The document explores the multifaceted definitions and concepts of social work, emphasizing its dynamic and professional nature. It outlines various functions of social work, including curative, correctional, preventive, and developmental roles, aimed at addressing psycho-social challenges and improving social conditions. Additionally, it highlights the core values and goals of social work, advocating for social justice and the enhancement of human well-being across diverse communities.

1. INTRODUCTION
TO
SOCIAL WORK
JESUIN JOHN BOSE P
P.G. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK (SHIFT-II)
MADRAS SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK

2. SOCIAL WORK: MEANING
• COMPLEX AND DYNAMIC - ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GIVE A UNIVERSALLY
ACCEPTED MEANING
• SOCIAL WORK TO A MAN IN THE STREET: ANY ONE WHO PERFORMS SOME GOOD
DEEDS FOR THE PEOPLE IS DOING SOCIAL WORK.
• SOCIAL WORK TO A SEMI-PROFESSIONAL: BELIEF - PERSON EMPLOYED IN THE
WELFARE AGENCY, AND CARRIES ON WELFARE ACTIVITIES.
DEFICIENCIES (PROF. CLARKE)
1. NOT ALL PERSONS WHO WORK IN THE LARGE WELFARE FIELDS ARE SOCIAL
WORKERS BUT MAY BE EXPERTS IN HOUSING, RECREATION, SOCIAL INSURANCE,
NURSING, ACCOUNTING ETC.
2. NEGLECT TO CONSIDER THE PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES OF A SOCIAL WORKER -
FAIL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MAKES A PERSON SOCIAL WORK PROFESSIONAL.

3. SOCIAL WORK: MEANING CONT.…..
• SCIENTIFIC MEANING (DR. HELEN WITMER): “TO GIVE ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS IN
REGARD TO THE DIFFICULTIES THEY ENCOUNTER IN THEIR USE OF AN ORGANIZED
GROUP SERVICES OR THEIR OWN PERFORMANCE AS MEMBER OF AN ORGANIZED
GROUP.”
• NARROW & NOT A PREFECT REPRESENTATION
• GROUP - INSTITUTIONS LIKE FAMILY, THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, THE SCHOOL, THE CHURCH,
HOSPITALS ETC
• DOES NOT CONSIDER ALL AGENCIES – CLAIM TO CARRY ON SOCIAL WORK ACTIVITIES AS SOCIAL
WORK AGENCIES
• GENERALLY ACCEPTED MEANING OF SOCIAL WORK: (19TH CENTURY)
• SOCIAL WORK IS A PROFESSION PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH THE REMEDY TO PSYCHO-
SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND DEFICIENCIES WHICH EXISTS IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
INDIVIDUAL AND HIS SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT.
• SOCIAL WORK INTENDED TO ASSIST INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, SOCIAL GROUPS AND

4. SOCIAL WORK: DEFINITION
• ALLICE CHEYNEY (1926): “SOCIAL WORK INCLUDES ALL THE VOLUNTARY
ATTEMPTS TO EXTEND BENEFITS IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS WHICH ARE
CONCERNED WITH SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND WHICH AVAIL THEMSELVES OF
SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND METHODS”.
• ARTHUR FINK (1942): “THE PROVISION OF SERVICES DESIGNED TO AID
INDIVIDUALS, SINGLY OR IN GROUPS IN COPING WITH THE PRESENT OR FUTURE
SOCIAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSTACLES THAT PREVENT OR ARE LIKELY TO
PREVENT, FULL OR EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE SOCIETY”.
• ANDERSON (1943): “SOCIAL WORK IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE RENDERED TO
THE PEOPLE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING THEM, AS INDIVIDUALS OR IN
GROUPS TO ATTAIN SATISFYING RELATIONSHIPS AND STANDARDS OF LIFE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR PARTICULAR WISHES AND CAPACITIES AND IN
HARMONY WITH THOSE OF THE COMMUNITY”.

5. SOCIAL WORK : DEFINITION
• FRIEDLANDER (1951): “SOCIAL WORK IS A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, BASED ON
SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL IN HUMAN RELATIONS, WHICH ASSISTS
INDIVIDUALS, ALONE OR IN GROUPS, TO OBTAIN SOCIAL AND PERSONAL
SATISFACTION AND INDEPENDENCE”.
• STROUP (1960): “AN ART OF BRINGING VARIOUS RESOURCES BEAR ON INDIVIDUAL,
GROUP AND COMMUNITY NEEDS BY THE APPLICATION OF A SCIENTIFIC METHOD
OF HELPING THE PEOPLE TO HELP THEMSELVES”.
• PINCUS AND MINAHAN (1978): “SOCIAL WORK IS CONCERNED WITH THE
INTERACTION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT WHICH AFFECTS THE
ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR LIFE TASKS, ALLEVIATE DISTRESS, AND
REALIZE THEIR ASPIRATIONS AND VALUES”.

