If you are looking for MSW-008 IGNOU Solved Assignment solution for the subject Social Group Work: Working with Groups, you have come to the right place. MSW-008 solution on this page applies to 2022-23 session students studying in MSW, MSWC courses of IGNOU.
MSW-008 Solved Assignment Solution by Gyaniversity
Assignment Code: MSW-008/TMA/2022-23
Course Code: MSW-008
Assignment Name: Social Group Work: Working with Groups
Year: 2022-2023
Verification Status: Verified by Professor
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Answer all the five questions. All questions carry equal marks. Answers to question number 1 and 2 should not exceed 600 words each
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Q1) Explain the Characteristics of Groups.
Ans) Contrary to popular belief, not every group of individuals qualifies as a group. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a group as a collection of people or objects that are considered to form a unit due to any type of reciprocal or common relationship or grouped together due to a common degree of similarity. According to sociology, a group is any two or more people who interact with one another, accept responsibilities and expectations as group members, and share a common identity. According to this concept, society can be seen as a huge group at the macro level, yet a social group that is significantly smaller may be seen as small at the micro level.
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Characteristics of Groups
Other definitions offered by various social scientists have highlighted various group characteristics in various definitions. On the basis of these, one can determine the fundamental traits of groups:
Interpersonal Interaction: A collection of individuals who engage with one another is what we mean when we talk about a group; individuals do not constitute a group unless they are engaging in conversation with one another.
Perceptions of Membership: One way to define a group is as a social unit made up of two or more people who consider themselves to be members of the same group. Its members define themselves as belonging to the group, and they are also defined as belonging to the group by others.
Interdependency: One definition of a group is a gathering of persons who are depending on one another. In most cases, a collection of individuals does not become a group until at least one of the persons in the collection is directly impacted by an event. It is highly improbable that a group could continue to function if its members were independent of one another.
Goals: A group can be thought of as a collection of individuals who work toward a common objective by banding together. According to this definition, a collection of persons does not constitute a group unless they are working toward the accomplishment of a common objective. The desire that members of a group have to accomplish a common objective is the key quality that sets groups apart from one another.
Motivation: A collection of people who are all attempting to satisfy some personal desire through their collective association is an example of what is meant by the term group.
Structured Relationships: A collection of people whose interactions with one another are governed by a predetermined hierarchy of responsibilities and standards might be considered a group. They cooperate in a system of overlapping roles and have established rules that apply to issues that are of mutual interest to them.
Mutual Influence: One way to define a group is as a collection of persons who have an effect on one another. Therefore, people do not constitute a group unless they are both influencing and being influenced by one another in some way.
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Although it is impossible to get agreement among social scientists as to which of these features is most crucial, not all of them are equally significant. However, depending on these qualities, a group may be described as follows for the purposes of group work:
A group is made up of two or more people who are interacting face-to-face and who are both conscious of their positive interdependence with one another and with other group members as they work toward common objectives.
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Q2) Enlist the factors Influencing Group leadership.
Ans) A common definition of leadership is the practise of inspiring, motivating, and guiding others to complete a task. A competent leader establishes the plan, gathers resources, ensures that everyone is aware of what is happening, orients the team members, and then relinquishes control. Building relationships is a key component of leadership. It's more of a human endeavour; it's not always about a product, a technological advancement, or getting things done.
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The four fundamental components of leadership the led, the leader, the situation, and the communication should be understood by every leader. When exercising leadership, all four aspects must constantly be taken into account, although their effects on one another vary depending on the situation. The most important element in one situation could not matter much in another. The four pillars of leadership must be considered while choosing a course of action. When leaders neglect to take into account all four aspects of leadership and fail to understand how they interact with one another in a certain task or objective, mistakes result.
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The Led
The people you are ultimately in charge of and who you are aiming to assemble as a team are known as the led. Three characteristics that the group shares include a same aim, they all depend on one another in order to succeed in accomplishing that goal, which is interdependence. And they are aware of their interconnectedness and act as though they are working toward a single objective.
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Evaluate your team's devotion and expertise. This enables you to behave in the right way at the right time. A team member who is new to their position can require more of your supervision and care than a team member who is an expert in that position. A team member who lacks confidence needs your encouragement and support. A diligent worker who is committed to the mission merits your praise. A team member has earned your stern counselling and rebuke if they purposefully do not follow your instructions or do not adhere to team standards. Metrics must be in place, and everyone must be aware of what they are.
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The Leader
What you offer, you receive. In order to be an effective leader, you must be honest with yourself about who you are, what you know, and what you can and cannot do. Know your own capabilities, limitations, and strong and weak points. To properly lead your team, you must be able to discipline yourself. Be frank with yourself. If you have problems evaluating yourself, ask your boss what you should improve in terms of how you manage others.
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The Situation
Every circumstance is unique. Leadership techniques that are effective in one circumstance might not be effective in another. Before choosing the appropriate course of action for leadership, take into account all of the available resources. Keep in mind people, tools and resources, and time while identifying resources. Take into account the team's aptitude, drive, and dedication to completing the task or purpose. You might need to closely monitor the team's work in one circumstance. In another, your major responsibility can be to uplift and inspire those who are well-suited to carry out the mission. Micromanagement typically carries a bad connotation.
