Essay on Group Work In Community Work Progress

SUMMARY

The purpose of this essay is to utilize the medical and healthcare benefits of social work/community service with relevance to a group work perspective. With a particular focus on the systems theory and the learning theory will this deconstruction proceed, and reveal how social work done in groups is beneficial for medical and healthcare reasons. An additional reference will be made to Emile Durkheim's study here, where he connects the learning and systems theory via his functionalist perspective. Euster’s theory is also important here and finds mention in the essay. The whole idea of man being a social creature by nature is stressed upon in this work, the idea being the main compliment to the usage of group work within community service yielding healthcare benefits. 

SYSTEMS THEORY

Systems theory is essentially, the linkage of different systems coming together to form a cohesive whole for the purpose of effective functioning, both on the individual systematic level and the holistic system level. As per Vickery’s (1974) analysis, families and organisations are the “appropriate”, focal point for the engagement of community service, in the way that it is most effective and growth oriented. Additionally, Vickery notes that group work is the crucial intervention that is required between the “client systems” and “environment systems”, making group work the most important manifestation of social work. 

Mayrhofer (2004) also denotes the importance of this theory, and stresses the importance of it via the three formats of: a deterministic via of systems, non linear systems and an open systems approach. As Mayrhofer explicates, the first format relying on the existent causes for the development in any system (like machines), the second format which is a series of complicated, interconnected and dependent systems and the last format indicative of an open, feedback based environment, where one alters and improves their behavior as the process reveals its results.

LEARNING THEORY

The learning theory is another example for the deconstruction of the idea of community work progress based on a group work format. Within the learning theory do the principles of action become important. The principles of action are important under the existent proposal of Brager and Specht, based on Warren’s strategy in the case of consensus and dissention (Weisner and Silver, 1981). Learning theory is pertinent because in the cases of either consensus or dissention it either validates or improvises a practice formerly used by an individual, and so he learns how to either improve his/her ways or to focus on the appropriate ones he/she already has.

Additionally, Weisner and Silver also stress upon Ross’ pioneering work in community organisations which is vital in strengthening community practices through the channel of group work. Wang (2007) also illustrates the same ideal, wherein her focus lies on the collaborative learning methods via the sociocultural learning theory. Essentially, what this means is that there are different kinds of individuals in different setups, in community service specifically, which is a social (not a technical) skill, therefore improvements in one’s social work techniques can only be brought about via continued engagement in group formats, as individuals improve upon their own style by internalizing that of others.

SIMILARITIES

Both the systems theory and the learning theory are integrated formats of social work, and by the very nature of the topic, group work as well. These theories stand as the strongest proponents of group work with relevance to community service in comparison to other theories in the domain therefore. This is analyzed through Euster’s and Durkheim’s work in the preceding paragraphs.  

Euster (1979) from her assessment made around 40 years ago stands corrected regarding experiential learning systems, which are the most attractive and lucrative format for learners, when engaging in a process. Although her theory was with regards to students specifically, it is important to notice that in a social environment, and with community service being a social skill, there is always room for improvement and all participants are in fact learners, learning from one another and enhancing their techniques. By combining the ideals of the systems theory via its integration of smaller parts to assist in the functioning on the whole, feedback based model and complex, dependent structures (Vickery, 1974), it can be closely related to Weisner and Silver (1981) combining all former theories on the subject of the learning theory via its validation and criticism model on consensus and dissension to bring about improvements in one's social skills. 

Durkheim’s functionalism astutely understood by Stedman Jones (2007) is relevant here as she focuses on the essential argument that Durkheim aims to make, unobstructed by structural functionalism (especially Parsonian functionalism). She articulates that functionalism in essence has two key points, one of correspondence and action; in that how it corresponds with social needs, and the other of based on the connectivity of the mind; which relates to the idea on conscience connecting ideas with practical actions. Essentially, both components of functionalism mentioned are manifested via the systems and learning theories. The former relating to the correspondence of social needs with the systems theory, and the latter relating to the connectivity of ideas and actions, which is improved constantly linking to the learning theory.  

Under the banner of healthcare, both the systems theory and the learning theory combine together to formulate a framework by which the culture of well-being is promoted. As per McLeod’s (2002) deduction, engagement in social work can be immensely helpful for physical health, and when helping others one cultivates within themselves a spirit of happiness as well, which makes them psychologically healthier too. By the means of engagement in social work, they impact the whole system positively by contributing their part in the whole,  and via engagement in such a social task, they learn and better their ways as not only social workers but also citizens as a whole. This then becomes a never-ending cycle of learning and systems improvement. 

DIFFERENCES

Although the systems theory and the learning theory belong to the same category of community-service-in-groups perspective, there are some technical differences in both worth mentioning. The first difference is based on mapping which is required from the systems perspective, but not the learning perspective, and the second difference is based on work practices; as in the rural instead of the urban, the learning and the systems perspective are rather than complimentary, conflicting with each other. 

 The foremost difference is in social mapping, in that, for the system to work as a whole, the parts need to be arranged appropriately in that they strengthen the system accordingly. Just like pegs in a machine, social workers need to be mapped appropriately, and in groups, so that what their impact is is then at its utmost. And this is precisely Hiller’s (2005) argument, that social mapping is essential in community work, which is done most effectively in groups. This being the systems perspective, is much different than the learning perspective as learning demands no set channel or system, it is done at every stage of the process, in every way, shape or form and so it differs exponentially from the systems perspective. 

The second difference is that of rural setups working counterproductively for both theories, which although work together in urban aspects where the learning theory compliments the systems theory, in urban aspects this process is reversed. As Lohmann  and Lohmann (2008) emphasize already, in rural set ups, the backdrop is such that the system that is in place is counterproductive to learning, and induced learning may alter the system due to traditional practices which are neither receptive to healthcare, not educated regarding the ethics of social work. The populace itself too is either feudal or the peasantry, making it difficult to cultivate learning for either and also to alter the system favorably for social work. 

CONCLUSION

Conclusively, both theories of learning and of systems are vital in explicating the healthcare benefits of group work in community service, whether it is done in the private (family domain) or public domain. Individual growth is far more progressive when social work is done in the presence of other individuals, as one learns more in a social setup.  As mentioned already, the healthcare benefits are immense via engagement in social work, particularly in group settings, and this is because of the sentiment and the skills that are nurtured. This nature of skills that is nurtured is in the notion of healthcare itself, and the point then is that a culture of wellbeing and healthcare is promoted.