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An introduction to social work.Explained.

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An introduction to social work -What is Social Work? Social work is a relatively new and socially undervalued profession, owing to its inability to demonstrate the immediate visibility of the outcomes of its practice. The primary reason for this difficulty is the reliance on social relationships as the primary medium of professional practice/assistance, which are intangible by definition. This practice/assistance is primarily concerned with altering people's psychological structures and societal structures and systems in society, both of which are not readily observable. Due to the profession's infancy, there is considerable confusion over the many terminologies used when teaching in classrooms, doing social work research, and practising the profession with individuals in need in society. Because effective professional practise necessitates clarity regarding the various concepts used, it becomes necessary to clarify and define them, as well as to distinguish between similar concepts used in social work and those used in other social sciences such as sociology and psychology, from which social work has drawn heavily. Several significant themes are discussed here, including charity, shramdan, social action, social defence, social justice, social movement, social network, social policy, social reform, social security, social services, and social work.

Charity, Voluntary Action and Shramdan 

Charity,

Quite frequently, charity, particularly the distribution of alms, is mistakenly seen as social work, which is incorrect. "Charitable actions, such as almsgiving or performing other benevolent actions of any sort for the needy with no expectation of material reward," according to Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary (1996: 248), are "charitable actions, such as almsgiving or performing other benevolent actions of any sort for the needy with no expectation of material reward." The majority of established faiths throughout the world have emphasised charity as a great virtue that its adherents should possess. Mujeeb (1968: 324) says that "all religion enjoins generosity, and various forms of charity are an essential part in the practise of all religions," which serves to reinforce this point. 

The practice of giving is revered in the Hindu religion. The first known reference to charity may be found in the Rig Veda, which is the world's oldest book of poetry, where the god Rudra is lauded for bestowing several gifts. It mentions (1.XIII.2), which is a charitable encouragement, "May the one who contributes the most shine the brightest." Each and every one of India's sacred books firmly extols the virtue of charity, which every householder is expected to uphold without fail. The charity has been elevated to the status of spiritual practice and socially sanctioned as a responsibility that every Hindu must fulfill in order to pay the Rinas (varied kinds of debts which every Hindu owes). 

Those opposed to charitable giving have expressed concern that charity should only be given to those who deserve it. The Atri Samhita explicitly states that an undeserving individual who takes assistance commits theft and that those who assist him/her are complicit in the theft. In general, men, particularly Brahmins (scholars who devote their lives to their studies) and the crippled, were deemed to be eligible applicants. The importance of kindness is emphasized throughout the Old Testament. Jews have been commanded to follow God's commands and to provide for the poor. In Judaism, it has been argued that love for one's neighbor is an important obligation. 

Christianity promotes brotherly love as a way of life. "Imagine that a man has all of the material possessions he requires, but he notices that his brother is in need; if he steals the love of God from his brother, how can we say that the love of God dwells within him?" "I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you brought me home; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you cared for me; and I was a prisoner, and you came to me," Jesus Christ himself stated.... Believe me when I say that what you did to one of the least of my brothers, you did to me as well." (1968:318-22) (Mathai, 1968:318-22) According to Islamic tradition, charity is considered to be the spiritual equal of prayer. "As every Muslim is required to pray, he is also required to make a contribution to the public treasury if he owns the bare minimum of property," writes Mujeeb (1968:324), "if he owns the bare minimum of property" (bait al mal). Beyond the obligation to pay, the Muslim has been imposed obligations that are virtual as binding as any religious imperative, including acts of compassion and hospitality, feeding the hungry, and providing amenities for travelers. 

On certain occasions, Muslims give out sweets, fruits, and sometimes money to their friends, relatives, and the impoverished to commemorate the occasion. Islam teaches that almsgiving is one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam, and that waqf, or the dedicating of property for charitable purposes, is an important aspect of Muslim law. Zuckat, Fitrah, Sadqua, and Khairat are all Islamic notions that are associated with charitable giving. According to Zuckat, every sincere Muslim is expected to donate one-fortieth of his or her annual income to charitable causes. It is the Lord's inheritance. Under Fitrah, those who own gold, jewelry, a home, or any other valuable asset are compelled to contribute 2.5 percent of their savings, which is then allocated to the poor and the needy in the community. 

