Exploring exclusion

Authors

  • Joanne Sulman
  • Marylin Kanee
  • Camala Day
  • Paulette Stewart
  • Diane Savage

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v22i1.737

Keywords:

<i>diversity</i>, <i>social groupwork</i>, <i>focus group</i>, <i>workplace</i>, <i>discrimination</i>, <i>human rights</i>, <i>equal opportunities</i>

Abstract

Listening to the voices of exclusion can heighten our awareness of the crucial nature of equity in any organization. This paper describes qualitative focus group research that utilized social group work skills and techniques to deepen the understanding of diversity and human rights in a hospital workplace, and helped lead to change in its culture. Groupwork skills and activities that encouraged participants to share their authentic stories will be illustrated. In addition, the paper will outline the background to the research, summarize the outcomes, and document the process in which the group research itself became a social action intervention in the organization.

References

Agocs, C. (1997) Institutionalized resistance to organizational change: Denial, inaction and repression. <i>Journal of Business Ethics</i>, 16, 9, 917-931\nAgocs, C., Burr. C., and Somerset. F. (1992) <i>Employment equity: Cooperative strategies for organizational change</i>. Scarborough: Prentice Hall\nAgocs, C. and Burr, C. (1996) Employment equity, affirmative action and managing diversity: Assessing the differences. <i>International Journal of Manpower</i>, 17, 4/5, 30-45\nAgocs, C. and Jain, H. (2001) Systemic racism in employment in Canada: Diagnosing systemic racism in organizational culture. <i>Directions: Research Reviews from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation</i>, 1, 1, 11-29\nBirnbaum, M. and Cicchetti, A. (2001) The power of purposeful sessional endings in each group encounter. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 23, 3, 37-52\nBreton, M. (1990) Learning from social group work tradition. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 13, 3, 21-34\nBreton, M. (2010). Solidarity and group work’s responsibility to connect groups to communities. Verbal presentation at A Group Work Showcase. Sponsored by The Toronto Region Group Workers Network, A Chapter in the Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, N.C. Lang and A. Nosko (Chairs). Toronto, ON, Canada\nBrown, A. and Mistry, T. (2006) Group work with ‘mixed membership’ groups: Issues of race and gender. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 28, 3, 133-148\nCohen, H.L., Sandel, M.H., Thomas, C.L., and Barton, T.R. (2004) Using focus groups as an educational methodology: Deconstructing stereotypes and social work practice misconceptions concerning aging and older adults. <i>Educational Gerontology</i>, 30, 4, 329-346\nCohen, M.B. and Garrett, K.J. (1999) Breaking the rules: A group work perspective on focus group research. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 29, 359-372\nDavis, C., Darby, K., Likes, W., and Bell, J. (2009) Social workers as patient navigators for breast cancer survivors: What do African-American medically underserved women think of this idea? <i>Social Work in Health Care</i>, 48, 6, 561-578\nDoel, M. and Orchard, K. (2006) Groupwork researchers as ‘temporary insiders’. <i>Groupwork</i>, 16, 3, 46-70\nDominelli, L. (2002) <i>Anti-Oppressive Social Work: Theory and practice</i>. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan\nDreachslin, J.L. (1998) Conducting effective focus groups in the context of diversity: Theoretical underpinnings and practical implications. <i>Qualitative Health Research</i>, 8, 6, 813-820\nGibbons, J. and Plath, D. (2006) ‘Everybody puts a lot into it!’ Single session contacts in hospital social work. <i>Social Work in Health Care</i>, 4, 1, 17-34\nKelly, T. B., Berman-Rossi, T. and Palombo, S. (Eds.) (2001) <i>Strengthening resiliency through group work</i>. Binghampton, NY: Haworth Press\nKitzinger, J. (1995) Introducing focus groups. <i>British Medical Journal</i>, 311, 299-302\nKosoff, S. (2003) Single session groups: Applications and areas of expertise. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 26, 1, 29-45\nLang, N. C. (1979 a). Some defining characteristics of the social work group: Unique social form. in S.L. Abels and P. Abels (Eds.) <i>Social Work with Groups: Proceedings of the 1979 Symposium on Social Work with Groups</i>. Louisville, KY: Committee for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups (pp. 18-50)\nLang, N.C. (1979 b) A comparative examination of therapeutic uses of groups in social work and in the adjacent human service professions: Part II, The literature from 1969-1978. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 2, 3, 197-220\nLang, N. C. (2010) <i>Group work practice to advance social competence: A specialized methodology for social work</i>. New York: Columbia University Press\nLee, J.A.B. (1993) Jane Addams in Boston: Intersecting time and space. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 15, 2, 7–21\nLee, J.A.B. (2001) <i>The empowerment approach to social work practice</i>. (2<sup>nd</sup> ed.) New York: Columbia University Press\nLietz, C. A. (2007) Strengths-based group practice: Three case studies. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 30, 2, 73-87\nMalekoff, A. (2004) Strengths-based group work with children and adolescents. in C. Garvin, L.M. Gutierrez and M.J. Galinsky (Eds.) <i>Handbook of Social Work with Groups</i>. New York: Guilford (pp. 227-244)\nManalo, V. (2008) Understanding practice principles and service delivery: The implementation of a community-based family support program. <i>Children and Youth Services Review</i>, 30, 8, 928-941\nMarsiglia, F.F. (2003) Culturally grounded approaches to social justice through social work with groups. in N. Sullivan, E.S. Mesbur, N.C. Lang, D. Goodman, and L. Mitchell (Eds.) <i>Social Work with Groups: Social justice through personal, community and societal change</i>. Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth (pp. 79-90)\nMcNicoll, P. (2003) Current innovations in social work with groups to address issues of social justice. in N. Sullivan, E.S. Mesbur, N.C. Lang, D. Goodman, and L. Mitchell, (Eds) <i>Social Work with Groups: social justice through personal, community and societal change</i>. Binghamton, N.Y.: Haworth (pp. 35-50)\nMiddleman, R.R. (1980) <i>The Non-Verbal Method in Working With Groups</i>. Hebron, CT: Practitioners Press\nMorgan, D.L., Krueger, R.A. and King, J.A. (1998) <i>Focus Group Kit</i>. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage\nMuskat, B. and Sulman, J. (2011). How do we evaluate outcomes when the voyage is a single session? Paper presented at the 33rd International Symposium on Social Work with Groups, Long Beach, CA. June 2-5, 2011\nOntario Human Rights Commission. (2000). <i>Ontario Human Rights Code, RSO 1990 Chapter H 19, revised</i>. Toronto: Legislature of Ontario\nPapell, C.P. (2007) <i>More than Sixty Years with Social Group Work: A personal and professional history</i>. Retrieved March 31, 2012 from <a target="_blank" href='http://www.socialwelfarehistory.com/recollections/1053/2011'>http://www.socialwelfarehistory.com/recollections/1053/2011</a>\nPapell, C.P. and Rothman, B. (1980) (1980) Relating the mainstream model of social work with groups to group psychotherapy and the structured group approach. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 3, 2, 5-23\nPhilipson, J. (1992) <i>Practicing Equality: Women, men and social work</i>. London: Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work (CCETSW)\nSteinberg, D.M. (2004) <i>Mutual Aid Approach to Working With Groups</i>. (2nd ed.). Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press\nSteinberg, D.M. (2010) Mutual aid: A contribution to best practice social work. <i>Social Work with Groups</i>, 33, 1, 53-68\nStewart, D.W., Shamdasani, P.N., and Rook, D. W. (2007) <i>Focus groups: Theory and practice</i> (2nd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage\nStrier, R. (2007) Anti-oppressive research in social work: A preliminary definition. <i>British Journal of Social Work</i>, 37, 5, 857-871\nSulman, J. (1987) The worker’s role in collectivity. in N.C. Lang and J. Sulman (Eds.) <i>Collectivity in Social Group Work</i>. Binghampton, NY: Haworth (pp. 59-67)\nSulman, J. (2006). Productive play: The use of activity in focus groups. Workshop presented at <i>Orchestrating the Power of Groups: Overture, Movements, and Finale</i>, The 28th International Symposium on Social Work with Groups. San Diego, CA, October 12-15, 2006\nSulman J, Kanee M, Stewart P, and Savage, D. (2007) Does difference matter? Diversity and human rights in a hospital workplace. <i>Social Work in Health Care</i>, 44, 3, 145-159\n

Downloads

Published

2012-12-26

How to Cite

Sulman, J., Kanee, M., Day, C., Stewart, P., & Savage, D. (2012). Exploring exclusion. Groupwork, 22(1), 7-26. https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v22i1.737

Issue

Section

Articles