Introduction to Part Three: The Relationship of Social Work with Groups to Group Work in Other Professions

Abstract

In this article the author introduces the reader to one of Papell’s major papers, written in 1973, in which she responds to evidence in the literature that the profession has an unclear commitment to the social work frame of reference in social work with groups. A conceptual scheme is used to contrast approaches of six different professional disciplines and to distinguish what may represent the special nature of the social work profession’s approach to group work.

KEYWORDS:

• social work practice with groups
• group work
• conceptual frameworks