In addition, each family is obligated to provide 3.5 kg of wheat for each of its members to those who are in need of assistance. Sadqa, also known as Khairat, is an alm that anyone can give according to his or her own wishes or desires. Even on important ceremonies such as Aquiqa (the first time a child's hair is shaved), a devout Muslim is required to sacrifice one goat in the case of a girl and two goats in the case of a boy, divide the meat into three parts, and distribute one part to the poor and one part to relatives, with only one part remaining for consumption by family members. Even the revenues from the sale of goat skins, as well as cash or silver equal to the weight of the child's hair, shall be handed to the impoverished. 

Zorostrians, the followers of Zarathushtra who are also known as Parsis in India, believe in the phrase "Ushta Ahmai Yehmai Ushta Kehmaichit" (Gatha Ushtavaiti), which translates as "Happiness to him who brings Happiness to others." Zorostrians are also known as Parsis in India. A commendable amount of effort has been done in the area of assisting the destitute and needy by the Parsi Panchayats and Anjamans, as well as by Parsi trusts. (Desai, 1968: 328-34) (Desai, 1968) God's pleasure or divine grace has been shown via many examples of volunteer service to the entire humanity, irrespective of sect or cult, that have occurred throughout Sikh history. Guru Nanak Dev has stated unequivocally that "He who assists others in the world will be given a place in the court of God." Guru Govind Singh issued an order stating that every Sikh is expected to contribute one-tenth (dasawandh) of his or her income to the benefit of the society in which they live. Singh (1968:334-340) describes a formalised formalised formalized formalised formalized (Singh, 1968:334-340) formalized (Singh, 1968:334-340) formalised (Singh, 1968:334-340) formalised (Singh, 1968:334-340) formalised (Singh, 1968:334-340) formalised (Singh, 1968:334-340) formalized (Singh, 1968: Buddhism and Jainism have both preached compassion for the poor and needy, and it is through this compassion that all forms of charity spring forth. Unlike social work, which has its roots in charity, charity, whether in cash or kind, differs in that it results in temporary relief and makes the recipient reliant on the donor, whereas social work develops the capacity for self-help among people by providing service to them or by bringing about necessary changes in an obstructive and depriving social system, both of which are beneficial to the recipient.

Voluntary Action 

People's intrinsic compassion for their suffering fellows is an innate aspect of their being. An innate human desire, to be honest. It is because of this fundamental desire that people have always stepped forward of their own free will and accord to assist those who are in trouble throughout history. When we examine the various types of requirements that people have, we can plainly see that these needs may be generally classified as physical, psychological, social, and spiritual in nature. People do not just want to survive; they also desire love, affection, autonomy, respect, recognition, self-actualization, and, above all, moral and spiritual development, for which they turn to charitable giving and the provision of various types of assistance in order to achieve their goals. 

The majority of the time, people extend their helping hand to those in need because they have a natural sense of altruism, devotion, and dedication to serve all of humanity or at the very least the members of their own society, and not necessarily out of a sense of absolute selflessness (quite often it is because of their desire to go to heaven after death or to get rid of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth by attaining salvation through charity or other forms of help to the oppressed and suppressed in society that people involve themselves involuntary action). In general, however, they do not expect any tangible material returns for the charitable contributions they make, or for the assistance they provide, or for the work that is done by people voluntarily – on their own initiative and accord, out of a natural sense of compassion and concern for the well-being of others – without expecting any kind of tangible material gain in lieu of the work done because it is their own desire and wish. 

For lack of a better phrase, it is direct or indirect assistance, service, or donation that people individually or collectively provide out of a sense of compassion for others, particularly those who are victims of poverty, ill-health, idleness or illiteracy as well as suppression, oppression, abuse or exploitation, among other things. Voluntary action is primarily distinguished by the following characteristics: 1) an inborn desire to assist others and improve their well-being in any and all ways possible—not necessarily financially. 2) The absence of any expectation of material advantage in exchange for the assistance provided. 3) A strong sense of social responsibility and a desire to assist those in need. The highest virtue of service to humanity is a source of faith for four people. 5) Belief that one's obligations take precedence above one's rights. However, there is another side of human nature to consider. Human beings, by their very nature, are also self-seekers. This self-serving propensity has grown in popularity in our modern age of individualism, consumerism, and hedonism, among other things. This has had a negative impact on the spirit of voluntarism and voluntary action. People today expect to know right away what benefits they will receive from anything they do, or from any program or activity in which they participate. 

