ABSTRACT
Many groups and organisations have a ‘difficult’, ‘disturbed’ or ‘impossible’ member or sub-group whose behaviour is regarded as getting in the way of the others’ good work. Often, if this individual is removed, a new one will appear in his or her place. This chapter describes some of the ways institutions use these ‘troublesome’ members to express fundamental institutional dilemmas. It also shows how roles can be ‘delegated’ through unconscious processes in the group. Using a systemic perspective to think about how the troublesome behaviour may unconsciously serve a defensive purpose for the system as a whole can assist both individuals – who can begin to move out of the unconscious roles they have been locked into – and the whole service to move forward.