6. SOCIAL WORK: DEFINITION
• B.G. KHER (1947): “THE AIM OF SOCIAL WORK, AS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD, IS
TO REMOVE SOCIAL INJUSTICE, TO RELIEVE DISTRESS, TO PREVENT SUFFERING
AND TO ASSIST THE WEAKER MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY TO REHABILITATE
THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND , IN SHORT, FIGHT THE FIVE GIANT EVILS
OF (1) PHYSICAL WANT, (2) DISEASE, (3) IGNORANCE, (4) SQUALOR AND (5)
IDLENESS”.
• SUSHIL CHANDRA (1954): “A DYNAMIC ACTIVITY UNDERTAKEN BY PUBLIC OR
PRIVATE EFFORT IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIAL POLICY, WITH A VIEW TO
RAISE THE STANDARD OF LIVING AND TO BRING ABOUT SOCIAL, ECONOMIC,
POLITICAL AND CULTURAL WELLBEING OF THE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY AND GROUP
WITH A SOCIETY IRRESPECTIVE OF ITS STAGE OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.”
• INDIAN CONFERENCE OF SOCIAL WORK (1957): “A WELFARE ACTIVITY BASED ON
HUMANITARIAN PHILOSOPHY, SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNICAL SKILLS
FOR HELPING INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS OR COMMUNITY, TO LIVE RICH AND FULL
LIFE”.

7. SOCIAL WORK: DEFINITION
• MIRZA R. AHMAD (1969): “SOCIAL WORK IS PROFESSIONAL SERVICE BASED ON
THE KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN RELATIONS AND SKILLS IN RELATIONSHIPS AND
CONCERNED WITH INTRAPERSONAL AND INTER-PERSONAL ADJUSTMENTS
RESULTING FROM UNMET INDIVIDUAL, GROUP OR COMMUNITY NEEDS”.
• MOORTHY AND RAO (1970): “SOCIAL WORK IS HELP RENDERED TO ANY PERSON
OR GROUP, WHO OR WHICH IS SUFFERING FROM ANY DISABILITY, MENTAL,
PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL OR MORAL, SO THAT THE INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP SO
HELPED IS ENABLED TO HELP HIMSELF OR ITSELF”.

8. NATURE OF SOCIAL WORK
• A COMMITMENT FOR SOCIAL BETTERMENT
• A GOAL TO ENHANCE SOCIAL FUNCTION
• ACTION ORIENTED
• AN APPLICATION TO HUMAN DIVERSITY
• A VERSATILE PRACTICE PERSPECTIVE

9. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL WORK
• PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
• BASED ON SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE
• HUMANITARIAN PHILOSOPHY
• SOLUTION TO PSYCHO-SOCIAL PROBLEMS
• HELPING ACTIVITY
• SOCIAL ACTIVITY
• LIAISON ACTIVITY

10. SOCIAL WORK FUNCTIONS
Curative Function
•Medical and health services
•Psychiatry services
•child welfare services,
•Services for the handicapped or
disable.
•Aim - to cure the physical, social,
material, psychological sickness
of individuals in the society.
Correctional Function
•Individual reform service (prison
reform, probation, parole etc)
•Services for improving social
relationship (family welfare
services, school social work,
industrial social work etc.)
•Services for social reform (
employment services, prevention
of commercial sex work, beggary
prohibition services and removal
of untouchability etc. )
Prevention Function
•life insurance services, public
assistance, social legislation,
adult education and prevention of
diseases etc.
•Services relating to the
prevention of problems like
insecurity, unlawfulness,
ignorance, sickness etc
•Elimination of social environment
or those deficiencies in the
development of personality that
prevents the individual from
achieving a minimum desirable
standard of socio-economic life.
Developmental Function
•Tasks of socio-economic
development activities (education,
recreational services, urban and
rural development programmes
and programmes etc)
•Primarily concerned with the
development of individuals,
families, groups and
communities.
Basic functions of social work - interdependent and interrelated categories, viz;
1. Restoration of Social Functioning 2. Provision of Resources 3. Prevention of Social Dysfunction.

11. SOCIAL WORK VALUES

12. SOCIAL WORK PRINCIPLES

13. SCOPE OF SOCIAL WORK
• PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
• SOCIAL INSURANCE
• FAMILY SERVICES
• CHILD WELFARE SERVICES
• WELFARE SERVICES FOR WOMEN
• WELFARE FOR DISABLED
• WORKERS WELFARE
• COMMUNITY WELFARE SERVICES
• MEDICAL SOCIAL WORK
• INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WORK

14. SOCIAL WORK GOALS
1. ENHANCE PEOPLES PROBLEM SOLVING, COPING AND DEVELOPMENT CAPACITIES
2. LINK PEOPLE WITH SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE THEM WITH RESOURCES, SERVICES AND
OPPORTUNITIES
3. PROMOTE THE EFFECTIVE AND HUMANE OPERATION OF SYSTEMS THAT PROVIDE
PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES AND SERVICES
4. DEVELOP AND IMPROVE SOCIAL POLICY
5. ENHANCE HUMAN WELL BEING AND ALLEVIATE POVERTY, OPPRESSION AND OTHER
FORMS OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE
6. PURSUE POLICIES, SERVICES AND RESOURCES THROUGH ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL OR
POLITICAL ACTIONS THAT PROMOTE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE
7. DEVELOP AND USE RESEARCH, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THAT ADVANCE SOCIAL
WORK PRACTICE
8. DEVELOP AND APPLY PRACTICE IN THE CONTEXT OF DIVERSE CULTURES
NASW (1982) & THE COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION (CSWE)

15. REFERENCES
• PAUL CHOWDRY,, INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL WORK, ATMA RAM AND SONS,
NEW DELHI(1992)
• P.D. MISHRA & BEENA MISRA SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION IN INDIA,
• TERRY MIZRAHI, LARRY E. DAVIS (ED), ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF SOCIAL WORK,
20THED, VOL: 1-4, NASW PRESS, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, NEW YORK.(2008)
• HTTPS://WWW.SOCIALWORKERS.ORG/ABOUT/ETHICS
• HTTPS://WWW.SOCIALWORKERS.ORG/ABOUT/ETHICS