MTSU Social Work Department

SW 4480: Social Work with Groups

Student Writing on Class Topics - Fall 2008

These are examples of completed class topics assignments. These examples demonstrate especially creative and or well-researched work on these assignments.

1. Define and describe your idea of social work with groups. Chance Allen; Betsy Harris

2. What historical influence do you think is most important in affecting social work with groups today?   Hollie Brown; Lemuel White

3. What type of group do you feel most competent in leading at this point in your professional development? Explain. Rina Patel

4. Which theory that has influenced group work is most consistent with your own view of the world? Explain. Agnes Thomas; Caretia Merriweather

5. Discuss the concept of cohesion as you have observed it in a group. Crystal Dyer; Meagan Humbert

6. Which of the models of group development makes the most sense to you? Explain. Lemuel White

7. How has the issue of acceptance been managed in a group of your experience? Betsy Harris; Meagan Humbert

8. Describe the way in which a member of your family has demonstrated a change in role over time. Chance Allen; Agnes Thomas

9. Tie together the concepts of culture, norms, and communication within groups. Lemuel White; Caretia Merriweather

10. Select one of the “Power Bases” covered in either textbook and discuss how you have observed its use in a group. Hollie Brown

11. Describe what you perceive to be your major strength and weakness as a leader. Crystal Dyer; Ashton Smith

12. Is there a “culture of disability?” Betsy Harris; Agnes Thomas

13. How will you deal with the feelings about homosexuality generated by your religious training in working with a group including openly gay and/or lesbian members? Hollie Brown

14. Describe a group experience you had that resulted in the empowerment of members who had been victims of oppression. Meagan Humbert; Ashton Smith

15. How would you go about recruiting members for a group where you expect to practice after graduation? Chance Allen; Lemuel White

16. What do you expect will be the influence of technology on group work practice over your career as a social worker? Due Friday, 10/3 (Thursday (10/2).

17. What is the optimal size for a social work class; for a recreation group? Explain your answers. Due Monday, 10/6 (Tuesday 10/7).

18. What is the most effective icebreaking exercise of your experience? Due Wednesday, 10/8 (Thursday 10/9).

19. Discuss the development of goals of a group of which you have been a member. Due Friday, 10/10 (Thursday 10/9).

20. Discuss the relationship between the assessment of individuals within a group and the assessment of the group as a whole. (200-300 words; up to 10 points ) Due Friday, 10/17. (Tuesday, 10/21)

21. Briefly assess the community environment of a group of your experience. Due Monday, 10/20 (Tuesday 10/21). Quiz 3 on these dates.

22. Describe the degree of structure that would be most appropriate with a treatment group that you may work with in the future. Due Wednesday, 10/22 (Thursday 10/23).

23. Discuss your opinion of the "Treatment Plan Intervention Goals" on page 272 (6th edition). Caretia Merriweather

24. Which of the techniques for changing thoughts, beliefs, and feeling states or interpersonal interventions (Text, pp. 283-295) do you think would be most helpful? Betsy Harris; Holly Brown

25. Discuss “Environmental Interventions” for treatment groups. Ashton Smith

26. Discuss your opinion of the most important aspect of the class presentation on self-help groups. Lemuel White

27. Briefly discuss examples of each of the three types of task groups mentioned in the text. Chance Allen

28. How does the concept of empowerment apply to task groups? Meagan Humbert

29. Discuss the way in which a social worker has facilitated sharing information within a task group of your experience. Due Friday, 11/7 (Thursday 11/6).

30. Discuss the class brainstorming exercise. Due Monday, 11/10 (Tuesday 11/11).

31. Discuss the role of aesthetics in social work with groups. Due Wednesday 11/12 (Thursday 11/13).

32. What is your opinion of the role of focus groups in a research process? Due Friday 11/14 (Thursday 11/13).

33. Discuss the nominal group technique. Due Monday 11/17 (Tuesday 11/18).

34. Discuss your opinion of the presentation on community groups. Due Wednesday 11/19 (Thursday 11/20).

35. Summarize the class discussion of the use of groups to promote organizational change.  Due Friday 11/21 (Thursday 11/20).

36. Discuss evaluations for determining effectiveness and efficiency. Due Monday 11/24 (Tuesday 11/25).

37.  What is your impression of the role of the social worker in the case example in the text on "A Community Coalition?" Due Wednesday 11/26 (Tuesday 11/25).

38. Discuss the most important thing you learned in this course. Due Monday 12/1 (Tuesday 12/2).

39. Discuss the importance of an effective termination process. Due Wednesday 12/3 (Tuesday 12/2) Last day of class. Final exam due.