakhya and Swastha Sangh are two governmental
programs designed to use groups of women for promoting education
and health respectively
Group work with women in India thus falls broadly in the task
oriented model of group work, which has growth oriented goals.
Aims to help them to participate in decision making. Address the
problems like savings and income generation, providing support in
emergencies such as violence at home or at work place etc.
Educational
Providing education to women in various aspects -beginning from
literacy skills to legal aid. Women of all ages, rural or urban, different
socio economic group, religions and region are participating in such
groups. These interventions are generally short in duration and mainly
task oriented
Support
Creating network of women facing domestic violence and abuse both
at work place and home, or any other emotional problem -
empowering these women to confront the situation rather than
remaining silent. It also means to provide active advocacy and social
action
Livelihood
Economic empowerment is the most common objectives of groups of
women. Helps them to learn to save and to create a source for getting
financial help from a friendly and non-exploitative source. Helped to
acquire Economic skills of different kinds.
Legal Aid
Provide them some legal aid concerning marital problems, inheritance
matters, sexual harassments and other aspects related with their life.
Support network during legal battles to secure Justice for members
Health Groups
Providing health related information to expecting mothers with newly
born babies. Help to women suffering from various ailments
including AIDS and HIV.Also makes attempt to have behavioral and
attitudinal changes among women.
Stages of group
FORMATION STAGE
How do I form a group of women? Or where do I begin? Contacting
members individually or in groups to share the idea of forming a
group. Educate the members about the needs and issues, which has to
be addressed to get solved. Formation must be focused on other
aspects like Social context and Need formation
Social Context
Deeper understanding of the social background - including Religion,
Caste, Cultural norms, Social mobility, Type of family and its Size,
Gender relations, educational status of the family including the
women, economic status of the women. The worker should also know
the Stratification system and social structure especially the
relationship between male and female in that particular society
Need Assessment
Analyze the basic purpose of the creation of the group. Aim of the
group is the interest of the members. Identifying and meeting the
opinion of the leaders of the area .Arranging meetings with them will
help in assessing the current and relevant needs of that community.
MIDDLE STAGE
Consolidations of the group activities are made to appreciate and
make changes if necessary. Development of them can be assessed by
comparing the general awareness, self confidence level,
communication level, personality etc. from the earlier period to the
present moment. The inputs given in each stage can vary based on the
requirement and the objective the group is been looking
WITHDRAWEL STAGE
The core aim of creating a group is to make them self-sufficient unit.
It is the withdrawal of the worker to enable the group members to
assume responsibility for the works carried by the worker earlier. A
periodic monitoring will help to continue and boost the functions of
the group in these periods.
Family Counselling Centre
The concept of family counselling was conceptualize by the Central
Social welfare Board (CSWB) in 1980s when there was a spate of
dowry deaths. The Board spearheaded the campaign by setting up
Voluntary Action Bureaus, which subsequently took the shape of
Family Counselling Centre.
Objective
The objective of the Family Counselling Centre is to provide
preventive and rehabilitative services to women and families who are
victims of atrocities and family mal-adjustments through crisis
intervention and systematic counselling. The Centre‘s also create
awareness and mobilize public opinion on social issues affecting
status of women.
The Scheme
The scheme of Family Counselling Centre‘s (FCCs) was launched by
Government of India in 1983 and it is being implemented by CSWB
through voluntary organizations across the country. At present
approximately 800 Family Counselling Centre‘s are functioning
inbdifferent states. The Centre‘s also create awareness and mobilize
public opinion on social issues affecting status of women. The FCCs
work in close collaboration with the local administration, police,
courts, free legal aid cells, medical and psychiatric institutions,
vocational training Centre‘s, short stay homes etc.
FCCs in Mahila Jails
Twenty-three FCCs have been set up in Mahila Jails in Bihar,
Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya,
Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
FCCs at Police Headquarters
Family Counselling Centre‘s are being run in some Police
Headquarters premises under the administrative control of the State
Social Welfare Boards. These FCCs were established with the
objective of providing speedy crisis intervention to those women
whose cases were registered in Police Stations. Such FCCs attempt to
arrive at out of court settlement of family discord cases. Thirty four
such FCCs are functioning in Police Headquarters in Assam, Bihar,
Chandigarh, Delhi,
Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, M.P., Maharashtra, Manipur,
Meghalaya, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab, Sikkim,
Tamilnadu,Tripura, U.P. and West Bengal.
Pre-marital Counselling Centres
This new initiative is being implemented in Women Development
Centres at various colleges in Delhi. They lay special emphasis on
pre-marital counselling and deal with other areas of psycho-social
crises management for young women.
