UNIT 3 RELEVANCE OF LIFE SKILLS

EDUCATION IN SOCIAL GROUP

WORK
* R. Nalini
Contents
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Understanding Life Skills education
3.3 The Life Skills Education Programme
3.4 The Indian Scenario
3.5 Need for Life Skills Education
3.6 Techniques of Learning Life Skills Education
3.7 Social Group Work and Education
3.8 Relevance of Life Skills Education in Social Group work
3.9 Let Us Sum Up
3.10 Further Readings and References

3.0 OBJECTIVES
After reading this Unit you should be able to:
 Understand Life Skills Education and its components;
 Comprehend the need and techniques of Life Skills Education;
 Appreciate the role of Social Group Work in Education; and
 Sketch the relevance of Life Skills Education in social group work.

3.1 INTRODUCTION
Life Skills Education was evolved to equip individuals, especially the adolescents,
with the aptitude to face life with its challenges and opportunities, successfully.
“In the recent years enthusiasm for education about health and social issues has
been growing in communities around the world. Though recognized by different
names – “life skills”, “life skills based education”, “skills based health education”
or “health and family life education” the central idea is shared: young people,
especially girls and young women, regularly face risks that threaten their health
and limit their learning opportunities. Life skills based education can endow girls
with skills to manage challenging situations, particularly in the context of supportive
communities and environments. Around the world, life skills based education is
being adopted as a means to empower young people in challenging situations.
It refers to an interactive process of teaching and learning which enables learners
to acquire knowledge and to develop attitudes and skills that support the adoption
of healthy behaviours. It is also a critical element in UNICEF’s definition of quality
education”.http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_7308.html

* Dr. R. Nalini, Pondicherry University 25

Leadership and Skills
Development in Social 3.2 UNDERSTANDING LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION
Group Work
Life skills are problem solving ways fittingly and conscientiously employed in the
regulation of our daily dealings. Found in the principles of experiential adult learning,
life skills could be split into trainable, workable, components and taught to group
members. Life Skills could be utilized in all of the 5 areas of our lives (self,
family, job/school, leisure and community) lessons and programmes can be
designed to meet the specific needs of a wide range of client groups.
Thus, Life Skills Education can be employed to take up a broad range of subjects
that concern youngsters and its coverage is not restricted to a specific milieu.
According to UNICEF, “life skills based education is behaviour change or
behaviour development approach designed to address a balance of three areas:
knowledge, attitude and skills”.
The term life skills refers to a large group of psycho-social and interpersonal
skills which can help people make informed decisions, communicate effectively,
and develop coping and self-management skills that may help them lead a healthy
and productive life. Life skills may be directed toward personal actions and actions
toward others, as well as actions to change the surrounding environment to make
it conducive to health. It includes items intended not only to deal with young
people’s personal identity but also to encourage them to reject, where they feel
this is appropriate, comments on their behaviour which they believe is untrue.
http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_7308.html

Life Skills Education Groups

A Life Skills Education programme is conducted with a group of participants led
by a trained group worker. Whatever the type of group (occupation, youngsters,
health, professional development) members begin with various skills and with
varying capacities to utilize those skills. Gradually, by self-awareness and
assessment of their skill levels, the members learn to assess their needs and focus
on aspirations. Group members of Life Skills Education programme are expected
(i) to cultivate the aptitude to draw from a gamut of problem-solving behaviours
(ii) to face the tribulations of daily life with self-confidence and
(iii) to grow to be well-adjusted, self-determined citizens.

