THE DISCIPLINE OF

SOCIAL WORK
Humss 11 Linguistics Group – 1
Ms. Maricel Abaya
 DEFINITION OF
SOCIAL WORK
The complexities of the social
situation require social worker to be
responsive, dynamic, and visionary.
The method of helping humanitarian
assistance has been existing since
civilization came, and it gradually
developed through time as it strives
to find meaning and relevance.
There were debates on the
fundamental features of social
works, yet efforts to define the term
became divisive.
 DEFINITION OF
SOCIAL WORK
Various groups made an effort to define social work. The National
Association of Social Workers (NASW) in the US defined social work
as the professional activity helping individuals, groups, or communities
enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating
societal conditions favorable to the goal. On a general note, the United
Nations on Economic, Social, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
considers social work as a field within human services and a part of
services of the government. It considers social work as an important
service to the society focusing on individuals, and families in need of
help (UNESCO, 2000).
 DEFINITION OF
SOCIAL WORK
Moreover, the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW)
defines social work as a practice-based and academic discipline that
promotes change and social development.

According to Morales and Sheafor (1983), there are three significant

characteristics in the practice of social work, namely (a) fundamental
goals of the practice activity, (b) settings where the practice occurs, and
(c) the use of the generalist or specialist approach by the social worker.
 GOALS OF SOCIAL
WORK
The principal mission of the social
work profession is to develop human
beings and assist other institutions in
attaining basic human needs of the
people and in empowering the lost, the
least, and the last. Catalyzing the
mission of the social work profession
are the goals of social works. Morales
and Sheafor (1983) specified three (3)
distinguishing goals of social works
namely: caring, curing, and changing.
 GOALS OF SOCIAL
WORK
1. The Goal on Caring -Caring refers to the heart of social work and it
focuses on the well-being or the welfare and comfort of the
individual and community. The goal on caring involves the
enhancement of the quality of life in prisons, the upgrading and
humanizing services in nursing homes and juvenile facilities, and
the constant advancement of care given to populations in need.
 GOALS OF SOCIAL
WORK
The caring portion significantly necessary in the effective execution of
social work’s role in the society. The need for the caring function
increases and it is realized that in the field of social works the curative
function is inadequate in our goal to improve the situation of people in
need. In the context of a more complicated and problematic social
situation, we expect an increased number of more disturbed clients in
many social institutions which requires the enhancement of caring
aspect services
 GOALS OF SOCIAL
WORK
2. The Goal on Curing – Curing refers to the aspect of treating
people with problems on social functioning. This covers a range of
aiding techniques for individuals, families, and groups. Techniques
are composed of: (a) popular counseling approaches comprising of
transactional analysis, family therapy, behavior modification,
reality therapy, and gestalt therapy, and (b) unpopular approaches
such as Rolfing therapy, psychomotor therapy, and psychodrama.
 GOALS OF SOCIAL
WORK
3. The Goal on Changing – Changing refers to the active
participation of social workers in social reforms. This goal comes
from a perspective that there is a persistence of poverty,
environmental destruction, and social disintegration. It recognizes
that the political, economic, and social structures add to the
worsening of social conditions. It is therefore vital for the social
workers to be aware and be actively vigilant in identifying
structures that exacerbate the situation and deepen social
destruction. Social reforms are necessary to improve social services
and the quality of life of those in need.
 SCOPE OF SOCIAL
WORK
The scope of social work includes child
development, medical social work,
clinical social work, administrative and
management, social work, international
social work, social work in acute
psychiatric hospital, and social work as
a community organizer (Lishaman et
al., 2014). Morales and Sheafor (1983)
identified and described the field
included in the area of social works.
 SCOPE OF SOCIAL
WORK
1. Social Work as a Primary Discipline

In terms of child welfare, social work offers adoption and services

to unmarried parents, foster care, residential care, support in own
home, and protective services.

In terms of family services, social work offers family counseling,

family life education, and family planning.

In terms of income maintenance, social work offers public

assistance, social insurances, and other income maintenance
programs.
 SCOPE OF SOCIAL
WORK
2. Social Work as an Equal Partner

In terms of aging, social work offers support for people in their

own homes and support for people in long-term care facilities.

