DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL

SCIENCES 1. The Goal on Caring

QUARTER 3 LECTURE Caring refers to the heart of social work and it
focuses on the well-being or the welfare and comfort of
LESSON 11: Goals and Scope of Social Work the individual and community.
2. The Goal on Curing
Social Work is a helping profession. Some Curing refers to the aspect of treating people
individuals have personal or family problems. with problems in social functioning.
Sometimes they cannot solve these by themselves. So, 3. The Goal on Changing
they need outside help. Such help comes from trained Changing refers to the active participation of
people. The individual seeking help is known as a client the social workers in social reforms.
and the trained person helping him is known as a social
worker. SCOPE OF SOCIAL WORK
The concern of social work is to help people
Morales and Sheafor (1983) identified four who are in need so that they develop the capacity to
areas of consideration: deal with their problems by themselves. It is both
1. In each helping situation, the social worker is science and an art. Social work is science in the sense
concerned with enabling or facilitating change. that the knowledge taken from different disciplines
Interventions to improve the quality of life may form the body of knowledge for a social worker and
appropriately occur as part of the social work she/he uses this theoretical base for helping people i.e.,
practice. for practice. What theory postulates has to be put into
2. The social worker is in the business of helping practice. The required capacity to do it is known as skill.
people or social institutions, such as family, Hence, professional social work with selected
change to enhance social functioning. It is not knowledge and the set of social work values, has to be
to focus on the whole person but on social transformed into a professional service.
relationships.
3. Applying the social systems theory, social work According to Morales and Sheafor (1983) Fields
can be viewed as a profession that helps people included in Social Work
interact more effectively with their social 1. Social Work as Primary Discipline
environment. The focus is placed on the a. Adoption and services to unmarried parents
“interface or the meeting place or the  Difficult decision to keep the baby or place
transaction of person and the environment” it for adoption
(William Gordon, as cited by Morales and  Applies both individual and group
Sheafor, 1983). counseling to assist women in making
4. In helping to achieve their goals of improved decisions
social functioning, the social worker must have b. Foster Care
handles in fortifying and securing the necessary  Removing children from homes and placing
resources to attain the goals of the clients. them to foster homes temporarily
 Works with the parents, child and court to
GOALS OF SOCIAL WORK administer court decisions to remove a child
The main goal of social work is to improve a due to detrimental situations
society’s overall well-being, especially for the most c. Residential Care
vulnerable populations.  Group care home or a residential treatment
Morales and Sheafor (1983) specified three (3) center
distinguishing goals of social work namely: caring,  These are for children exhibiting anti-social
curing, and changing. These goals are outlined and behaviors that require intensive treatment
described below: d. Support in own home
 Support services to keep children in their
own homes
  Counseling, family consultations, clients  Community planning, involvement of social
with appropriate institutions such as day workers with the physical, economic and health
care centers and home maker services planners in the long-range planning of
e. Protective Services communities.
 Protecting the child from abuse,
maltreatment, exploitation by parents 3. Social Work as a Secondary Discipline
 Seeks to protect the child without infringing a. Correctional Facilities, provide counseling and
the rights of parents link them to the outside world, provide support
f. Family Services upon release.
 Family counseling involves family case work, b. Industry, support to both managers and
family group work and family therapy employees. Serves as basis for employment.
 Family life education strengthens family c. Medical and Health care, attend to the social
relationships through educational activities and psychological factors contributing to the
to prevent family breakdown medical condition of the patients.
 Family planning involves planning the d. Schools, facilitate the provision of direct
number, spacing and timing of child births educational and social services and provide
to fit with their needs direct social case work and group work to
 Make decisions about the patterns of selected students.
reproduction towards enhancing quality of  Act as pupil advocate focusing on the urgent
life needs of the selected students.
g. Income maintenance  Consult with school administrators’ major
 Public assistance, financial aid to the poor. problems toward a planned service approach.
 It includes cash grants, food stamps, general  Consult with teachers about techniques for
assistance such as hospital and medical creating a free and motivating climate for
care, and supplemental security income. children by interpreting social and cultural
 Social Insurance, social provisions that influences.
funded by employers and employees  Use of peers to help a troubled child.
through contributions to a specific program.  Organize parent and community groups to
 Other forms, cash in kind benefits, channel concerns.
emergency support funds, and other  Develop and maintain liaison between the
resources that can be used by the poor for school and social work.
food and shelter  Provide leadership in coordination of student
services in guidance, clinic staff, psychologists
2. Social Work as Primary Discipline and attendants.
a. Support for people in their own homes
LESSON 12: Principles and Values of Social Work
program
 Helping older people remain in their homes and
Vocabulary Check
linking them with community programs such as
To familiarize the terms and terminology within
health care, meals and home care services.
the lesson, the following are some of the concepts to
b. Support for people in the long-term care
recall and to remember:
facilities
Principles – a fundamental truth or proposition
 Refers to nursing homes or other group living
that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or
facilities.
behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
c. Community Services
Social Justice is "neither communism, nor
 Community Organization activities, gathering
despotism, nor atomism, nor anarchy," but the
and analysis of data, matching delivery of
humanization of laws and the equalization of social and
services to the population distribution, securing
economic forces by the State so that justice in its
funds, coordination with existing agencies and
rational and objectively secular conception may at least
educating the general public about the services.
be approximated.