Centres for Devdasis / Red Light Areas
At present there are two FCCs working for the welfare of Devadasi
and sex workers and their children one each in Mumbai
(Maharashtra) and Belgaun (Karnataka). The Centres are set up with
the objective of providing preventive services through awareness
campaigns on STD, AIDs and other health and legal matters and also
rehabilitative measures in for children of prostitutes.
Family Intervention Strategies
The social workers involved in working with families engage in
interventions such as emotion-focused intervention for couples,
strategic intervention, and intensive family preservation approaches,
solution focused brief intervention, psychotherapeutic approaches,
family psycho-education and family stabilization.
Emotion-Focused Intervention:
This intervention is basically aimed at enabling the members to let
out their hatred and negative emotions and channelize them
appropriately.The social worker aims at skillfully handling the
emotions and revealing the true meaning hidden behind them. They
are also enabled to excavate and make the other members understand
the underlying need, purpose and impact of such emotional outpours.
This helps family members to take stock of things and revive
relationships and look forward to new ways of mending relationships
and leading peaceful lives.
Strategic Intervention: This is an approach which involves meticulous
study, analysis, diagnosis and planning for the interventions to be
undertaken by the social workers in working with the families. It is a
systematic approach and involves meticulous preparation and
scheduling according to the nature of the problem and the need.
Intensive Family Preservation approach: This intervention aims at
ensuring the preservation of relationships of the members of the
family. The frictions and divisions that have erupted among the
members of the family are identified, barriers are highlighted,
misunderstandings and misinterpretations are clarified and
relationships are strengthened. The social worker aims at rejuvenating
and preserving the family ties and strengthens the bonds between the
members for a healthy relationship and peaceful living.
Solution-focused brief Intervention: These interventions are used to
bring about solutions to the existing problems in the family. They are
very brief and focused and aim at alleviating the situation and
providing the best possible remedies or solution to the issue at hand.
Therefore, the social worker needs to work rapidly and cleverly for
solution-focusedbrief intervention.
Psychotherapeutic Interventions: These interventions are used in
situations where the members of the family or individuals may need
deep psychological help. It is a clinical therapeutic process of
working with individuals to enable healing from within. It often
extends over a period of time.
Intensive Family Preservation approach: This intervention aims at
ensuring the preservation of relationships of the members of the
family.The frictions and divisions that have erupted among the
members of the family are identified, barriers are highlighted,
misunderstandings and misinterpretations are clarified and
relationships are strengthened. The social worker aims at rejuvenating
and preserving the family ties and strengthens the bonds between the
members for a healthy relationship and peaceful living.
Family psycho-education: This involves briefing and educating
family members on the situation or condition of a member of the
family for supportive well-being of the individual and the family.
Pre-marital Counselling
Young people need orientation before they get married. Many
problems in marriage and, later on, in family life can be traced to the
unrealistic expectations and distorted opinions the couple would have
entertained before marriage. In this context, it is necessary to organize
counselling services for those young people who are about to get
married. Pre-marital Counselling is one such method, which is widely
used in Social
Work Practice.
Marital Counselling
Marital Counselling is used to handle conflicts between a husband
and his wife. Marital conflicts may occur over virtually anything.
Some areas that can lead to severe difficulties are money matters,
child rearing practices, failure of duties towards in-laws, inability to
meet career demands, extra marital affairs and sexual difficulties. The
main reasons for marital conflicts are unrealistic expectations of the
couple and their personality traits. In this context, it is necessary to
work with both the husband and the wife to restore stability and
harmony in relationship.Marital Counselling is one such method,
which is widely used in Social Work Practice.
Family Therapy
Family therapy aims to establish more satisfying ways of living for
the entire family. The family is considered as a system and a
maladjusted person is given treatment within the family system. It is
assumed that the problem of one person in the family is the product of
how he interacts with other family members and how others interact
with him. Problems, such as alcoholism, marital breakdown and
family violence,can be quoted as examples. In this context, it is
necessary to work with the entire family or with those, who are
concerned about the problem.Family Therapy is one such method,
which is widely used in Social Work Practice.
Crisis Intervention
Crisis can set in a family unexpectedly in form of death of a spouse or
a child, extra marital relations, long-term imprisonment of a spouse or
drug addiction of an adolescent. It is a critical period in the life of a
family. It disrupts family‘s stability and harmony and puts at stake the
security and survival of the members of the family. It is in this
context that some external support is needed to these families. Crisis
intervention is one Social work with Family.
Applications of group work in various
settings- Industries

