GROUP SYSTEM

I. DEFINITION OF GROUPS
Reporter; James Eldon
• A social group consists of two or more people who regularly interact on the basis of mutual
expectations and who share a common identity.

•Group can also comprises formal social organizations, which have specific and varied impact
on the society and culture.

Other Definitions
According to Maclver:
“By group, we mean any collection of human beings who are brought into social relationship
with one another”.

According to Bogardus:
“Ä social group is a number of persons, two or more, who have common objects of attention,
who are stimulating to each other, who have common loyalty and participate in similar activities”.

According to Williams:
“Social group is a given aggregate of people playing interrelated roles and recognized by
themselves or others as a unity of interaction”.

According to Arnold Green:

A group is an aggregate of individuals which persists in time, which has one or more interests
and activities in common, and is organized”.

II. TYPES OF GROUPS

Reporters; Joan Marixel and Jona mae
Primary Group
The primary group is usually fairly small and is made up of individuals who generally engage
face-to-face in long-term, emotionally significant ways. The primary group is usually made up of
significant others, those individuals who have the most impact on our socialization. The best
example of a primary group is the family.
Secondary Group
A secondary group is defined in sociology as a group of people with the same shared purpose,
most often that of completing a task. Secondary groups are typically large in size and
impersonal, meaning they share no intimate bonds, are goal-focused, and in some cases are
time-limited rather than focused on supporting needs of each group member individually.
Furthermore, they are often highly structured, with formal rules and supervision from a
designated authority figure. Most people are involved in many more secondary groups than
primary groups.

In Group
An ingroup is a group comprised of things, people, or other entities that are similar to one
another. Particularly in the case of humans, ingroups are defined by beliefs, values, and
identities. Within ingroups, there is a shared understanding that there is an element of
commonality amongst group members.

Out Group
An outgroup is a group defined by its dissimilarity to an in-group. Where an in-group is unified
by a shared element of identity, be it a belief or a trait, and out-group is defined by its lack of that
shared element.

Formal Group
This is the most common form of a group. Individuals work together as they are assigned
various roles inside the organization. The management decides upon the set of goals, and the
entire group works towards achieving the set of organizational goals.

TYPES OF FORMAL GROUP

1. Temporary Group: These groups are created for the short term. Once they achieve the
objective, they cease to exist.

2. Permanent Group: These groups are permanent and stay for a long time.
3. Command Group: These groups are permanent and exist in every organization. They can
be called sections or departments.
4. Functional Group: These groups are defined according to group members’ position in an
organization, such as engineers, clerks, supervisors, etc.

5. Task Group: This group is temporary and created to achieve a specific task. Usually, these
groups consist of influential stakeholders.

6. Committees: Members of this group are appointed by organizations to resolve issues. This
group is permanent and consists of stakeholders with high positions.

Informal Group
Inside a formal structure, there exists an informal structure. These informal structures are borne
out of the social needs of the employees. The informal groups consist of personal relationships,
and there is no set role for any individuals.

TYPES OF INFORMAL GROUP

•Friendship Group
This kind of group is formed by individuals who have the same taste, likings or characteristics
tend to attract towards one another. This group is formed outside the workplace as all the
members have common interests and affiliation towards each other and enjoy their group
communication at the personal level.

•Interest Group
The group of people that don’t belong to the same chain of command or interrelated task
groups. They work towards achieving their specific set of goals. For instance, a group of people
coming together in favor of improving their work conditions.

Semi formal group

People who are part of this type of group enjoy an equal distribution of power. Members of such
groups often work collaboratively.

TYPES OF SEMI FORMAL GROUP

•Goal Group
All the members inside a Goal group share the same ambition of shared objective. There are no
methods or processes set for them to work towards fulfilling these set of goals. Hence, the
members require more experience, intelligence, and knowledge to come together and finish the
task.
•Learning Group
These groups take place when participating individuals have the common interest of increasing
their overall knowledge. People who are part of such groups discuss topics among themselves,
and they explore various topics to enrich their knowledge.
•Problem-solving Group
All the individuals in this group face a common set of problems. All the group members come
together and gel with each other and work towards solving the common set of problems. Such
groups may come into place in the form of a small group or large groups for effective group
communication and decision making
•Family
Families, communities and tribal groups often act as semi-formal ways as they both have
nominal leaders yet members can have a high degree of autonomy.

III. CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUP

Reporter; Bletzyle
1. SIZE —Size is the number of people involved in a group is an important characteristic of
group. For a group there must be two or more people. You can not form a group alone. A group
requires to have some people in it who share their opinions and collectively aim to achieve the
desired goals.
2. COMMON INTERESTS AND COMMON GOAL —Usually, a group is formed to accomplish a
common goal. Among all the members of the group they have one thing in common, they share
at least one similar goal. A group cannot exist without a goal.
3. GROUP NORMS —Although group members exercise autonomy, they are not independent
to act in whatever way they want. Group members have to follow certain rules to interact with
one another. They have to consider norms i.e. rules to behave within the group.
4. STRUCTURE —Group structure has been defined as the rules that define group norms, roles
and status (Stangor 2004). Group structure can be crudely divided into what can be written on
paper (formal structure) and implicit structural features (informal structure). The second
category is both more important and less accessible.
5. GROUP ROLES —The group leader assigns a certain role to every group member which
they have to achieve in a given time.
6. REGULAR INTERACTION —Group members should regularly interact with each other.
Without regular interaction, a group would be static. For the accomplishment of the shared goal
interaction among group members is necessary.
7. COLLECTIVE IDENTITY —It refers to a person's sense of belonging to a group. The identity
of the group, or the 'collective’, becomes a part of the person's individual identity. This sense of
belonging can become so potent that it takes over other pieces of the person's identity.

IV. GROUP STRUCTURE

Reporter; Virgie
What is Group Structure?
Group structure is defined as the layout of the group.

Task Roles
Task roles are roles that focus on completing group’s goal. The different task roles of a group
are stated below;
 Coordinator
 Energizer
 Elaborator
 Information-giver
 Information-seeker

Norms
Norms are the acceptable standards of behavior within a group that are shared by the group
members. Every group develops its own customs, values, habits and expectations for how
things need to be done.

TYPES OF NORMS
Performance Norms
—These are centered on how hard a person should work in a given group. They are informal
clues that help a person understand how hard they should work and what type of output they
should give.
Appearance Norms
—Appearance norms updates or guides us as to how we should look or what our physical
appearance should be, like what fashion we should wear or how we should style our hair or any
number of areas related to how we should look.
Social Arrangement Norms
—This norm is basically centered on how we should behave in social settings. Again here, there
are clues we need to pick up on when we are out with friends or at social events that help us fit
in and get a closer connection to the group.
Resource Allocation Norms
—This norm focusses on the allocation of resources in a business surrounding. This may
include raw materials as well as working overtime or any other resource found or needed within
an organization.

Conformity
Conformity can be stated as “accommodating to group pressures”. It is also called as the
majority influence or we can say the group pressure.

TYPES OF SOCIAL CONFORMITY:

♠Normative Conformity
Yielding to group pressure because an individual wants to fit in with the group. Conforming
usually takes place because the individual is scared of being rejected or neglected by the group.
♠Informational Conformity
This usually happens when a person lacks knowledge and looks to the group for guidance. Or
when a person is not clear about a situation and socially compares one’s behavior with the
group.
♠Ingratiational Conformity
Where a person conforms to gain a favor or acceptance from other people. It is relative to
normative influence but is encouraged by the need for social rewards rather than the threat of
being rejected.

Reference Groups
It is a group to which a person or another group is compared. Reference groups are used in
order to examine and determine the nature of a person or other group's features and
sociological attributes.

Status
Status is a socially defined position or rank given to groups or group members by others. A
group structure status includes group norms, culture, status equity. All these factors when
combined presents the status of members of the group.
Social Loafing
It is the phenomenon of people exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work as a group
than when they work alone.

