What Is Social What Is Social Work?Work?

Chapter 1Chapter 1

Introduction to Social WorkIntroduction to Social Work

Introduction Introduction

• Social work and social welfare are Social work and social welfare are based on three premises:based on three premises:– That the person is importantThat the person is important– That he or she has personal, family, and That he or she has personal, family, and

community problems resulting from community problems resulting from interaction with othersinteraction with others

– That something can be done to alleviate That something can be done to alleviate these problems and enrich the these problems and enrich the individual’s lifeindividual’s life

Social WelfareSocial Welfare

• The terms social work and social welfare are The terms social work and social welfare are often confused and sometimes used often confused and sometimes used synonymously.synonymously.

• Social welfare has a broader meaning and Social welfare has a broader meaning and encompasses social work, public welfare, and encompasses social work, public welfare, and other related programs and activities.other related programs and activities.

• Social welfare is described as “the organized Social welfare is described as “the organized system of social services and institutions, system of social services and institutions, designed to aid individuals and groups to designed to aid individuals and groups to attain satisfying standards of life and health”, attain satisfying standards of life and health”, (Friedlander, 1980).(Friedlander, 1980).

Social WelfareSocial Welfare

• Social welfare encompasses the well-Social welfare encompasses the well-being and interests of large number being and interests of large number of people, including their physical, of people, including their physical, educational, mental, emotional, educational, mental, emotional, spiritual, and economic needs.spiritual, and economic needs.

• As reported in the Social Security As reported in the Social Security Bulletin, expenditures for social Bulletin, expenditures for social welfare under public law amounted welfare under public law amounted to $1,434.6 billion in fiscal year to $1,434.6 billion in fiscal year 1994.1994.

Social WelfareSocial Welfare

• Many professionals deliver social welfare Many professionals deliver social welfare services, but social workers have always services, but social workers have always been prominent welfare service been prominent welfare service providers.providers.

• The U.S. Labor Department projects The U.S. Labor Department projects there will be more than 650,000 social there will be more than 650,000 social workers by the year 2005.workers by the year 2005.

• Minimum traditional standards required Minimum traditional standards required a Master of Social Work degree for the a Master of Social Work degree for the professional social worker.professional social worker.

Social WorkSocial Work

• Social work seeks to enhance the Social work seeks to enhance the social functioning of individuals, social functioning of individuals, singly and in groups, by activities singly and in groups, by activities focused upon their social focused upon their social relationships which constitute the relationships which constitute the interaction between man and his interaction between man and his environment. (CSWE, 1959)environment. (CSWE, 1959)

Social WorkSocial Work

• These activities can be grouped into These activities can be grouped into three functions:three functions:– Restoration of impaired capacity.Restoration of impaired capacity.– Provision of individual and social Provision of individual and social

resources.resources.– Prevention of social dysfunction.Prevention of social dysfunction.

The basic functions of social work are The basic functions of social work are intertwined and interdependent.intertwined and interdependent.

Social WorkSocial Work

• Restoration of impaired social functioning Restoration of impaired social functioning may be subdivided into curative and may be subdivided into curative and rehabilitative aspects. Its curative aspects rehabilitative aspects. Its curative aspects are to eliminate factors that have caused are to eliminate factors that have caused breakdown of functioning, and its breakdown of functioning, and its rehabilitative aspects, to reorganize and rehabilitative aspects, to reorganize and rebuild interaction patterns.rebuild interaction patterns.

• Illustrations of restoration would include Illustrations of restoration would include assistance in obtaining a hearing aid for a assistance in obtaining a hearing aid for a partially deaf child or helping a rejected partially deaf child or helping a rejected lonely child to be placed in a foster home.lonely child to be placed in a foster home.

Social WorkSocial Work

• The rehabilitative aspect might be The rehabilitative aspect might be helping the one child to helping the one child to psychologically accept and live with psychologically accept and live with the hearing aid and supporting the the hearing aid and supporting the other child as he or she adjusts to other child as he or she adjusts to the new foster home.the new foster home.

• Provision of resources, social and Provision of resources, social and individual, for more effective social individual, for more effective social functioning may be subdivided into functioning may be subdivided into developmental and educational.developmental and educational.

Social WorkSocial Work

• The developmental aspects are designed to The developmental aspects are designed to further the effectiveness of existing social further the effectiveness of existing social resources or to bring to full flower personal resources or to bring to full flower personal capacity for more effective social capacity for more effective social interaction.interaction.

• An example would be the services of a An example would be the services of a Family Service Society that help Mr. and Family Service Society that help Mr. and Mrs. X, through individual and conjoint Mrs. X, through individual and conjoint interviews, to understand each other better interviews, to understand each other better and to open the channels of meaningful and to open the channels of meaningful communication between them.communication between them.