Group work in Industries

• Business and industry are not merely profit oriented institutions but
have social obligations as well, Hence social group 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 social climate inside the
organization the work structure and the mental health of the
employees is of equal concern.
Formation of groups in Industries
• Task Oriented groups
• Peer/friendship groups
• Groups for CSR activities
• Recreation groups
• Administrative groups
The purpose for Programs and workshops for
risk employees
• To improve productivity
• To cope with job related stress
• Family and marital stress
• Reduce the anxiety
• Reduce Alcohol/Drug abuse
Factors influencing group work in industries
• The attitude of the management.
• The interest of the employees towards group work.
• The needs of the business.
• The availability of employees for group work.
• Cost effectiveness of the group work through the services provided.
Role of social workers in Industrial setting
• Family, individual and group counselling and home visit in relation
to adjustment of the work orientation, personality and other problems
at preventive level.
• Active in participation in cooperate social responsibility activities
and community development initiatives of the industry.
• Employee management and effective intervention of labour
management problems.
• Workers recreation management.
• Health and educational help.
• Co-ordination of welfare services with other welfare agencies.

Applications of group work in various settings:

Communities
What Is Group Work?
Group work is a method of social work which helps
individuals to enhance their social functioning through
purposeful group experiences, and to cope more effectively
with their personal, group or community problems.
(Giselle Konopka)
Benefit of Group work
• Social work with groups has played an important role
in transforming the way we think about clients and
about the helping process.
• Psychologists have observed that learning can actually
be enhanced by associations with others.
• Social work practice with groups builds on the
important impact of groups on individuals and utilizes
group processes to accomplish individual and group
goals.
• Personality develops gradually through interaction
with different people.
• Helpful in decision making.
• New ideas will flow.
• Promotes democracy.
Primary objectives in community setting
Social integration of the community on a local
neighbourhood basis through participation in self-help and
mutual-aid programmes; motivating people to improve
their living conditions especially those adversely affecting
their physical and social development; creation of
opportunities for undertaking programmes of economic
betterment based on the maximum use of community
resources and local initiative; develop a sense belonging to
the community identification and development of local
leader. The group work in community setting is in the form
of self-help groups, recreational groups, action groups, etc.
GROUP WORK WITH WOMEN
Although groups for women are as diverse as the
women who comprise them, they share a common theme
in their support for the experience of women. Members
learn that they are not alone, and they share and begin to
critically explore the message they have internalized about
their self-worth and their place in society. The self-
disclosures of both the members and the leader foster
deeper self-exploration, a sense of universality, and
increased levels of cohesion. Members learn to use power
effectively by providing support to one another, practicing
behavioural skills, considering social and political actio
and by taking interpersonal risks in a safe setting(Enns,
2004).
Among the many advantages for women who choose
to be in a women‘s group are discovering their personal
strengths and resources, working on interpersonal
relationships in the group context, eliminating patriarchal
oppression, practicing and modelling new behaviours in a
safe environment, and finding their ―voice.‖ often women
are empowered through the relationships they build in a
group setting with other women. In such an environment
the members often find their voice to express their
concerns, fears, secrets, and dreams. The dominant voice
in a patriarchal society is based on independence,
autonomy, and aloneness, and women learn early on that
connection is undervalued. They may believe that what
they have to contribute is not valued. In a group, women
do not risk being taken for granted, for all voices are valued
and encouraged.
Another advantage of women‘s group is the
opportunity to construct a gender analysis of what it means
to be female in a patriarchal society. The gender analysis
aids women in becoming aware of the external causes of
their pain and struggles. It helps women differentiate
between the external and internal causes of the concerns
they bring to a group. The power of the group suggests to
its members that both personal change and societal change
are possible.
GROUP WORK WITH MEN
An increasing number of men are giving expression to
both masculine and feminine dimensions of their
personalities. However, many men in our society still live
according to a traditional masculine of what it is to be a
man. Some men are caught in rigid roles, and they may be
sanctioned if they deviated from those roles or display
characteristics that are not associated with their gender.
They may be so involved in their roles that they become
alienated from themselves. They no longer know what they
are like within because they put so much energy into
maintaining an acceptable image. There is a price to pay
for being restricted by and living by traditional male roles,
especially for those men who are not in agreement with
what is now considered to be truly ―masculine‖ in our
society. Regardless of one‘s cultural background, gender
roles that men have incorporated from cultural
conditioning need to be understood and challenged if men
are to make choices about how they want to change certain
aspects of their masculine identity. The central task for men
is to define who they want to be for themselves, whether