Cohorts & Group Demography

Individuals who, as a part of a group, share a common attribute are known as cohorts. Group
demography is the level to which a member of a group can share a common demographic
attribute with his fellow team members. Group demography is a successful ploy in increasing
the efficiency of a team in the long run.

Cohesiveness
Extent to which group members are attracted towards each other, and are encouraged to stay in
the group. Group cohesion is the aggregate of all the factors causing members of a group to
stay in the group or be attracted to the group. Group cohesion acts as the social glue that binds
a group together. Some people think that work teams illustrating strong group cohesion will
function and perform better in achieving work goals.

Workplace Behavior
Workplace deviance can take the form of bitterness towards co-workers. Organizations usually
strive to create an atmosphere of conformity and teamwork to achieve maximum productivity
and create a healthy corporate culture.
In organizations of any size, deviant behavior can occur, which can sabotage the work. There
are usually two types of deviant behavior −
Aggressive Behavior
Unproductive Behavior

Aggressive Behavior
—Workplace deviance can sometimes take the form of aggressive behavior. In diverse work
environments, deviance may occur when workers display intolerance of co-workers of different
nationalities or cultures.
Unproductive Behavior
—Actions that disrupt or minimize productivity are also a form of workplace deviance. Common
examples of this type of deviant behavior include: Workers who waste their time by standing
around the water cooler, taking the "scenic route" while making sales calls or extending the time
it takes to complete a task that slows down productivity.
 V. GROUP DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE
Reporter; Lyca and Nelyn
The majority of group development research aims to figure out why and how small groups
change over time. The quality of a group’s output, the type and frequency of its activities, its
cohesiveness, and the presence of group conflict are all factors to consider.
To explain how certain groups change over time, a number of theoretical models have been
developed. Some of the most common models are listed below. In some cases, such as therapy
groups, the type of group being considered influenced the model of group development
proposed. In general, some of these models see group change as a regular progression through
a series of “stages,” while others see it as a series of “phases” that groups may or may not go
through at various points in their history
Group Development
Refers to the process by which members of newly formed work teams learn about their
teammates, establish their roles and Responsibilities, and acquire the task work and teamwork
Capabilities required to coordinate their effort to perform effectively as a team.
Pertains to the team as a whole (i.e., all members are new to the Team), distinguishing this
process from group socialization, which Refers to the assimilation of new members into an
existing team with an ongoing history.
The amount of time It takes for a team to develop is variable and, although precise time frames
are not established, the process is presumed to take longer when the team task entails greater
complexity, interdependence, and coordination and less time when there is less demand for the
integration of team members’ knowledge, skill, and effort. The process is important because
team development is assumed to be a necessary, but insufficient, precondition for team
effectiveness.
Group Development Models
 • Tuckman’s Group Development Model

Bruce Wayne Tuckman

- NOVEMBER 24, 1938 – MARCH 13, 2016
- He was an American Psychological Researcher who carried out his research into
the theory of group dynamics.
- In 1965, he published a theory known as “Tuckman’s stages of group
development”.
- In 1977, he added a fifth stage, named

TUCKMAN’S STAGES OF GROUP DEVELOPMENT

1. Forming
- commonly called orientation

- Forming stage of team development is punctuated by The forming stage of team

development is punctuated by excitement and anticipation. Group members are
on high alert, each wanting to put their best foot forward while, at the same time,
sizing up each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

- At this stage, the group isn’t very productive, as they’re still getting acclimated
and figuring out the role that each person will play on the team.

2. Storming
- Also called the power struggle phase.
 - All that polite, deferential behavior that dominated the Forming stage starts to fall
by the wayside in the storming Stage. As team members begin collaborating,
conflicts may arise, whether that’s from clashing personalities or opinions On how
a project should progress.

- The issues related to the leadership, responsibility, strategies, Rules, authority,

evaluation, reward system, etc. arises at the storming stage.

3. Norming
- Once the role of every member is cleared along with the authority and
responsibility of each, the team members start Settling in a group. Here,
everybody works cohesively towards the target and appreciate each other’s
experience and skills.

