Social work
Social work is a discipline involving the application of
social theory and research methods to study and improve the lives of people, groups, and societies. It incorporates and uses other
social sciences as a means to improve the
human condition and positively change society's response to chronic problems. Social work is a profession committed to the pursuit of
social justice, to the enhancement of the
quality of life, and to the development of the full potential of each individual, group and community in the society. It seeks to simultaneously address and resolve social issues at every level of society and economic status, but especially among the poor and sick. Social workers are concerned with social problems, their causes, their solutions and their human impacts. They work with
individuals,
families,
groups,
organizations and
communities.
Social work as a defined pursuit and profession began in the 19th century. This was in response to societal problems that resulted from the
Industrial Revolution and an increased interest in applying
scientific theory to various aspects of study. Eventually an increasing number of educational institutions began to offer social work programs. The
settlement movement's emphasis on
advocacy and case work became part of social work practice. During the 20th century, the profession began to rely more on research and evidenced-based practice as it attempted to improve its professionalism. Today social workers are employed in a myriad of pursuits and settings. Professional social workers are generally considered those who hold a professional degree in social work and often also have a
license or are professionally
registered. Social workers have organized themselves into local, national, and international professional bodies to further the aims of the profession.
History of social work
Social work has its roots in the struggle of
society to deal with
poverty and the resultant problems. Therefore, social work is intricately linked with the idea of
charity work; but must be understood in broader terms. The concept of
charity goes back to ancient times, and the practice of providing for the poor has roots in all
major world religions.
[1]
Western World
In the West, when
Constantine I legalized the Christian Church, the newly legitimised church set up poorhouses, homes for the aged, hospitals, and orphanages.
[2] [3] [4] These were often funded, at least in part, from grants from the Empire.
[5]
By 590 the church had a system for circulating the consumables to the poor: associated with each
parish was a
diaconium or office of the
deacon.
As there was no effective bureaucracy below city government that was capable of charitable activities, the clergy served this role in the west up through the 18th century.
During the
Middle Ages, the
Christian church had vast influence on
European society and
charity was considered to be a responsibility and a sign of one’s piety. This charity was in the form of direct relief (for example, giving money, food, or other material goods to alleviate a particular need), as opposed to trying to change the root causes of poverty.
The practice and profession of social work has a relatively modern (19th century) and scientific origin.
[6]
Social work, as a profession or pursuit, originated in the 19th century. The movement began primarily in the
United States and
England. After the end of
feudalism, the poor were seen as a more direct threat to the social order,
[citation needed] and so the state formed an organized system to care for them. In England, the
Poor Law served this purpose. This system of laws sorted the poor into different categories, such as the
able bodied poor, the
impotent poor, and the
idle poor. This system developed different responses to these different groups.
The 19th century ushered in the
Industrial Revolution. There was a great leap in technological and scientific achievement, but there was also a great
migration to urban areas throughout the
Western world. This led to many social problems, which in turn led to an increase in social activism.
[7] Also with the dawn of the 19th century came a great "
missionary" push from many
Protestant denominations. Some of these mission efforts (urban missions), attempted to resolve the problems inherent in large cities like
poverty,
prostitution,
disease, and other afflictions. In the United States workers known as "friendly visitors",
stipended by church and other charitable bodies, worked through direct relief,
prayer, and
evangelism to alleviate these problems.
[6] In Europe,
chaplains or
almoners were appointed to administrate the church's mission to the poor.
During this time, rescue societies were initiated to find more appropriate means of self-support for women involved in
prostitution.
[citation needed] Mental asylums grew to assist in taking care of the
mentally ill. A new philosophy of "scientific charity" emerged, which stated charity should be "secular, rational and empirical as opposed to sectarian, sentimental, and dogmatic.
[8]" In the late 1880s, a new system to provide aid for social ills came in to being, which became known as the
settlement movement.
[9] The settlement movement focused on the causes of poverty through the "three Rs" - Research, Reform, and Residence. They provided a variety of services including educational, legal, and health services. These programs also advocated changes in social policy. Workers in the settlement movement immersed themselves in the culture of those they were helping.
In America, the various approaches to social work led to a fundamental question – is social work a profession? This debate can be traced back to the early 20th century debate between
Mary Richmond's Charity Organization Society (COS) and
Jane Addams's Settlement House Movement. The essence of this debate was whether the problem should be approached from COS' traditional,
scientific method focused on efficiency and prevention or the Settlement House Movement's immersion into the problem, blurring the lines of practitioner and client.
[10]
Even as many schools of social work opened and formalized processes for social work began to be developed, the question lingered. In 1915, at the National Conference of Charities and Corrections, Dr.
Abraham Flexner spoke on the topic "Is Social Work a Profession?" He contended that it was not because it lacked specialized knowledge and specific application of theoretical and intellectual knowledge to solve human and social problems.
[11] This led to the professionalization of social work, concentrating on case work and the scientific method.
courtesy wikipedia .com
