Bohem (1959): Social work seeks to enhance the social functioning of the individuals, singly and in groups, by activities focused upon their social relationships that constitute the interaction between man and his environment. These activities can be the provision of individual and social resources and prevention of social dysfunction.

Methods of Social Work:  

The social worker believes in the capacity of the individual and also recognizes individual differences. The individual’s self-determination is given importance. He should be understood from both domestic and cultural points of view. Social work is a combination of “idealism and realism”. To a social worker, an individual is important but society is equally important. The individual is greatly molded by social circumstances. But, ultimately the individual must bear the responsibility for his or her conduct and behavior. The worker has to solve the problem on account of which the client is disturbed.

Hence, professional social work with selected knowledge and the set of social work values has to be transformed into a professional service. A social worker has to establish a positive relationship with the clients. She should know how to interview and write reports. He or she should be able to diagnose i.e., find out the cause for the problem and finally should work out a treatment plan. An Assessment of the problem, planning for its solution, implementing the plan, and evaluating the outcome are the four major steps involved in social work. The social worker’s keen interest in helping the client, alone will not solve the problem.

The methods of social work will help his/her to understand ways of helping people. Social work methods are:

Primary methods (direct helping method)

1) Social casework

2) Social group work.

3) Community organization.

Secondary methods (Auxiliary methods)

4) Social work research.

5) Social welfare administration.

6) Social Action

These six social work methods are systematic and planned ways of helping people.

Social casework deals with individual problems- individual in the total environment or as a part of it. An individual is involved in the problem as he is unable to deal with it on his own, because of reasons beyond his control. His anxiety sometimes temporarily makes him incapable of solving it. In any case, his social functioning is disturbed. The caseworker gets information regarding the client’s total environment, finds out the causes, prepares a treatment plan and with a professional relationship tries to bring about a change in the perception and attitudes of the client.

Social group work is a social work service in which a professionally qualified person helps individuals through group experience so as to help them move towards improved relationships and social functioning. In group work individuals are important and they are helped to improve their social relationships, with flexible programs, giving importance to the personality development of the individual in group functioning and relationships. The group is the medium and through it and in it, individuals are helped to make necessary changes and adjustments.

Community Organisation is another method of social work. Being made up of groups, a community means organized systems of relationships but in reality, no community is perfectly organized. Community Organisation is a process by which a systematic attempt is made to improve relationships in a community. Identifying the problems, finding out resources for solving community problems, developing social relationships, and necessary programmes to realize the objectives of the community are all involved in community organization. In this way, the community can become self-reliant and develop a co-operative attitude among its members.

Social Welfare Administration is a process through which social work services both private and public, are organized and administered. Developing programmes, mobilizing resources, involving selection and recruitment of personnel, proper organization, coordination, providing skillful and sympathetic leadership, guidance and supervision of the staff, dealing with financing and budgeting of the programmes and evaluation are, some of the functions of a social worker in administration.

Social work research is a systematic investigation for finding out new facts, test old hypotheses, verify existing theories, and discover causal relationships of the problems in which the social worker is interested. In order to scientifically initiate any kind of social work program, a systematic study of the given situation is necessary, through social work research and surveys.

Social action aims at bringing about desirable changes to ensure social progress. Creating awareness about social problems, mobilizing resources, encouraging different ‘sections of people to raise their voice against undesirable practices, and also creating pressure to bring about the legislation are some of the activities of the social workers using the method of social action. It seeks to achieve a proper balance between community needs and solutions mainly through individual and group initiatives and self-help activities