Social work profession

What is profession?
Theory, practical and research

Definition

The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and
the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing theories of human
behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with
their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.

Objective of social work

1. Solving psycho-social problems
2. Fulfilling human needs
3. Solving adjustmental problems
4. Creating self sufficiency
5. Strengthening social harmony and interfaith dialogue
6. Provision for corrective service
7. Developing democratic values
8. Providing opportunities
9. Conscientization
10. Changing the environment
11. Changes in social system
12. Providing socio legal aid
Objectives by Brown
Any physical help
Solving psycho logical problem
Available opportunities

Fried Lander

Changing painful social services.

Development of constructive post
Providing opportunities

UN organization

To assist individuals, families and groups

Promotion of social well being
To perform an integrating function

Principles of social work

1. Principle of Individualization
2. Meaningful relationship
3. Self-determination
4. Acceptance
5. Communication
6. Confidentiality

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 7. Social learning
8. Turning behavior
Concepts of Social Work
Social services
HM. Cassidy: social services means, “those organized activities that are primarily and directly
concerned with the conservation, the protection and the improvement of human resources.”
Characteristics of social service
Social/public services are visualized and organized by society/state.
These services directly benefit all sections of society.
These services have a very wide scope including everything that has a direct bearing on the
quality of life of people.
These services aim at promoting human and social development, protecting human right of
people and creating a sense of duty among them towards society.

Social services are very important for social work:

Social work is concerned with promoting human and social development.
Social work seeks to enhance effective social functioning and create new social institutions
which are required and modified the existing institutions in order that people may realize their
potentials and effectively contribute society’s proper functioning.
Social work aims at promoting sustainable development by conserving a developing environment
so that enough resources may be there to lead proper life.

Social security
Social Security is an essential ingredient in the protection, development and full utilization of
human resources, and should therefore, be looked upon as an ‘investment in the development of
human resources’.
The international labour organization: Social security as the security that society furnishes
through appropriate organization, against certain risks to which its members are exposes.

Policy:
Policy is the statement of objectives manner of running programs, basic philosophy and
principles underlying a service delivered.
Policy implies adaptation a course of action in order to achieve a defined objective in general.

Social policy:
SP is an instrument for above structural and functional changes in the society so as to reach
desired well?
It’s a process of involving social political and economic system in the governmental and
nongovernmental institute to achieve the desired objective.

Social Welfare:
Social welfare is a system of laws and institution which a government attempt to protect and
promote the economic and social welfare of its citizens usually based on varies forms of social
insurance against unemployment, accident, illness and old age.

Service vs. welfare

Social reform vs Social work

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Social education

Social legislation

LAW: any rue of human conduct enforced by state. Law includes all the religions, social,
political and moral rules of conduct and action.

Salmond: it consists of rules recognized and acted on by court and justice.

Austin: command or order and violation of it was meant of threat of physical punishment.

Legislation: it is the widest sense make new rules or amendment in human conduct includes
executive judiciary and parliament. It is synonyms to law that are enacted by political
representation body in a legislative. Legislation means making of law creating new legal norms
by a formal authority.

Salmond: it is that source of law that consists in the declaration of legal rules by a competent
authority.

Broader: it’s an instrument of social control liaising of individual interest is that of the society.

Objective:
To establish order
To provide justice
To ensure security
To anticipate social needs.

Type of legislation:
1. Social reform legislation
2. Labour legislation
3. Social welfare legislation
4. Protective legislation
5. Proactive legislation
6. Welfare legislation
7. Planning legislation
Role of a social worker
To support any legislation openly
Many bills are on papers we have to popularize
To make people access o law
Proactive role for enactment

Need of Social Legislation:

1. Social Legislation is for social change
2. Social Legislation is leads to social welfare
3. Social Legislation set-up for the development of the society

Social Action:
Mass attack on mass problem.
Meaning

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It is one of the secondary methods
It is models of community organization
It’s an organized effort; organized group effect
When majority are affected then there is a problem

Elements
It’s rooted in democracy
Democratic leadership
Activity of group or community
Agreement of resources
Cooperation

Objective of Social Action

Mobilize public opinion
Create public treasure
Modification of any malfunction

Principles
1. Credibility
2. Legitimization
3. Dramatization
4. Principle of dual approach
5. Multiple strategies
6. Many fold programmes
UNIT – III

The concept of Social Work Profession

SP is the disciplined group of individuals adheres to ethical standards and uphold themselves to
and are accepted by the public as possessing special knowledge and skills in a widely recognized
body of learning derives the research education and training at a high level and who are prepared
to exercise this knowledge and these skills in the interest of others.

Characteristics:
1. Skills based theoretical knowledge
2. Professional association
3. Extensive period of education
4. Testing competency
5. Institutional training
6. License practice
7. Work autonomy
8. Code of professional conduct
9. Self regulation
10. Public services and altruism
11. Legal recognition
12. Control of remuneration
13. Ritualism
14. Individual clients

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Social work values and ethics

Utilitarianism
It says that what is morally right is whatever produces the greatest overall pleasure or
happiness. Consequently it can allow an action, which results in few people suffering if the total
effect on society is positive. Other actions which utilitarian can support are abortion and
euthanasia if it results in happiness for the individual concerns. Social work denies this.

Social Darwinism
Darwinism gave theory of the survival of the fittest which said that some members of a species
survived and others become extinct because the former had some innate qualities which enabled
them to win over the weaker ones. Drawing an analogy for human society, social Darwinism
believes that the people who have the necessary qualities will triumph over the others and the
losers deserve to be eliminated not physically but socially.