Group Worker’s Role in Life Skills Education

A group worker is a trained professional, (mostly in social work) equipped with
the knowledge, skill and experience in handling Life Skills Education programmes
and also in working effectively with groups. He/She should be confident in dealing
with a wide range of clients, not necessarily with problems but also those who
seek to develop their personalities. A group worker facilitates group members
of a Life Skills Education programme to:
 Periodically self-introspect, with honesty
 Think more productively
 Understand that they are not alone in their challenges and struggles
 Perceive and comprehend their ways of thinking
 Equip themselves with and utilize problem solving skills
 Balance their intellectual, physical and emotional requirements
26  Build on apposite ambitions
 Relevance of Life Skills
Check Your Progress I Education in Social Group
Work
Note: Use the space provided for your answer
1) What do you understand by Life Skills Education?
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2) Briefly describe the group worker’s role in Life Skills Education.
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3.3 THE LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Across the globe, Life Skills Education programmes are gaining grounds. However,
keeping in mind the varying cultures and the equally varying demands of life skills
accordingly, the components of the Life Skills Education have been deliberately
kept broad and generic. “There is no definitive list of life skills. The list below
includes the psychosocial and interpersonal skills generally considered important.
The choice of and emphasis on different skills will vary according to the topic
and local conditions (example decision making may feature strongly in HIV/AIDS
prevention whereas conflict management may be more prominent in a peace
education programme). Many skills are used simultaneously in practice. Ultimately,
the interplay between the skills is what produces powerful behavioural outcomes,
especially where this approach is supported by other strategies such as media,
policies and health services”. http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_7308.html

However, the World Health Organization has specified life skills for the youth
in order to enable broad guidelines for life skills educators and professionals. “The
World Health Organization (WHO) laid emphasis on LIFE SKILLS, which are
necessary to all youth alike across the globe. In 1997 the WHO addressed this
issue and a well-researched package of Life Skill Development was produced.
“Life Skills are living skills or abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that
enable individuals to deal effectively with demands and challenges of everyday
life” (WHO 1997). The following are the ten generic skills the Life Skills Education
hopes to transfer. They are five pairs of related skills. 27
Leadership and Skills Critical Thinking: It is the ability to analyse information and experience in an
Development in Social
Group Work objective manner.

Creative Thinking: It is an ability that helps us look beyond our direct experience
and address issues in a perspective which is different from the obvious or the
norm. It adds novelty and flexibility to the situation of our daily life. It contributes
to problem solving and decision making by enabling us to explore available
alternatives and various consequences of our actions or non-actions.

Decision-Making: The process of making assessment of an issue by considering

all possible/available options and the effects different decision might have on them.

Problem Solving: Having made decisions about each of the options, choosing
the one which is the best suited, following it through the process again till a positive
outcome of the problem is achieved.

Interpersonal Relationship: It is a skill that helps us to understand our relations

with others and relate in a positive/reciprocal manner with them. It helps us to
maintain relationship with friends and family members and also be able to end
relationships constructively.

Effective Communication: It is an ability to express ourselves both verbally

and non-verbally in an appropriate manner. This means being able to express
desires, opinions, and fears and seek assistance and advice in times of need.

Coping with Emotions: It is an ability, which involves recognizing emotions in

others, and ourselves, being aware of how emotions influence behaviours and
being able to respond to emotions appropriately.

Coping with Stress: It is an ability to recognize the source of stress in our lives,
its effect on us and acting in ways that help to control our levels of stress. This
may involve taking action to reduce some stress for example changes in physical
environment, life styles, learning to relax etc.

Self-Awareness: Includes our recognition of ourselves, our character, strengths

and weaknesses, desires and dislikes. It is a pre-requisite for effective communication,
interpersonal relationship and developing empathy.

Empathy: Is an ability to imagine what life is like for another person even in
a situation that we may not be familiar with. It helps us to understand and accept
others and their behaviour that may be very different from ourselves.

