Nature and subject matter of

Social Work
Unit 1 sub 1
Introduction:
Social work is now a global profession. Most countries in the world have social work education
as part of their university systems and offer degree programmes in the discipline.
There are a number of jobs in governmental and non-governmental sector for which trained
social workers are preferred.
Professional bodies of social workers have been formed in many countries, which play an
important role in facilitating professional interaction and promoting common interests.
National governments and the civil societies are convinced that social workers have a specialist
role in many areas in the social sector. International bodies of social workers have raised the
global profile of profession by contributing their expertise to international organizations like
UN, WHO etc.
While social workers can be pleased at the growing recognition, the process is still ongoing and
faces considerable challenges.
Social workers cannot still say that their profession is recognized and accepted on par with
other professions like medicine, law, management and nursing.
Moreover, the growth of the profession is geographically uneven; in some countries the social
work is fully recognized as a profession while in others it is still gaining recognition.
In many universities there are separate social work departments staffed by trained social work
teachers while in other universities sociology, women studies and other social science
departments teach the subject.
VOLUNTARY VS. PROFESSIONAL ACTION
Charity and Voluntary action, while part of the historical roots of social work and social welfare
across societies, is different from professional social work. Many of the organized religions of
the world have advocated charity as a great virtue. Examples include:
• the Hindu religion sanctifies charity
• love for one’s neighbors is an important duty in Judaism
• the Old Testament stresses caring for the needy
• Christians tell of Jesus Christ who was cared for by strangers and encouraged brotherly love
• in Islam, charity has been depicted as equivalent to prayer
• Sikh history is replete with examples of voluntary service to all of humanity
• Buddhism and Jainism advocate for compassion for the poor and needy
Voluntary action is that action which is done by people voluntarily or of their own accord, out of
feelings of compassion or concern for the well-being of others, and for which they are not
compensated with wages. Voluntary action is mainly characterized by:
1) the urge to help others and promote their well-being in all possible ways— not necessarily
monetarily
2) the absence of any kind of expectation for any material gains in lieu of the help given
3) a sense of social concern and orientation toward helping others in need
4) belief in the virtue of service
5) belief in the primacy of one’s duty over one’s rights.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF SOCIAL WORK
The Preamble to the American Council on Social Work
Education’s (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation
Standards states:
Social work practice promotes human well-being by
strengthening opportunities, resources, and capacities of
people in their environments and by creating policies
and services to correct conditions that limit human rights
and the quality of life. The social work profession works
to eliminate poverty, discrimination, and oppression.
Guided by a person-in-environment perspective and
respect for human diversity, the profession works to
effect social and economic justice worldwide.
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession
that concerns itself with individuals, families, groups, communities
and society as a whole in an effort to meet basic needs and enhance
social functioning, self-determination, collective responsibility, and
overall well-being.
Various methods of social work
1. Social Case work:
Social case work is used to help individuals on a one-to-one basis. All
social agencies that provide direct services have social case
workers.
The case workers’ job ranges from counseling individuals to adjust
their environments to suit their needs or to adapt to changing
environments.
Caseworkers may help adolescents deal with emotional turmoil,
women deal with joint family disputes,
2. Social Group work:
Group work consists of the group worker facilitating different group activities to meet various
objectives.
Individuals are helped to develop in different ways (socially, emotionally, and intellectually)
through group processes.
The groups are different in rural and urban areas. In urban areas, the group may provide
information like marriage, career, sex, legal rights, and art.
In rural areas the groups are oriented to provide basic necessities and education of bank loans,
private enterprise, child health and government programs.
The Mahila Mandals or women’s groups offer important information to women for social and
economic improvement.
Group therapy is used for individuals with emotional, behavioural, or social problems.
Individuals are helped to overcome their problems through group processes.
Many individuals can be helped at the same time in the group.
The group worker is able to comprehend the needs and feelings of the group as he/she is a
facilitator of the group. This is used in hospitals, schools, agencies, or self-help groups.
Family therapy is a type of group therapy that helps families deal with problems in
communication, behaviour, emotion and relationship. The joint family system that includes
the grandparents and siblings of the father, his wife and children may have complex problems
that need help. Problems arising between parent-in-law and daughters in
3. Community Work:
In organizing the community, the student in practicum
encourages and stimulates the local residents to
plan, develop, coordinate and implement programs.
The community organizer is a catalyst of change. In
the rural areas, the community organizer may enlist
the help of the local Panchayat or village elders to
mobilize the people for bringing a change in the
community.
There are various models and principles which help in
understanding the process of community
organisation.
4. Social Welfare Administration:
A social work administrator may lay down objectives, analyze
conditions to provide services, recruit and supervise staff to
form the organizational structure and see to the budget
and funding of the agency. Most administrators work in the
urban areas.
5. Social Action:
• Social action is a method of professional social
work aimed at solving social problems through
redistribution of power and resources.
• Its objective is to achieve social justice and empowerment
of the community. Social action mobilizes the general
population to bring about structural changes in
the social system.
6. Social Work Research:
Social work research means conducting an
investigation in accordance with the scientific
method. The aim of social work research is to
build the social work knowledge base in order
to solve practical problems in social
work practice or social policy.
COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICUM
1. Use of self that is sensitive of one’s limitations and capabilities:
The social worker needs to be aware of personal strengths and
weaknesses and be able to use all the skills, values, knowledge in
helping the client.
2. Giving and receiving help: While helping clients, the social worker
needs to be aware that the primary reason for this act is to benefit
the client and not for self satisfaction. While receiving help the
client may be embarrassed, feel inadequate or find it demeaning.
An understanding of the intricacies of the helping process is
necessary.
3. Professional helping relationship: A positive relationship between
the social worker and client, based on mutual respect and trust is
important for an effective helping process. A genuine, warm,
empathetic social worker, who has positive regard, can engage the
client in a successful helping relationship.
4. Sensitive approach: Social workers need to be aware of differences in
culture, gender, age, religion, and disability. An understanding of variations
in clients would enable the social worker to see the impact of such factors
on the clients’ social, emotional and behavioural functioning.

5.Code of Ethics: The social worker needs to be aware of the requirements for
ethical practice. It is the public trust that grants professional sanction. To
earn this trust the social worker must adhere to ethical practice of social
work. The social worker provides the best possible service and tries not to
control damage.

6. Gathering information on clients: Conducting an interview helps focus on

information about the client and the environment while identifying
resources that could be used in the treatment phase. This would help to
easily determine the methods to be used in helping. Some of the skills that
are useful in conducting an interview are listening, questioning, and
reflecting help in establishing an empathetic relationship with open
communication
7. Analysis of clients’ information: After the information is gathered, the data is
analyzed and the problem is identified. A proper determination of the problem
situation would lead to selecting appropriate treatment methods. Once the strengths
and limitations are assessed, resources that need to be garnered are sought.
Information is gathered using a variety of tools and forms.
8. Empowering the client: An important part of helping is to assist the clients
understand and accept the problem and situation. It is a big step towards finding a
solution. Assisting a client in clarifying a problem or resolving a conflict should not
include deciding and functioning for the client. The client should be empowered to
make decisions and actively solve the problem. This would give the client confidence
to handle future problems that may occur.
9. Helping the client throughout: Various skills are required when the social worker
builds a professional relationship from intake through termination. After allowing the
client to reveal his or her situation, the social worker collects data to describe the
problem and identify resources and strengths that can be utilized in the helping
process. Once the problem is analyzed and a plan of action or a contract is drawn up,
then the client is helped to resolve his problem. At the end when the helping
relationship is terminated, the process is evaluated to learn from the positive
outcomes.