Communities Are Human Groups, Networks, And Associations Of People Essay

At community level, the social worker plays the role of advocacy. She is persuasive, assertive, and patient in her day-to-day encounter with patients. She is a community organizer; she coordinates financial aid to long-term residents without sponsorship and serves as a liaison to some of the patients she cares for. It is vital for the human service professional to provide information about social issues that are likely to affect the public (O'Hagan, 2007).

Social work professions need to understand the importance of how individuals interact both with other people and their environment, to have an understanding how individuals are affected by these interactions (Rogers, p. 2). According to Rogers (2016), “Social workers are knowledgeable about human behavior across the life course; the range of social systems in which people live; and the ways social systems promote or deter people in maintaining or achieving health and well-being. Social workers apply theories and knowledge from the liberal arts to understand biological, social, cultural, psychological, and spiritual development (p. 2). Their work with clients begins with assessments to evaluations of intervention and is based in and supports of the core value system of the profession.

The social worker explores the issues that currently affect the client system. This identifies key issues, family history, cultural identities and values (Brew & Kottler 2008, p. 75). In collaboration, the social worker and the client system to prepare a plan of action. This includes outlining strengths, resources, goals, objectives, and targets for change (Miley, O’Melia & Dubois 2013, p. 119). Tools can be used to gather more information such as genograms and eco-maps. The genogram is utilised to identify the client system’s family and explore the

The NASW Standards for Cultural Competence addresses the standard of empowerment and advocacy, which I find both reassuring and admirable, because, as a social worker becomes more culturally aware of their clients, they need to have the desire to ensure equality for all of them. From the text, social workers become specialists in understanding the effects of demeaning social policies against their clients, where they find the medium between aiding in producing positive change without imposing their own beliefs. Mastery of this standard requires the cohesion between a social worker and client to seek minimal changes in social policies to prove that advocacy imposes change before shifting towards revolutionizes social policies and laws.

According to the National Association of Social Work, “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s focus on individual well-being in a social context and the well-being of society. Fundamental to social work is attention to the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.”

As social works one of our roles are to advocate not only for our clients but overall communities. This

The article “Cultural Considerations for Social Workers: A sociological perspective” by Orville W. Taylor, argues that inner-cities of Jamaica are culturally distinct phenomena and therefore they should be treated as such. It also suggests that this should be considered if the theory is to be developed or any attempts to apply intervention strategies and that the divisive nature of the society and cultural distinctions of these communities which are different from that of the mainstream society should be comprehended. It concludes by stating that the main challenge for social workers is to acknowledge that these inner-cities communities are functional operating communities separately from that of the larger society.

There are three important components in the ecological practice framework. These are developing the capacity for disadvantaged communities to meet their own needs, promoting informal social networks and forming a culture of active listening for the client. In order to develop the community’s capacity it is important to recognise the complexities and diversity within a community and to develop a good understanding about the demographics and socio economic background. An example of its implementation would involve creating community profiles which incorporates a variety of sources including child welfare data and date from things such as interviews of parents with young children detailing sources of support and difficulties they face. (Grey, Midgley & Webb, 2012) In addition to this the component of promoting informal social networks is important when considering aspects of social support in situations of illness and crisis what they may experience their life. Social support can include provision of practical health or advice as well as emotional comforting. It can be provided by a range of different people including relatives, work colleagues, neighbours and professional services. In view of this, Social workers are able to provide a more effective assistance if they are able to elicit the client support networks as studies have highlighted that relationship networks can be both a positive and a negative source for the clients wellbeing. Lastly the components of active

Social Work is a discipline that can be a very rewarding experience for both the worker and the client. The practice involves working with individuals, families, or groups who are struggling to cope with life`s challenges. The social worker must combine his or her personal qualities, creative abilities, and social concerns with the professional knowledge in order to help client’s social functioning or prevent social problems from developing (Bradford W. Sheafor, 2008, p. 34). Social work practice seeks to promote human well-being, while addressing the processes by which individuals and groups are marginalized or diminished in their capacity to participate as citizens (Ian O'Connor, 2006, p. 1).

These Ecological concepts demographics, competition, segregation and integration can help social workers analyze a community in terms of its fairness and support to all of its members. One of the strengths gathered from this perspective is that it allows for the issues to be identified and it implements change as needed. The Human Ecology perspective can help frame subsequent questions like how to change the situation. It has concern for the individuals within the community but its main focus is on the environment. With the focus on the environment it will be better to determine why people behave the way they do. One of the concepts of this perspective is also one of tis strengths and that is when integration occurs. Members will come together and function as a whole. However, this theory does have its weaknesses. For one when the demographics mentioned are becoming unlivable members will compete and segregate themselves. This causes the community to always be in chaos. Viewing communities from a Human Ecology perspective it provides a useful assessment mechanism for understanding why people act as they do within the context of the larger community macro system.

Social workers promote social justice and social change with and on behalf of clients. “Clients” is used inclusively to refer to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social workers are sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice. These activities may be in the form of direct practice, community organizing, supervision, consultation administration, advocacy, social and political action, policy development and application, education, research and evaluation. Social workers seek to enhance the capacity of people to address their own needs. They also seek to promote the

Social workers must be able to discuss the human behaviors of different groups of people.  The differences of mankind are what is called in social work human diversity. Council on Social Work Education states that human diversity can be grouped in subgroups that consist of age, color, class, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, immigration status, political ideology, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation; (Zastrow & Ashman, 2013, p.11). There are social systems set up by every country. These systems consist of certain subsystems and social structures. Social Systems Theory is human behavior in it’s most complete terms. This theory is set to create a membership between the members of society. It works to form a union for families, organizations and others members of society to work together to solve problems.  In some parts of the world the social systems are not alike but still fall under classes. For example the United States has what is called a class system. In the United States our classes s are set up based upon your financial status. It is based upon three levels rich, middle class and poor, but some argue it consist of  more. There are the subsystems that is the rich, the upper middle class, middle class, the lower middle class and the poor. These systems work together to supply what is needed to the different system that make up the whole systems. In China there is also a class system of government but it works a little

Community is very important and has many factors like kinship, unity, and identity. Community helps society because it creates solutions, provides security and reveals dedication. It discovers truthfulness. Communities are part of everyday life and have positive affects on its members.

As a social work it is important to understand the communities you are working in, from a professional perspective because it is crucial to know if there are any other resources your patient can potentially access for assistance. Getting to know your community can help you build a strong relationship with individuals to achieve the common goal, to help families in the community. Being aware of what is going on in the community can demonstrate to others that you are there in their best interest. The environment where people live often shape individuals. Learning the environment where someone is from can help you learned about a person. What goes on in the community often have an effect on how people are and often shape families. Being able to be the person individuals from the community trust and greet every day can make the job easier.

Social Work’s core philosophy and values are centered around social justice and social well-being. Oppression, injustice, discrimination, and violence are antithetical to the social work profession. Social Work believes in strength-based approaches and the person-in-environment perspective to cater the needs and welfare of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society at large. Generally, the target populations for social work are vulnerable, marginalized, and oppressed people; however, social workers provide services to people with a wide range of problems, such as poverty, addiction, mental illness, etc. to empower them to meet their own needs. Historically, the social work profession started its operation by providing neighborhood