The basis of social work in the society at large trying to manage the effects of poverty and inequality. Social work has a complex connection with charity work. Charity has been practicing provision of social welfare dating back in the ancient times. Religion played a major role in providing poor relief long before the establishment welfare systems. However social work has modern and scientific origins form the nineteenth century.
Pre - Modern Social Work.
Church provided social services for the poor before the Modern European states emerged. Monasteries dealt with all aspects of poor relief, providing services of social care, (eg; acting as hospitals, old age homes, and other welfare services). The Christian Church had a huge influence on society, charitable work was regarded as a sign of devotion by those who delivered the services. The clergy undertook this role independent from government until the Early Modern Period of social work. The Poor laws were the early legislation for poor relief in the sixteenth century followed by the The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834.
Modern Social Work and Development.
Social work as a practice and profession originated from the nineteenth century in England. It has modern and scientific origins and have emerged out of three strands which are as follows; 'Individual Casework, Social Administration, and Social Action '. As the industrialisation emerged with new societal problems which were the results of urbanisation. As early
According to (Dulmus & Sowers, 2012, p.106), the history of social work is one of an old religiously grounded ethos of offering, aid and comfort. This shows that social work has been around for quite a long time, helping the unfortunate and it has developed more throughout these past centuries. The profession was largely shaped by Westerns idea and events. (Chenoweth &McAuliffe, 2015, p.32). The ideas and events included could have been war, poverty and other social reforms. That is when social welfare was needed to give aid and help solve these issues. Social work largely expanded in England in the 16th during the Elizabethan poor laws and later on in America between 17 and 18th century (Dulmus & Sowers, p.6). This essay is going to focus on how social work has evolved or changed for the better from the 1960s till present.
This section of the paper will discuss the definition of social work, values associated with social work and arguments for and against the use of systems theory in social work practice. Social work can be described as a field of study that encompasses individuals and their environment. Social work can be defined as work trained professionals do to elevate stressors of individuals so they may become more self-sufficient and empowered to live to their fullest potential.
Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the point where people interact with their environment. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work’. Social work origins arise from the effects of a change to an industrial sociality and increasing impact and focus upon poverty. However it is argued that current social work practice, as illustrated by the broad definition of social work by the IFSW, finds itself expected to address wider social issues such as racism, sexism, and discrimination relating to physical or mental ability. Furthermore social work itself has changed from its origins of a charity style response to social problems of poverty. Banks (1995, p1) argues that the changes to social work have introduced different roles for different purposes of ’redistribution of resources to those in need... social control and rehabilitation of the deviant’ Banks further argues that as social work changes, the emphasis is less upon a helping relationship and more on the distribution of resources and on social control.
The origins of the social work as a profession is typically accredited to the Victorian 19th Century as a means of helping the those in need, whilst simultaneously easing the anxiety of social disorder at that time (Payne, 2005b); however, the practice of social work can be seen much earlier on. If social work is the compassionate response to an individual or group’s need, crisis or problem
The profession of social work has been in the health care field ultimately since the beginning of the health care system. However, throughout the years, the roles of the social worker and their prevalence have changed just as much as the system itself.
ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Choose at least two social work theories; explain their main principles, advantages and disadvantages and apply them to the assessment, planning and intervention in one of the case studies provided below. Discuss your rationale for choosing the theories selected.
Research also shows that since we are in the new millennium the new art of social work became more supportive and modernise in the practice. I believe that since then we know that social working exist but we don’t hear too much about it. Many people say that it’s a very dangerous job to do because you never know what type of family you can get but I believe that if you have faith in God he can take you through any neighborhood and take you to any family that he sees fit for you to handle.
Social work is an empowering profession. It is a profession that inspires hard working, talented, and dedicated human beings to help nurture others in difficult times of needs. It is a profession that that promotes social change and problem solving in human relationships. “Social work is the process of increasing personal or interpersonal power so that individuals, families, and communities
Social work with families and individuals began when volunteers from charities or churches provided help for those in need1. After the war, many families were poverty-stricken. Families had no homes & they had no food to survive. Social work with individuals and families began when volunteers from different organizations, like churches or charities, aided families who were living in poverty2. Later, this process was soon to be known as social case work. Social case work is when the volunteer who is helping the family, collects information about the family or individual and helps find a way to solve their issue3. Mary Richmond was the first person to have the idea to gather the information about families and individuals4. Mary believed that when you gathered the information & shared them with other social workers, you’d be able to communicate about that individuals circumstances & help find a solution to their needs5.
Perhaps one of the first times that we see social work pop up in history is in the early seventeenth century when the Elizabethan poor laws were put into place. These laws were in both America and Great Britain. They made it clear that the government had a very limited task of helping people that needed it. Through these laws, the two sections of poor people were created. The worthy poor were orphans, handicapped, and older citizens. They went to poorhouses while the unworthy poor, able bodied males, were placed in prisons because the government thought that they were fibbing about not being able to work. In 1834, a reform act was enacted to ensure that the laws were doing what they were supposed to. In 1839, Jane Addams created the first
Early social work focused on individuals and casting blame on them for their circumstances. Social workers had good intentions, but believed poor people were poor because of some failing on their part and often held a moralistic view that they were better than those they were helping. Social work has always had some type of organization behind the
In this essay I will be giving a brief introduction to the history of social work practice, by introducing the laws that contributed to its development. Explaining how the sub divisions divide into specialism 's within the variety of social work settings, using both public and private sectors to show understanding. Also, demonstrate knowledge of different legislation that has been introduced to social work practice over the past 25 years and why it is used in particular areas. Then to finalise using protection issues, how to justify why legislation was used by assessing the likely impact of results.
When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.
Social Work is a discipline that can be a very rewarding experience for both the worker and the client. The practice involves working with individuals, families, or groups who are struggling to cope with life`s challenges. The social worker must combine his or her personal qualities, creative abilities, and social concerns with the professional knowledge in order to help client’s social functioning or prevent social problems from developing (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 34). Social work practice seeks to promote human well-being, while addressing the processes by which individuals and groups are marginalized or diminished in their capacity to participate as citizens (Ian O'Connor, 2006, p. 1).
#1 A: Social work can be defined as a broad profession, with the sole purpose of improving the lives and relieving the hardships of the members of a population. Social work addresses many problems for the well being of society, including: health care, criminal justice and domestic violence, economic and public policies, child and family welfare, as well as homelessness. Social workers are trained professionals with the education and tools necessary to address problems from several different perspectives, with the intention of helping the masses and not just individuals. Social workers have the ability to inform people in need of resources available to help them achieve a wide variety of goals, whether personal social mobility, or financial independence.