About Groups and Group Work Approaches

This article aims to emphasize the importance of a different dimension of social work intervention: working with groups. Working with groups in social work means a refined mix individual approaches and methods with groups dynamics. There is no need to explain the importance of the groups in any activity as much as we became group members since our very first breath. The structure and norms of the society make us group components under social groups dynamics laws and processes. It is impossible to be a part of the society without belonging to different groups (Toseland, Rivas, 2009, 3-5). Working with groups suppose a two layer approaches: the first one centered on the individual as member of the group and the second one with focus on group as an entity with specific processes, functions and particularities. The challenge of working with groups appear mainly from the need to offer attention and support to the assisted person as a member of the group and considering in the same time the parameters of the group as a standalone entity (stages, dynamics, disturbing factors). This study will review general notions on group typology, dynamics and specific working methods with groups in social work and also group evaluation strategies. The attached case study will analyze the work relationship inside a Romanian NGO. The objective of this article is to discuss various aspects of working with groups by pointing out the main group characteristics (for a better understanding of the specifics of this intervention) and by presenting a case study with a practical group evaluation method.


Keywords: group, social work, sociometry, communication