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The Communication
Information and ideas are exchanged from one person to another through communication. When people understand exactly what you are attempting to convey to them and when you understand exactly what they are trying to convey to you, whether it be by vocal, written, physical interaction, or some combination of these, communication is effective. A leader demonstrates standards by their own conduct as well as through the actions they reward, neglect, or advise. Different forms of communication are required in various contexts. Your physical acts, verbal choices, and voice tone all have an impact on the people you lead.
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Q3) Answer any two of the following questions in about 300 words each: 10x2
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a) Elaborate the types of groups.
Ans) The kind of group a person works with is one of the key factors influencing his or her roles. The worker offers a blend of many responsibilities, with changing emphases and viewpoints, while keeping in mind generic roles.
When working with involuntary groups where members' participation is required, such as probationers or troubled youth, the worker must invest a lot of time and energy into establishing the group's goals and gaining the members' trust. This role is exceedingly difficult and necessitates profound empathetic understanding because the worker is seen as belonging to the establishment with the authority to control their behaviour and reactions, keeping records, and reporting to authorities.
The worker's duties in open-ended groups include assisting members in reviewing the group's purpose, assisting members in accepting new members, and assisting new members in comprehending the group's structure and participation regulations. The worker's role as gatekeeper becomes crucial since a group's makeup has a substantial impact on the dynamics of the group.
In support groups, a worker's job is that of a facilitator, assisting participants in accessing the potential for assistance of their fellow group members. In self-help groups, the worker's job entails more covert tasks like recruiting, connecting group members with other groups and systems, playing a limited role as a group facilitator, assisting indigenous leaders, and serving as a consultant.
Who is invited to participate in a therapy group is subject to a great deal of staff control. With the aid of a trained therapist, interactions formed within therapy groups are intended to foster personal growth and change.
Task groups concentrate more on completing a certain task. While the task-related duties of the worker take precedence over the other two, namely personal growth and group maintenance, the latter are nonetheless equally important because the objective of task accomplishment is attained through the instrumentality of the positive group experience.
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b) Discuss the Role of Group Worker in Group Development
Ans) The worker's job is crucial and changes at each step of development. The worker must, however, comprehend the group's level at each stage and go forward at the group's pace. To do this, s/he needs conduct research and analysis in order to ascertain the members' developmental stages. He or she gives the group members freedom of choice and supports their earliest possible development of self-direction.
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In the Initial Phase
The group worker initially aids the participants in developing a sense of belonging, which is an emotional experience. One of the worker's most important tasks is to develop in them a sense of belonging. She must promote the environments that encourage this sense of belonging. In order to do this, s/he must both accept and receive acceptance from the group. The ability of the worker to accept the group as it is, with all of its merits and negatives, strengths, and limits, is the most important factor in the early phases of working with the group. The worker should first place more of an emphasis on friendliness and warmth than on planning or organising the group.
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In the Middle Phase
Therefore, the employee's duty is to assist the group in developing a kind of functional organisation that will enable the kind of programme the group desires to perform. The goal is to keep the structure as straightforward as possible; nevertheless, s/he does not structure the group; rather, she aids it in doing so. The worker should promote role distribution based on merit while assisting the members of the group to establish and sustain fulfilling, productive connections.
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In the Last Phase
Reviewing the group experiences and addressing feelings of separation are the first tasks in the final stage. It is crucial that the employee prepares for this stage and handles it deftly and skillfully. The way the group process is finished will have a significant impact on how the participants sustain the progress they have made. The employee needs to provide appropriate templates for documenting all group activities.
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Q4) Attempt any four of the following in about 150 words each: 5x4
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a) Differentiating between Group Work and Case Work.
Ans) The helpful relationships between casework and group work are another area where there is a marked distinction. Caseworkers sought out the most marginalised victims of industrialization, providing resources to worthy clients and serving as role models for moral, charitable, and productive citizens. Group workers didn't just concentrate on the most difficult situations or the poorest people, even though they also worked with the destitute and the handicapped. The term members was favoured over customer.
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Working with members' strengths rather than their weaknesses was emphasised. Helping was seen as a collaborative effort between the group leader and the participants in which they both sought to understand and address their shared problems for the neighbourhood where they lived. Members of the group intervened to provide each other with material and psychological support if concerns were recognised. In contrast, the worker served as a go-between for the needs of the group and societal demands.
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b) Explain Process of Group Formation.
Ans) We'll go over the specific duties that the employee must perform to start the development of groups.
The group worker must develop a provisional purpose for the group after it has been determined that using a group is the best method for assisting the targeted demographic group.
If the employee is expected to work with an established group, he or she must first understand the group's goal before starting work with it.
An important duty during the group creation process is achieving the makeup of the group that will be the most effective. Based on a variety of factors, the worker selects potential members from the target population group.
A substantial portion of the worker's responsibilities during the group formation process involve pre-group contacts. With the help of these contacts, the group being planned will be able to find the right individuals and prepare them for membership.
