ABSTRACT
Groupwork has come a long way in Britain since the 1960s when it was a relatively scarce commodity. Contemporary groupwork emphasises action and influence as well as reaction and adaptation. Some of the aims of groupwork, particularly those concerned with individual change and support, could be pursued at the casework level. In a group, by definition, you share yourself and information about you with more people, and the risk of confidentiality being breached is that much greater, particularly as most of the people are not bound by a professional ethic. Theoretical approaches to groupwork have been influenced by a range of theories contributing to the understanding of group behaviour. A wide range of approaches is included loosely under the term 'groupwork' and it is possible to cluster models and methods in various ways. Most ideological perspectives converge on some of the fundamental tenets of social groupwork but with a difference in emphasis.