Civil Society
It means to refer all forms of association in the society that are outside the government and which
are voluntary in nature. Civil society will include agencies like mass media agencies, voluntary
organization, trade unions, development agencies and professional organization.
A code is a systematic collection of regulations and rules of procedures or conduct.
Code of ethics in social work can thus be defined as a set of rules and regulations that should
govern the conduct of the social worker in his/her relationship with his/her clients, fellow
professionals, colleagues, the agency and society in general.

According to NASW (National association of social workers code of ethics serve six
purposes
1. The code identifies core values on which social work’s mission is based.
2. The code summarizes broad ethical principles that reflect the profession’s core values and
establishes a set of specific ethical standards that should be used to guide social work
practice
3. The code is designed to help social worker identify relevant considerations when
professional obligations conflictual or ethical uncertainties arise.
4. The code provides ethical standards to which the general public can hold the social work
profession accountable.
5. The code socializes practitioners new to the field, to social work’s mission, values, ethical
principles and ethical standards.
6. The code articulates standards that the social work profession itself can use to assess
whether social worker have engaged in unethical conduct.

Core values in SW Profession

1. Service
2. Social Justice
3. Dignity and worth of the person
4. Importance of human relationship
5. Integrity
6. Competence

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The following broad ethical principles are based on social work’s core values of service, social
justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and
competence. These principles set forth ideals to which all social workers should aspire.

Value: Service

Ethical Principle: Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social
problems.
Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest. Social workers draw on their
knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems. Social
workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their professional skills with no expectation
of significant financial return (pro bono service).

Value: Social Justice

Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice.

Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed
individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on
issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These
activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic
diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources;
equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people.

Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person

Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.
Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual
differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients’ socially responsible
self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients’ capacity and opportunity to change
and to address their own needs. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients
and to the broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between clients’ interests and the
broader society’s interests in a socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical
principles, and ethical standards of the profession.

Value: Importance of Human Relationships

Ethical Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships.
Social workers understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle
for change. Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process. Social workers seek
to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and
enhance the wellbeing of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities.

Value: Integrity

Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.

Social workers are continually aware of the profession’s mission, values, ethical principles, and
ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them. Social workers act honestly and
responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are
affiliated.

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Value: Competence

Ethical Principle: Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and
enhance their professional expertise.
Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and to apply
them in practice. Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the
profession.

Problems faced by the social worker in ethical decision making

Crisis of values in Indian society
Voluntary associations as a money making venture
Lack of common perspectives in social work related issues
Powerlessness of the social worker
Lack of support from the civil society
Lack of professional bodies and professional support
Lack of importance given to studying and discussing professional ethics

Importance of Field Work

1. A crucial component of Social Work education.
2. Recognized as an educational process
3. Facilitate integrative and experiential learning.
4. Uniqueness of Social Work education is Field Work
5. Closely supervised educational internship

Component of Field Work

1. Observation Visits
2. Orientation Programme
3. Study Tour
4. Rural Camp
5. Concurrent Field Work
6. Block Field Placements
7. Winter/summer placements.

Objectives of field work

1. To enter into professional learning
2. To practice wild variety of settings
3. To acquire knowledge
4. To uphold the values and ethics in social work practice
5. To be aware of personal and professional responsibility

Specific objectives
1. To develop professional skills
2. To develop skills for problem solving
3. To integration of class learning into field practice
4. To develop skills required for professional practice for particular learning
5. To develop professional attitudes, values and commitments
6. To develop of self awareness
7. Critical thinking

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 8. Understanding and application of values
9. Demonstration
10. Awareness of professional responsibility
11. Gain more knowledge
12. Opportunities to enhance social and economic justice
13. Understand how the history of profession of social work impacts practice today
14. Application of general practice skills within the practical settings with system of all sizes
15. Understand the impact of theoretical perspective as well as recognizing bio psycho-social
variable unit that impact individual development
16. To analyze the impact of policies and issues related practical settings
17. To be able to apply theory, practice and research
18. To use appropriate communication skills to client, staff, supervisor and community
19. To work within the structure of the organization
Fieldwork supervision

FWS means an educational, administrative and helping process which is concerned with
enabling, teaching and guiding a supervisee to develop professional skills, knowledge and
attitudes based on the objectives of an educational programme and the needs of the supervisor.

Generic objective
To enable develop of knowledge skills values and attitude and fostering self awareness to the
growth of the student trainee.

Specific objectives
Liaising in the development
To assess whether the agency fulfilled the education fulfillment
To facilitate the students to make use of resources
To help the students to assess his strengths, weakness and opportunities

Methods of Supervision

Individual conference
Group conference
Fieldwork seminars
Spot instructions

Areas of FWS
1. Observation
2. Interview
3. Relationship
4. Recording
5. Administrative
6. Training
7. Facts finding
8. Planning
9. Implementation
10. Analysis and organization

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Voluntary Action
It means private action, that is to say, action not under the directions of any authority wielding
the power of the state.

It is moved by the heart not by the head

SW cannot be done without the government

Emerging trends
1. Need mode
2. Social inclusion
3. Social research
4. Documentation and publication
5. Target group orientation
6. Issue based
7. Trust act or company act
8. Materialism
9. More professionalism
10. Corporate social responsibility
11. Political influence
Social movements

Types of social movements

1. Generic/general movement
2. Specific movement
3. Expressive movement
4. Revival/nationalistic movement
Herbert blummer: social movement is collective enterprise to establish a new social order

Tunner and killer: social movement is a collectivity and with some continuity to promote or resist
to change in the society of whom or which is a part

Characteristics
1. Social movements have their inception in a condition of unrest
2. They derive their motive power from their dissatisfaction and from hopes
3. Group behaviour directed towards social change
4. Social movements emphasis always on collective behaviour
5. Social movement is the change in social institutions

Note: Kindly go through the syllabus and study more.