A pre-group interview with a potential member can serve to clarify and allay concerns about the group's organisational structure, expectations for his contribution, and other members' attitudes toward his joining.
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c) What are the Skills and Techniques of Group Work.
Ans) The ability to apply knowledge and understanding to a particular situation is skill, according to Trecker. Trecker also possesses the following specific abilities for social group work:Â
Skill in Establishing Purposeful Relationships: The group worker must be skilful in gaining the acceptance of the group and in relating himself to the group on a positive professional basis.
Skill in Analyzing the Group Situation: The group worker must be skilful in judging the developmental level of the group to determine what the level is, what the group needs, and how quickly the group can be expected to move.
Skill in Participation with the Group: The group worker must be skilful in determining, interpreting, assuming and modifying his own role with the group.
Skill in Dealing with Group Feeling: The group worker must be skilful in controlling his own feelings about the group and must study each new situation with a high degree of objectivity.
Skill in Programme Development: The group worker must be skilful in guiding group thinking so that interests and needs will be revealed and understood.
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d) Discuss the Group Work in Educational Setting.
Ans) In today's world, everyone experiences significant stress, even students. There is a misconception that because modern children have access to more amenities and technology, they are performing better than students from earlier generations. Teenagers, however, are under pressure from many different people, including their classmates, peers, and parents, who want them to do well in school. When expectations aren't satisfied, frustration emerges from the media's setting of expectations.
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Educational institutions have begun recruiting social workers and counsellors to deal with student concerns as a result of the predicament. However, group work is crucial in schools not just to address behavioural concerns but also to enhance the capacity of typical students to handle real-world circumstances. The development of one's personality, the acquisition of life skills, one's health, and leisure activities may all be related to these issues. The dynamics of the two larger social systems the school and society will affect how group work is done in classrooms.
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Q5) Write short notes on any five of the following in about 100 words each: 4x5
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a) Group Work in Community Setting
Ans) A common strategy for empowerment in a communal environment is group work. The creation and development of small groups can aid in community organisation. Following are some top-notch instances of collaborative projects in communal settings:
Anganwadi: Anganwadis are a component of the ICDS initiative that the Indian government established in 1975 as a part of the country's overall children's policy. This initiative has been incredibly successful.
Self Help Groups: Self Help Groups are a common type of community-based group work activity. The Self-Help Group is a practical substitute for achieving rural development goals and obtaining community involvement in all rural development programmes.
Kudumbasree: Kudumbasree is a typical and effective case study of group work in a public context. When the Kerala government created "Kudumbasree" in 1998, its goal was to completely eradicate basic poverty from Kerala by empowering women on the social and economic fronts.
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b) Reciprocal Model
Ans) The systems theory, field theory, social psychology theories of behaviour, and practise principles that are a component of the general methodology for social work have all been used to develop the reciprocal model. This paradigm has a dual focus, meaning it benefits both the individual and society. In other words, the reciprocal model simultaneously focuses on the main issues raised by the social objectives model and the remedial model. The main purpose of this approach, according to Papell and Rothman, is to create a system of mutual aid where the employees or members do not have any pre-set goals. The worker is portrayed as a middleman or a facilitator who is seen as a component of the worker-client relationship.
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c) Treatment and Task Groups
Ans) The following are some of the main distinctions between treatment and task groups:
 While members of task groups work together to complete a job or mandate that may eventually lead to bonding, members of treatment groups are united by their shared needs.
In therapy groups, roles emerge through interaction, but in task settings, roles are typically specified based on competencies.
In treatment groups, communication is open, however in task groups, communication is directed toward a specific task.
While task groups' procedures are structured and driven by agendas, therapy groups' are flexible.
Self-disclosure is more common in therapy groups than in task groups, where it may not occur at all.
In contrast to task groups, where discussions may be accessible to the public, treatment group discussions are private and confined within the framework of the group.
Treatment group success is determined by how well the group achieves the treatment objectives of its members, whereas task group success is determined by how well the group completes a task or a mandate.
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d) Group Conflict
Ans) There is no such thing as a group that is free of contention. The ability of a group to mature can be inferred from the manner in which it handles conflict resolution. Normally, a dispute can be resolved, or its severity reduced by having one side of the conflict leave the group, being subjugated, having the majority rule, having the minority consent, compromising, or integrating. The most developed and mature approach to conflict resolution is integration. When working as a member of a team or in a group, the worker should be familiar with the concept of "group conflict" in order to handle disagreements, debates, and decision-making situations more effectively.
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e) SHG's
Ans) Self Help Groups are a common type of community-based group work activity. The Self-Help Group is a practical substitute for achieving rural development goals and obtaining community involvement in all rural development programmes. SHG is an effective organisation created to provide rural women with microcredit in order to inspire them to start their own businesses. Self-help groups are unpaid associations of peers who come together to discuss issues or needs that don't get enough attention from other sorts of groups, organisations, or institutions. A self-help group's overarching objectives are to effect personal and/or social change in its members and society. All of these organisations place a strong focus on in-person communication among members and a set of principles or ideologies that strengthen each individual's sense of self.
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