One powerful intervention is the leader modelling

appropriate self-disclosure by sharing some of his own life
experiences.
Most men‘s groups contain both a psychoeducational
component and an interpersonal, processoriented
dimension. The following proposal describes such a group
that one of our colleagues has facilitated for about 20 years
in a large health maintenance organization in a community
agency.
Group Work With Older Adults
We now turn our attention to topics related to
designing and facilitating groups for older adults in
community settings. Groups work with older adults is one
way to promote the positive aspects of aging and to help
participants cope with the developmental tasks of aging.
Older people have a range of life experience and personal
strengths that are often overlooked. Counselors need to
develop special programs for older people and to continue
their efforts to find the means to reach this clientele. Group
workers will increasingly be held accountable for
developing programs to help individuals find meaning in
their lives and be productive after retirement. As mental
health professionals become involved with older people,
their challenge is to do more than add year‘s to a person‘s
life-they must help individuals lead fuller and better lives.
We begin, by identifying attitudes, knowledge and
skills required of those who are interested in doing group
work with older adults.
Attitudes, Knowledge, and Skills of leaders
Just as specialized knowledge is required for therapists
who work with children and adolescents, so too is
specialized knowledge required to treat the unique
problems that older adults face. The rapid population
growth among older people has resulted in a greater
demand for mental health practitioners able to provide
adequate psychological services to this group.
It is critical to be aware of how your own
feelings and attitudes may affect your work with older
adults. Your range of life experiences, as well as your basic
personality characteristics, can either help or hinder you in
your work. Some of the important assets for group work
with older people are:
• Positive experiences with older people
• A deep sense of caring
• Patience, especially with repetition of stories
• Genuine respect
• Knowledge of the special physiological,
psychological, spiritual and social needs of older
people.
• The ability to deal with extreme feelings of loss,
depression, isolation, hopelessness and despair.
Preparing yourself to work with older adults
If you are interested in working with older adults, you can
gain valuable experience by becoming involved with older
people and their families. It is important that you are
explore your feelings about responsibilities toward older
family members, which can help you understand the
struggles of the members of the groups you lead. Here are
some steps to prepare yourself to work with this
population:
• Take courses dealing with the problems of older
people.
• Get involved in field work and internship experience
working with older individuals.
• Visit agencies for the care of older adults, both in your
own country and on any trips you take abroad.
• Explore your own feelings toward your own aging and
toward older people in your life.
Visit some homes for older people that represent a
particular culture or religious group, which will give
you some insight into how old people are perceived
and treated by different groups.
SOCIAL WORK IN CORRECTIONAL SETTINGS
Social work is a fast developing profession. Its focus is on the
interaction between individuals and systems in the social situation.
Individuals are dependent on systems for help in obtaining material
or emotional resources, services, and opportunities they require to
actualize their aspirations and to help them cope with life tasks.

It has been asked by many whether principles of social work are

applicable in correctional setting. The answer is in the affirmative,
so different methods of social work, like casework and group work
are applicable in correctional institutions besides probation and
parole. There are restrictions, which the correctional settings impose
upon the delinquent or criminal. Yet, if the correctional experience
is to be useful one and social worker‘s service a genuine helping,
these limitations must be easily dealt with. Therefore, social work
principle, based upon an understanding of the dynamics of the
helping process, hold great promise for useful service in
correctional settings.

Practically in India, the Correctional setting works under a

combination of four major sub-systems i.e. police, prosecution,
judiciary and the correctional services. Each sub-system is expected
not only to play its own statutory role to contribute towards the
achievement of the main objectives of the Criminal Justice system
as a whole but also to strengthen each other‘s role in a strenuous
 manner. But the ground reality shows that each of these sub-systems
usually tend to function as a system of its own and, many a time,
works at cross purposes with the other segments of the Criminal
Justice System.

