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 Group Relations Development

Group relations development is an organized process that brings members of community groups into constructive engagement with one for the general purpose of improving their mutual awareness, empathy and relations


Mobirise

refers to the intentional, skillful and respectful attempt to witness, understand and appreciate the experiences of others (their observations, feelings, thoughts and wants) within the understanding that the experiences of others is the result of (1) what happens to them, and (2) what they do with what happens to them (influenced by inner processes, states, motives etc.)

refers to the relations between (1) particular community groups, and/or (2) between the community as a whole and particular community groups

A constructive group relations development process typically attempts to achieve some or all of the following:

(1) increase mutual awareness, understanding and constructive empathy for the experiences and conditions that community members experience as a result of their membership within a particular group (e.g. relations between a growing immigrant/ethnic community and long term residents is increasingly tense and influenced by a general lack of mutual engagement, learning and appreciation)

(2) examine patterns of perception, inner experience, behavior and outcomes both within and between groups that influence the inter-group relationship (e.g. patterns of perception and behavior that exist within both the local police department and a particular nieghbourhood and the patterns of engagement between them that influence the state of the intergroup relationship)

(3) maintaining and strengthening the constructive relations that exist between groups within the community (e.g. the generally positive relationship between different religious groups within a community is maintained and developed by a process of checking in with one another) 

General Steps in Planning and Managing a Group Relations Management Process

CRD-Council, community member(s) and/or other community stakeholder(s) decides to sponsor a group relations development process for the purposes of achieving some of the outcomes listed above

The sponsor(s) contacts the Community Relations and Development Division (CRDD) of SCHAC to review the proposal

Sponsor(s) and staff from CRDC-SCHAC review the targeted situation (inter-group condition) and develop a proposal for the group relations development process (goals, general approach, location/facilities etc.)

Initiating Sponsor(s) secure a sponsor(s) from the other group(s) who are willing to help promote, organize and execute the event (with support from CRDD-SHAC)

Sponsors from each group and staff from CRDD-SHAC finalize the plan and execute the process

Sponsors from each group and staff from CRDC-SHAC conduct a review of the group relations development process and decide on next steps (if any). This includes how the nature and outcomes of the completed process will be communicated to the community, and in particular, members of the represented groups

Guide for conducting a Group Relations Development Meeting

  1. welcome the participants
  2. brief introduction to and explanation of the group relations development process
  3. speed dating exercise that introduces (1) the participants to one another, and (2) use of the awareness windows and mutual inquiry/learning process to promote constructive engagement (providing handouts on the awareness windows and mutual inquiry/learning process is suggested - click here) (this does not need to occur if the participants are familiar with the process)
  4. brief presentation on the use of the awareness windows and the mutual inquiry/learning process (provided by one of the participants who has recieved training on the process - click here to review the training video)
  5. frame the group relations issue that will be addressed (this may range from a specific issue to a more general examination of the relationship)
  6. form small groups and ask the participants to decribe and discuss their experience of the topic, and then have a total group reflection on the discussion
  7. identify, list and prioritize the themes and key points that arose out of the discussion
  8. form small groups and ask the participants to decribe and discuss their experience of the priority themes and points, and then have a total group reflection on the discussion
  9. identify, list and prioritize the themes and key points that arose out of the discussion
  10. form small groups and ask the participants to decribe and discuss their veiws about constructive actions that can be taken in response to the prioritized themes and points
  11. have a total group discussion about the identified constructive actions 
  12. identify, list and prioritize key constructive actions that can be taken to enhance the inter-group relationship
  13. discuss next steps
  14. close the meeting 
  15. conduct a follow-up meeting and submit a brief report to the CRDD-SCHAC

Note

Constructive and efficient support for group relations development process depends on the use of well designed processes and effective facilitation.  The CRDD-SHAC will be able to provide support either directly or via a network of competent facilitators.  CRD-Councils may have members who are sufficiently capable of faciltating the process

WOULD YOU LIKE SOME ASSISTANCE WITH PLANNING AND EXECUTING A GROUP RELATIONS DEVELOPMENT MEETING?

The Community Relations and Development Division (CRDD) of the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC) would like to support each CRD-Council in their efforts to enhance inter-group relations within their community.
 
The CRDD-SCHAC has a variety of resources that help provide support for the group relations development process. If a CRD-Council would like to support a group relations development process, please let us know by filling out and sending the brief form below. We will get back to you within 24 hours and are looking forward to working with you.

Mobirise
Address

1026 Sumter Street                    
Columbia, SC, 29201

Contacts

Email: saundra@schac.sc.gov
Phone:  (803) 737-7800
 

Links

South Carolina Human Affairs Commission
Community Relations and Development Divsion

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