![]() ![]() The socialization they offer, for example, might be highly constraining and oppressive for some of their members. However, there is a downside to all this. As the effectiveness of our groups goes, so goes the quality of our lives. The ubiquitousness of groups and the inevitability of being in them makes groups one of the most important factors in our lives. We always have been and we always will be. They allow people to develop more complex and larger-scale activities are significant sites of socialization and education and provide settings where relationships can form and grow, and where people can find help and support. Second, groups are a fundamental part of human experience. This definition has the merit of bringing together three elements: the number of individuals involved, connection, and relationship. Forsyth’s definition of a group as ‘ two or more individuals who are connected to one another by social relationships’ (2006: 2-3). Here, as a starting point, we are using Donelson R. Here I just want to highlight five main points.įirst, while there are some very different ways of defining groups – often depending upon which aspect of them that commentators and researchers want to focus upon – it is worthwhile looking to a definition that takes things back to basics. In a separate article we discuss the nature of groups and their significance for human societies (see What is a group?). We finish with an overview of the development of group work as a focus for theory-making and exploration. We also try to define group work – and discuss some of foci that workers need to attend to. ![]() We then turn to the process of working with. Our starting point for this is a brief exploration of the nature of groups. They have to respond both quickly and sensitively to what is emerging in the exchanges and relationships in the groups they are working with. Skilled group workers, like skilled counsellors, have to be able to draw upon an extensive repertoire of understandings, experiences and skills and be able to think on their feet. These abilities are often not recognized for what they are – for when group work is done well it can seem natural. Entering groups or forming them, and then working with them so that members are able be around each other, take responsibility and work together on shared tasks, involves some very sophisticated abilities on the part of practitioners. We explore the process of working with groups both so that they may undertake particular tasks and become environments where people can share in a common life, form beneficial relationships and help each other. Within schools and colleges, working in groups can also be adopted as a mean of carrying forward curriculum concerns and varying the classroom experience – a useful addition to the teacher or instructor’s repertoire. As a result, in schools and colleges it is often approached as a skill to be learnt – the ability to work in group-based environments. It can also be argued that it allows for the utilization of the different skills, knowledge and experiences that people have. In this context, working in groups is often presented as a good way of dividing work and increasing productivity. exploring the theory and practice of group work įor some group work is just another way of talking about teamwork.In particular we focus on the process of working with groups. In this piece we introduce groups and group work, define some key aspects, and suggest areas for exploration. What is group work? While many practitioners may describe what they do as ‘group work’, they often have only a limited appreciation of what group work is and what it entails. ![]()
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