CORRECTION INSTITUTIONS
Human beings in any society are expected to follow certain rules
and regulations in order to maintain peace, law and order.
Restrictions and limits are placed on human behaviour in the form
of formal rules, legislations, written laws and institutional structure.
People who violate these formal means are identified, charged and
sentenced according to procedure laid down by law. This formal
mechanism to control crime is called criminal justice system. The
Criminal Justice System is designed to control crime and contribute
towards a safe and orderly society.
Criminal Justice System in India consists of four primary
components: the police, prosecutions, the courts and corrections.
The Correctional services have existed from time immemorial with
varying purpose and use. The philosophy behind correctional
service lies in the fact that the inmates who would be lodged there
would be reformed through various kinds of training so that the
inmate is ultimately able to reintegrate successfully in the larger
 society after her/his release from the correctional setting. Social
Work plays a vital role in this aspect.

DEFINITION AND PHILOSOPHY BEHIND CORRECTION

Correction is one segment of the Criminal Justice System. A person

who is accused of any crime is either convicted or acquitted by the
court. Persons who are convicted by court are lodged in a
correctional setting. A person who is undergoing trial in the court
may also be lodged in a correctional setting by order of the court.
Thus a correctional institution or setting is a place where a person
accused of or convicted of a crime is lodged for a specified period of
time.
Traditionally, the approach towards crime control was guided by the
concepts of deterrence, retribution and offender incapacitation.
Deterrence refers to the various measures taken to

prevent crime. Retribution means punishing someone for the

wrongdoing. Offender incapacitation refers to the act of making an
individual incapable of committing a crime. These ideologies of
crime control have been gradually replaced by a diversified
framework of reintegrative correctional strategies. These strategies
intend to assist the release inmates in their transition back into the
mainstream society. The whole focus is on reshaping the behaviors
of the convicted offenders with the following goals (Dhaor, 2008):
1. Protection of society against crime;
2. Develop a sense of discipline and security;
3. Reform and rehabilitate them in the given social milieu through
appropriate correctional interventions; and
4. Equip with skills and abilities in order to help them lead a
normal life as a citizen, once they get out of the correctional
institution.
To fulfill the above objectives, various kinds of reintegrative
services are offered within a correctional setting. These services
include inmate care and welfare, vocational training programmes,
inmate-family contact, self-discipline incentives (such as
remissions, leaves, transfer to open institutions, parole etc). Thus,
the inmate within a correctional setting would be involved in
various kinds of productive activities. This will enable in reducing
―prison subculture contamination‖, which is manifested in
numerous undesirable activities that are associated with prison life.
Further, certain categories of inmates who endanger public safety
are segregated from the mainstream society by way of
imprisonment. Thus, putting a person in a correctional setting
deprives him/her of liberty and self determination. However, all
 possible efforts are taken to ensure that the person come out as
better individuals than that they were at the time of their admission
With this objective, the Honorable Supreme Court of India in its
various judgments has reiterated the following principles (Dhaor,
2008):

a) A person in a correctional setting does not become a non-

person;
b) A person in prison is entitled to all human rights within the
limitations of imprisonment; and
c) There is no justification in aggravating the suffering already
inherent in the process of incarceration.

ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKER IN PRISON

Although various types of correctional services are already available

to prison inmates, professional social worker can play a vital role in
a prison setting. Social workers
in correctional facilities provide two types of services: supportive
services within the institution and connections to resources in the
community. Within a correctional facility, social work services
might be utilized in the areas of mental health, substance abuse,
education, and vocational rehabilitation. This calls for a deeper
understanding of the prison environment and offender better by the
social worker. Initiatives such as diversion, community services,
parole, probation, correctional supervision and the conversion of
imprisonment sentences to those of a community-based treatment
should be explored to minimize re-offending or recidivism.
Specifically, a professional social worker can play the following
roles in a prison setting:
 Case work with individuals: Social work practitioners should
acknowledge and respond to the real environmental and
emotional crises that can be created by incarceration. Each
offender has the capacity to grow and develop to be a
constructive member of the family, community and society.
Prisoners are responsible for their behavioural change. A central
component of valuing the individual is recognizing the
individual in relation to their family and community. Social
Workers challenge attitudes and behaviours, which result in
crime and cause distress, or harm to victims and others.
Casework treatment in institutional settings relies heavily upon
efforts toward role-adaptation in the client and role adjustment in
the primary groups, of which both the client and the persons who
referred him are his members. In the correctional field, the
probation officer interprets the delinquent‘s behaviour to the
judge and to the police officers. The caseworker studies and
assesses the combination
 of internal and external forces that directed the prisoner into
criminal mode of behaviour. The caseworker has ready access to
those who define the social role of inmate and who observe the
client‘s daily role-performance. In such institutional settings, the
caseworker is part of the world to which he is trying to help the
client adapt more satisfactorily.
 Probation: Probation is derived from Latin word which means
―to test or to prove‖. It is developed as custodial alternative
which is used where guilt is established but it is considered that
imposing of a prison sentence would do no good. The Court may
order the release on probation of good conduct if it is convinced
that no previous conviction is proved against him, and with
regards to age, sex, and antecedents of the offender. The
offender is required to enter into a bond with or without sureties
to appear and receive sentence when called up and in the
meantime to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
Imprisonment decreases his capacity to readjust to the normal
society after release and association with professional
delinquents often has undesired effects. During probation the
probationer lives in the community. He regulates his own life
under conditions imposed by court or other constituted authority
and is subjected to supervision by a probation officer.
Compensation, release on admonition probation, imposition of
fines, community services are a few such techniques used.
Probation in India mostly depends on the policy of the state.
After care program has been set up to improve the lives of those
released on probation. Large numbers of social workers are also
employed as probation or parole officers. Probation officers
provide case management and supportive services to individuals
who have been offered a suspended sentence or probation as an
alternative to incarceration; parole officers provide case
management and other social services to offenders who have
been granted early release from prison. Social workers in these
positions may provide crisis intervention services and referral
for education, vocational, counseling, and substance abuse
services (Dhaor, 2008).

Some state laws also require that a member of the parole board
be a social worker or someone with social-service expertise.
Significant numbers of social workers provide community-based
services through private social service agencies that have
 contracts with public corrections agencies. These social workers
work closely with corrections staff to provide counseling,
outreach and tracking, and school-based prevention programs.
 Aftercare: The term after care refers to the programme and
services organized for the rehabilitation of inmates from
correctional institution. It can be used to refer to the programme
and services organized to complete the process ofrehabilitation
of socially and physically handicapped individual or group
which have been begun and carried up to a particular stage in an
institution (Dhaor, 2008).
The social worker can play an important role in identifying post
release employment opportunities and network with other
organizations in order to help the inmate reintegrate into the
society. A number of after care programmes are being run by the
government with the help of non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) which are acting as a bridge between the prisoners and
the community. These services are offered to the prisoners on
their release. The Prison Departments are also providing tool kits
of trades to released prisoners to achieve self-employment.
Prison Welfare Officer also helps released prisoners in availing
grant or loan under various development schemes. In certain
states, half-way homes have also been set up especially for
women prisoners who are facing problems of rehabilitation.
 Group work among the substance abusers: A large number of
prison inmates end up in the prison as a result of drug
trafficking. Many times they themselves are addicted to drugs
and find it difficult to cope with the sudden abstinence within the
prison walls. Social workers can play a major role in helping the
drug addicts‘ deal with the situation through group work. The
social worker emphasizes on abstinence from the substance/
alcohol and tries to motivate the inmatere garding the benefits of
de-addiction. The social worker can also monitor the treatment
drugs prescribed by the medical doctor in the prison. The first
phase of the group work usually has highly

structured and well planned sessions with clear objectives. After

a few sessions an interactive approach can be used. Most of the
activities are focused on here and now activities, activity-based
programme like those needing movement of the body are
recommended. Various
role plays like problem solving, feedback, self-disclosure,
confrontation, creating social support network and providing
information are important techniques (Varghees, 2009).
 SOCIAL GROUP WORK IN CORRECTIONAL SETTING
Group work with delinquents and criminals is often seen as a
powerful technique for modifying behaviour and attitudes.
Although demanding and sometimes complex, group work is
based on some rather simple and well supported observations
about how people grow and interact. Social group work is a
method of rendering service to persons, through providing
experience in groups.
Development of the person towards his individual potential,
improvement of relationship and social functioning
competencies, and social action are recognized as purposes of
social group work. The worker functions within a framework of
ethical and social values. In social group work, the worker helps
member and group to use their abilities and strengths. The
worker uses himself in different ways in relation to specific
objectives. The group member and the group are inextricably
interrelated and the condition of each is bound to affect the
other.
There can be three main reasons for the use of the group in
treatment of the delinquent and the criminal:
 First, the dynamics of the offender himself.
 Second, the specific correctional setting in which he finds
himself.
  Thirdly, the specific purpose for which society has put him
into the correctional setting
There is a phenomenon appearing in the delinquent, which shows
that one of his outstanding identification‘s well as support is the
group. This phenomenon is certainly closely related to the age of
most of the delinquents, since all adolescents seek their status far
more in the group of contemporaries through closeness with
adults.
The use of the group work method becomes, therefore, essential
because the delinquents can of ten-not be reached otherwise. He
must be approached in his own group with the security of the
surrounding other delinquents. The purpose and goals of the
group related to this understanding are many:

