This document provides definitions of social casework from various scholars between 1920-1957. It defines social casework as the process of understanding individuals, assisting them with social adjustment issues, counseling them on personal problems, and helping them develop skills to cope with social environments. It then outlines 7 principles of social casework: 1) individualization, 2) purposeful expression of feelings, 3) controlled emotional involvement, 4) acceptance, 5) non-judgement, 6) client self-determination, and 7) confidentiality. These principles emphasize treating each client as a unique individual, allowing them to express emotions purposefully, maintaining objectivity, accepting clients unconditionally, avoiding judgements, empowering client decision-making

1. BY AMIT KUMAR MOB NO.: +919435028022/9708811272 EMAIL-amitranjanfn09@outlook.com
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DCTCL, CUJ RANCHI
SOCIAL CASE WORK
BY
AMIT KUMAR
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF CONTEMPORARY AND TRIBAL CUSTOMARY LAW
CENTRAL UNIVIERSITY OF JHARKHAND
Lecture 5
Definitions of Social Case Work
Taft (1920)
Social Casework means social treatment of a maladjusted individuals involving an attempt to
understand his personality, behaviour, and social relationships, and to assist him in working
out a better social and personal adjustment.
Watson (1922)
Social Casework is the art of untangling and reconstruction the twisted personality in such a
manner that the individual can adjust himself to his environment.
Queen (1922)
Social Casework is the art of adjusting personal relationship.
Lee (1923)
Social Casework is the art of changing human attitudes.
Taylor (1926)
Social Casework is a process concerned with the understanding of individuals as whole
personalities and with the adjustment of these individuals to socially healthy lives.
Reynolds (1932)
Social casework is the process of counselling with the client on a problem which is essentially
his own, involving some difficulty in his social relationship.
Reynolds (1935)
Social Casework is that form of social work which assists the individual when he struggles to
relate himself to his family, his natural groups, his community.
Klein (1938)
Social Casework is a technical method in social work- a way of adjusting the client to his
personal problems.
Swift (1939)

2. BY AMIT KUMAR MOB NO.: +919435028022/9708811272 EMAIL-amitranjanfn09@outlook.com
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DCTCL, CUJ RANCHI
Social Casework is the art of assisting the individual in developing and making use of his
personal capacity to deal with problems which he faces in his social environment.
Deschweintz (1939)
Social Casework means those processes involved in giving service, financial assistance, or
personal counsel to individuals by representatives of social agencies, according to policies
established and with consideration of individual need.
Strode (1948)
Social Casework is the process of assisting the individual to the best possible social adjustment
through the use of social case study, social resources, and knowledge from relative fields of
learning.
Towle (1947)
Social Casework is one method by which certain special services are made available in areas
of unmet needs.
Hollis (1954)
Social Casework is a method employed by social workers to help individuals find solution to
problems of social adjustment which they are unable to handle in a satisfactory way by their
own efforts.
Hamilton (1956)
In social casework, the client is stimulated to participate in the study of his situation, to share
plans, to make active efforts to solve his problems, using his own resources and whatever
community resources are available and appropriate.
Perlman (1957)
Social Casework is a process used by certain human welfare agencies to help individuals to
cope more effectively with their problems in social functioning.
Principles of Social Casework
1. Principle of Individualisation;
The first principle is that of individualisation. Each client has to be perceived as a unique
individual, with a separate identity and not as one of a mass. Human beings are not born in a
mass nor do they die in a mass, except in a catastrophe. Suppose a man who comes for help to
the social worker is a Hindu and an unemployed pavement dweller. It is likely that, the social
worker has certain ideas about Hindus as a religious sect, about unemployed persons and about
pavement dwellers. Instead of attributing these pre-conceived ideas to the particular client, and
giving labels to his condition or behaviour or put him into a category, the social worker should
view him with an open mind and a freshness of approach. The ability to see the client as a

3. BY AMIT KUMAR MOB NO.: +919435028022/9708811272 EMAIL-amitranjanfn09@outlook.com
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DCTCL, CUJ RANCHI
distinct individual, by being perceptively observant of the distinctive features, and a visible
readiness to respond to his particular needs are essential in individualisation.
2. Principle of Purposeful Expression of feelings;
Emotions are the integral part of the psychological make up of an individual. They serve as a
source of information to the case worker, which enables him to assess the strength and
weaknesses of the client. Purposeful expression of feelings also gives recognition to the client’s
need to express the negative feelings. Clients’ expression of feelings should have a valid
purpose in Case work and it should not be overwhelmed by the emotions and subjectivity
(internal emotions).
3. Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement;
It is the important prerequisite. Feelings should be expressed with a definite objective.
Sentiments should relate to the purpose i.e., in reaching out to the solution of a problem. Social
casework method primarily stresses that a client should be accepted as a person he is, and not
by any prejudiced mindset. It is to be kept in mind that an individual’s personality is shaped by
forces internal and external which is specific to him in a given situation.
4. Principle of Acceptance;
The principal acceptance in social case work is acceptance of the client with all his good and
bad qualities, strengths and weaknesses, regardless of his behaviour. The nearest meaning
is that of the appropriate attitude taught by most religions and implied in the exhortation "Love
the sinner and hate the sin". It indicates a favourable disposition towards the client
characterised by friendliness and benevolence and a desire to be of help. The concept of
acceptance is rather nonconcrete, but can be translated into action by the use of techniques.
5. Principle of Non-judgemental Attitude;
The non-judgmental attitude is an excellence of the casework relationship. The caseworker
does not blame the client for his/her problem nor does he assign any responsibility for his /her
miseries. He/she only evaluates the attitudes, standards or action of the client. It is very
significant from the viewpoint of maintaining a rational approach to the client-worker
relationship. An individual should be understood as a product of dynamic interaction between
inherited and environmental factors. And therefore any normative notions about an individual
should be strictly avoided.
6. Principle of Client Self-determination;

4. BY AMIT KUMAR MOB NO.: +919435028022/9708811272 EMAIL-amitranjanfn09@outlook.com
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DCTCL, CUJ RANCHI
Self-determination refers to self-direction and is a derivative of the philosophical assumption
on the dignity and worth of the human being. The principle states that an individual has the
right of making decisions about matters pertaining to his/her life, and that, other people's
decisions about directing his/her life should not be imposed on him/her. In the casework
situation the social worker should not make decisions, choices or plans for the client; the client,
however, can be guided and enabled to make his/her own decisions.
7. Principle of Confidentiality;
Confidentiality is the preservation of the secret information concerning the client, which is
disclosed in the professional relationship only. Confidentiality about the client’s background,
history and personal records should be respected and maintained. These aspects should not be
discussed with other people who may misuse or harm the client’s dignity in any way.