Group Conflict and Worker’s Interventions: A Study of Social Group Workers’ Actions to Handle Conflict in Two Groups at the Educational Alliance, New York, 1962

Background of the Study. In the last twenty years great attention has been given to the values of human groups. Man as a social being tries to satisfy his needs in groups. Aside from the specific satisfactions offered by a given group, such as recreation or the learning of a new skill, the person is thus able to meet his needs of acceptance, of security, and of new experiences. Satisfaction of basic needs explains the appeal of group association and could in itself constitute a primary shared objective of group members. Participation in groups facilitates the maturation process. As Dorothea Spellman points out, group experiences are an essential element in productive living for all persons