In order to development a broad perspective concerning the potential uses of groups in social work practice,it is helpful to understand the developments that have occured in the study of groups and in the practice of group work over the years. This historical perspective will also give tou a firm foundation upon which a knowledge base can be built upon for effective group work practice.
Two types of inquiries have enhanced our understanding of groups. One type of inquiry has come come from social scientists who have studied groups by experimenting with them in laboratories or observations of group's functioning in community setting. The other type has come from group work practitioners who have examined how groups function in practice settings like social work, psychology, education and recreation. The results of both enquiries have led to improved methods of working with a variety of different types of groups.
A basic research question that was asked by social scientist concerns the extent to which being a part of a group influences the individual group member. The early findings suggest that the presence of others has a significant influence on an individual group member and tends to generate forces to conform to the standards of behaviour and judgments of individual members. Le Bon in 1910 referred to the forces that were generated by group interactions as 'group contagion' and 'group mind' , recognising that people in groups react differently from individuals.
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