Social Group Work: History, Principles, and Practices
Unit Test I: Group and Community
Name: Date:
1. Mention the Main Precursors of Social Service Groups and Explain Briefly (4 pts)
Samuel A. Barnett, an English vicar, founded the first “settlement” in London in 1884. He used the word “settlement” to describe a group of people who lived in a neighborhood with which it was necessary to connect effectively. He sought a way for neighbors to meet in groups, learn, exchange experiences, and achieve a better life for themselves and for the nation. The motto was “share and create friendship.”
Saint Vincent de Paul, in the early seventeenth century, provided the historical background of group formation through the creation of neighborhood centers.
Don Bosco, an Italian priest and founder of the Order of the Salesians, is considered a precursor of the Social Service Group. He was the first to recognize the value of group life and the importance of recreation as an educational tool. The motto of Saint John Bosco was “reason, goodness, and religion.”
In 1846, George Williams created the YMCA in London. The founding of a similar institution for women in 1855 were also positive attempts to solve social problems. This movement continued to grow progressively with increasing success in many countries of Europe and America.
General Baden Powell started a movement called “scouting” in England in 1908. It was born as a way to help the children of workers facing economic hardships, parental challenges, or other social issues. These children often lacked direction or proper moral education.
2. A Brief Overview of the Origin of the Social Group Method, from the Experiences of Slavson, Lieberman, and Newstetter
Richard Slavson began his work in Brooklyn in 1912, forming clubs for working people. His purpose was to educate and provide opportunities for the development of each participant’s personality through the exchange of group life. He also engaged in working with children, and in 1916, he met Joshua Lieberman, who shared his interest in these social activities and had organized unions. Together, they created the “Pioneer Youth of America” to provide children with opportunities to engage in outdoor activities in groups. This work continued for six summers, and Lieberman collected and published his experiences in the book entitled Creative Camping.
Wilber Newstetter, meanwhile, acquired knowledge in group work in a summer camp and a neighborhood center where he participated with the collaboration of students and doctors. He tried to establish principles and techniques and provide experiences to his partners, the psychiatrists, on issues related to mental health.
3. What is the Difference Between the Social Group Method and the Individual Social Case?
Social Group Work differs from Individual Social Casework in that its action does not always seek to solve situations of inadequacy or personal problems related to economic hardship. Its goals are education and social development. It is considered a method by which trained social workers guide various groups to act so that both group interaction and activities contribute to individual development and the achievement of useful and convenient social objectives.
4. Definition of Social Group Work by Richard Slavson and Wilber Newstetter
According to Slavson, it is a method of social education in which participants are both teachers and students working on related materials.
According to Wilber Newstetter, the social group “is a socio-educational process that aims at the development of personality and social adjustment of individuals through partnerships as a means to achieve other socially desirable ends.”
5. What is the Basic Concept of this Method?
The basic concept of this method is to consider man as a social being who depends largely on his peers to achieve the full development of his potentialities. Individual characteristics and qualities should be used for the common good and be respected by others for the benefit of the whole, the social group.
6. What are the Aims and Purposes of Social Work Professionals in a Group?
The aim of professionals working with groups is to promote personal development in each participating member and ensure that the group has intrinsic value for its members and for the whole community.
The goals of social group work are achieved through a psychological and educational process. “Process” refers to the sequence of stages during which activity is carried out with a purpose. In the technical process of group work, there are certain procedures of the initial approach, which begins, like any organization, with a clear definition of the social objectives to be obtained. These objectives can be identified as follows: use of free time, recreation, improvement of neighborhoods, participation of groups in organizational work of the community (neighborhood associations, sports clubs, or cultural centers), parenting by mothers’ centers, teenage clubs, etc.
7. How Important is the Home Visit in this Method?
Home visitation is one tool that the Social Worker has for the formation of groups. One of the objectives of the home visit is to enroll prospective members and awaken the common interest leading to meetings, and to conduct voluntary pre-propaganda. On the other hand, it also serves to meet the future members more directly. This visit should be short; its purpose is solely to expose the aims of the future group.
