“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” E - Edith Wharton
Social work is a profession that helps in improving the quality of life and wellbeing of people or communities. This essay analyses and underpins the understanding of the nature of social work from diverse perspectives. It also throws light on the need for social work
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The rich is getting richer and the poor is getting the poorer. The gap between the rich and poor not only persists, but continues to widen and the ideology justifying it has managed to be pervasive. Social workers are charged with the responsibility of bringing to public notice the values, attitudes, behaviours and social structures and economic imperatives that cause or contribute to the oppression of human welfare and rights. They are further charged with the duty to respond, with passion and hope, to human need wherever and however it is manifested, and to work towards the attainment of social justice for individuals, groups and communities in a local and global context. (Chenoweth & McAuliffe, 2012, p. 16)
According to Parton, a social worker, over the years acts as an advocate and mediator between those individuals, groups and communities who are actually or potentially excluded from the mainstream of society (Parton 2004). Sheafor and Horejsi (2008, pp. 4-5) consider that the primary purpose of social work should focus on the interconnectedness and interdependence of people and the power of social relationships that underpins a profession devoted to helping people improve the quality and effectiveness of those interactions and relationships- in other words to enhance their social functioning.
The broad overview of the mission of social work and its core values complied by Reamer (1998) from North American literature on social work values and ethics
In this paper, the role of a social worker will be addressed. A Human Service professional has, in its hands, the responsibilities in the life of the clients and families they meet. The tremendous and arduous responsibilities they take on include, but are not limited to, the well-being and care of people and their communities. Such roles can be helping others manage the care of a family member, assisting individuals experiencing problems with family relations and conflicts, dealing with changes that come with growing old, aiding those suffering mental illness and or those individuals struggling with addictions. Briefly
This section of the paper will discuss the definition of social work, values associated with social work and arguments for and against the use of systems theory in social work practice. Social work can be described as a field of study that encompasses individuals and their environment. Social work can be defined as work trained professionals do to elevate stressors of individuals so they may become more self-sufficient and empowered to live to their fullest potential.
The very nature of social work and the individuals and groups involved with the service, indicates that social workers should, similarly to the definitions, have the same goal of helping, supporting and empowering the socially excluded at the heart of their practice. However, professional ethics and values are fundamental to professionals from their training through to practice, which has an enormous influence on the role, and how the shared goals are achieved (Doel, 2012). To practice ethically and by the social work values however, is not always as straightforward as one may
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.
It is a fact that in the US, 50 percent of the wealth is controlled by 1% of the population. But is it really such an unfortunate reality that we would need a system other capitalism to stem the tide of upward movement of wealth distribution. In my view, what is wrong is not the 1 percent's hold on 50 percent of wealth but the resulting decline in middle class that is now a major problem for the US.
Social Work is a career that you can make a significant impact on people’s lives. Social work is a spectacular career choice. However, working in this profession as a social work it can and will be challenges that will occur. A social worker enhances the welfare of communities, individuals and societies. Furthermore, social work aims to aid social change, development, cohesion, and empowerment. I had the pleasure of interviewing Latosha McIntyre about her work duties as a social worker with Day Spring Behavior Health Service. Day Spring Behavior Health Service is a non-profit- organization that offers a variety of behavioral health services to individuals and families. This paper will enclose Latosha McIntyre job activities, professional
Society puts pressure on citizens to conform to their standards of what is normal, however, when one obeys the toxicness that is expected, they lose their individualism and change who they truly are. It is not any different in Hester Prynne’s situation in the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes of an adulteress, who is forced to wear the letter “A” upon her chest to represent her sin, and her daughter, a constant reminder of what she has done. Although a puritan community demands a society to conform, Hester Prynne continues doing what is not expected and living her individual life even after being forced to hold a symbol of shame, ultimately illustrating the importance of being a nonconformist.
“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 workers have many different practices and approaches to draw on for work with individuals, families, communities and society as a whole. These approaches and techniques can be varied depending on the distinctive
The Bachelor of Social Work degree is more than just a qualification in my eyes. It goes beyond receiving a title or a piece of paper at the end of my schooling. Social Work is a career where you do not only learn how to help others, you also learn how to help yourself. I am excited to learn new ways to enhance my self-awareness and mindfulness. I am confident that I will be more comfortable with articulating my own thoughts and emotions throughout this experience. I know how important it is to build relationships and make connections during school.
The fundamental mission of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is to promote human well-being as well as to help meet the needs of all people, while paying special attention to the needs and empowerment of people living in poverty, oppressed and vulnerability. The social work profession focuses on human and societal well-being in a social context. The key areas of the profession are to outline the environmental forces responsible for creating and contributing to social problems. Social workers are tasked with promoting social change and social justice on behalf or with the clients. Clients in a social context include an organization, a community, a family, a group or an individual (Parker-Oliver and Demiris,
Many experts call social workers the “jack of all trades” of the modern society. This comes from the fact that these professionals assist their clients in almost every accept of life. For one thing, they promote good mental health since they can help patients with psychological conditions and substance abuse problems. They can also help in improving physical wellbeing since they can guide their clients to the right healthcare facility and assist them in obtaining financial help to fund their treatment. Of course, they can help people who are going through socio-economic difficulties by steering them to organizations who can best assist with their financial needs.
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).
Improving the lives of individuals is the objective of the social work profession. There is six values within National Association of Social work Code of Ethics (NASW): Service, Social Justice, Dignity, and Self-worth of the person, Importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These values are for social workers and their work with the client(s). Regardless of one’s race, religious belief, sex or sexual orientation each value benefits all individuals. Social workers should always practice professional values. Clients suffer from when the social worker does not uphold values. Code of Ethics is established for all social workers to obey and follow them. In this this paper, I will discuss the how “Importance of Human Relationship” will be the easiest to uphold and how “Social Justice” will challenge me as a social worker working with future clients, community and organizations.
#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.