ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at what are regarded as the traditional or mainstream forms of group work which have as their focus either various forms of social control or various forms of therapy. The remedial perspective describes the orientation of group work designed to ‘remedy’ or to ‘fix up’ people’s experience of distress, poverty or other problems. The remedial orientation is found in styles of group work such as social control group work and therapeutic group work. Social control group work sets up group processes so that group members can learn ‘behaviours deemed appropriate to social interaction. Therapeutic group work is another common style of group work with a remedial orientation. It is a form of group work where the attainment of personal change is the main purpose of the group’s activities. The reciprocal perspective is a transitional orientation that bridges between the remedial perspective and the social goals perspective.