Social WorkSocial Work

• The educational spectrum is The educational spectrum is designed to acquaint the public with designed to acquaint the public with specific conditions and needs for specific conditions and needs for new or changing social resources.new or changing social resources.

• Again, this could be illustrated by Again, this could be illustrated by public talks given by staff members public talks given by staff members of a Family Service Society, in which of a Family Service Society, in which counseling services are described as counseling services are described as a resource in alleviating marriage a resource in alleviating marriage and family problems.and family problems.

Social WorkSocial Work

• The third function, prevention of The third function, prevention of social dysfunction, involves early social dysfunction, involves early discovery, control, and elimination of discovery, control, and elimination of conditions and situations that conditions and situations that potentially could hamper effective potentially could hamper effective social functioning.social functioning.

• Two main divisions: prevention of Two main divisions: prevention of problems in the area of interaction problems in the area of interaction between individuals and groups; the between individuals and groups; the prevention of social ills.prevention of social ills.

Social WorkSocial Work

• Premarital counseling is an example of Premarital counseling is an example of prevention. That through this process prevention. That through this process couples will be able to anticipate possible couples will be able to anticipate possible difficulties in marital interaction.difficulties in marital interaction.

• Prevention of social ills ordinarily falls Prevention of social ills ordinarily falls within the area of community within the area of community organization.organization.

• An example would be a community An example would be a community developing a youth center for at risk developing a youth center for at risk youths for the prevention of gang youths for the prevention of gang violence.violence.

Social WorkSocial Work

• Social work may be defined as an art, a Social work may be defined as an art, a science, a profession that helps people science, a profession that helps people to solve personal, group (especially to solve personal, group (especially family), and community problems and to family), and community problems and to attain satisfying personal, group and attain satisfying personal, group and community relationships through social community relationships through social work practicework practice

• The major focus is on reducing problems The major focus is on reducing problems in human relationships and on enriching in human relationships and on enriching living through improved human living through improved human interaction.interaction.

Social WorkSocial Work

• Social work is an art; it requires great Social work is an art; it requires great skills to understand people and to help skills to understand people and to help them to help themselves.them to help themselves.

• It is a beginning science because of its It is a beginning science because of its problem solving method and its attempt to problem solving method and its attempt to be objective in ascertaining facts and in be objective in ascertaining facts and in developing principles and operational developing principles and operational concepts.concepts.

• It is a profession because it encompasses It is a profession because it encompasses the attributes of a profession.the attributes of a profession.

Distinguishing Distinguishing Characteristics of Social Characteristics of Social

WorkWork• Focus is on the Focus is on the

wholeness and totality wholeness and totality of the person.of the person.

• Emphasis is on the Emphasis is on the importance of the importance of the family in molding and family in molding and influencing behavior.influencing behavior.

• Utilization of Utilization of community resources community resources in helping people to in helping people to solve problems is very solve problems is very important.important.

• Use of the supervisory Use of the supervisory process provides for process provides for guidance and direction guidance and direction of inexperienced of inexperienced workers and for workers and for continuing growth of continuing growth of the experienced.the experienced.

• Social work has a Social work has a unique educational unique educational program involving class program involving class work and practical field work and practical field work experience.work experience.

Distinguishing Distinguishing Characteristics of Social Characteristics of Social

WorkWork• Traditional social Traditional social

work emphasizes work emphasizes three basic three basic processes: processes: casework, group casework, group work, and work, and community community organization.organization.

• Social work has Social work has distinctive distinctive professional bodies, professional bodies, (NASW, CSWE).(NASW, CSWE).

• The relationship is The relationship is the key in the social the key in the social work process.work process.

• Social work has an Social work has an orientation in orientation in psychiatric psychiatric concepts and concepts and places considerable places considerable stress on stress on understanding understanding people.people.

Distinguishing Distinguishing Characteristics of Social Characteristics of Social

WorkWork• The social in social The social in social

work emphasizes on work emphasizes on social interactions and social interactions and resultant social resultant social functioning and functioning and malfunctioning. malfunctioning.

• Social work recognizes Social work recognizes that social problems that social problems and human behavior and human behavior inhere to a considerable inhere to a considerable degree in the social degree in the social institutions of humanity.institutions of humanity.

• Most social workers Most social workers are employed in are employed in agency settings.agency settings.

• The basic aim of social The basic aim of social work is to help clients work is to help clients help themselves or to help themselves or to help a community to help a community to help itself.help itself.

• Traditionally, social Traditionally, social workers have provided workers have provided services to individuals services to individuals and families.and families.

