Quarter 1 (Module 6)

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In this lesson, students are expected to:
1. define social work;
2. explain the context and the basic concepts of the social work;
3. describe the goals and scope of social work;
4. discuss the principles of social work; and
5. explain the core values of social work.

Disciplines of Social Work

(HUMSS_DIASS12-Ie-16 - 18).
Discipline of Social Work
Discipline of social work is closely associated with government welfare and
social programs aimed at achieving social justice, fairness and attainment of
social equilibrium. “The social work profession promotes social change, problem
solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to
enhance well-being. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems,
social works intervenes at the points where people interact with their
environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to
social work. “(International Federation of Social Workers 2013). Aims to protect
vulnerable people from abuse, neglect, or self harm and to help enhance their
well-being and quality of life. Operates within legal frameworks for protecting
and supporting vulnerable people. Work closely with other professional, often
known as inter-professional working.

From Social Care to Social work

Social work has evolved from being a domestic common-sense care to
professional service. A wide variety of people in the community, from friends to
parents, relatives, volunteers to all people of goodwill participate in providing
social care. This includes providing personal care, supporting individuals with
daily living, and supporting people to engage with their communities and involve
more direct contact with people.

Definition of Social work

The policy, ethics, and human rights committee of the British association of
social workers (2012) provides the definition of social work: “The social world
profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationship and
the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing
theories of human behavior and social systems, social work intervenes at points
were people interact with their environments. Principles of human right and
social justice and fundamental to social work.”
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 It is understood here the social work is a profession that fulfills the social
work mandate to promote well-being and quality of life. As such, it encompasses
activities directed in improving human and social conditions and alleviating
human distress and social problems through enhancing people’s competence and
functioning, ability to access social support and resources, creating human
responsive social services, and expansion of the structures of the society that
provide opportunities for all citizens (DuBois & Miley 2008).

Context and the basic concepts of social works

To appreciate the context and the basic concept of social work, one has to
look into its professional history (Segal, Gerdes, & Steiner 2005). The aim of
social work is to help individuals fit better into their environment and change
concept, Segal, Gerdes, & Steiner (2005) Locate the history of social work in the
history of social welfare in America. They particularly link social work history to
the charity organization societies founder 1877 with the aim of discovering the
causes of poverty among individuals, eliminate the causes, and eliminate poverty
from society. Poverty was then seen as a character defect of an individual. This
perspective is half true, as evidence of social science showed that there are
multiple external forces and structures that account for poverty and individuals.
The next movement that emerged as if to complement the first wave of social
work was called settlement movement which began 1877 (Segal, Gerdes, &
Steiner 2005). The settlement movement operated on the assumption that an
individual’s well-being was directly linked to his or her external surroundings
therefore, that to help and individual changing the environment where that the
individual lives. Such include advocating for better neighborhood services,
public health programs, and employment conditions. This two movement efforts
of solving poverty of individuals by helping the individuals fit better in their
environment and changing that environment serve as today’s basic concept of
social work and its all various forms and services.
The context of social work is a place that requires professionals to direct
their service on needs of empowerment of people who experience some forms of
vulnerability, oppression, and living in poverty.

Goals and scope of social works

DeBois and Miley (2008) highlight the following goals and sculp of social
works and calling them tenets.
 Empower people, individually and collectively, to utilize their own problem-
solving and coping capabilities more effectively.
 Support a proactive position with regard to social and economic policy
development to prevent problems for individuals and society from occurring
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period.
 Uphold the integrity of the profession in all aspects of social work practice.
 Establish linkages between people and societal resources to further social
functioning and enhance the quality of life.
 Develop cooperative networks within the institutional resources systems.
 Facilitate the responsiveness of the institutional resource systems to meet help
and human service needs.
 Promote social justice and equality of all people with regard of full
participation and society.
 Contribute to the development of knowledge for social work profession
through research and evaluation.
 Encourage exchange of information in those institutional systems in which
both problems and resources opportunities are produced.
 Enhance communication through an appreciation of diversity and through
ethnically sensitive, non-sexist social work practice.
 Employ educational strategies for the prevention and resolution of problems.
 Embrace a world view of human issues and solutions. The goal and scope of
social work has laid down here is a noble and broad-to help and individual being
included in society and to transform the very society that creates structures the
marginalize individuals from full participation in the enjoyment of social services
and resources of community. Change sought is one that makes and individual and
the community a better place for everyone.