In terms of youth and group services, social work offers

recreational and educational facilities such as YMCA and scouting
and settlement houses. Other activities such as craft, sports,
camping, friendship groups, drama, music, informal counseling,
and other group participation are also provided for.
 SCOPE OF SOCIAL
WORK
2. Social Work as an Equal Partner

In terms of mental health and retardation, social work refers to: (a)
initially, the institutionalizing of the victims through individual
treatment in hospitals; (b) due to the influence of family and
community in the improvement of the patient, the movement to
deinstitutionalize by bringing them to foster homes and residential
care came into fruition.
 SCOPE OF SOCIAL
WORK
3. Social Work as a Secondary Discipline

Social workers are also present in the correctional facilities. They

provide counseling and serve as a link to the outside world
comprising of the family, potential employers, and the community
service network that will provide support upon release.

In terms of medical and health care, social workers attend to the

social and psychological factors that are contributing to the
medical conditions of patients.
 SCOPE OF SOCIAL
WORK
3. Social Work as a Secondary Discipline

In terms of industry, social workers act as a support to both the

managers and employees of the companies. They make themselves
available to the employees with social problems for individual,
family, and group counseling. They also provide information to the
managers as basis for management decisions that might have an
impact on the social atmosphere in the working environment.
 CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL
WORK
Core values, as a vital organizational
component, play a significant role in
organization. They serve as guiding
principle that shape the behavior and
actions of its members in interacting with
their clients and other people. Social work
has its own core values—values that are
instilled among the social workers.
Mendoza (2000) cited that the Council on
Social Work Education identified and
described six (6) values that are shared by
the social work profession.
 CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL
WORK
1. Right to self-fulfillment — Each person has the right to self-
fulfillment, which is derived from his/her inherent capacity and
thrust toward the goal.
2. Responsibility to common cood — Each person has the
responsibility as a member of the society to seek ways of fulfillment
that contribute to common good.
3. Responsibility of the society — The society has the responsibility
to facilitate self-fulfillment of the individual and the right to
enrichment through the contribution of its individual members.
 CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL
WORK
4. Right to satisfy basic needs — Each person requires the
harmonious development of his powers socially provided and
socially safeguarded opportunities for satisfying his/her basic needs
in the physical, psychological, economic, cultural, aesthetic, and
spiritual realms.
5. Social Organizations required to facilitate individual’s effort at
self-realization — The notion that individual and society are
independent provides a perspective that the society has the
responsibility to provide appropriate social resources. It is the right
of an individual to promote change in social resources that do not
serve his/her need-meeting efforts.
 CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL
WORK
6. Self-realization and contribution to society — Each person
requires the harmonious development of his powers socially
provided and socially safeguarded opportunities for satisfying
his/her basic needs in the physical, psychological, economic,
cultural, aesthetic, and spiritual realms
 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL
WORK
Social work is based on respect for
the inherent worth and dignity of all
people and it is cultivated by
altruistic and democratic principles.
Friedlander (1958) and Biestek
(1957) as cited by Mendoza (2002)
indicated seven principles adhered
to by social workers including the
following:
 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL
WORK
1. Acceptance — This involves respecting the clients as they are under
any circumstances and understands the meaning and causes of the
client’s behavior. The social workers manifests warmth, interest, and
concern about the client and her/his situation. This also means
recognizing the individual or people’s strengths and potentials,
weaknesses, and limitations.
 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL
WORK
2. Client’s participation in problem-solving — A client is made to
understand that he/she is expected to participate in the whole
process. This begins in gathering of information then in defining the
nature of the problem. The client also participates in planning ways
of solving such problems, identify resources to solve this, and
eventually act on this through the help of different available
resources.
 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL
WORK
3. Self-determination — The idea behind this principle is that the
clients (individual, groups, or communities) who are in need have the
right to determine their needs and how it should be met.
4. Individualization— This involves recognizing and understanding
the client’s own unique characteristics and using different principles
and methods for each client. This means no two clients are exactly
alike (in terms of strength, their experiences, their problems, etc.)
and social intervention differ for each client considering their unique
qualities and situations.
 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL
WORK
5. Confidentiality — This means that the client should be accorded
with appropriate protection, within the limits of the law from any
harm that might result from the information s/he divulges to the
workers. The client should be assured that what s/he tells will be kept
in confidence. Moreover, confidentiality entails privacy. For
instance, a social worker finds an available vacant room to keep
conversations from being heard by others.
 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL
WORK
6. Worker’s self-awarness — This means that the social worker is
conscious about his/her professional relationship with the client in a
way that will enhance the client’s development rather than her/his
own. The social worker consciously examines his/her feelings,
judgements, biases, and responses whether these are professionally
motivated.
7. Client-worker relationship — the purpose of client-worker
relationship is to help the client in some area of his/her social
functioning in which at the present, s/he is experiencing some
difficulty, and where the worker is in the position to offer help.
 Thank you!
Humss 11 – Linguistics Group -1