One method, two worlds: An Exploration of Group Work across Two Jurisdictions in North America

Looking at practices in different locations is benefi cial since it helps challenge assumptions that we may take for granted. Groupwork, as a method of social work, is specifi cally interesting to explore in the light of different contexts since, like social work, it may or may not translate well across cultures. This paper draws from data collected in the context of a research project that aimed to describe the current state of social work with groups in Quebec and to explore trends within social work with groups elsewhere in the world. Specifi cally, it focuses on the exploration of practices in Quebec and discusses them in relationship to those found in the USA, as a counterpoint. Our fi ndings highlight some differences and similarities between Quebec and the USA with regard to groupwork, which leads us to discuss a range of factors that may impact on groupwork in the different contexts. Of these, the differences of organisational context and organisation of services have emerged as particularly noteworthy, which echoes fi ndings in general social work literature with regard to the importance of local contexts on the defi nition of practice itself.