It is evident that the Life Skills are comprehensive including various areas like
Thinking, Behaviour, and Emotions. The final target being self-awareness, self-
esteem and accepting of others. In an individual, Life Skills develop over the
years continuously in an active manner. There are many skills, which are needed
to successfully negotiate each and every interaction”. http://www.leadership.
fau.edu/ICSE12006/Papers/Pai.doc

3.4 THE INDIAN SCENARIO

“In the Indian-Scenario considering the heterogeneity of the levels of childcare
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givers ranging from school teachers to grass root level NGO workers, the need Relevance of Life Skills
Education in Social Group
of training are varied. The Indian Youth is currently at crossroads. India being Work
a vast and diverse country, The Indian Youth is slowly undergoing a cultural
transition in their outlook due to globalization, communication and media. 40 per
cent of the one billion population of India are below the age of 16. Adolescents
form about 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the population. In absolute numbers
the Indian youth are a significant population of the world’s youth population. On
an average 40 per cent of the Indian adolescents are not in school, those in
school are under severe stress due to a very competitive system of evaluation,
heavy syllabus, and a low teacher – student ratio. Due to the above reasons
motivation to stay in the schools system is very low especially in the rural areas”.
http://www.leadership.fau.edu/ICSE12006/Papers/Pai.doc
However, after the Central Board of Secondary Education asked schools to ensure
social well-being of children, teaching life skills now forms an integral part of
the curriculum of almost all schools. Several life skills trainers, comprising of social
workers, psychologists, school teachers, Human Resource (HR) specialists, and
like minded professionals are engaging actively in Life Skills Education of varied
clientele in India. Schools across the country and NGOs working with non school
goers are the prime providers of Life Skills Education programmes, mainly catering
to adolescents.
The contents of a Life Skills Education programme organized for
school children in a rural Indian school are listed below:
 Learning about society
 Focusing on the family
 Reproductive health and related information
 Environment
 Current trends – changing social and economic realities
 Relating to others
 Self development
The sessions were put together in such a way that gender figured as the
centre spread in all the themes that were taken up for discussion. The
programme was designed to enable the school students to think critically
about the world they find themselves in. The programme wanted to create
an awakening in the minds of the students that they are the makers of their
lives. They wanted to inculcate in them the habit of introspection so that
they have an insight about themselves. At the end of the programme, the
trainers found themselves responding to a deep need for information,
counseling and understanding in the student population.

3.5 NEED FOR LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION

Acquiring Life Skills is a process that happens during an individual’s developmental
years. As we all know, physical growth and development of mental faculties are
two vital aspects to be fulfilled by any human being. Physical growth is visible
to the naked eye in the form of height and weight, hair growth, and other noticeable
changes in the child. Development is however, rather complicated involving
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Leadership and Skills multifaceted aspects.
Development in Social
Group Work
Life skills calls for comprehending and equipping oneself in a different spheres
of personality development such as (i) social skills (ii) interpersonal skills (iii)
communication skills (iv) emotional stability (v) scholarly abilities and
(vi) empathy/sensitivity to others. A child’s development in all these areas is largely
shaped by the environment and the adults (parents, teachers, relatives) with whom
he or she interacts on a daily basis. This process continues in adulthood also
and friends and peer group have an important role in an individual mastering the
life skills. The ultimate aim of life skills is to enable the all-round development
of an individual who will be able to face challenges and troubles with the right
attitude and through appropriate problem solving techniques, cope with life’s
pressures and traumas. It is very important that the foundation for acquiring these
life skills is laid at the right age and time. Life Skills Education is thus needed
for equipping adolescents and young adults with the abilities, knowledge and
aptitude to take on life with self-esteem, confidence and self-determination.

Check Your Progress II

Note: Use the space provided for your answer
1) Mention the skills a Life Skills Education Programme seeks to enhance.
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2) Briefly describe the need for Life Skills Education.
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3.6 TECHNIQUES OF LEARNING LIFE SKILLS

EDUCATION
As evident from our discussion above, Life Skills are applied to various aspects
of life. This includes (i) Interpersonal Relationships (ii) Understanding one’s rights
and responsibilities (iii) Promoting Good Health (iv) Mental Health (v) Prevention
of HIV/AIDS, STD (vi) Prevention of Substance Abuse (vii) Self Development
(viii) Preventing suicides and (ix) Promoting Peace

To achieve this goal of imparting Life Skills Education, various methods and
techniques are used by the trainers. This includes (i) Vigorous training (ii)
Functioning in small groups (iii) Brainstorming (iv) Play-acting (v) Empirical
education (vi) Games and deliberations and (vii) Homework
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The aim of Life Skills Education is to enable the group members to develop Relevance of Life Skills
Education in Social Group
their aptitudes in exploring alternatives when faced with challenges. A group Work
member on attending Life Skills Education programme should be able to
communicate effectively; be assertive (the capacity to stay balanced between
aggression and submission); assess pros and cons and arrive at logical decisions.

