Social Work for Sociologists: Theory and Practice

100 ● Patrick Vakaoti

commitment as well as financial investment; there are budgetary, staffing,
and curricular implications for sociology departments and programs. Stu-
dent pathways into group work and community action that are currently
left unspoken would require clearer articulation and acceptance. Universities
that currently offer students an applied sociology pathway see the merits of
expanding into these social justice and community practice oriented domains
(Finkelstein 2010; Spalter-Roth et al. 2010). In a financially constrained
environment where the survival of sociology as a discipline cannot be taken
for granted, reaching out to related disciplines, especially social work and
community work, may in the long term guarantee sociology’s sustainabil-
ity as a discipline. Group work, in particular group work with marginalized
populations, such as Pacific young people, has much to offer as an avenue for
multidisciplinary collaboration.

Reflective Questions

1. Do you enjoy working in groups as a student or in the workplace?
   What do you experience as some of the advantages of working in
   groups? What challenges or drawbacks do you perceive?


2. Do the five stages of group formation identified by Tuckman and
   Jensen (1977) fit with your experiences of groups as a member or as a
   facilitator? Can you identify some of the tasks required in those stages?


3. Have you ever been in a group where you found yourself in a cultural
   minority in relation to, for example, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual
   orientation? Do you think any of the recommendations in the chapter
   might help in such situations?

References

Association for the Advancement of Social Work with Groups, Inc. 2013. “Standards
for Social Work Practice with Groups.” 2nd ed. Social Work with Groups 36 (2–3):
270–282. doi:10.1080/01609513.2012.759504.
Bach, Rebecca and Julianne Weinzimmer. 2011. “Exploring the Benefits of Commu-
nity-Based Research in a Sociology of Sexualities Course.” Teaching Sociology 39
(1): 57–72. doi:10.1177/0092055X10390647.
Finkelstein, Marv. 2009. “Toward Teaching a Liberating Sociological Practicality:
Challenges for Teaching, Learning and Practice.” Teaching Sociology 37 (1):
89–102. doi:10.1177/0092055X0903700108.
———. 2010. “Why Teach Applied Sociology? Four Reasons to Consider.” Journal of
Applied Social Science 4 (1): 97–109. doi:10.1177/193672441000400108.
Garrett, Kendra. 2004. “Use of Groups in School Social Work: Group Work and Group
Processes.” Social Work with Groups 27 (2–3): 75–92. doi:10.1300/J009v27n02_06.