Lecture: 4 hours/week
In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, discussion, group work, case studies, and presentations.
• Foundations of social work group practice and community-based group work
• Types of social work groups and their purposes, including support, educational, treatment, and social action groups
• Group dynamics, roles, and the stages of group development
• Indigenous-informed approaches to group work that emphasize relationality, respect, and accountability
• Group leadership, facilitation, and co-leadership skills
• Empowerment, equity, mutual aid, and self-awareness in group processes
• Intercultural group practice and the influence of social location on group participation and leadership
• Strategies for managing conflict, resistance, groupthink, and other group challenges
• Group design, planning, and implementation
• Evaluation of group processes and outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe different types of social work groups and the situations and settings in which they are needed;
- Use group theory about group dynamics and the stages of group development in relation to case examples and experiential group activities;
- Reflect on the ways in which social location and behaviour impact group processes;
- Demonstrate a range of skills to work effectively as a group participant and as a group leader;
- Promote empowerment, equity, mutual aid, and self-awareness when working in intercultural groups;
- Apply Indigenous principles and story-based approaches to a variety of group situations;
- Employ strategies to manage obstacles to successful group processes and outcomes;
- Identify strategies to evaluate group effectiveness.
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be in accordance with the °µÍø51 Evaluation Policy. Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline. This is a letter-graded course.
Typical means of assessment include the following:
- Written papers
- Presentations
- Projects
- Exams
- Participation
- Attendance
Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester. Example texts may include:
Corey, M., Corey, G. & Corey, C. (current edition). Groups: Process and Practice. Boston: Brooks/Cole.
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