The Group Analytic Society International was founded in London in 1952 by S. H. Foulkes, Minnie (Jane) Abercrombie and Norbert Elias as a

learned society A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to al ...

to study and promote the development of

Group Analysis Group analysis is a method of group psychotherapy originated by S. H. Foulkes in the 1940s. He had left Germany in 1933 and practised as a psychoanalytic psychiatrist in London. He developed group methods with soldiers in the Northfield experime ...

in both its clinical and applied aspects. The first regular weekly seminars were given by Foulkes in 1952. Members of the Society come from different countries and from many fields and disciplines, including

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social wo ...

, counselling,

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

, industry,

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...

and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. The following individuals were Founder Members: Dr. James Anthony, Dr Patrick De Mare, the Hon. W. H. R. Iliffe and S. H. Foulkes. They were joined from the beginning by Minnie Abercrombie, Dr

Norbert Elias Norbert Elias (; 22 June 1897 – 1 August 1990) was a German-Jewish sociologist who later became a British citizen. He is especially famous for his theory of civilizing/decivilizing processes. Life and career Elias was born on 22 June 1 ...

and Miss E. T. Marx. The Society, which has

charitable status A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a cha ...

, is a learned society and a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

. It holds regular scientific meetings and organizes various workshops, including an annual one in January. A triennial European

symposium In Ancient Greece, the symposium (, ''sympósion'', from συμπίνειν, ''sympínein'', 'to drink together') was the part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was accompanied by music, dancing, recitals, o ...

is held at various European locations. An annual S. H. Foulkes lecture for a wider public has been held in London since 1977; the lectures are published in the journal Group Analysis.Pines, Malcolm (ed) (2000). ''The Evolution of Group Analysis.'' International Library of Group Analysis, Jessica Kingsley.

Background

After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and after the experiments in treating soldiers by group methods at

Northfield Hospital Hollymoor Hospital was a psychiatric hospital located at Tessall Lane, Northfield in Birmingham, England, and is famous primarily for the work on group psychotherapy that took place there in the years of the Second World War. It closed in 1994. ...

near Birmingham, a circle of colleagues interested in furthering their understanding of groups and how to apply

group psychotherapy Group psychotherapy or group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. The term can legitimately refer to any form of psychotherapy when delivered in a group format, i ...

met regularly with Foulkes. In 1971, leading members of the Society set up the Institute of Group Analysis, which became responsible for training, including an intensive qualifying course that leads to membership of the institute. Training activities now take place at various British centres as well as on the Continent of Europe, with strong informal links with the London Institute. The Society publishes a journal, ''

'', published by SAGE. Foulkes was the first editor, and he continued to devote much energy to it until 1975, when he handed over the editorial role to Patrick de Maré. Under Foulkes and de Maré it remained a very informal publication, with a large correspondence section. It has since developed into a more formal academic publication. A newsletter, Group Analytic Contexts, is directly descended from "Group Analysis International Panel and Correspondence" (GAIPAC) that was first edited by Foulkes in 1967 in order to establish dialogue between a wide international network. It then became the Bulletin of the Group Analytic Society and was edited by Elizabeth Foulkes, the widow of S. H. Foulkes, after his death. She passed on the editorship to Ronald A. Sandison in 1988. In 1993 Anne Harrow and Sheila Thomson took over the editorship of the society newsletter, now called Group Analytic Contexts. The newsletter provides a forum for shorter and more informal communications between Group Analytic Society members from across the world and is increasingly integrated with the closed e-mail Forum for Society members. Contexts reports on the activities of GAS and the work and opinions of members. The Society works through a number of sub-committees and provides: * The Journal: ''Group Analysis'', containing papers, book reviews and international correspondence. * The International Newsletter: Group Analytic Contexts, with news, theoretical and clinical articles, reports and correspondence. Past issues are available for download from the link given below. * An International Directory of Members: with a contact person for each country. * A List of Members’ Publications Worldwide * Library Facilities * Scientific Meetings: held in London. * The Annual Winter Workshop and Summer Workshop: a four- to five-day international event. * The Annual S.H. Foulkes Lecture * Spring Weekend Meeting – Study Day * International Activities: a symposium and workshop every three years. * Affiliation to EGATIN, to the European Association for Transcultural Group Analysis, to the International Association of Group Psychotherapy and to the American Group Psychotherapy Association. * A variety of workshops

References

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External links

Group Analytic Society InternationalGroup Analytic ContextsGroup Analysis Journal Author Index 1967-1991
Scientific organizations established in 1952 Group psychotherapy Charities based in London 1952 establishments in England