Reviews : The Essential Groupworker: Teaching and Learning Creative Groupwork Doel, M. and Sawdon, C. Jessica Kingsley, 1999; pp288; £15.95, pbk
| Date | 01 June 2000 |
| Published date | 01 June 2000 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050004700223 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
150
no
means
exclusively,
on
work
with
young
people.
The
second
section
addresses
organisational
issues,
including
workplace
bullying,
and
ends
with
a
useful
chapter
on
how
professionals
can
look
after
themselves
in
terms
of
such
factors
as
their
own
stress
levels,
self-esteem
and
support
within
the
workplace.
A
brief
but
helpful
list
of
further
contacts
and
a
short
bibliography
are
provided.
The
very
personal
focus
of
this
book
is
both
a
strength
and
a
weakness.
On
the
one
hand,
the
examples
are
practical,
credible,
and
relevant.
Based
on
the
wisdom
of
long
experience,
the
techniques
and
tips
afford
a
refreshingly
individual
perspective.
On
the
other
hand,
some
readers
may
wish
for
more
objective
pointers
to
source
material
that
would
enable
them
to
extend
their
knowledge.
There
is
sometimes
a
lack
of
depth
in
the
discussion
which
is
frustrating
and
could
perhaps
have been
overcome
by
at
least
a
few
more
citations
and
references.
The
writer
appears
to
be
disarmingly
frank
about
his
own
practice,
and
does
not
shy
away
from
pointing
out
how
he
learned
from
mistakes.
He
addresses
the
reader
directly
as
&dquo;You&dquo;
throughout.
Generally,
this
style
works,
but
just
occasionally
(e.g.
in
the
example
of
his
experiences
when
attending
a
presentation
and
subsequent
job
interviews)
it
verges
on
being
too
personal
for
comfort.
The
tone
is
generally
familiar,
even
chatty,
sometimes
to
the
point
of
carelessness
over
grammar.
At
times
this
is
merely
mildly
irritating,
but
occasionally
it
actually
obscures
the
meaning.
One
area
where
highly
relevant
issues
appear
to
be
ignored
or
skated
over
is
that
of
anti-discriminatory
practice.
The
half-dozen
specific
allusions
to
issues
of
discrimination
or
oppression
all
occur
in
the
latter
half
of
the
text.
Cultural
differences
are
barely
considered.
The
discussion
of
power
differentials
could
have been
enhanced
by
taking
into
account,
for
example,
race,
gender,
sexuality
and
(disability.
Owen
Booker’s
approach
is
lively
and
to
the
point.
Even
hard-pressed
practitioners
will
find
that
its
content,
style
and
length
make
it
highly
accessible.
It
also
has
great
merit
as
a
teaching
aid
for
trainers
and
tutors,
and
is
certainly
a
valuable
resource
for
students
preparing
for
professional
practice.
Alison
Jackson
Family
Court
Officer,
Gwent
Probation
Service
The
Essential
Groupworker:
Teaching
and
Learning
Creative
Groupwork
Doel,
M.
and
Sawdon,
C.
Jessica
Kingsley,
1999;
pp288;
£15.95,
pbk
This
book
is,
as
the
publishers
claim,
an
’accessible
and
lively’
introduction
to
groupwork
as
a
generic
social
work
method.
It
is
particularly
accessible
for
training
purposes,
and
I
have
already
used
some
of
its
exercises
for
teaching
a
groupwork
module
for
MA/DipSW
students.
I
also
recommended
it
to
them
as
the
most
up-to-date
introduction
to
the
topic
I
was
aware
of.
After
an
introductory
first
section,
the
book
is
loosely
structured
by
stages
in
the
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