Sociology and Social Sociology and Social WorkWork

• The sociologist is The sociologist is particularly particularly concerned about the concerned about the how, when, and why how, when, and why people behave as people behave as they do in association they do in association with others.with others.

• The sociologist is The sociologist is particularly particularly interested in the why interested in the why of human interaction.of human interaction.

• The social worker is The social worker is concerned about concerned about helping these same helping these same people to solve the people to solve the problems they have problems they have and to improve social and to improve social functioning.functioning.

• The social worker tries The social worker tries to understand the to understand the client, to make a client, to make a diagnosis, and to diagnosis, and to proceed with proceed with treatment, helping to treatment, helping to solve the problems and solve the problems and change the situations change the situations for better adjustments.for better adjustments.

Psychiatry and Social Psychiatry and Social WorkWork

• The psychiatrist The psychiatrist deals with the deals with the treatment of illness treatment of illness and the medical and the medical model.model.

• Places stress on Places stress on intrapersonal intrapersonal dynamics, often dynamics, often delving into and delving into and handling unconscious handling unconscious motivation and motivation and related factors.related factors.

• The social worker The social worker focuses on problems focuses on problems and strengths in and strengths in human relationships.human relationships.

• The social worker The social worker utilizes utilizes environmental and environmental and community community resources, usually resources, usually operating within the operating within the conscious level of conscious level of behavior.behavior.

Psychiatry and Social Psychiatry and Social WorkWork

• Psychiatry tends to Psychiatry tends to focus on pathology focus on pathology and the healing of and the healing of illness.illness.

• The psychiatrist is The psychiatrist is particularly particularly interested in the interested in the internal dynamics internal dynamics of individual and of individual and group behavior.group behavior.

• Social work Social work concentrates on concentrates on strengths and the strengths and the development of development of potential.potential.

• The social worker is The social worker is especially concerned especially concerned about social about social functioning involving functioning involving social and community social and community factors and factors and interactions.interactions.

Psychology and Social Psychology and Social WorkWork

• Psychology is the Psychology is the study of the mind; it study of the mind; it seeks to study, seeks to study, explain, and change explain, and change behavior.behavior.

• The psychologist is The psychologist is interested in interested in understanding the understanding the individual and their individual and their behavior.behavior.

• Their main focus is on Their main focus is on individual behavior.individual behavior.

• The social worker The social worker focuses on the person in focuses on the person in their environment.their environment.

• The social worker is The social worker is particularly interested particularly interested in the social functioning in the social functioning and relationships of and relationships of clients and in utilizing clients and in utilizing community resources to community resources to meet clients’ personal meet clients’ personal and social problems.and social problems.

Counseling and Social Counseling and Social WorkWork

• School counselors are School counselors are generally trained in generally trained in educational educational psychology, work tends psychology, work tends to be short-termed.to be short-termed.

• Marriage counselors Marriage counselors receive graduate receive graduate training from several training from several disciplines, including disciplines, including social work.social work.

• Rehabilitation Rehabilitation counselors are usually counselors are usually trained in educational trained in educational psychology and utilizes psychology and utilizes testing.testing.

• The social worker tends The social worker tends to be more intensive, to be more intensive, works with the student works with the student longer, focuses on longer, focuses on family constellation, and family constellation, and utilizes community utilizes community resources.resources.

• Marriage counseling is Marriage counseling is one particular emphasis one particular emphasis in social work practice.in social work practice.

• The social worker The social worker usually assists with the usually assists with the emotional and/or family emotional and/or family problems, has fewer problems, has fewer cases, and works with cases, and works with clients more intensively.clients more intensively.

Social Work in the World Social Work in the World TodayToday

• Social work is becoming more important Social work is becoming more important because thousands of persons are because thousands of persons are benefiting from its services and are telling benefiting from its services and are telling their friends and associates who have their friends and associates who have problems of its many values and services.problems of its many values and services.

• A prominent American made a statement A prominent American made a statement that what the United States needs most of that what the United States needs most of all to improve its foreign policy and all to improve its foreign policy and relations is to have trained social workers relations is to have trained social workers as State Department attaches where each as State Department attaches where each of the official government representative of the official government representative works and lives.works and lives.

Social Work in the World Social Work in the World TodayToday

• Trained social workers in foreign countries Trained social workers in foreign countries would understand the people and work with would understand the people and work with them where they are, helping them to help them where they are, helping them to help themselves and interpreting the United States themselves and interpreting the United States in a much more favorable light than in the past.in a much more favorable light than in the past.

• Social work is here to stay and that in decades Social work is here to stay and that in decades ahead it will likely grow and expand its ahead it will likely grow and expand its services, helping more people with personal, services, helping more people with personal, family, and community problems, especially family, and community problems, especially related to adequate social functioning.related to adequate social functioning.