Social Work: An Empowering

Profession
Ninth Edition

Chapter 3
Social Work and Social Systems

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Learning Outcomes
3.1 Summarize the ecosystems perspective as an organizing
framework for generalist social work practice
3.2 Classify the types of social functioning
3.3 Differentiate social work intervention with client systems
at the micro-, mezzo-, and macrolevels
3.4 Describe the methods of social work practice, including
casework, group work, community organization, and
generalist social work

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The Ecosystems Perspective
• Social System Defined
– System
▪ Organized whole made up of component parts
▪ All shapes and sizes
– Distinguishing features
▪ Patterns of relationships
▪ Purpose
▪ Characteristics of system members

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The Ecosystems Perspective (1 of 7)
• Subsystems and Environments
– Systems are nested
▪ Have subsystems
▪ Are part of larger systems or environments
– Structure
▪ Boundaries separate one system from another
▪ Open boundaries
– Receptive to exchanges of resources
▪ Closed boundaries
– Non-receptive to exchanges of resources

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The Ecosystems Perspective (2 of 7)
• Ecosystems
– Focuses on transactions with other systems
▪ Reciprocal interactions among systems
▪ Exchanges of resources
– Principle
▪ Systems shape and are shaped by environments
– Represented as persons:environments

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The Ecosystems Perspective (3 of 7)
• Information Exchange Processes
– Input
▪ Resources available to and selected by the system
– Processing
▪ System’s action in response to input
– Output
▪ Outcome of processing activities and response to
environment
– Feedback
▪ Sum total environmental responses to output or
▪ Consequences that modify future processing and output

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The Ecosystems Perspective (4 of 7)
• General Systems Theory: A Framework for Social Work
– Considers the potential problems and effects of
intervention on
▪ Client system
▪ Subunits of client system
▪ Environmental systems
– Principle
▪ Changes in one system lead to changes in all
interrelated systems

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The Ecosystems Perspective (5 of 7)
• Using Eco-Maps to Understand Social Systems
– Visualize
▪ Context of systems and their environments
▪ Transactions
▪ Permeability of boundaries
▪ Availability of resources
▪ Connections to networks of support

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The Ecosystems Perspective (6 of 7)
• The Ecological Perspective
– Ideas from systems theory complement the ecological
perspective
– Emphasizes transactions
▪ Goodness-of-Fit: Resources match needs
▪ Lack of fit: Mismatch between needs and resources
– Nature of “fit”
▪ Fulfills needs or creates social problems
– Purpose of social work
▪ Create changes in systems or environments to enhance
transactions that maximize functioning

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The Ecosystems Perspective (7 of 7)
• The Ecosystems View Applied to Social Work
– Useful for assessing situations
– Empowerment view
▪ Broaden focus beyond individual adaptation
▪ Improve individual functioning by
– Addressing social justice and human rights
issues in environments

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Social Functioning (1 of 6)
• Describes how people
– Perform roles
– Function in society
• Quality of Social Functioning
– Results from nature of transactions between
▪ Persons
▪ Social and physical environments

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Social Functioning (2 of 6)
• Types of Social Functioning (1 of 3)
– Effective Social Functioning
▪ Recognize problems
▪ Take steps to activate resources to deal with
problems
▪ Have access to sufficient resources
▪ May or may not use social work services for
additional support

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Social Functioning (3 of 6)
• Types of Social Functioning (2 of 3)
– At-Risk Social Functioning
▪ Vulnerable to problems that have yet to surface
▪ Social workers may offer proffer services
– Provide information
– Offer support
– Attempt to reduce risks to social functioning

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Social Functioning (4 of 6)
• Types of Social Functioning (3 of 3)
– Difficulties in Social Functioning
▪ Immobilize systems
▪ Diminish abilities to cope
▪ Result in dysfunction
▪ Social workers may intervene to improve functioning

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Social Functioning (5 of 6)
• Environmental Press
– Environmental stressors
▪ Impede social functioning
▪ Diminish well-being
– Environmental enrichments
▪ Resources augment social functioning
▪ Enhance well-being
– Perceptions differ about what constitutes stress and
enrichment

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Social Functioning (6 of 6)
• Social Work and Social Functioning
– Social problems and environmental stress
▪ Impede social functioning
– Simultaneous focus of social work interventions
▪ Support and restore social functioning
▪ Change social conditions
▪ Refrain from “blaming the victim”

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Client Systems in Social Work (1 of 4)
• Microlevel Intervention
– Work with individuals - separately, in families, or in
small groups
– Difficulties may involve personal adjustment,
interpersonal relationships, or environmental stress
– Focus of change: Individual functioning
▪ May stimulate change in environment to create
changes in individual functioning
– Examples of microlevel techniques
▪ Crisis Intervention, Counseling, Group Work

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Client Systems in Social Work (2 of 4)
• Mezzolevel Intervention
– Work with formal groups and complex organizations
– Difficulties may involve group or organizational
▪ Functions, structures, roles
▪ Patterns of decision making
▪ Styles of interaction
– Focus of change: Formal group or organization

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Client Systems in Social Work (3 of 4)
• Macrolevel Intervention
– Work with neighborhoods, communities, and societies
– Focus: Resolve community problems
– Examples of techniques for macrolevel change
▪ Community organizing
▪ Economic development
▪ Legislative action
▪ Policy formulation

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Client Systems in Social Work (4 of 4)
• Working with the Social Work Profession
– Facilitate change within the system of the profession
▪ Participate in activities that renew and refine the
profession
▪ Foster acculturation to the profession
▪ Work collectively to achieve social justice and
ensure the protection of human rights

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Social Work Methods (1 of 5)
• Casework
– Emphasized direct work with individuals
– Predominant method of social work through the 1960s
– Work with families increased in prominence since the
1960s

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Social Work Methods (2 of 5)
• Group Work
– Introduced in the 1930s
– Group work theories developed in the late 1940s
– Method
▪ Use of group itself as a vehicle for change
▪ Promote growth and change through group process
and interactions

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Social Work Methods (3 of 5)
• Community Organization
– Community and macrolevel change
– Includes
▪ Community Organizing
▪ Organizational Development
▪ Social Reform

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Social Work Methods (4 of 5)
• Current Focus: Integrated Generalist Model
– Integrates the three social work methods
▪ Casework
▪ Group Work
▪ Community Organization
– Fosters breadth in potential interventions
– Issues rather than methods direct the focus of
generalist practice

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Social Work Methods (5 of 5)
• Generalists
– Work with clients at all system levels
– Practice in a wide range of social service settings
– Apply a variety of models and methods

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