Group and Community Work in Practice: Students Learning from Experts-by- Experience

Group work and community work are traditional levels of social work interventions. However, to define precisely and understand in depth the role of a social worker doing group work and community work is not so easy. Considering these features, students of the bachelor in Social work at the Catholic University have opportunities to listen from members of communities experiences of collaboration with social workers in planning group and community work. 14 experiences of group or community work have been presented to students. At the end of each meeting students were asked to answer two questions by filling a form online. 218 forms were filled out with answers to the two questions for a total of 436 answers. A qualitative analysis was conducted. Results show that students appreciated the opportunity to hear concrete experiences of group work and community work from EBE. Moreover, listening to their voices allowed students to better understand some methodological concepts explained during theoretical lessons; understand how the role of social worker can be declined inside the communities; get examples of how participation in collective projects could provide benefits to community members; verify that aid is also a natural dimension of the relationship between people and, consequently, to have example of the function that relational social workers play in facilitating human relations at work towards a common good; receive practical indications or strategies that social workers could put in place to cope with problems in promoting and implementing group and community work.