8. Explain the Three Major Relationships Between the Groups
- Individual’s relationship with the group.
- Relationship between group members.
- Group relationship with other associations.
In the individual’s relationship with the group, entry requirements should be established reasonably, avoiding arbitrary decisions. Ensure that everyone has the right to elect and be chosen, define the responsibilities of those exercising functions, respect the authority of the elected leader, and recognize the authority of ideas that the social worker has obtained concerning the modification of their role as a technical advisor.
The relationship between members of groups should be based on mutual respect, understanding, and goodwill. When resistance, criticism, or ridicule occurs towards certain individuals, the social worker must address these negative attitudes. They are also responsible for educating those who lead and are led to avoid hostilities and promote understanding between rivals to secure the cooperation of all.
The group’s relationship with other associations can be established through artistic activities, sports, or just for socializing. It is fitting that these groups have contacts abroad to strengthen the unity of the association and achieve true social solidarity with the environment.
9. Definition of a Leader by R. B. Roony and What Kind of Leadership is Exercised by the Social Worker?
“A person who knows where to go and knows how to do it by themselves and also shows the way for others who follow them.”
The social worker is the professional leader and takes on the role of educator alongside the natural leader. These individuals must cultivate tolerance, equality, and all those qualities favorable to the group. These may include organizational capacity, helpfulness, harmony, loyalty, and acceptance. They will also promote activities, enthusiasm for carrying out the programs, wisdom, and speaking skills.
10. Definition of a Social Group and its Features (List)
A social group can be defined as a set of human beings who interact with each other. The reasons for cohesion among members of a group can vary greatly depending on whether they are primary, natural groups, such as a family, or formed groups, such as a scout organization.
Features
Permanence and continuity to ensure the stability and frequency of contacts between members. Long-term repetition is necessary for the interaction to result in influence and mutual dependency.
It is an organization based on the division of responsibilities among members. These performance standards are established as the group continues its social life and refer to the division and allocation of responsibilities, establishing conditions for admitting new members, regulating the conduct of participants in relation to the group, or creating a government to regulate life together.
Development of traditions and customs. In this respect, there is a tendency to remember and commemorate certain events that are significant for the group, to respect certain forms of action, and to exalt praiseworthy deeds that form the common heritage.
Interaction with other groups. This is the tendency to interact with other groups to broaden social life without losing the unity and cohesion of the home group.
Development of team spirit. This is the phenomenon of collective activity, or a way of thinking, feeling, and acting that is not equal to the sum of the individual modes of being of the people who compose the group, but diverse and supra-individual. This phenomenon produces affirmation and conservation among group members and maintains a level of conduct higher than that achieved if they did not belong to the group.
11. Explain the Classification of Groups According to Slavson
Required Group: Mandatory groups are those to which one belongs due to the influence of others or due to different circumstances, such as family or school. Adaptation in these groups is good when they offer emotional stimuli, security, or habit. Adaptation can be poor when they lack such positive elements, and the results are manifested in attitudes of rebellion or rejection.
Motivated Group: Motivated groups are those to which one is admitted for various reasons, for example, the search for approval from others, social prestige, following a boss, or personal interest. Professional associations and groups that have political influence and prestige within a community can be included among motivated groups.
Voluntary Group: In voluntary groups, individuals participate simply for the pleasure of attending, due to association with like-minded people, or the desire to collaborate in the activities they carry out. This competition-free environment and the relationships that occur between members offer many educational opportunities to people who belong to such groups.
12. List the Subdivisions of Voluntary Groups and Explain the Treatment Group
- Homogeneous cultural groups.
- Homogeneous groups of interest.
- Groups of multiple activities.
Therapeutic groups are voluntary associations for children with behavioral issues. Participants must be of the same sex, and there must be some similarity between them in relation to the problem behavior that affects them. For example, shy and inhibited children should not be part of a group where others are angry and aggressive. The activities taking place in therapeutic groups are usually manual, and social work is done for healing through association within a group. Although these groups have often worked with children, the principles can be applied to adults as well.