 The strengthening of the security of the offender in the

framework of the group, so that he does not feel alone and
helpless, but also moves towards not being wholly
dependent on it.
 The strengthening of the offender‘s independence by
helping him to actually participate in group discussions, not
to submit to a gang leader or a powerful sub-group.
 The introduction of an adult, who represents the values of a
society they often reject, but who, because of his accepting
attitude, represents adult security and love. The delinquent
 can meet this adult in a group, while still feeling the support
of his contemporaries and relating in different degrees of
intensity. It also provides an opportunity of gaining
satisfaction in the need for adventure and experimentation in
various ways that are accepted by the society.
 An opportunity to gain inner resilience and status within the
group through accomplishment in activities accepted by the
society.
 In group work in correctional settings, the programme
media should be varied. The group members must allow for
outlet of hostility, and not reduce the group to unacceptable
behaviour. Program should allow, at times, for the
individual need of withdrawal by letting a group member do
something for himself without feeling guilty that he does
not participate, but help him feel accepted by presence in the
group.

Besides the help with outlet of feelings, a programme

should include the opportunity for real achievement. It
should strike a balance between more individual and more
cooperative projects, according to the readiness of the group
members. It must also allow for pure enjoyment and
aesthetic satisfaction. In these days, the use of the group as a
 tool in correctional work has been recognized more and
more. The guided group interaction technique can serve as a
sort of spear-head around which many activities can be
organized in an effort to get at the inner life of the person.

Values of Social Work in Correction

Social work values are basically the values of democratic

societies, which are mainly the worth of the individual, the
inherent dignity of the human person, society‘s responsibility for
contributing to the common good, etc.
For the National Association of Social Workers, the following six
values are listed basic to the practice of social work:
1) The individual is the primary concern of this society.
2) There is interdependance between individuals in this society.
3) They have social responsibility towards one another.
4) There are human needs common to each person, yet each
person is essentially unique and different from others.
5) An essential attribute of a democratic society is the
realization of the full potential of each individual and the
assumption of his social responsibility through active
participation in society.
6) Society has a responsibility to provide ways in which
obstacles to this self-realization can be overcome or prevented.
 These values are verifiable observations. When values are
focused on ultimate assumptions about man and what is
desirable for him, it becomes obvious that relatively few basic
values exist. So the primary values of social work are:

1) Society has an obligation to ensure that people have access to the

resources, services and opportunities they need to meet various life
tasks, alleviate distress and realise their aspirations and values.
2) In providing societal resources, the dignity and individuality
of people should be respected. All other values in social work
originate from these primary values and contribute to the
achievement of goals based on the primary values. The values
dictate ways in which the worker should interact with others in
carrying out his professional activities so as to actualize the
primary values.

Knowledge of social work may be enhanced by consideration of

some of its distinguishing characteristics. Social work stresses on
the total person in the total environment. Its emphasis is on the
importance of the family in molding and influencing behaviour.
Utilization of Community resources in helping people to prevent
and control criminality is another important dimension.
Social work uses six basic methods. Among them casework,
group work and community organisation are known as the
primary methods. Social Welfare Administration, Social Work
Research and Social Action are the secondary methods. All these
methods are applied in correction in varying degrees. Casework
involves a close face-to-face relationship, mainly on an individual
basis in working with people and their problems. Group work
utilizes the group as the tool to bring about desired changes in
social functioning with troubled persons. Community
organisation is the inter group approach towards facing and
solving social problems.

The worker-client relationship is the key in the social work

process in correction. The social worker attempts to make it
possible for the client to face and change his offending behaviour
through this warm, accepting and understanding relationship.

In social work, four fundamental activities can be distinguished:

assessing the problem, planning for solution of the problem,
implementing the plan and evaluating the outcome. Assessment
of the problem, such as delinquency and criminal behaviour,
requires various evaluative steps, logically consecutive, but in
practice, synchronized. In the light of this assessment, a plan of
action must be structured. Implementing the plan involves
rendering all the specific and interrelated services appropriate to
the given problem situation in the light of the assessment and
planning. Finally, evaluation determines the effectiveness of
service in the light of the expected outcome formulated as part of
the planning activity.