- Each person begins to recognize how their fellow team members contribute to
the group, and that perspective

- Combined with a recommitment to the team’s objectives—help establish work

patterns and accepted performance markers.

4. Performing
- Also known as synergy

- The relationships and interdependencies formed during storming and norming

pay off in the performing stage. By now, team members have honed their conflict-
resolution abilities and spend less time focused on interpersonal dynamics and
more On team effectiveness

- There’s a high level of cohesion and trust between team members. Teams are
functioning at peak efficiency with less oversight from team leaders.

5. Adjourning
- Also called the mourning phase.
- In this stage typically team members are ready to leave (course Termination)
causing significant change to the team structure, MEMBERSHIP, or purpose and
the team during the last week of class.

- While the group continues to perform productively they also Need time to
manage their feelings of termination and transition.

 Wheelan’s Integrated Model of Group Development

 - This model, although linear in a sense, takes the perspective that groups Achieve
maturity as they continue to work together rather than simply go through stages
of activity.

- In this model “early” stages of group development are associated with specific
issues and patterns of talk such as those related to dependency,
counterdependency and trust which precede the actual work conducted During
the “more mature” stages of a group’s life.

- Wheelan (2003) examined the relationship between the length of time a group
has been meeting and the verbal behaviour patterns of its members, as well as
the members’ perceptions of the group’s state of development, in order to
empirically validate the model. Her findings appear to show that there is a link
between the length of time a group has been meeting and the verbal behaviour
patterns of its members. Members of older groups also tended to perceive their
groups as having more Stage-3 and Stage-4 characteristics and as being more
productive. Wheelan’s position is based on these findings, which support
traditional linear models of group development while casting doubt on cyclic
models and Gersick’s punctuated equilibrium model.

SUSAN WHEELAN
- Wheelan was born in Providence, Rhode Island and she was a graduate of Bay
View Academy, Stonehill College and the University of Wisconsin/Madison with a
Ph.D in Psychology. She was a professor of Psychological Studies and Faculty
Director of the Center for the Study of Psychoeducational Processes at Temple
University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for 28 years.
 - She is the author of many books, including Group Processes: A
Developmental Perspective and Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for
Members and Leaders.

- Beside the Integrated Model of Group Development, Wheelan also created and
validated both the Group Development Observation System (GDOS) and the
Group Development Questionnaire (GDQ).

GROUP DEVELOPMENT OBSERVATION SYSTEM

- Allows researchers to determine the developmental stage of a group by

categorizing and counting each complete thought exhibited during a group
session into one of eight categories: Dependency statements,
Counterdependency, Fight, Flight, Pairing, Counterpairing, Work, or Unscorable
statements

GROUP DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONNAIRE

- Is used to survey group members and assess their individual perception oftheir
group’s developmental state

STAGES OF SUSAN WHEELAN’S INTEGRATED GROUP MODEL OF DEVELOPEMT

Stage 01: Dependency and Inclusion

- The first stage of group development is characterized by significant member

dependency on the designated leader, concerns about safety and inclusion
issues.

- In this stage, members rely on the leader and powerful group members to
provide direction. Team members may engage in what has been called “pseudo-
work,” such as exchanging stories about outside activities or other topics that are
not relevant to group goals.
Stage 02: Counterdependency and Flight

- In the second stage of group development members disagree among themselves

about group goals and procedures. Conflict is an inevitable part of this process.

- The group’s task at Stage 2 is to develop a unified set of goals, values and
operational procedures and this task inevitably generates some conflict.
 - Conflict also is necessary for the establishment of trust and a climate in which
members feel free to disagree with each other.
Stage 03: Trust / Structure

- If the group manages to work through the inevitable conflicts of Stage 2, member
trust, commitment to the group and willingness to cooperate increase.
Communication becomes more open and task-oriented.

- This third stage of group development, referred to as the trust and structure
stage, is characterized by more mature negotiations about roles, organization
and procedures.