 Social justice means the promotion of the powers socially provided and socially
welfare of all the people, the adoption by the safeguarded opportunities for satisfying his/her
Government of measures calculated to insure economic basic needs in the physical, psychological,
stability of all the competent elements of society, economic, cultural, aesthetic, and spiritual
through the maintenance of a proper economic and realms.
social equilibrium in the interrelations of the members 5. Social Organizations required to facilitate
of the community, constitutionally, through the individual’s effort at self-realization – The
adoption of measures legally justifiable, or extra- notion that individual and society has the
constitutionally, through the exercise of powers responsibility to provide appropriate social
underlying the existence of all governments on the resources, it is the right of the individual to
time-honored principle of salus populi est suprema lex. promote change in social resources that do not
Social justice, therefore, must be founded on serve his/her need-meeting efforts.
the recognition of the necessity of interdependence 6. Self-realization and contribution to society – To
among divers and diverse units of a society and of the permit both self-realization and contribution to
protection that should be equally and evenly extended society by the individual, social organization
to all groups as a combined force in our social and must make available socially-provided devices
economic life, consistent with the fundamental and for need-satisfaction as wide in range, variety,
paramount objective of the state of promoting the and quality as the general welfare allows.
health, comfort, and quiet of all persons, and of
bringing about "the greatest good to the greatest These values according to the Curriculum Study
number." (Calalang vs Wiiliams, G.R. No. 47800. sponsored by the Council on Social Work Education as
December 2, 1940) cited by Mendoza (2002) comprise a minimum
Unanimity – the quality or state of being commitment from the social worker and the following
unanimous. concepts are implied in these values:
1. Concept of human potentials and capacities –
CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK
This is premised on the belief that a person is
Values are fundamental norms and preferred
inherently endowed with potentials and
behavior patterns, shared by members of a society or a
capacities.
subgroup which aim at integrating and channeling the
2. Concept of social responsibility – an individual
organized activities of the members. A value specifies
has the obligation to contribute to the common
whether to follow or not to follow a particular behavior.
good and society.
Mendoza (2002) cited that the Council on Social
3. Concept of equal opportunities – This is
Work Education identified and described six (6) values
premised on the ideal of social justice, two
that are shared by the social work profession.
elements of which are fairness and equality.
These values are outlined below:
4. Concept of social provision – This is based on
1. Right to Self-Fulfillment – Each person has the
the premise that there will always be
right to self-fulfillment which is derived from
everywhere with unmet needs or problems
his/her inherent capacity and thrust toward the
which are beyond their own capacity to solve.
goal;
2. Responsibility to Common Good – Each person
The National Association of Social Workers
has the responsibility as a member of the
(NASW) stated that the mission of the social work
society to seek ways of fulfillment that
profession is rooted in a set of core values. These values
contribute to common good;
include: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the
3. Responsibility of the Society – The society has
person, importance of human relationships, integrity,
the responsibility to facilitate self-fulfillment of
and competence (Morales and Sheafor, 1983).
the individual and the right to enrichment
Social Work values focus on three general
through the contribution of its individual
areas: values about people, values about social work in
members
relation to society and values that inform professional
4. Right to Satisfy Basic Needs – Each person
behavior.
requires for the harmonious development of his
 The First Value is the conviction in the Inherent
Worth, Integrity and Dignity of the Individual The Fourth Value is Social Worker’s Social
(Friedlander, 1977). Responsibility towards Himself, his family and his
 When a person fails to perform of follow what is society (Friedlander, 1977).
expected of him to do in a prescribed manner,  This value admonishes the social worker not to
the person is considered not worthy and not neglect himself, his family and the society in
desirable person by the people in a society. The which he is living while in the performance of
person’s dignity is denied and viewed as person duty and obligation and professional duties. If
with no integrity and inhumanely treated by the he unsuccessfully performs his obligation and
society. People are not interested about why commitment towards himself and his family,
the person has not been constituting a good then he himself or his family may fail to carry
performance on his social responsibilities in a out their social functioning and may become
suitable and acceptable way. omission of performance and failures needing
 This value reminds the social worker that every social work intervention.