CORRECTIONAL`SETTINGS AND TASK OF SOCIAL

WORKERS

To deal with officially identified delinquents and criminals, every

democratic society has created a system of correctional agencies.
These agencies have been given the task of administrating the
penalties assigned to delinquents and criminals. These agencies
are expected to protect the community during the offender‘s
period of supervised status by controlling his behaviour.
Furthermore, they are expected to help the offender, so that he
can return to normal status, better able to be a constructive
member of the community.

Probation and Parole are the two main agencies in the correctional
system. Different kinds of correctional
institutions are as follows:
 Prisons
 Borstal Schools
 Schools for Juvenile Delinquents
 Remand/Observation Homes
 Beggar Homes
 Reception Centres, Protective Homes
 State Homes, Probation Hostels
The nature of the penalties, which these agencies administer, is
essentially that of a handicapped personal and social status. This
period of down-graded status is spent under supervision either in
an institution or in the community under the guidance of a
correctional social worker.
The handicaps inherent in this status include:
 Loss of certain civil rights, such as voting, rights to enter into
certain contracts, etc.
 Loss of liberty
 Restrictions on mobility

Restrictions on privacy: i.e., the offender must keep in contact

with the supervising officer and must discuss most aspects of his
basic social adjustment.
In correctional agencies, social workers may be known by such
titles as classification officer, treatment worker, caseworker,
group worker, diagnostic clinic worker, house master, etc. Among
these, in the social treatment point of view, caseworker and group
worker stand out prominently. It is characteristic of the social
work task in the correctional setting that the worker may need to
engage the administration in identifying needed services and in
reformulating job description, so that the correctional setting may
benefit from a fuller use of social work skills.
Social worker‘s specific main tasks in correction are as follows:
1) Act as the officer of the court or other quasi-judicial body to
investigate and report about the offender and his social
situation, contributing the results of such social observations
in an appropriate and meaningful way to the making of legal
decisions.
2) Supervise the client‘s social activities in such a way that
violations of the conditions of his status and his success in
meeting conditions are perceived and can be reported. The
general control plan provided in the status is individualized
according to the client‘s need for constructive social control.
Controls are provided by the social worker in such a way that
the client is supported in viably conforming behaviour and
inner growth toward selfcontrol is stimulated.
3) Help the involuntary client to handle the stress produced by
the law enforcement and correctional process constructively.
Become motivated to ask for and use help in the
modification of delinquent and criminal behaviour. Modify
his behaviour in the direction of increasingly viable
conformity with social expectations.
4) As the formal authority person in the delinquent or
criminal‘s life, work with either authorities associated with
the client (parents, teachers, employees, social agencies,
institutional personnel) in such a way that: The problems of
these authorities with the delinquent or criminal are
alleviated. The activities of the authorities support the
delinquent or criminal‘s efforts towards satisfactory
behaviour. The delinquent or criminal is more soundly linked
with the resources of his groups and his community.
5) Administer a case load or group load in such a way that:The
social worker‘s decisions are appropriate and responsible.
The decisions of other personnel in the administration of
criminal justice are respected, implemented, and
appropriately influenced by the social worker‘s knowledge.
6) Necessities of legal and administrative deadlines are
observed.Enact a role in a multidiscipline agency involving
 shared decisions and teamwork obligations in partnership
with:
 Personnel from other professions,
 Personnel in the same role as his, but with other
educational backgrounds, Personnel with sub-
professional assignments and backgrounds,
 Personnel from other agencies in the administration of
criminal justice,
 Personnel in other agencies who have served the
delinquent/criminal or will do so in the future.
7) Take a responsible part in the social change of the correctional
institution and in the development of the field of service of
the correctional institution, contributing from his professional
knowledge and experience to the determination of policy.
8) Contribute to developing professional knowledge of social
work in corrections.

The social worker helps the offender to change his offending

behaviour, therefore he can relate constructively to others and become
socially acceptable. This is done through working with the individual
to help him to change through better understanding of himself and by
tapping his own strengths and resources; and through modification of
his environment to bring about a more healthy social climate in which
he has to live. The social worker encourages the offender to talk about
his problems, to feel about them, and to come to an insightful
understanding of himself, accompanied by socially constructive
behavior.