Understanding Group Dynamics

This workbook focuses on understanding group dynamics, decision-making, facilitation arrangements, and incidents in a group. It also includes a case study on gender-neutral toilets and applying theories to the case.

Work Book

Table of Contents
TASK 1: UNDERSTANDING GROUP DYNAMICS...................................................................3
1.1 Thinking about your experiences of working in teams and groups, which of the roles
outlined by Benne and Sheats (1948) do you feel most comfortable taking in groups?.............3
1.2 What has your group decided about how it will make decisions this week?........................3
1.3 What arrangements have been made for facilitation of your group sessions this week?......3
1.4 Describe a specific incident in your group this week and describe the part you played in
with reference to the work of Benne and Sheats (1948).............................................................3
TASK 2. THINKING ABOUT YOUR CASE................................................................................4
Describe the case you think you might use for this assignment.................................................4
TASK 3: APPLYING THEORIES TO YOUR CASE....................................................................5
3.1 Read the case examples of activist practice in Appendix C, and the brainstorm of possible
practices in Appendix D..............................................................................................................5
3.2 Identify some of the key practice theories or models which would be informing your
practice decisions........................................................................................................................5
TASK 4: SUMMARISING YOUR ACTIVIST PRACTICE..........................................................6
Please complete this template as a summary of your activism in response to your case
intervention.................................................................................................................................6

TASK 1: UNDERSTANDING GROUP DYNAMICS
1.1 Thinking about your experiences of working in teams and groups, which of the roles outlined
by Benne and Sheats (1948) do you feel most comfortable taking in groups?
As per the viewpoint of Benne and Sheats, (1948) it has been identified that while
conducting work in a team and group I play role of facilitator. According to which I have to
ensure that everyone of my team get opportunity to speak in relation to the agenda of project.
Along with this I also ensure that every members will also participate on reviewing things and
decision making process. During conducting activities as a facilitator I enhance my several skills
and abilities which help me in accomplish things in effective manner.
1.2 What has your group decided about how it will make decisions this week?
By conducting meeting with my team member we decide to use voting method in order to
develop decision in effective manner by concerning everyone perspective (Heck, Croot and
Robohm, 2015). Voting is define as method which is used to take collective decision by
considering everyone viewpoint. For example for implementing this me and my team members
will conduct meeting and present several ideas. Then we will ask to select one option after that at
last we will calculate which idea get more voting.
1.3 What arrangements have been made for facilitation of your group sessions this week?
For conducting group session at this week we need to conduct several arrangements such
as contact to ever team members in order to check their availability at respective date. Along
with this we also need to conduct arrangements of room where meeting can be conducted on a
specific topic. We also need to arrange equipments which can be use for meeting such as
projector, pen, paper and so on.
1.4 Describe a specific incident in your group this week and describe the part you played in with
reference to the work of Benne and Sheats (1948).
In this week incident that occur at team is conversation so that each and every team
members know each other effectively. Through this activity we can avoid situations which may
arise conflict at workplace or which impact on quality of work. In this incident or activity I am
playing role of facilitator in order to ensure that each members get equal chance for representing
their point.

TASK 2. THINKING ABOUT YOUR CASE
Describe the case you think you might use for this assignment
What: Case of gender neutral toilet, i.e. a girl at UK skip from school in order to avoid gender
neutral toilets because she fell unsafe and ashamed.
Where: Primary School at West London, United Kingdom
When: 2019
Who is involved: In this case peoples who are involved are principle, teachers, counsellor,
students, parents of students.
Who had the power: In this situation high range of power will belong to parents and their
advocate who will conduct case on school for not providing separate toilets for girls, boys and
transgender.
Why do I consider this a case: I consider safety and health issue for girls or women in
respective case. This is so because at Primary School there is neutral toilets for girls and boys.
How might an activist social worker intervene?
I would try and answer the following questions:
 What are the dominant discourses and/or structural issues impacting on this case?
- In this case there are also several women and other peoples who stand up for building separate
public toilets at the school or educational institutes.
 What are social movements relevant to this case?
- The social movement which is related to this case is issue related to safety and healthy of
women and girls at school.
 What acts or activities which could be undertaken in response to this case?
- The respective school must build separate toilets for girls, boys, teacher and transgender.
 How can I be confident these acts and activities represent a structural or post-
structural perspective for change (NOT individual or institutional reformist)?
- These activities make me confident because people come together and protest for building
separate at every place like office, school and other educational institutes.
 Who are the allies who might be recruited to this activism?
- In this allies are women safety workers or community, NGO who support to women education
and media.
 What are the domains and fields of practice relevant to the responses/interventions

