Groups and Groupwork

A group, in the sense in which we use the word in this introduction, has been likened to a society in miniature, and as with any society it will have a structure.  There may be a leader and followers; there may be rules and traditions; there may be aims and objectives; values; ethical considerations.  And as with any society, there will be periods of adjustment, periods of growth, of difficulty, of decline.  

This main theme introduction is divided into two parts, the first will deal with the nature of groups and the different types of group. It will consider groups from an objective belvedere as well as from the viewpoint of the group member.  It will reflect on task, that is the level of understanding of what a group's goals are and how the group is organised to achieve them; it will also pay attention to process as relating to the social and emotional relations between group members.

The second part will cover groupwork and its application in various fields of endeavour: therapy, learning, personal growth and others. 

Turn to Part I - Groups

Turn to Part II - Groupwork