Social Education And The Competent Social Work Practitioner

The textbook, Just Practice by Janet L. Finn and Maxine Jacobson, it describes several topics that pertains to social work, that includes theoretical perspective on social justice, engagement, teaching and learning and finally action and accompaniment. This paper will summarize the Just Practice textbook, chapters five through eight and go over in great detail about each topic and how each one is related to social work and/or social justice.

The people in the world that we live in are extremely diverse, in terms of the nationalities, religions, gender classifications and physical abilities. Social workers must have a clear understanding of the consequences of diversity and difference and the mechanisms of oppression and discrimination as they relate to human development. The range of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds that social workers will practice in is huge. Because of this, social workers must have an understanding of the values and attitudes of a multitude of different cultures as well as an understanding of their own attitudes and

Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of all people as expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights(1948) It is therefore of paramount importance that a social work professional should work towards promoting the best interests of individuals and groups in society. I very much recognize the contribution that social work brings to inclusion having worked alongside social workers during the course of my shadowing placement. I possess a real commitment to promote equality which I have had the pleasure of doing in a multitude of different roles. From academic journals as well as my lecture notes I now appreciate the central importance of using the fundamental principles of human rights and equality to underpin my practice, and the inherent need to promote justice in relation with the people I will work.

When working in a field of expertise the experts in that area need to know what defines that field. Social work, with its roots over a hundred years old, started out simply offering assistance to others, has grown and changed, and is currently reconnecting with its roots (Bisman, 2004). Bisman (2004) emphasizes the importance of being an advocate of justice and keeping the field focused on the “social” part of social work. This push to keep social work focused on the needs of others defines social work today. Social work focuses on providing aide to the needy and increasing awareness of those that are oppressed.

Gray, M., & Fook, J. (2004). The quest for a universal social work: Some issues and implications. Social Work Education, 23(5), 625-644.

Although not all social workers working in the field associate themselves as actively participating in international social work, many agencies nationally become involved with international issues. (Hugman, Moosa-Mitha, Moyo, 2010. P. 630). Claims, “All of us have, in different ways, become international social workers: we are all migrants, we all practice, teach and/or research in more than one country; we all address international issues in our work as we presume that global issues are increasingly local.”

Jeyapal (2017) in his article “The Evolving Politics of Race and Social Work Activism: A Call across Borders” discusses the need and strategies for social works to reinstate its fight against racism. Jayapal (2017, p45) “Social Work has documented and extended the profession’s commitment to activism. The journal’s focus on activism reflects social work’s evolving focus”. He further states that social movement organizations have presented an outstanding front in fighting against colonialism, racism and other social vices that tags along. On the other hand, social work has not developed its roots in the fight against racism. Since the inception of social work in 1956, it has committed efforts in activism. Through social activism, social workers have championed the role of social justice. Additionally, they have formed allies with revolutionary social groups in a move to mobilize for social reforms. Similarly, the groups have pushed for changes in policy to transform healthcare, child labor, civil rights and to champion women rights. Arguably, social work is a profession that has vested interest in social justice and human rights. Given the political outfits and the role race in shaping the politics if USA, social work is a better tool that can be used to avert the effects of racism among the

The role of social workers in international scene has become more significant as their competencies become just as in demand. The proliferation of local social problems has spread internationally while globalization continuously changes every aspect of human life. For this reason, North America social workers must be alarmed if their current expertise matches with the demand of international concerns.

Fourth, I am going to write about strengths and weaknesses in relation to social work practice and educational need. One of my strongest strengths as a social worker is patience. It helps me to persevere enthusiastically towards conquering goals and objectives when assisting my clients. Patience keeps alive the objective in mind to meet. Physical or psychological exhaustion only reaffirms the importance of patience. For that reason, it’s important to be patience with what we start out with the aim of clients’ benefit.

According to the AASW (2008), the social work profession has a responsibility in the decolonisation of oppressive practices

The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) is a national association of educational programs and individuals that confirms and improves the quality of social work education to become a professional job. CSWE puts in a countless amount of effort to strive for this mission by setting up a bachelor's and master’s degree programs in social work. On the other hand, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with approximately 132,000 members. To be more specific, NASW has a determination to intensify the maturity and developmental process of its members. The main goal is to retain professional standards and to create fair social policies. NASW progresses

“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.” (1)

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).

What is the most essential knowledge that social workers students must have to work effectively with families? The social work profession has always emphasized the importance of strong family functioning. When families are successful in meeting their goals, individuals and society as a whole thrive. Throughout the history of the profession, social workers in child welfare, child guidance and mental health have worked with families to ensure that children are safe from abuse and neglect, that parents know ways to manage emotional challenges of childhood and that families know effective communication processes to resolve the symptoms of mental illness. Over time, however, the approaches to building effective family interventions have changed and schools of social work need to be attuned to the demands on agencies to offer services that are effective. Students who want to work with families must graduate from their academic programs knowing how to deliver effective interventions. In order to best educate students for this, faculty at Springfield College School of Social Work have participated in curriculum development workshops at the Wheeler Clinic in Plainville Connecticut.

In the anti oppressive social work practice, the social worker has to emphasize cultural competency and provide culturally responsive facilities to the clients and recognize diversity and differences as a strength to solve the cause of ethnic, race and other types of oppressions (Danso, 2009).