Task:
Aim: Explore group work from a social work perspective, using your reading of academic material about group work, experiential observations of being in a group in this subject, and your reflections on the fictional practice example provided.
PART A:
a). Write a description which identifies and examines the key features of the learning and teaching group to which you belong in this subject. Use references to your readings to describe relevant features such as purpose; the theoretical approach (or approaches) and assumptions that you guess may be the framework adopted by the facilitator; leadership (formal and informal); structure; membership; processes and ethics. Use references to your readings to identify and describe relevant group work theories and principles employed.
PART B:
a) From the fictional practice example, choose at least two critical moments or incidents upon which to reflect about how, if you were the group leader or facilitator, you would address these incidents in the group.
b) Seek out, through searching in the CSU on-line library, some relevant group work material, either theoretical or population-based (e.g., a Narrative approach to group work with women who feel isolated; group work with mothers whose partners have family violence charges; Solution-Focussed group work for women who are raising small children; group work with mothers, from a feminist standpoint; group work for cultural awareness and social equality). Discuss its usefulness and/or limitations in potential application to this group, using illustrative examples.
c) Draw conclusions about the complexities of group work practice, making reference to what you have discussed above and to relevant reading you have done within the academic literature about the social work approach to group work.