Explain and discuss group dynamics including aspects of leadership, roles of group members, communication networks, and group cohesiveness. Why is it important for social workers to understand group dynamics?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Both formal and informal group leaders have a two-pronged focus: the individuals in the group and the group as a whole. Task-oriented leaders facilitate problem solving within the context of the group; process-oriented leaders, also known as social-emotional leaders, identify and manage group relationships. Any given leader usually fluctuates from one role to the other, although people tend to be either more task-oriented or more process-oriented. In addition to formal and informal leadership roles within the group, group members fill a variety of other roles. Those roles serve a purpose for the group as a whole and simultaneously fulfill group members' personal needs. Formal roles are assigned and may include leader, recorder, and adviser. Informal roles emerge through group interaction. They may be an outgrowth of a group member's self-concept, cultural background, or gender, but they are also based on expectations members have of each other. Communication networks are the links among members-who talks to whom, how information is transmitted, and whether communication between members is direct or uses a go-between. Typically, the formal leader occupies the central position in a communication network, like the hub at the center of spokes on a wheel. Group cohesiveness is a dynamic process reflected in the tendency for the group to stick together and be unified in the pursuit of its objectives and the satisfaction of member emotional needs. Small group researchers examine two dimensions of group cohesiveness: task cohesion is the degree to which group members work toward a common goal, and social cohesion is the level of intimacy and positive regard among group members. Having an understanding of these different group dynamics makes it easier for a social worker to facilitate a group effectively while adequately addressing the needs of individual members throughout the process.