They want to know this from the beginning of any project or activity. Despite all of this, however, there are still people who are willing to lend a helping hand. As a result, in the new context, the definition of voluntary action must be revised to include all of the expectations of people, such as the payment of travel and daily allowances to cover their travel expenses, as well as a modest/insignificant honorarium to enable them to meet their basic survival needs. There may be a variety of sources that can help to increase the level of voluntarism. For example, some moral/religious discourse may serve to increase the motivation of those who wish to volunteer their time. In the same way, the outstanding acts of a philanthropist or charity organization can heighten the desire to assist the suffering of humanity if they are repeated. An occurrence or disaster that takes the lives of innocent people may arouse the desire to help those who have been harmed in the same way. Parental, educational, and spiritual values, as well as the example of others, may also inspire a person to engage in some form of selfless action. The development of spirituality as a result of the knowledge of the mortality of this physical world and the eternity of its Creator may result in a desire to make sacrifices and give up material goods, as well as a desire to work for the well-being of others people.

Shramdan (Voluntary Manual Labour)

People often think that Shramdan is about social work, which is completely wrong and misleading. Shramdan is a word that comes from Hindi. It's made up of two words: "Shram" (work) and "Dan" (Donation). Taken together, they mean doing work for the good of the group, like building, building, or planting something. It's important for Shramdan to do manual labor, be willing to help out and work together, and work for a common good or to protect a common good or public interest. There has been a very healthy tradition of working together for the good of people all over the world, especially in India. In the early stages of social evolution, life was very difficult because people had to deal with all kinds of threats, especially from animals and poisonous reptiles. 

People also had to deal with the changes in the weather. People had to work together to stay alive, so they had to help each other out. There were no high-tech tools or equipment, so people had to help each other out. If it was breaking or shifting rocks, clearing shrubs for narrow passages through dense forests, hunting for meat, building improvised bridges over rivers, or building embankments on the banks of rivers, or digging wells or ponds for drinking water, or building shelters for the travelers to rest and cook food for their co-travelers, they did it. As long as people lived together in groups that were characterized by a sense of togetherness or belonging, this arrangement worked well. Then, the state, which is a part of society, took on the responsibility of promoting people's well-being through a variety of different types of work by hiring laborers for money in lieu of the work they did. Even now, there are many examples of groups of people working together to improve people's lives and living conditions by doing things like building roads, canals, irrigation channels, drains, or digging ponds, wells, compost pits, and so on. These groups of people also work together to build community huts, sarais, Dharmshalas, and so on. Even the government has started programmes like the National Service Scheme, the National Cadet Corps, and so on, where young people who are well-educated are asked to help improve the lives of people in the areas where they work. 

This is done to promote the value of labor and make it a part of young people's personalities. Definitely, Shramdan is a huge help to society and the economy because it makes a huge amount of free labor available, which leads to a lot of real-world accomplishments. However, social work is very different from this not only in terms of goals but also in terms of methods and techniques as well as the philosophy that goes with it. Shramdan wants to get some concrete work done, especially with the help of groups of people who don't expect anything in return for doing good for the community. It is based on the idea that everyone should do their best to help their fellow man, as well as the important role that manual labor plays in the development of people's personalities and the whole social system. Unlike Shramdan, social work is a very specific kind of work that requires a lot of knowledge and skills to do well. 
It aims to improve the way people in society work together or make changes in the social system so that everyone can reach their full potential without having to deal with any kind of unwanted pain or obstacles, as well as making the kind of contribution that society expects from them and getting the kind of reward that they deserve. Thousands of years ago, our great sages and seers said that (May all be happy; may all be free from disease; may all be healthy; and may no one suffer from any sorrow!). It is based on democratic and humanitarian philosophy, which emphasizes the values of equality, justice, liberty, and fraternity.
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