It also provides environment education, consumer education, education in socio-

cultural issues and peace education. Finally, the significance of Life Skills Education
is that it empowers group members in taking positive actions, promoting healthy
social relationships and in building confidence in self.

3.7 SOCIAL GROUP WORK AND EDUCATION

Social group work is a primary method of social work that utilizes the group
as a conduit of goal accomplishment. Group work enables its members to bring
about desired changes in their life, through collective efforts. Groups, comprising
of people from varied backgrounds are social worker’s key channels for enabling
individuals to face life with all its problems, successfully. Social workers use group
work in all fields of social work practice such as workplace, hospitals, schools,
correctional settings, etc. Group workers work with children, women, disabled,
substance abusers, elderly, adolescents and any other individuals wanting help to
help themselves. Social group work tries to find remedies for social illness and
strives towards social growth and integration. Generally, microscopic groups are
thought of as constructive mechanisms of social transformation and progress.
“Social group work had its origins in progressive, informal, and adult education,
in recreation, in camping, in settlement houses and in youth serving organizations.
Much of the support, research, programming and education in group work have
taken place outside the boundaries of social work and much continues to do
so, particularly in the field of education. Partly for these reasons, group work
and educational objectives have always been compatible. Whether these objectives
are defined, as they used to be, as “citizenship training” or “character building”,
or as they now often are as “creative problem solving” or “family life education”,
there is a fundamental fit between group work and learning objectives. Perhaps
this is because group work, more than other social work methods, views group
members as learners, whose behavioural repertories need to be enhanced and
enlarged. Individual group members are viewed as creating and, in a sense, owning
their group” Ephross, J. (1985).
According to Douglas the following are the assumptions on which the practice
of social group work rests:
 Group experience is universal and an essential part of human existence
 Group can be used to effect changes in the attitudes and behaviour of
individuals
 Group provides experiences which can be monitored or selected in some
way for beneficial ends.
 Life outside the group is in no way neglected, it tends to be put out of
focus.
 Group offers experience shared with others so that all can come to have
something common with the sense of belonging and of growing together
 Groups produce change which is more permanent than can be achieved by
other methods and the change is obtained more quickly also 31
Leadership and Skills  Groups assist in the removal or diminution of difficulties created by previous
Development in Social
Group Work
exposure to the process of learning
 Groups as instruments of helping others may be economical in the use of
scarce resources, e.g. skilled workers, time etc.
 Group can examine its own behaviour and in so doing learn about the general
patterns of group behaviour.
Thus, a careful analysis of these assumptions reveals that working with groups
enables change amongst its members at an individual and collective level. The
main feature of functioning with groups in societal milieu is that of reciprocal
benefits. It is assumed that individuals progress and transform as they associate
with others. Group work emphasizes that its members are not restricted to only
take away but also put in their contributions to the group, directly or indirectly,
knowingly or unknowingly.

