1 . Read chapter 3 in your textbook
2. Review the recorded lecture and power point.
Groups in the social environment
This week we delve into our first system in the social environment—“GROUPS.”
Generalists spend a great deal of time working with others in organizations and communities; therefore, an understanding of human behavior in groups is required. The better one’s understanding of group dynamics, the more effective one will be as a group member or leader. Generalists also need to understand how task groups work in order to be effective group members or leaders.
This week, we will discusses eight conceptual frameworks that help explain how the group system functions in the macro social environment. We also will discuss six concepts that characterize task group dynamics.
Ace my homework – Write my paper – Online assignment help tutors – Discussion
What makes a social worker a generalist? As a generalist, why is it important to understand how people behave in group settings? Do you think group considerations make the generalist’s job easier or harder? Why or why not? Consider an effective group to which you belong or have belonged in the past. What made the group seem effective to you? What changes might have made things better? Which conceptual framework do you think is most useful for understanding groups? Explain the conceptual framework you chose and why.
Post your own initial post and Post 2 replies to two different classmates.
and educational specialists. The group’s task is to evaluate the adequacy of living
conditions for residents. Plans include assessment of various institutional facets
including: furniture and paint conditions throughout the institution; food preparation and
quality; transportation availability for residents (e.g., to meet health care and recreational
needs); regularity of treatment plan updates; and general staff conduct toward residents.
Ultimately, the group will make recommendations to the agency’s administration for
improvements.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
e. Suzie is a social worker at a homeless shelter. There she belongs to an internal agency
group that includes a physician, nurse, psychologist, in-house living supervisor, and
vocational counselor. Together, the group works with incoming homeless families,
conducting individual and family assessments. Their initial plans involve meeting
families’ immediate health and survival needs. Long-term planning focuses on permanent
housing, access to health care, vocational planning, and counseling needs. They work
collaboratively and interdependently to conduct assessments, and to develop and
implement treatment plans. Suzie’s been working with the group for almost six years
now. She thinks they function together pretty well as they’re used to each other’s little
personality quirks.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
f. Juji, a social worker at a county social services department, organized a group of
neighborhood center residents to seek support for a summer sports and recreation
program for community youth. The group’s goal is to persuade elected county officials who have relevant power to divert some funds to the center so that volunteers might develop and run the program. This group is an example of a(n) _________________. What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
Week 3: Thinking about P ower Sources (Chapter 3)
Objectives
To identify the five types of power sources.
To “critique and apply knowledge [about power] to understand person and environment”
by appraising what power sources are evident in a range of scenarios.
Instructions
1. Ace my homework – Write my paper – Online assignment help tutors – Discuss what types of power (legitimate, reward, coercive, referent, and expert) are reflected
in the following situations and why:
a. Forrest Gump, an army private serving in the 1960s Vietnam war, saves his wounded
colleagues by carrying them from the battleground under attack to safety.
o Which source(s) of power apply:
o Explain why you selected your answer(s):
b. An ophthalmologist who specializes in retinal transplants determines whether a patient
would benefit from surgery or not.
o Which source(s) of power apply:
o Explain why you selected your answer(s):
c. One of your instructors informs the class that no students will probably be capable of
getting an “A” in the class. You are neither impressed nor do you have much r espect for
this instructor’s capabilities.
o Which source(s) of power apply:
o Explain why you selected your answer(s):
d. You have been invited to attend a governor’s dinner party as a student representative of
your social work program. The governor is not of the political party you support.
o Which source(s) of power apply:
o Explain why you selected your answer(s):
e. Your boss, the assistant manager at Petey’s Pizza Palace, gives you a hefty raise for
performance in your part -time job. You respect her and feel she has good communication
skills.
o Which source(s) of power apply:
o Explain why you selected your answer(s):
f. A famous poet signs copies of his most recently published book at one of his
presentations that you attend. You really d on’t care for his poetry very much and are not
at all interested in getting his autograph.
o Which source(s) of power apply:
o Explain why you selected your answer(s):
Week 3: Thinking about Power Sources (Chapter 3)
Objectives
· To identify the five types of power sources.
· To “critique and apply knowledge [about power] to understand person and environment” by appraising what power sources are evident in a range of scenarios.
Instructions
1. Ace my homework – Write my paper – Online assignment help tutors – Discuss what types of power ( legitimate, reward, coercive, referent, and expert) are reflected in the following situations and why:
a. Forrest Gump, an army private serving in the 1960s Vietnam war, saves his wounded colleagues by carrying them from the battleground under attack to safety.
· Which source(s) of power apply:
· Explain why you selected your answer(s):
b. An ophthalmologist who specializes in retinal transplants determines whether a patient would benefit from surgery or not.
· Which source(s) of power apply:
· Explain why you selected your answer(s):
c. One of your instructors informs the class that no students will probably be capable of getting an “A” in the class. You are neither impressed nor do you have much respect for this instructor’s capabilities.
· Which source(s) of power apply:
· Explain why you selected your answer(s):
d. You have been invited to attend a governor’s dinner party as a student representative of your social work program. The governor is not of the political party you support.
