Social Work And Its Impact On Society Essay

Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the point where people interact with their environment. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work’. Social work origins arise from the effects of a change to an industrial sociality and increasing impact and focus upon poverty. However it is argued that current social work practice, as illustrated by the broad definition of social work by the IFSW, finds itself expected to address wider social issues such as racism, sexism, and discrimination relating to physical or mental ability. Furthermore social work itself has changed from its origins of a charity style response to social problems of poverty. Banks (1995, p1) argues that the changes to social work have introduced different roles for different purposes of ’redistribution of resources to those in need... social control and rehabilitation of the deviant’ Banks further argues that as social work changes, the emphasis is less upon a helping relationship and more on the distribution of resources and on social control.

According to (Dulmus & Sowers, 2012, p.106), the history of social work is one of an old religiously grounded ethos of offering, aid and comfort. This shows that social work has been around for quite a long time, helping the unfortunate and it has developed more throughout these past centuries. The profession was largely shaped by Westerns idea and events. (Chenoweth &McAuliffe, 2015, p.32). The ideas and events included could have been war, poverty and other social reforms. That is when social welfare was needed to give aid and help solve these issues. Social work largely expanded in England in the 16th during the Elizabethan poor laws and later on in America between 17 and 18th century (Dulmus & Sowers, p.6). This essay is going to focus on how social work has evolved or changed for the better from the 1960s till present.

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.

Early social work focused on individuals and casting blame on them for their circumstances. Social workers had good intentions, but believed poor people were poor because of some failing on their part and often held a moralistic view that they were better than those they were helping. Social work has always had some type of organization behind the

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.”

The profession of social work has been in the health care field ultimately since the beginning of the health care system. However, throughout the years, the roles of the social worker and their prevalence have changed just as much as the system itself.

As discussed by Williams & Bell (2015), the evolving identity of social work has been continually unclear among the general public and social workers themselves. Theoretically social work practice is thought to have abandoned its original ideals of community focus and collective betterment shifting its concentration to individualistic approaches. Since its inception, beginning with settlement houses and charity organizations in the 19th century, social work practice has endeavored for recognition as a profession in its own right not as a supplement to other professions in a secondary manner such as assisting doctors or lawyers etc.

This paper will discuss the theoretical social and economic characteristics of social work. Additionally, this paper will include cultural diversity, race, gender, religion, concepts, conflicts, theories, and core values of community and social justice. Further, it will detail the common advantages and disadvantages this profession faces today in the economy. This paper will conclude with a brief discussion on why this career path was chosen and future projection.

Social work with families and individuals began when volunteers from charities or churches provided help for those in need1. After the war, many families were poverty-stricken. Families had no homes & they had no food to survive. Social work with individuals and families began when volunteers from different organizations, like churches or charities, aided families who were living in poverty2. Later, this process was soon to be known as social case work. Social case work is when the volunteer who is helping the family, collects information about the family or individual and helps find a way to solve their issue3. Mary Richmond was the first person to have the idea to gather the information about families and individuals4. Mary believed that when you gathered the information & shared them with other social workers, you’d be able to communicate about that individuals circumstances & help find a solution to their needs5.

Social work is an empowering profession. It is a profession that inspires hard working, talented, and dedicated human beings to help nurture others in difficult times of needs. It is a profession that that promotes social change and problem solving in human relationships. “Social work is the process of increasing personal or interpersonal power so that individuals, families, and communities

Perhaps one of the first times that we see social work pop up in history is in the early seventeenth century when the Elizabethan poor laws were put into place. These laws were in both America and Great Britain. They made it clear that the government had a very limited task of helping people that needed it. Through these laws, the two sections of poor people were created. The worthy poor were orphans, handicapped, and older citizens. They went to poorhouses while the unworthy poor, able bodied males, were placed in prisons because the government thought that they were fibbing about not being able to work. In 1834, a reform act was enacted to ensure that the laws were doing what they were supposed to. In 1839, Jane Addams created the first

#1 A: Social work can be defined as a broad profession, with the sole purpose of improving the lives and relieving the hardships of the members of a population. Social work addresses many problems for the well being of society, including: health care, criminal justice and domestic violence, economic and public policies, child and family welfare, as well as homelessness. Social workers are trained professionals with the education and tools necessary to address problems from several different perspectives, with the intention of helping the masses and not just individuals. Social workers have the ability to inform people in need of resources available to help them achieve a wide variety of goals, whether personal social mobility, or financial independence.

Social work laws and provisions, have set how social workers practice today. The foundation of social work has so many contributors, but one of the first laws to contribute to the welfare of individuals was The Poor Law Act 1601. Under the provisions of this act, it enabled parishes to offer two forms of relief. This then enabled people to receive; if deemed eligible under the criteria 's: indoor relief and outdoor relief. The act was later amended in 1834.

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).

Social Work is a field of interest to me because of the positive effort it contributes to society. Within the social work profession individuals are striving to improve the welfare of those in need of assistance. Social Workers assist a variety of individuals; from children, young adolescents, older adults, mentally ill, substance abuse individuals, and many other minorities; as in LGBT members, veterans, homeless people, and low socioeconomic status individuals. The broad mix population fascinates me because within this field one will always be able to work in a flexible environment. Social Work is used in multiple settings as in hospitals, nursing skilled homes, mental health and substance abuse clinics, schools, correctional facilities, community centers, child welfare agencies, employee assistance programs, and private practices.