3.8 RELEVANCE OF LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION

IN SOCIAL GROUP WORK
Having discussed about Life Skills Education and social group work, let us try
and understand the relevance of Life Skills Education in social group work. It
is clear that both group work and life skills have the common goal of enhanced
social functioning of its members. From its beginnings, group work practice and
theory has been rooted in “social reform, social responsibility, democratic ideals,
and social action as well as social relatedness and human attachment” (Lee, 1991:
3). The work done in groups was seen as purposeful activity that involved a
process that considered both the individual in the group as well as the group
as a whole as well as the larger community. A description of American Association
of Group Workers’ (AAGW) nature and functions written in 1947 clarifies group
work’s philosophy:

Group work is method of group leadership used in organizing and conducting

various types of group activities. While group work developed first in
connection with recreation and voluntary informal education … its use is
not confined to those fields. It is increasingly being used in various types
of institutions, in hospitals and clinics, in the extra-curricular activities of
schools in similar situations. The guiding purpose behind such leadership rests
upon the common assumptions of a democratic society, namely, the
opportunity for each individual to fulfill his capacities in freedom, to respect
and appreciate others and to assume social responsibility in maintaining and
constantly improving our democratic society. (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/
mi_m0CYZ/is_4_28/ai_83530630/pg_11?tag=artBody;co11)

Life Skills Education is thus an important aspect of group work. “To apply group
work premises to Life Skills Education is to try to incorporate role flexibility,
responsiveness to stage of group development, and an ability to be comfortable
with the shared human condition between worker and members. One needs to
treat group members with respect for their group, not as an artificial stance but
as a genuine component of the group’s life. As for the participants, the group
members need to be viewed as motivated and competent people who are choosing
to take part in learning experiences. They learn from each other through informal
group interaction, as well as from a process of motivated inquiry. The primary
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task of the group leader is to motivate, to facilitate, to promote and to orchestrate Relevance of Life Skills
Education in Social Group
teaching and learning resources. The subject of learning – the course topic is Work
important for two reasons, both for its own values and as a vehicle around which
interpersonal learning, role elaboration and behavioural modeling can take place”.
http://etd.rau.ac.za/theses/available/etd-04222004-100006/restricted/
chapter1MAThesis.pdf

Radin (1975: 605-613) states that school social workers must be concerned about
all children in a school and not only with those with apparent problems and that
all children should be prepared for their future roles in society. To enable the
social worker to reach more than just the individual pupil, working in groups
enables the worker to attend to not only the individual with the group, but the
group collectively.

The advantage of attending to pupils in a group context is that there are times
for individual reflection and discovery but these are usually the outcomes of some
group interaction. Personal learning is shared with at least one another person.
Pupils have experience of being in a group in some form or other. Thus, to use
group work is to use something to which most pupils can relate. (Rooth, 1995;
Kruger, 1998).

Group work provides a context in which members help each other and learn
from and with each other. Very importantly, group work teaches members to
function in a democratic life style. Group work is also a method of participatory
teaching (Rooth, 1999), which is based on democratic practices. It promotes the
empowerment of the member in the group. The methods of group work are
empirical and the group worker plays a facilitator’s role.

Working in groups is in itself an important life skill (Nelson-Jones 1991: 89).

According to Konapka, a healthy group life has the following ingredients:
1) Provision for identification with equals
2) Provision for warmth and belonging to more than one person. Fear of the
threatened loss of the one and only beloved person is always present and
becomes overwhelming if a wider relationship is not established in the course
of life.
3) Freedom to be and to express one’s self and to be different in the presence
of others.
4) Freedom to choose the friends one prefers combined with a responsibility
to accept others if they need to be accepted, even though no close friendly
relationship can be established.
5) Opportunity to try out one’s own individuality while at the same time permitting
the enjoyment of the uniqueness of others
6) Opportunity to exercise independence and be allowed to be dependent when
this is necessary and indicated, as in childhood or in distressing situations
in adulthood.
7) Opportunity to give to others as well as receive from them

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Leadership and Skills 8) Opportunity to feel that as an individual or as a group, one has the strength
Development in Social
Group Work
to influence one’s own fate (Konapka; 1972: 31)

Much of the education is based on the individual, competitive learning and teaching
styles. This means that members get the opportunity to learn how to co-operate,
compromise and work in a group and community context (Rooth 1999; Kruger
1998). Group work has many advantages besides being the method for empirical
learning. Increasingly teachers use group work and find that it is an excellent way
of teaching and learning (Nelson-Jones, 1991).