· Which source(s) of power apply:
· Explain why you selected your answer(s):
e. Your boss, the assistant manager at Petey’s Pizza Palace, gives you a hefty raise for performance in your part-time job. You respect her and feel she has good communication skills.
· Which source(s) of power apply:
· Explain why you selected your answer(s):
f. A famous poet signs copies of his most recently published book at one of his presentations that you attend. You really don’t care for his poetry very much and are not at all interested in getting his autograph.
· Which source(s) of power apply:
· Explain why you selected your answer(s):
Week 3: What Type of Group is This? (Chapter 4)
Objectives
Assess a variety of task group scenarios.
Ace my homework – Write my paper – Online assignment help tutors – Discuss what makes various types of task groups unique.
“Critique and apply knowledge [about task groups] to understand person and
environment.”
Instructions
1. Review the material on task groups.
2. Read the following group scenarios, identify what type of group they represent, and
indicate what aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was.
Types of task groups include: teams; treatment conferences; administrative groups;
delegate councils; committees; and social action groups.
a. Chandra, the supervisor of a hospital social work unit, is a member of a group comprised
of the hospital director, the head nursing supervisor, and the physical therapy supervisor.
Their purpose is to evaluate the hospital’s policies regarding job expectations for
members of each professional group and make recommendations for changes.
This group is an example of a(n) ________________ _.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
b. George, a social worker at a group home for adults with chronic mental disorders,
1
is
leading a one-time group meeting on behalf of Harry, one of the group home’s resid ents.
George is responsible for calling together the home care supervisor, psychiatrist, and
daytime care counselors to discuss Harry’s case. George will formulate an agenda for the
meeting, lead the discussion, solicit feedback from participants, assist t he group in
establishing intervention plans, and write up the final report including recommendations.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
c. Alphonso, a school social worker, was elected by the other workers in his school district
to serve as a representative to the state’s School Social Work Advocacy Association. This
group meets in the state capitol four times each year to identify common issues, discuss
concerns, and make recommendations to state legislators that advocate for school policy
improvements.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
d. Grace, a school social worker at a large residential facility for people with cognitive
disabilities, is a member of the agency’s Facilities Improvement Group. The group
includes representatives from various other agency units such as adult care counselors
Week 3: What Type of Group is This? (Chapter 4)
Objectives
· Assess a variety of task group scenarios.
· Ace my homework – Write my paper – Online assignment help tutors – Discuss what makes various types of task groups unique.
· “Critique and apply knowledge [about task groups] to understand person and environment.”
Instructions
1. Review the material on task groups.
2. Read the following group scenarios, identify what type of group they represent, and indicate what aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was. Types of task groups include: teams; treatment conferences; administrative groups; delegate councils; committees; and social action groups.
a. Chandra, the supervisor of a hospital social work unit, is a member of a group comprised of the hospital director, the head nursing supervisor, and the physical therapy supervisor. Their purpose is to evaluate the hospital’s policies regarding job expectations for members of each professional group and make recommendations for changes.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
b. George, a social worker at a group home for adults with chronic mental disorders,[footnoteRef:1] is leading a one-time group meeting on behalf of Harry, one of the group home’s residents. George is responsible for calling together the home care supervisor, psychiatrist, and daytime care counselors to discuss Harry’s case. George will formulate an agenda for the meeting, lead the discussion, solicit feedback from participants, assist the group in establishing intervention plans, and write up the final report including recommendations. [1: ]
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
c. Alphonso, a school social worker, was elected by the other workers in his school district to serve as a representative to the state’s School Social Work Advocacy Association. This group meets in the state capitol four times each year to identify common issues, discuss concerns, and make recommendations to state legislators that advocate for school policy improvements.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
d. Grace, a school social worker at a large residential facility for people with cognitive disabilities, is a member of the agency’s Facilities Improvement Group. The group includes representatives from various other agency units such as adult care counselors and educational specialists. The group’s task is to evaluate the adequacy of living conditions for residents. Plans include assessment of various institutional facets including: furniture and paint conditions throughout the institution; food preparation and quality; transportation availability for residents (e.g., to meet health care and recreational needs); regularity of treatment plan updates; and general staff conduct toward residents. Ultimately, the group will make recommendations to the agency’s administration for improvements.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
e. Suzie is a social worker at a homeless shelter. There she belongs to an internal agency group that includes a physician, nurse, psychologist, in-house living supervisor, and vocational counselor. Together, the group works with incoming homeless families, conducting individual and family assessments. Their initial plans involve meeting families’ immediate health and survival needs. Long-term planning focuses on permanent housing, access to health care, vocational planning, and counseling needs. They work collaboratively and interdependently to conduct assessments, and to develop and implement treatment plans. Suzie’s been working with the group for almost six years now. She thinks they function together pretty well as they’re used to each other’s little personality quirks.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
f. Juji, a social worker at a county social services department, organized a group of neighborhood center residents to seek support for a summer sports and recreation program for community youth. The group’s goal is to persuade elected county officials who have relevant power to divert some funds to the center so that volunteers might develop and run the program.
This group is an example of a(n) _________________.
What aspects of the group helped you to determine what type of group it was?
