Assignment type Weight Word count 2000 Due Date Alignment with learning outcomes Assignment 1: Reflective Essay 50% 2000 words Week 8 a) Describe the rationale for group work c) Identify and analyse...

Running Head: REFLECTIVE ESSAY        1
REFLECTIVE ESSAY                                    11
REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Table of Contents
Introduction    3
Type and Purpose of Laughter Club    3
Identifying Group Development Stage experienced by Laughter Club    4
Group Facilitation Approach of Laughter Club    5
Analysing Important Elements of Group Dynamics and Process in Laughter Club    6
Identifying Potential Legal and Ethical Issues in Laughter Club    7
Reflecting on Professional and Personal Learning gained from this Group, along with the Role of Group Processes in It    8
Conclusion    8
References    10
Introduction
    A person alone can tackle personal issues as well as wellbeing; however, in case of social and community based problems, change implementation for wellbeing of a larger community, singular efforts fall short and require the collective efforts of people. with a common social goal, complimentary dedication within a mutual frame, better termed as a group. Considering the importance of laughter therapy in the modern lifestyle, which is full of stress, I have become a part of local laughter club. In the cu
ent reflective essay, I reflected on the club’s action and role of group-members, using Gi
’s Reflective Cycle that has helped me to describe the type and purpose of the group, identify the group development stages, describe the group facilitation approach, analyse the important components of group dynamics, identify potential legal or ethical issues as well as reflect on learnings I gained from group processes.
Type and Purpose of Laughter Club
    The group, which I have been a part of, is a social club that promoted laughter as a key to reducing stress, improving stamina, fighting cardiac diseases and mental imbalances for a better lifestyle for the people in the local community. As supported by Lee and Hyun (2018), laughter therapy is very effective in reducing mental stress that lead to insomnia, high blood pressure, cere
al and cardiac problems. Laughter club
ings local people together on alternative mornings, promoting healthy habits such as waking up early, forming harmony within community, reducing complex, increasing communication skills and team effort for a better society. All the actions of the organisation are totally for social cause and the members of the club do not aims for any monetary profiting activities.
    The club is well organised and has a semi-hierarchical organisational structure in terms of performing as a group, which has a leadership. The leaders of our group decide on the course of actions taken on their part and request the members of the club to support the initiatives or justify their reason for opposing the decisions. The perspectives of the members are considered carefully, however the leaders make the final decision and the members abide by. As mentioned by Salazar and Lant (2018), leader regulates the organisational structure and determines the level of participation of its members in decision-making process. As the laughter club aims only about the wellbeing of the people in the community, they often change their schedules to meet the convenience of the community people and expect the members of the club to take responsibilities to complement each other.
Identifying Group Development Stage experienced by Laughter Clu
    A group cannot offer optimum performance as it goes through interlinked systematic stages that make the components of the group connected, making them function as a concrete whole. As mentioned by Kaufman, Diep, Kaufman and Carlo (2018), a group is able to offer its best performance only after the confusions regarding the roles are clarified and aims are clearly made visible to all. Bruce Tuckman assessed the basic development stages of groups and suggested that groups gradually evolve based on five stages, such as forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. Considering the cu
ent condition of the club I am a part of, I can say that it has reached the storming stage only and it has a long way to go before it offer its level best services to the community.
    I have been a part of the laughter club for last 3 years and have been one of the earliest female members in the community to take part as a club member. In the initial stage of the club, there was a lot of confusion about the roles of the leaders, as well as the members, the initiatives that are to be followed and the strategies that are to be applied. The leaders used to direct all the members about their roles, although the roles changed in terms of managing the situation at hand. The leader answered all the questions,...