- It is also a time in which members work to solidify positive working relationships

with each other

- Communication becomes more open and focused on the task at hand. The trust
and structure stage, also known as the mature stage of group development, is
marked by more mature negotiations about roles, organisation, and procedures.
It's also a time when team members work to strengthen positive working
relationships
Stage 04: Work or Productivity

- As its name implies, the fourth stage of group development is a time of intense
team productivity and effectiveness.

- Having resolved many of the issues of the previous stages, the group can focus
most of its energy on goal achievement and task accomplishment
Stage 05: Final

- Groups that have a distinct ending point experience a fifth stage. Impending
termination may cause disruption and conflict in some groups. In other groups,
separation issues are addressed and members’ appreciation of each other and
the group experience may be expressed.
- A fifth stage is experienced by groups that have a distinct ending point. Some
groups may experience disruption and conflict as a result of the impending
termination. Separation issues are addressed in other groups, and members’
appreciation for one another and the group experience is expressed.
 • Connie Gersick’s Punctuated Equilibrium Model

- Gersick’s research on naturally occurring groups deviates from traditional group

development models. Gersick’s punctuated equilibrium model (Gersick, 1988,
1989, 1991) proposes that groups develop by forming, maintaining, and revising
a “performance framework” on the fly.

- This model describes the processes by which such frameworks are created and
revised, as well as the timing of progress and when and how groups are likely to
be influenced by their environments at various stages of development. Because
groups’ historical paths are expected to vary, the model leaves the specific issues
and activities that dominate their work unspecified.

- This model argues that groups often move forward during bursts of change after
long periods without change.

- Groups that are similar, stable, small, supportive, and satisfied tend to be more
cohesive than groups that are not.

Connie Gersick

- Connie Gersick, Ph.D. was a professor of Human Resources and Organizational

behavior at UCLA.’s Graduate School of Management for seventeen years.

- Currently, she is preparing a book on women’s adult development (based on the

life histories of 40 women leaders in business, social services, and the arts) and
co-authoring a study on Women in Asian Enterprise Families.

- Her research interests include human change and adaptation processes;

professional relationships and careers; and the effects of time and deadlines on
work and learning. She has won a number of national awards for her publications
on group work and change processes.
STAGES / PHASES OF PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM MODEL
Stage 01:
-Groups are formed and the group defines its direction
- categorized with a high level of relaxation and socialization
-members consider the deadline for the project to be far in the future thus there is little need for
a high level of performance.

Stage 02: Midpoint

- second stage of the model is a transition phase.
- often referred to as the mid-life crisis, this stage comes at approximately the halfway point of
the completion date
- a sense of urgency appears in the fore ground of members minds, which up till now has not
been
dealt with.

Stage 03:
-is characterized by changes in the group which facilitate the accomplishment of the task.
-At the beginning of stage three, the group chooses to drop old unsuccessful patterns of
behavior and adopts new perspectives; the group sets a new direction for their goals.
-These new goals lead the group into a high level of performance.

THINGS THAT CAN AND CANNOT HELP DEVELOP GROUPS EFFICIENTLY

1. Cohesion
- can be thought of as a kind of social glue.
- refers to the degree of camaraderie within the group. Cohesive groups are those
in which members are attached to each other and act as one unit.
Factors Contributing to Cohesion
♦ Similarity
Generally, the more similar group members are in terms of age, sex, education, skills, attitudes,
values, and beliefs, the more easily and quickly the group will bond. However, groups that Work
hard to create cohesion in spite of significant differences can enjoy especially deep bonds.
♦ Stability
The longer a group stays together, the more cohesive it becomes.
♦ Size
Smaller groups tend to have higher levels of cohesion.
♦ Support
When group members receive coaching and are encouraged to support their fellow team
members, group identity strengthens.
♦ Satisfaction
Cohesion is correlated with how pleased group members are with each other’s performance,
behavior, and conformity to group norms.
2. Social Loafing
- This phenomenon, also known as the Ringelmann effect, was first noted by
French agricultural engineer Max Ringelmann in 1913.

- Refers to the tendency of individuals to put in less effort when working in a group
context.

3. Collective Efficacy
- Refers to a group’s perception of its ability to successfully perform well (Bandura,
1997)

- is influenced by a number of factors, including watching others (“that group did it

and we’re better than them”), verbal persuasion (“we can do this”), and how a
person feels (“this is a good group”).

