A Study Of Group Work Intervention In Building Peer Support Network For Rural Empty Nesters

With the increasing level of economic and social development in China and the deepening ageing of the population,the number of elderly people in China is becoming increasingly large.Today,the traditional family structure is gradually disintegrating and there is a large-scale population movement in rural areas.A number of empty nesters have emerged in rural areas,mainly facing the problem of lack of care and companionship.From a social work perspective,the author helps the rural empty nesters to establish a peer support network in the hope of alleviating this problem.Based on social support theory,this study uses unstructured interviews,observation and questionnaires to research the rural empty nesters,to understand the current situation of peer support for the elderly,to analyze the actual situation of the peer support needs of the empty nesters in village X,and to conduct a needs assessment.Based on the results of the preliminary research,this paper designed group activities in three dimensions: interpersonal support,emotional support and respect support,and conducted six group activities.The content of each group activity was designed around the above three dimensions,but each activity had a focus.The first and second group activities focused on interpersonal support construction,the third and fourth group activities focused on emotional support construction,the fifth group activity focused on respect support construction,and the last group activity focused on helping group members consolidate the peer support network they had already established.Through six specific group activities,group members were able to communicate and expand their interpersonal support network and gain interpersonal support;build trusting relationships,stimulate emotional resonance,gain respect,strengthen peer support and enhance the effectiveness of peer support,slowly building up a peer support network and alleviating the sense of loneliness and helplessness of the empty nesters due to the absence of their children.Therefore,the author believes that group work can help rural empty nesters to establish a peer support network.