13. Define the Role of the Social Worker
The role is the behavior or function that a social worker should play, taking into account the status or position they occupy within society. In a narrower sense, “professional roles” refer to the function performed by those practicing a particular profession, and what others expect them to do.
14. Name the Roles Played by the Social Worker and Explain 2
- Consultant-advisor-counselor
- Informer
- Service Provider
- Planner
- Researcher
- Manager
- Administrator
- Executor of programs, projects, and/or activities
- Evaluator
- Animator, facilitator, mobilizer of social processes
EDUCATOR: The social worker should give the people of the community the necessary tools to create skills and abilities in its members, with the aim that each individual can solve their own problems or difficulties. The method most used by those working directly in the community is through talks (educational sessions), workshops, etc., which leads to generating active participation of individuals forming the group, always thinking that the ultimate goal is to empower each individual and utilize their knowledge so that they can solve problems independently. This positive change in behavior helps to raise their standard of living.
COORDINATOR: Within the community, the Social Worker fulfills the coordinating role, coordinating future activities within the community itself or planning jointly with its participants. In addition, they coordinate contacts with other professionals and technicians who come to the aid of the actions and planned activities for the benefit of the community. It is essential that coordination is also planned to avoid failures or unforeseen events that harm the performance of activities in the process of implementation. The Social Worker also has the task of being an intermediary between the community and the institutions involved, in order to achieve the objectives.
Advisor, guide, consultant: This role in community work with functional and territorial organizations is met with the main objective of finding alternatives that allow leaders and people in general to implement self-management capacity, particularly in addressing social needs affecting the basic group. Here, the social worker’s mission is to work together with them so they can properly use the social networks that will let them leave their original condition. Advice and guidance in the community mean managing community involvement in solving problems and needs, using appropriate existing services.
PLANNER: Today, we see that this is a role that the modern social worker is responsible for and must execute. They demonstrate their ability and delivery of theoretical knowledge for the development of plans, projects, and programs to address a deficiency detected in the preparation of the community diagnosis. It should always be kept in mind that the problems identified should help us develop a program that will address, either in part or in the short term, the identified problem.
The important thing is that the social worker should develop a strategic plan with the people who have the problem. It is not about making a program to “show off,” but the goal is basically to meet the needs of people vulnerable to the problems detected. This is where the execution of a specific project comes in.
MEDIATOR: The social worker should and can often act as a mediator according to the different situations that arise, either within the group or community, in situations of conflict or not. The important thing is that they act through attitude, action, and disposition to intervene in conflict situations. In addition, the execution of this role reinforces the relationship between the local government or institution to which they belong and the community in which they are working. The Social Worker here exerts an ability to solve situations, often unresolved due to the lack of technical personnel or simply because there is no interest in solving them.
The professional displays this ability, detects the situation, and plans action to intervene and play a mediating role. Do not forget that mediation is about finding the best agreement between the parties involved in a problem situation.
MANAGER: The role of the social worker is directly related to the proper utilization of resources by the people who need them. We are here as intermediaries between users and institutions because we know the problems of the community and at the same time manage aid through various agencies. People who belong to communities, particularly those “marginalized” in the social sense (i.e., those furthest from decision-making instances), need to know how to properly use the various resources or institutions that offer the possibility of leaving their depressed condition.
EXECUTOR: Upon arrival to execute a program or project, the social worker knows that there are issues of great interest to the community and to which people will give greater importance, which will result in greater participation. That is, I cannot get the community to implement a community development program if I have not even made the preliminary diagnosis to determine whether the subject is worthy of being addressed with a particular project. If so, I have no doubt that this program will fail.
15. Dorothea F. Sullivan Reports that Social Group Work Must be Equipped with Qualities Such as:
- Ability to adapt to the environment
- Flexibility
- Open-mindedness
- Responsibility
- Frustration tolerance
- Enthusiasm
- Self-control
- Ingenuity and imagination
- Leadership skills
- Sincere interest in working in the professional field of social group work