VI. PURPOSES OF GROUP

Reporter; Melcky
Social group work is guided by particular objectives. The objectives are meant to ensure that
practice in different types of social work groups is orderly and systematic.
Social group work entails conducting entailed activities with the intention of helping group
members develop skills, learn new ideas, change attitude, and assume responsibilities.

This is to be realized through a social process that is guided by the below objectives:
1. Train the individual ways of living and working together as well as getting involved in group
activities to foster their emotional, intellectual, and physical growth.
2. Help the individual enjoy a good life within their group and family. This entails teaching the
individual how to work together with others through participation in various activities.
3. Help develop the behavior and personality of individuals participating in the groups through
the use of group work process.
4. Prepare individuals participating in the group process how to assume responsibility within a
democratic working environment.
5. Learn how to divide labor as well as understand role specialization and how to perform
individual roles within the group.
6. Establish tasks suitable for individuals based on their knowledge, skills, and interest.
7. Accord individuals the opportunity characteristic of potential the chance to exercise leadership
characterized by dignity.
8. Prepare individuals for positive social change.
9. Help individuals widen their horizons about life.
10. Enable people optimize their leisure time.

VII. EXAMPLES OF GROUPS IN SOCIAL WORK

Reporter; Raiza
Just like social work theories, social work groups are very instrumental among academics and
professional practitioners.
Different types of social work groups are considered a key aspect of social work practice. The
development of social group work can be traced back to the 1920, when it was used by social
agencies to provide leisure activities among different types of group.

WHAT IS GROUP WORK IN SOCIAL WORK?

- A goal-directed activity characterized by small task and treatment groups developed to
meet socio-emotional needs as well as accomplish designated tasks.

OBJECTIVES OF SOCIAL GROUP WORK

- When exploring the different types of group works, it is essential to understand the
general objective includes:
1.) Enhancement of personal growth , including increased self-confidence and self-esteem.
2.) Development of intellectual knowhow , abilities and skills.
3.) Enhancement of professional growth , including building professional values, standards and
ethics.
4.) Development of cooperation , communication, and teamwork skills like leadership ,
management , planning and peer support.
5.) Enhancement of independence and responsibility for self learning.
6.) Development of reflective practices including reflecting and reviewing as well as future
planning.

AREAS OF GROUP WORK IN SOCIAL WORK

- Group work designates agencies in either of the key divisions in the social work field.
This is illustrated in the different areas central to group work practice . It is important to
distinguish between group work either as a process, field, or techniques.
•Group-work Process
Group work could be defined as an educational process that focuses on individual growth and
social adjustment through association in voluntary group . Applying this association to further
other socially desirable ends.
The entailed educational procedure is guided by certain principles that include: particularization,
self-direction , indirection, repetition and integration.
•Group-work Field
This entails all leisure-time groups that could be characterized by minimal or lack of stability in
attendance, leisure time as the primary objective , prevention of delinquency or building up of
citizenship.
•Group-work Techniques
There numerous group work techniques used group work process. Some of these techniques
may be used like parts of the process such as community organization , casework , recreation
and education. Discussion is a key techniques that is used extensively in administration
particularly in group-for-action cases and case conferences.
Techniques used in group-work process seeks to address practical problems. Such problems
may include;
(a). Effective formation of groups.
(b). Mutually satisfactory relationships.
(c). Discovery of individual capacities and interest.
(d). Development of group activities tentative program.
(e). Determination and modification of group member status.
(f). Improvement of Group Relationship
(j). Individual personal guidance provision.
(h). . Making group process realize social and individual ends simultaneously.

VALUES OF SOCIAL GROUP WORK

- Respective types of social group works function within particular values. Social group
work practice is guided by the key social work value, that human beings boast the opportunities
to appreciate their potential for adapting a lifestyle that socially desirable and personally
satisfying. Group work in social work is guided by humanistic values that govern in areas such
as worker role and membership within social work groups. Some of the humanistic values
include;
(1)The inherent worth of individuals
(2) People should be mutually responsible for one another
(3) It is the fundamental right of individuals to enjoy mental heath that is usually derived from
political and social conditions capable of supporting their fulfillment.

