Presentation of the the Social Work

1. WHAT IS SOCIAL
WORK?
LESSON 6

2. WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU
HEAR THE TERM “SOCIAL WORK”?

3. ■ Johnson (1998, 3-83) defines social work as a
response to a concern or need; a creative blending of
knowledge, values, and skills; a problem-solving
process; an intervention into human transactions; and
a developing profession.
■ Farley, Smith and Boyle (2003), on the other hand,
defines social work as an art, a science, and a
profession. As an art, social work requires great skills
to understand people and to help them help
themselves.

4. Republic Act No. 4373 as the “profession which
is primarily concerned with organized social
service activity aimed to facilitate and
strengthen basic social relationships and the
mutual adjustment between individuals and their
social environment for the good of the individual
and of society.”

5. SOCIAL WORK AS A HELPING
PROFESSION

6. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
states that “social work is the professional activity of
helping individuals, groups or communities, enhance
or restore their capacity for social functioning and
creating societal conditions favorable to this goal.”

7. The Concept of Social Work which Sheafor and
Horejsi (2003, 5) refers to as key in
understanding the unique focus of social work
and distinguishes it from other helping
professions.

8. Social functioning is the “match between the needs
and abilities of individuals and the opportunities
and demands of the environment (Macht, 1992). It
relates to living up to the expectations made by the
self, the immediate social commu- nity, and the
society at large of an individual (Du Bois & Miley,
2005).

9. A Dysfunctional Environment may cause
individuals to be socially dysfunctional. Del
Castillo (2010) explains that when people cope
or live in a dysfunc tional situation, they may
perform roles or functions of negative
environment.

10. Global Definition of Social Work

11. CORE VALUES AND PRINCIPLES OF
SOCIAL WORK

12. Social work is very much influenced by Judeo-Christian
philosophy, which espouses humanitarianism. Its
practice is based on the belief that every human being
has dignity and worth. From this belief emanates the
core values and principles that guide the practice of
social work.

13. CORE VALUES OF
SOCIAL WORK

14. Du Bois and Miley (2011) categorized social
work values into the following: values about
people, values about society, and values about
professional behavior.

15. ■ Values about people. These values reflect how we view
human nature and change. Examples of these are
respect for the inherent worth and dignity of the person
and the importance of human relationships.
■ Values about society. These values pertain to the
conditions and processes in society that would make it
possible for people to achieve their full potential.
Examples of these are democracy, social responsibility,
social justice, inclusion (non-discrimination), and gender
equiry values about professional behavior.

16. THE KEY VALUES OF SOCIAL
WORK ARE AS FOLLOWS.

17. ■ Service. Social work is a commitment to help people in need
and to address social problems. The services provided in
social work aims to inspire change that support people and
that contributes to the betterment of every individual’s
quality of life.
■ Social Justice. Social work challenges social injustice.
According to Segal et al. (2004, 20-21), working for social
justice means “striving to create a society in which all
people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, economic status, age, and/or physical or mental
ability, have the same basic rights and opportu nities and can
develop to their fullest potential.”

18. ■ Respect for the Inherent Worth and Dignity of the
Person. Social work places importance to the worth
and dignity of the person-one’s uniqueness and
individu- ality and his rights with respect to the
interest of the society in general.
■ Importance of Human Relationships. Social work
values human relationships. The practice of social
work concerns all forms and levels of human
relationship-with self, family, small group,
organization, and community.

19. ■ Integrity. Integrity is of utmost importance in
the practice of social work. Social work
professionals must abide by standards of
behavior required by the profession.
■ Competence. The practice of social work
requires an application of theories, skills, and
expertise in the workings of the individual and
of society. The acquisition of social work
competencies does not end with professional
certification. According to Segal (2004, 21),
social work is “a lifelong professional pursuit.”

20. SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
PRINCIPLES

21. Rooted in the core values of social work are the
practice principles that govern every
interaction between the social work
practitioner and the client. These principles
are acceptance, self-determination, affirming
individuality, confidentiality, and worker’s
self-awareness.

22. ■ Acceptance. The principle of acceptance refers to the
practitioner’s recognition and authentic interest in the
client’s individual qualities, rights, and needs. This
principle is demonstrated through the manner by which
practitioners serve their clients, such as through
emphatic listening and responding and by establishing an
atmosphere of mutual respect.
■ Self-determination. This principle is based on the
recognition that clients have the right and the capability
to make their own decisions. Social workers can only
facilitate but not manipulate the client’s decision-
making process.

23. ■ Affirming Individuality. This principle is based on the
premise that every individual is different. In putting this
principle into practice, social workers are expected to
accept client without bias and prejudice, avoid making
labels and attributing stereotypes to clients, and
acknowledge and value client diversity.
■ Confidentiality. The essence of this principle is the right
of every individual to privacy. The social worker is duty-
bound to seek the consent of the client before disclosing
any data about his identity, the nature of his case, and the
content of discus sions between him and the social worker.

24. ■ Worker’s self-awareness. A social worker must be conscious
of his values, beliefs. Biases, and prejudices. After all, before
social workers can begin to understand others. They must
understand themselves first. By being self-aware, social
workers can effectively adjust their thought processes and
sensitivities when dealing with clients with diverse problems
and from different backgrounds.
■ Collective Responsibility. This principle is based This
principle is based on the reality that individual rights can be
protected only if each member of the community commits to
taking responsibility of his fellowmen and the environment
and social work.

25. PURPOSES AND FUNCTIONS OF
SOCIAL WORK

26. ■ enhance social functioning of individuals, families,
groups, organizations, and communities:
■ link client systems with needed resources;
■ improve the operation of the social service delivery
network; and
■ promote social justice through development of social
policy.
Du Bois and Miley (2005) state that social
work as a profession and field of study serves
the following purposes:

27. Zastrow (2008), on the other hand,
identified the following as purposes of the
social work profession:
■ Enhance the problem-solving, coping, and
developmental capacities of people,
■ link people with systems that provide them with
resources, services, and opportu nities;
■ promote the effectiveness and humane operation of
systems that provide people with resources and
services:
■ develop and improve social policies;

28. ■ Enhance human well-being and alleviate poverty,
oppression and other forms of social injustice,
■ pursue policies, services, and resources through
advocacy and social and political actions that promote
social and economic justice;
■ develop and use research, knowledge and skills that
advance social work practice; and
■ develop and apply practice in the context of diverse
cultures.

29. ADAMS (as quoted in Timberlake et al. 2008) adds to
the list above purposes of social work, which is
modify environmental conditions associated with
population needs, limited resources, and risk factors.

30. FUNCTIONS OF
SOCIAL WORK

31. Farley (2003) identified restoration of
impaired social functioning,
developmental, and prevention of social
dysfunction as the three basic functions
of social work.

32. ■ The restoration of impaired social functioning can
be further subdivided into curative/remedial and
rehabilitative.
■ The curative/remedial function aims to remove the
causes of breakdown in a person’s social functioning.
Its rehabilitative function involves rebuilding patterns
of interaction, such as through the provision of appro
priate skills and psychological support.

33. ■ The prevention of social dysfunction, involves the
early discovery, control, and elimination of factors that
could potentially hamper effective social functioning.
> An example of this is premarital counseling. Through
premarital counseling. Couples can address and prepare
for the four important factors that affect marital
relation- ships: communication skills, conflict resolution
skills, finances, and parenting all of which can cause
marital distress and can possibly lead to a broken home.