- The domain and fields of practice relevant to the responses will be interview conducted by
media. This is so because through this an individual can gain perspective of various peoples on
the respective issue.
TASK 3: APPLYING THEORIES TO YOUR CASE
3.1 Read the case examples of activist practice in Appendix C, and the brainstorm of possible
practices in Appendix D.
In the case of Primary school, there is gender neutral toilet due to which girls are not
feeling safe and hygiene. There are several theories or practices which can be consider in this
situation such as Trauma theories which is generally for the situation where a person face some
distressing or disturbed experiences (Duggan, 2018). In respect of this case girls are not feeling
safe in using common toilets. For this there are several brainstorming activities can be
conducted promote stories related to social change so that school authority get to now
importance of separate toilets at school. Along with this they may also conduct activity related to
help in securing resources such as safety in order to ensure safety and hygiene of girls or women
at school.
3.2 Identify some of the key practice theories or models which would be informing your practice
decisions
The key practice model or theory which can be used in the case of school will be related
to development of separate toilets for girls, boys, male staff, female staffs so that they all feel
safe. This will also help them in maintaining hygiene level. Theory which can be adopt is
promote the value related to issue which are faced by female due to use of common toilets. By
adopting respective theory their will be possibility that thinking of school authorise get
increased. Along with this they may also adopt theory for practice related to humanist
psychology which help in understanding about others in respect of toilet issues which are faced
by girls of primary school.

TASK 4: SUMMARISING YOUR ACTIVIST PRACTICE
Please complete this template as a summary of your activism in response to your case
intervention.
 This presentation looks................: Issues faced by female students and staffs at primary
school in United kingdom due to gender neutral toilet. This is so because they are feeling
unsafe as well as unhygienic while using common toilet at school premises.
 I am proposing that a worker.......................: Workers may conduct activities in which
they can provide knowledge about the importance of separate toilets for both male and
female.
 I would anticipate........................: The outcome will be that some schools and
educational institutes build separate toilets for girls and boys without facing any
government case like Primary school.
 Summarising from Activity 3, a key theory..........................: The Trauma theories
which will be adopted in this respect because girls are going through distressing or
disturbed experiences related to using common toilets at the school premises.
 Summarising from Activity 3, a key practice........................: In this case theory which
can be adopt is humanist psychology and theory related to community development. The
key practices of these theories is related to development of authorities who will resolve
issue of girls related to use of neutral toilet.
 From the list on the front.....................: I would like to promote the value related to
issues which are faced by girls at school by using general neutral toilet.
 My approach reflects...................: The approach will reflect the understanding about
issues which are faced by girl students at primary school i.e. safety and hygienic issues
while using common toilet along with boys.
 A significant leader....................: One who can easily convince other school and
educational institutes to construct separate toilets for girls and boys. In order to develop
as well as maintain proper hygiene as well as safety for women.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Benne, K. D. and Sheats, P. (1948). Functional roles of group members. Journal of social issues.
4(2), pp.41-49.
Duggan, P. (2018). Trauma-tragedy: Symptoms of contemporary performance.
Heck, N. C., Croot, L. C. and Robohm, J. S. (2015). Piloting a psychotherapy group for
transgender clients: Description and clinical considerations for practitioners. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 46(1), p.30.