TYPES OF SOCIAL GROUP WORKS

• TREATMENT GROUP – These are primarily the most common types of social work groups.
They entail the particular approaches of social group work usually employed in health care
settings. They include;
• PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL GROUPS – These rank the top of the list of social work groups.
Their design is to impart knowledge about a situation or condition to patients.
Approaches within this typology require therapist to create an environment that encourages
patients to ask questions regarding their conditions. Such environment should be supportive,
non-judgmental, and mutually beneficial.
• SKILL-BUILDING AND GROWTH GROUPS – Instrumental type of social work groups. Their
objectives is to provide opportunities for involved individual to alter their feelings, thought, and
behavior in regard to themselves and others.
•THERAPY GROUPS - Under this category, the objectives of social work is to foster
rehabilitation or recovery in incidents wherein patients are victims of injury or trauma.
•SUPPORT GROUPS – These sometimes referred to as SELF-HELP GROUPS. They bring
individuals together with similar experiences. Such individuals might include people undergoing
cancer treatment, bereavement , addiction , or any medical conditions.
•TASK GROUPS – A prominent category among the types of social work groups. Task group
seeks to enhance collaboration among teams that handle patients. These teams are usually
cross-discipline and therefore quite diverse. Such group may include social worker, physician
and nurses who regularly meet to assess the progress of a patient within a specific unit in a
hospital.
•MUTUAL AID GROUP – An idea and practice that is based on the principles of direct of direct
action, cooperation, mutual understanding and solidarity. These group is not a charity but the
building and continuing of new social relations where people give what they can and get what
they need, outside of unjust systems of power.
•EDUCATIONAL GROUPS- An organized group that officially recognized as educational or
scientific institution by a federal, state, or local government entity. Educational groups aim to
increase the participants knowledge and understanding in order to assist them with their daily
life.
• WITH INVOLUNTARY CLIENTS- “Involuntary clients” are people whose involvement with
social workers is mandated by law, including families in the protection system, users of mental
health services, young people who fail to attend school and people in criminal justice system.
TWO CATEGORIES OF INVOLUNTARY CLIENTS :
1. Mandated clients – these clients must work with practitioners because of a legal mandate
or court order.
2. Non-voluntary clients – these client have contact with helping professional through
pressure from agencies, referral sources, other persons, family members and outside
events.

VIII. GROUP ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Reporters; James Eldon and Marie Antoinette
Sociogram
A sociogram is a visual depiction of the relationships among a specific group. The purpose of a
sociogram is to uncover the underlying relationships between people. A sociogram can be used
to increase your understanding of group behaviors.

WHAT CAN YOU USE SOCIOGRAMS FOR?

You can use sociograms for different purposes depending on your area of specialization. Some
of the most common uses include:

✓Identify Influential People in a Group

Sociograms reveal individuals considered the opinion shapers in a particular group. You can use
this information to identify leaders who can take charge of specific tasks.

✓Explore Social Choice Patterns Between Group Members

Understanding people’s social choices is critical for creating inclusive environments where all
individuals thrive. It is one of the main reasons teachers use sociograms in the classroom.

When studying the social connections of group members, you can introduce specific changes
to:
•Promote teamwork
•Boost morale
•Increase productivity

✓Develop and Administer Remedies

The information a sociogram provides is essential for mental health practitioners. It can guide
you through crafting or suggesting the best treatment plan for individuals in group therapy
sessions.

✓Study Information Flow

Sociograms can show the flow of information within a group. Use them to create better
communication patterns and prevent conflict in different settings.

