Social work with groups has played an important role in transforming the way we think about

clients and about the helping process.

Science has made the discovery that infants who are isolated from other human beings
succumb to inattention.
Psychologists have observed that learning can actually be enhanced by associations with
others.
It is a well documented fact than many of the physical and mental illnesses of people are
caused by social and emotional malaise and that social needs bring people to the office of social
workers, psychologists, and marriage counselors.
People not only need to be loved, they need to know that they are wanted and understood.
Human beings are strongly dependent on interactions with other humans.
Social work practice with groups builds on the important impact of groups on individuals and
utilizes group processes to accomplish individual and group goals.

Introduction
Social group work is based on the idea of man as a constantly developing human being in
necessary and
Significant interactions with other men. He is shaped by others and also shaping others. Apart
from basic needs, he needs to belong, to be an important individual, and to participate. Every
human being requires help to fulfill needs, and to deal with dissatisfactions and frustrations in
life. Social group work practice facilitates the development of the individuals personality
through guided group interaction. Help is possible only when there is utilization of group
potentialities through interaction. Thus, understanding group behavior is indispensable and has
utmost importance in the group. Theories in social group work help to understand this group
behavior. Since a particular way of group behavior is the main modality for fulfilling needs or in
other words for bringing change in the environment or in the members intrapersonal or
interpersonal relationships, social group work uses various models or approaches to accomplish
group goals. The present endeavor, hence, in this chapter will be to discuss various theories and
models of social group work.

Definitions of Social Group Work

Group work is method by which the group worker enables various types of groups to function in
such a way that both group interaction and programme activities contribute to the growth of the
individual and the achievement of desirable social goals (Association for the Advancement of
Group Work-1948)
Group Work is used within group experience as a means to individual growth and development,
and that the group worker is concerned in developing social responsibility and active citizenship
for the improvement of democratic society (Coyle -1954)
Social Group Work is a method of social work which helps individuals to enhance their social
functioning through purposeful group experiences and to cope more effectively with their
personal, group or community problems (Konapka -1963)
Group Work include both improving the normal functioning and neutralizing the abnormal
functioning of individuals (Balgopal & Vassili -1983)
(In Indian context) Social Group Work will refer to working with a small group (members ranging
from 7-10) to a medium size group (members ranging from 10-20) for a variety of purposes
beginning from recreation to behaviour modification on the one hand and accomplishing tasks
including social change and development on the other, with a variety of clients ranging from
children to elderly. The worker makes use of the expertise in human relationships to help these
groups to achieve the group goals in a participatory manner while paying adequate attention to
individual needs and social norms (H.Y.Siddiqui -2008)