Book groups in social work education: a method for modelling groupwork practice

Amanda M L Taylor

doi:10.1921/gpwk.v25i2.891

Authors

Amanda M L Taylor University of Central Lancashire

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v25i2.891

Abstract

The use of book groups as a learning medium in social work education has evolved rapidly over the last few years, with universities and practice settings across the UK and beyond adopting the approach to supplement traditional teaching methods (Taylor, 2014). Where employed, student social workers and practitioners have found book groups to be effective for consolidating understandings that support professional development. Thus far, however their use within modules of learning as a means to demonstrating groupwork practice has not been fully realised. The following account proposes a teaching approach which is twofold in nature. On the one hand it engages students, within their initial social work training, in a group experience and on the other, through the group, makes explicit the knowledge and skills essential to effective groupwork for practice. This paper offers book groups as medium through which students can develop groupwork knowledge and skills; and makes the point that groupwork remains a viable method of intervention in social work practice.

Author Biography

Amanda M L Taylor, University of Central Lancashire

Senior Lecturer in Social Work

References

Benson, J. (2000) Working More Creatively with Groups. London: Routledge

Cartwright, D. and Alvin, Z. (Eds.) (1968) Group dynamics: research and theory. London: Tavistock Publications

Cherry, L. (2013) The Brightness of Stars. Oxfordshire: Wilson King Publishers

Clements, J. (2008) Social work students’ perceived knowledge of and preparation for group-work practice. Social Work With Groups, 31, 3-4, 329-346

Coulshed, V. & Orme, J. (1998) Social work practice: An introduction. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Doel, M. and Kelly, T. B. (2014) a-z of groups and groupwork. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Fleming, J. and Ward, D. (2013) Facilitation and groupwork tasks in self-directed groupwork. Groupwork. 23, 2, 48-66

Genova, L. (2014) Still Alice. London: Simon & Schuster

Hall, R. M. (2003) The ‘Oprahfication’ of literacy: reading: ‘Oprah’s Book Club’. College English, 65, 646-647

Hartley, J. (2002) The Reading Groups Book. Oxford: Open University Press

Hartley, J. and Turvey, S. (2013) Prison Reading Groups What Books Can Do Behind Bars.[Accessed 25 September 2015 at http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/uploadedFiles/Pages_Assets/PDFs_and_Word_Docs/PRG/PRG%20Report%20Prison%20Reading%20Groups%20What%20Books%20Can%20Do%20Behind%20Bars.pdf.]

Higgins, C. (2005) Why the book club is more than a fad. The Guardian Online. 12 Feb. [Accessed 4 August 2015 http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/feb/12/books.booksnews]

Howard, S. (2009) Skills in Psychodynamic Counselling & Psychotherapy. London: Sage Publications Ltd

Hyder, E. (2013) Reading Groups, Libraries and Social Inclusion: Experiences of Blind and Partially Sighted people. Surrey: Ashgate Publishing Limited

Knochar Farr, C. and Harker, J. (Eds.) (2008) The Oprah Affect: Critical Essays on Oprah’s Book Club. Albany: State University of New York Press

Jopling, K. (2014) Recovery Stories: Journeys through Adversity, Hope and Awakening. Hampshire: Waterside Press

Lewin, K. (1951) Field theory in social science; selected theoretical papers. in D. Cartwright. and Z. Alvin (Eds.) (1968) Group dynamics: research and theory. London: Tavistock Publications (pp. 287--301)

Lindsay, T. and Orton, S. (2014) Groupwork Practice in Social Work. London: Sage Publications Ltd

Long, E. (2003) Book Clubs: Women and the Uses of Reading in Everyday Life. Chicago: University of Chicago Press

Matthews, S., O’Hare, P. and Hemmington, J. (Eds.) (2014) Approved Mental Health Practice; Essential Themes for Students and Practitioners. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan

Morgan, D. (2012) Disappearing Home. Birmingham: Tindal Street Press

Preston-Shoot, M. (1990) Effective Groupwork. Hampshire: Macmillan Education Ltd

Rooney, K. (2005) Reading with Oprah: The Book Club that Changed America. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press

Scourfield, J. and Taylor, A. (2014) Using a Book group to Facilitate Student Learning About Social Work.: Social Work Education, 33, 533-538

Shulman, L. (1987) The hidden group in the classroom: The use of group process in teaching group work practice. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 1, 2, 3–31

Taylor, A. (2014) When actual meets virtual; social work book groups as a teaching and learning medium in social work education. in J. Westwood, (Ed.) (2014) Social Media in Social Work Education. st Albans: Critical Publishing (pp.40-52)

Taylor, A. (2015) The Use of Book Groups in Social Work Education. [Accessed 17 September 2015 at: https://storify.com/AMLTaylor66/the-use-of-book-clubs-in-social-work-education]

Westwood, J. (Ed.) (2014) Social Media in Social Work Education. Herts: Critical Publishing

Winterson, J. (2012) Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal. New York: Grove Press.