MTSU Social Work Department

SW 4480: Social Work with Groups

Group Dynamics: Acceptance

One of the most helpful formulations of group dynamics is not presented in the Zastrow text. This starts with the idea that acceptance is central to a member’s relationship to the group and the way in which the group as a whole functions. As people meet to start a group and as the group develops, the issue of acceptance is on their minds and a part of their feelings. A variety of questions that members may ask themselves illustrate this concept: “Do I want to join this group?” “Will the other members accept me?” “Are the others conforming to the group’s values in order to fit in?” “How much of my own identity to I have to hide to be a member?” “What if I express a different idea, will the group still accept me?” These concerns are rarely expressed openly, but they are very important with respect to people committing themselves to membership and the group’s response to members.

This formulation posits that there are two sides to the acceptance issue: opposition and accommodation. Opposition is the tendency of individuals or the group to deny acceptance. A member wanting to do his own thing in spite of the feelings of others in the group is one form of opposition. A milder form of opposition would be a member expressing an idea that is different from what the group has accepted in the past. Opposition can be demonstrated by the group as well as by an individual member. The group’s action to limit the choices or behaviors of a member is an example of that. Accommodation is the opposite of opposition. This is an individual’s tendency to subjugate his own interests for the group, or the group’s inclination to tolerate acting out by a member in order to maintain the group’s integrity.

There are five ways in which opposition and accommodation interact as the group functions. These are different ways of illustrating the idea that most group behavior is a combination of people acting upon their individual interests and members wanting to be part of the group. These five are:

1. Elimination. This is the essence of opposition. A member or members may be eliminated from the group, or a decision may be made to eliminate the group (stop meeting).

2. Subjugation. This involves forcing a member or members to accommodate to the group with the threat of elimination or some other drastic response. This is the use of coerced accommodation to deal with the perception that the member(s) demonstrating opposition are a grave threat to the group. Its actual demonstration in a group is often very subtle, with members using veiled threats or nonverbal behavior to try to keep others “in line.” It is especially powerful when the worker or influential members use subjugation in these ways.

3. Compromise. A compromise represents an attempt to deal with opposition by accommodating elements of opposing ideas into decisions made by the group. This is used frequently when there is a balance of power between the subgroups in opposition. It is sometimes a cop-out and results in a decision that no one is happy with, which usually eventually results in a need for more resolution. Compromise can, however, be very creative, if done well, resulting in a solution that is more appropriate than either of the original opposing ideas.

4. Alliance. This is the idea that a member or subgroup will join with others in order to accommodate differences and avoid opposition. This includes the formation of more powerful subgroups as well as the group as a whole becoming the alliance. This process usually results in a type of implicit compromise or employs compromise in the creation of alliances. Sometimes there is a marketplace of ideas within the group, with alliances shifting as a result of new ideas appearing in that marketplace. This tends to be a more creative process than compromise by itself, and reflects the constructive use of the tension that exists between opposition and accommodation.

5. Integration. Integration is “the height of achievement by the group.” It involves the accommodation of opposing ideas in a creative process that builds on itself. One member has an idea that at first seems off the wall, but another member heard something in that idea that made sense and is able to express that effectively to the group. This leads to a third person adding their perspective to the mix, and this goes on until a consensus is formed that reflects the contributions of lots of members. Integration happens organically in a group that is secure enough and motivated enough to recognize the value of diversity. The group uses that understanding to find ways to accommodate opposition. A good discussion in class, a productive staff meeting, and a really helpful therapy group session all demonstrate integration. There may be arguments, but they are friendly arguments. People may get upset, but they will invariably learn something that will make their consternation acceptable. There will be loud voices at times, and expressions of surprise and delight. When this happens, you, the social group worker, should sit back and smile.