SOCIAL WORK CONCEPTS

1. BY AMIT KUMAR MOB NO.: +919435028022 EMAIL-amitranjanfn09@outlook.com
PhD Research Scholar
DTS, CUJ RANCHI
SOCIAL WORK
BY
AMIT KUMAR
PHD RESEARCH SCHOLAR
CENTRAL UNIVIERSITY OF JHARKHAND
HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL WORK IN USA
1. The earliest forms of social work activities in present form were started in the USA not
earlier than 1860. But the period from colonization to the civil war played a large role
in the development of social work.
2. The history of social work in the USA can be divided into the following stages.
a. The Colonial Period (1620-1776)
i. Scots Charitable society was formed in 1657 for the function of
charitable aid and mutual benefit on the basis of national origin and
church affiliation. They were helping the sick, poor and providing burial
for deceased countrymen.
ii. The first alms house was established in Massachusetts in1662. It started
functioning in 1685 both as an alms house for the disabled and as a work
house for the able-bodied paupers (poor persons).
iii. Orphan masters were appointed to protect the interest and properties of
widows and orphans. First overseers of the poor were appointed in 1691
in the city of Baston.
iv. Society of Friends in Pennsylvania cared for members of its own sects
later extended services to others also.
v. By 1701 there was provision for reimbursement to the town for relief in
all cases of unsettled dependent persons ill with dangerous infections of
contagious diseases.
b. Civil War and Industrial Revolutions (1776-1860)
i. The rapid growth of manufacturing industries aggravated the pathetic
condition of children, so Children Aid Society (1853) and Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (1857) were started in New
York City.
c. The Industrialization -The human side (1860-1900)
i. The charity organization society movement was started in the USA at
Buffalo in 1877.
ii. The New York Charity Organization Society made revolution in the
field of organized charity work within 15 years by extending its
activities to 92 American cities.
iii. The Scientific charity approach enabled Charity Organization Societies
(COS) to understand and take care of family problems. The charity
organization societies started in Boston and Philadelphia in 1878
operated on the following principles:

2. BY AMIT KUMAR MOB NO.: +919435028022 EMAIL-amitranjanfn09@outlook.com
PhD Research Scholar
DTS, CUJ RANCHI
1. Detailed investigation on applications for charity
2. A central system of registration to avoid duplication
3. Co-operation between various relief agencies.
iv. Extensive use of voluntary friendly visitors.
v. Hull House Model
1. It was founded in 1889 following the visit of Jane Addams to
Toynbee Hall.
2. Young students, giving nearby adult education, counselling, day
care service and gave solutions to many problems.
vi. Marry E. Richmond could be considered the first professional social
workers in the United States. She became the assistant treasurer of
Baltimore Charity Organisation Society and later on became
practitioner, teacher and theoretician of COS.
vii. In 1897, there was National Conference of Charities and Corrections
in Toronto, where she advocated for the establishment of a training
school for professional social worker.
viii. In 1898, New York Charity Organisation Society (NYCOS) was the
first institution that started training course where, M.E. Richmond was
selected as teacher. Currently this training center became Columbia
University.
d. Social work, seeking professional characteristics (1900-1930)
i. The second such institute was Chicago School of Civics and
Philanthropy established in 1901 and soon affiliated with the
University of Chicago.
ii. The third school was Simmons College in Boston. This school was the
pioneer in the development of medical social work.
iii. The book 'Social Diagnosis' by Mary Richmond in 1917 is considered
as the foundation for the theoretical basis of social work.
iv. The American Association of Schools of Social Work was founded in
1919 to facilitate communication among the schools.
v. The great depression came in 1929.
e. Highly professionalized discipline (1930-onwards)
i. Federal Emergency Relief Act (FERA) was Approved in 1933 by
President Franklin Roosevelt.
1. It was aimed at responding to the fiscal crisis of state and local
governments created by the Great Depression – both the collapse
of tax revenues and the mounting costs of emergency relief.
2. On the latter front, FERA “was the beginning of a form of
partnership arrangement between the Federal government and
the States and local governments in meeting the unemployment
relief problem, a partnership which was later to continue in
somewhat different forms through the Civil Works
Administration and the Works Progress Administration”
ii. Today more than 600 institutions are running the social work courses in
USA.