Social group work facilitates members in appreciating and treasuring their

colleagues and peers. They understand that the transformation in their personality
is also largely due to the contributions of the other members. This leads to increase
in self-confidence, self-belief and eventually enhancement of social skills and the
role of group work cannot be undermined in this process. Simultaneously, group
work causes increased coverage of themes, thereby resulting in increased member
involvement and interaction. Responsibility and sense of empowerment can result
from involvement in group work. Pupils need to be empowered and group work
is one way that aids empowerment (Rogers, 1983; Rooth 1999; Kruger 1998).

The aim of Life Skills Education in group work is to get the members work
in groups rather than as individuals or as a large gathering. Within the framework
of the group, members may assume diverse functions and stimulate immense
amount of learning. The collective endeavor of every group member is vital.
Another objective is to present life skills in the group context as component of
outcome-based education. Social group work with classroom groups is a
preventative field of social work and since prevention is an ultimate aim of social
work in any setting, it is believed that research in a preventative area would serve
as a worthwhile contribution to school social work (Konapka, 1972: 113).

Check Your Progress III

Note: Use the space provided for your answer
1) Mention any two assumptions of social group work.
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2) “Working in groups is in itself an important life skill”. Discuss.
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 .................................................................................................................. Relevance of Life Skills
Education in Social Group
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3.9 LET US SUM UP

Thus we understand the relevance of Life Skills Education in social group work.
Group experiences are indispensable requirements of individuals. The mutual and
vigorous communications involving people and environment are intrinsic in social
group work. Group work aids human beings in eliminating drawbacks and
strengthening self to face life effectively.

Finally, practicing life skills leads to qualities such as self-esteem, sociability and
tolerance, to action competencies – to take action and generate change, and to
capabilities – to have the freedom to decide what to do and who to be. Life
skills are thus distinctly different from physical or perceptual motor skills, such
as practical or health skills, as well as from livelihood skills, such as crafts, money
management and entrepreneurial skills. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Life_Skills_Based_Education)

3.10 FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES

1) Douglas, T. (1976). Group work practice. New York: International
University Press
2) Ephross, J. (1985). Jewish family life education: Its group work roots
and group process implications. Journal of Jewish Communal Service,
pp. 65-72
3) Falck, H. (1998). Social Work: The membership perspective. New York:
Springer.
4) Garvin, C. (1997). Contemporary group work. Needham Heights, MA:
Allyn and Bacon.
5) Konapka, G. (1963). Social group work: A helping process. Englewood
Cliffs, New York: Prentice Hall.
6) Lewis, E. (1988). Social group work: A central component of social work
education and practice. In Leiderman, M., et al. Roots and new frontiers
in social group work. New York: The Haworth Press, 217-231.
7) Pai, N.P. (2006). Life Skills Education for school effectiveness and
improvement. Paper presented in Round Table Presentation at International
Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Florida, USA.
8) Trecker, H.B. (1955). Social group work: Principles and practices. New
York: Whiteside

Websites
1) http://www.infed.org/archives/bernard_davies/davies_in_whose_interests.htm
2) http://www.education.nairobi-unesco.org/PDFs/Lifeskills%20facilitators
%20manual.pdf

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Leadership and Skills 3) http://etd.rau.ac.za/theses/available/etd-04222004-100006/restricted/
Development in Social
Group Work
chapter1MAThesis.pdf
4) http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/docs/LifeskillsProfile.pdf
5) http://www.lifeskillstraining.com/training_overview.php
6) http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYZ/is_4_28/ai_83530630/
pg_11?tag=artBody;co11
7) http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_7308.html
8) http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_whichskills.html
9) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_Skills_Based_Education
10) http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/life-skills-now-part-of-school-
curriculum/394750
11) http://www.leadership.fau.edu/ICSE12006/Papers/Pai.doc
12) http://www.iapindia.org/iapfiles/AFSI_MODULE/life_skills.ppt

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