client that comes (with a problem) to him is not
to be considered as a person having no value The Fifth Value is to Transmit Knowledge and
and no virtue because he is in a Skills to Others (Sheafor & Morales, 1989).
disadvantageous situation. For a social worker  This value provides instruction to the social
the client is as worthy as any other person and worker to give the information that he has, that
the client is in that situation because of many would enable the client to take care of himself,
other factors acting upon him. The conviction in in case the client faces connate challenges and
the dignity, worth and the integrity of any problems in the future. This is to guarantee that
individual, enables the social worker to deal the client becomes independent on the social
with any type of client with a positive frame of worker throughout his life. Withal, it also
mind. proposes that sharing of information, talent and
skills among co-professionals goes a long way
The Second Value is Belief in Democratic and is hard act to follow in nurturing the
Functioning. capability of the professional practice.
 It relies on the democratic process while dealing
with the client system. This alludes that The Sixth Value is Separating Personal Feelings
promptness and firmness in deciding is through from Professional Relationships (Sheafor & Morales,
unanimity and nothing is forcibly imposed on 1989).
the client. The worker, the client and others, are  This value reminds the social worker that he
all actively participating in the process of should not allow personal feelings to intrude in
decision making. Similarly, and at the same, the a professional relationship, as this may make
right of the client in having a preference for the him over concerned or develop a biased
solution is given the highest attainable point. prejudiced view about the client and his
problem situation the social worker may have
The Third Value is the Firm Belief in Equal endured the same experiences and been in a
Opportunity for All, Limited only by the Individual’s resembling social circumstance in his personal
Capacities (Friedlander, 1977). life. Further, it is possible that the social worker
 This value conveys an impression the need for might relate these situations to the present
social justice. Social work put forth a client and may lose his objectivity needed for
determined effort against social injustices giving social work intervention. As a result, he must be
out to the disadvantaged and defenseless vigilant about any of his personal feelings are
members of society. Regardless of caste, affecting thereby evoking strong emotional
religion, race, economic status and intelligence. response in his professional relationship.
Each person must have equal access to the
resources of our society.
 The Seventh Value assumes High Standards of 2. Client’s participation in problem-solving
Personal and Professional Conduct (Sheafor &  Client is expected to participate in the process.
Morales, 1989).  Gathers information in defining the nature of
 It accentuates that the conduct of the social the problem
worker should be commendable and exemplary  Participates in planning ways in resolving such
at both personal and professional levels. As a problems
professional, he should follow the Code of  Identifying resources to solve
Ethics for Social Work Practitioners. The  Act through the help of different available
achievement of any profession depends on the resources
virtuousness and character of the professionals 3. Self-Determination
actively engaged in a specified career or way of  The idea behind this principle is that the clients-
life. In social work practice situations, clients individuals, groups, or communities) who are in
come with a number of fears, indecision, need have the right to determine their needs
skepticism and distrust about everything and how they should be met.
around them. 4. Individualization
 They have to profess a number of confidential  Recognizing and understanding the client’s own
and emotional information and ardent unique characteristics and using different
emotional information and hope a lot of trust principles and methods for each client.
from the social worker. Revealing the  No two clients are exactly alike.
confidential information callously or making fun  Social interventions differ for each client
of the client’s precarious situation and plight or considering their unique qualities and situations
degradingly looking down upon client does 5. Confidentiality
great damage and harm. Albeit his personal  Client should be accorded with appropriate
behavior outside practice hours should not only projection, within the limits of the law, with no
be satisfactory to people but should also boost any harm that might result from the
him respectability and worthy of respect. The information given to the social worker
social worker is estimable member of society  The client should be assured that what he or
and he should not gratify in any conduct or she divulges will be kept in confidence.
attitude which is considered wrong or rejected  Moreover, confidentiality entails privacy
by society. Consequently, it is significant that a 6. Worker self-awareness
social worker be a person of high integrity,  Social worker is conscious about her/his role in
morale and of high ethical conduct. making use of her/his professional relationship
with the client in a way that will enhance the
Principles of Social Work client’s development rather than his/her own.
Social Work is based on respect for the inherent  The social worker consciously examines her/his
worth and dignity of all people and it is cultivated by feelings, judgments, biases and responses
altruistic and democratic principles. Friedlander (1958) whether these are professionally motivated.
and Biestek (1957) as cited by Mendoza (2002) 7. Client-worker relationship
indicated seven principles adhered by social workers  The purpose of client-worker relationship is to
including the following: help the client in some area of his/her social
1. Acceptance functioning in which, at the present he or she is
 Respecting clients under different experiencing some difficulty, and where the
circumstances worker is in the position to offer help.
 Understanding the meaning and causes of
client’s behavior
 Manifests warmth, interest and concern about ***END***
the client and her/his situation
 Recognizing the individual or people’s strengths
and potentials, weaknesses, and limitations.