Principles of social work

The policy, ethics, and human rights committee of the British association of
social workers (2012) has the following principles that apply in general to all the
professionals in the social work profession.

Principles Relative to Respect for Human Rights

1. Upholding and promoting human rights and well-being
2. Respecting the right to self-determination
3. Promoting the right to participation
4. Creating each person as a whole
5. Identifying and developing strengths

Principles Relative to Respect for Justice

1. Challenging discrimination- Social works have a responsibility to challenge
discrimination on the basis of characteristics such as ability, age, culture, gender
or sex, marital status, socio-economic status, political opinions, racial or other
physical characteristics, sexual orientation, or spiritual beliefs.
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2. Recognizing diversity . Social workers should recognize and respect the
diversity of the societies in which they practice, taking into account individual,
family, group, and community differences.
3. Distributing resources. Social works should ensure that resources at the
disposal are distributed fairly ,accordingly to need.
4. Challenging unjust policies and practices. Social workers have a duty to bring
attention to their employers, policy makers, politicians, and the general public the
situations where resources are inadequate or where distribution of resources,
policies, and practices are oppressive, unfair, harmful or illegal.
5. Working in solidarity. Social workers, individually, collectively, and with
others have a duty to challenge social conditions that contribute to social
exclusion, stigmatization or subjugation, and work toward and inclusive society.

Principles Relative to Personal Integrity

 Upholding the values and reputation of the profession
 Being trustworthy
 Maintaining professional boundaries
 Making considered professional judgment
 Being professional accountability

Core Values of Social Work

The core values of social work serve to provide consistency in the
fulfillment of the social welfare delivery and in the general promotion of the
well-being and quality of life of all people. However, special attention or priority
is given to those who supper some forms of exclusions from receiving social
services. Therefore, the core values in the pursuit of social work include
compassion, service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance
of human relationship, integrity, and competence (Du Bois & Miley, 2008; Segal,
Gerdes & Steiner,2005).
1. Compassion - can be considered as an important values for all humankind but
in social work, it occupies a special impetus to the functioning of the profession.
It is the basis for someone to go out and become a voice to the voiceless and a
friend to the people who need it most.
2. Service - as a value, direct social workers to go beyond performing a service
for a pay and allow them to be generous with their time. Their work borders on
charity and professional service. Without a special interest in pure service, much
of the social work could not be properly accomplished.
3. Social justice - as a value for social workers, is a basis of their understanding
of the need to ensure that everyone get serviced and that everyone get a share of
what the community possesses in material and non-material assets.
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4. Dignity and worth of the person is a value that provides the determination
and drive for social workers to seek the marginalized in all forms without much
regard as to whether such problem is self-inflicted or socially imposed. At the
heart of social work is the belief that all human have dignity and worth regardless
their acts and status in life.
5. Importance of human relationships - as a value, makes it possible for soc
workers do their job as most human situation they seek to address require
collaborating with so many others professionals and individuals with a stake the
issue. It is about relationships. After all, it is in the context of relationship is the
context of social marginalization and inclusion.
6. Integrity - is necessary in all human endeavors. In social work, nothing can be
accomplished without integrity. A social worker will have difficulties to be
accepted by the people to receive services and by those he/she needs to
collaborate with facilitate problem solving and empowerment of an individual
or a group.
7. Competence - is a very important value for social work because it separates
social care giving from social work professional practice. Through special
training, a social worker becomes separated from all common sense, culture and
religious-based care.

Activity 1.1
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

1. Write the definition of social work as a profession.

_______________________________________________________________
2. In three sentences, explain the context with which the profession.
_______________________________________________________________
3. Briefly describe the goals and scope of social work.
_______________________________________________________________

Activity 1.2
Directions: Fill out the chart below with at least three principles of social work
relative to different aspects.

Principles of Social Work

Respect for Human Social Justice Professional Integrity
Rights
1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.