✓Reveal Vulnerable Populations

Anthropological researchers use sociograms to reveal the vulnerable populations within a
community. This is essential for creating policies that facilitate positive change within the region.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOCIOGRAMS

There are several types of sociograms, and you will come across these in different
circumstances. You can have:

Perceptual or personal sociograms - where you create a visual map of your emotional
geography as a member of a particular social environment, for example, the office.
Role diagram sociograms - where you identify the hidden roles of different members
within a group
Sociograms of the moment - these diagrams display the relationship between group
members at a point in time. When this time elapses, the results obtained become obsolete
because the social dynamics in the group under analysis change.
However, all the sociograms mentioned above fall under two main categories:
network sociograms
egocentric sociograms

1. Network Sociogram
A network sociogram displays the relationships between a group of cases or individuals.

Depending on the social setting, it reveals two things:

[Link] all the members within a specific group are related or not
[Link] kind of relationship the related individuals share. Are they family, friends, or colleagues at
work? Is it positive or negative?

2. Egocentric Sociogram
Egocentric sociometry reveals how different group members relate to one specific person within
the group

WHAT IS A SOCIOGRAM MADE GROUP OF ?

A sociogram consists of a set of vertices connected by lines or edges.

Vertex
Also commonly referred to as nodes, the vertex represents the cases under analysis. It may be
an individual or a group. They take different shapes, such as circles, triangles, stars, etc.

You can use different shapes to represent participants on a sociogram.

However, the common forms many sociometrists use when drawing
sociograms include:

Circles to represent female members

Triangles to represent male members

concentric circles or triangles to represent female and male members from a

different group

When selecting a template, consider the shapes of the vertices to ensure you
pick one whose nodes reflect your group’s entities.

But this is not compulsory. Often, any form can do unless creating an
egocentric sociogram.

For egocentric sociograms, use a star to represent the ego or focus of the analysis.

Edge
Edges or vectors are lines that connect vertices in a sociogram. They reveal the relationship
several participants or members of a group share.
Usually, the lines will have arrows pointing towards or away from specific cases or
individuals.

Lines pointing towards one direction indicate a one-way relationship

between members, i.e.,.

On the other hand, edges pointing both ways indicate a two-way

relationship. Use this

or the line with a hatch mark

to show that the social connection between two or more

participants is mutual.

Different types of edges or lines indicate the nature of various social relationships.
Here is a summary of what each line symbol means.
On a sociogram, numbers denote something different depending on where
they appear. If they are in the vertex, they represent a count of the
participants.

However, if they are on the line symbol, they represent a quantitative

criterion, for example, time spent. In this case, the numbers are critical to
the analysis or interpretation of the sociogram.

Here are examples of numbers accompanying line symbols:

HOW TO INTERPRET SOCIOGRAMS

You might identify three conspicuous patterns right away:

Stars – individuals with several lines pointing towards them. It means other members of the
group chose them several times.

Isolates – these members might not have a single line pointing toward them or might have one
line from other isolates. It shows that not many group members picked them as their preferred
choice to engage in any activity.

Cliques – you will notice groups of individuals, usually three or more, who pick each other. The
presence of cliques or sub-groups within a group may mean they exclude other group members.
Example of sociogram:

Sociogram Examples
Let us look at a few examples of sociograms to see how they work.
Figure 1. A network sociogram of a group of 7 individuals (Hollander, 1978).
In this sociogram example, it is easy to see that Joel is the star, i.e., the favorite of most team
members. They have chosen him several times, and all his interactions are positive.
Figure 2: Advice network created by the auditing team of a company (Huang, Hong & Eades,
2006)

The diagram shows ellipses (managers), diamonds (staff auditors), and boxes (secretaries). An
arrow from one person to the other shows that the said person takes advice from the one the
arrowhead is facing.
In this case, it appears that Nancy is an essential asset to the company. Everyone seeks advice
from her either directly or indirectly.
Figure 3: An egocentric sociogram showing a dialogue between the ego (Carlos) and five other
participants (Wagner & González-Howard, 2018).

The left shows the outgoing conversation or responses, whereas the right indicates the
incoming dialogue. The numbers represent the average number of exchanges or ties per
minute.
From this diagram, it is easy to tell that Ms. Brennan and Jessica are the most active
participants in the dialogue with Carlos. They have more exchanges per minute with him than
the rest of the team.