Reviews : Choosing a Groupwork Approach: An Inclusive Stance Oded Manor Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2000; pp223; £15.95, pbk ISBN 1 85302 870 3
| Published date | 01 March 2001 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050104800121 |
| Date | 01 March 2001 |
| Author | Steve Bowkett |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
political pronouncements is a theme
Nonetheless, it has relevance and is
which could be drawn more explicitly
stimulatmg both mtellectually and
from these chapters. I would have liked
emotionally.
the closing chapter to draw such themes
At the book’s heart lies what the
and pioblems together; mstead there is
author describes as an &dquo;inclusive
just a bnef summary and no overview.
blueprmt&dquo; which offers helpful
Overall, I enjoyed readmg this book -
descriptions of &dquo;the common pool of
not somethmg one can often say about a
stages&dquo; through which the life of a group
text book. It seems to me to get the
may pass. He is very careful to articulate
balance between ordmary and specialist
what he means by &dquo;mclusmeness&dquo; m his
language just right and it is clear and easy
model. Rightly anxious to avoid a sterile
to follow I recommend it to students of
prescription, he gives illustrations of
cnmmology but more broadly to anyone
groups that do not (and should not)
who wants a groundmg m the subject and
demonstrate all the phases and crises
an understandmg of what crimmologists
which, together, constitute the eight stages
do.
he identifies. His purpose is to equip
John Minkes
groupworkers with a dynamic competence
Lecturer, University of Wales, Swansea
which will enable them to recogmse &dquo;what
is going on m a group&dquo; (a key phrase of
Manor’s). Most vitally, the blueprmt also
enables workers to choose which stages to
steer a group through, and which to steer
around, dependmg on the group’s purpose.
Hence m
a group mtended to enhance
thinking skills, a problem-solvmg model
might be chosen which would draw on
only four of Manor’s eight stages -
Formmg, Engagmg, Empowerment and
Termmation.
The introductory part of the book is
theoretical. The author describes a number
of &dquo;three-cornered worlds&dquo; (e.g.
Separating, Connectmg and Completing)
that relate to his central systemic analysis
as m
a hologram, where different images
Choosing a...
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