Nature, Scope, Goals, and Functions of Professional Social Work

An Introduction

For different people, social work means different things. Some consider social work to be (shramadan), while others consider it to be charity or disaster relief. Road, construction, and cleaning services for a house or its surroundings will fall under the category of (shramadan). All of these, however, are not necessarily forms of social labour. Social work helps people with behavioral issues such as marital problems in children and chronic patient rehabilitation issues.

Some of the causes of misconceptions are as follows:

1) Social workers are unable to differentiate between western professional and traditional religious aspects of their work.

2) Terminology has not evolved because of social workers' preoccupation with day-to-day issues.

3) Because the majority of the findings come from social sciences, precision and accuracy are low.

4) Social work deals with issues that even the average person has preconceived notions about.

5) To further complicate matters, politicians, actors, and cricketers refer to some of their promotional campaigns as "social work." Trained social workers are paid and voluntary, whereas untrained social workers are not, but they work alongside one another. Laypeople frequently do not understand the distinctions between the various types of activities that are classified as social work and are carried out by a diverse group of people from various backgrounds.

The Characteristics of Social Work

Some people are dealing with personal or familial problems. They may be unable to deal with these issues on their own at times. As a result, they require assistance from others. Professionals provide such assistance. The person seeking assistance is known as a client, and the professional assisting him is known as a social worker. Such tasks are referred to as social case work.

The customer should be encouraged to better himself or herself. Being willing to accept help is a requirement in social work. The social worker simply supplements the client's efforts to improve his situation. By not imposing his advice or solution on the client, he respects their right to self-determination. Clients should not regard social workers as superiors, nor should they despise them. They should have empathy, which means that they should try to understand the client's situation by imagining themselves in her shoes. They should not, however, feel like the client. The social worker must understand and accept the client's feelings.

Hundreds of people donate money and goods to help victims of natural disasters and disasters. They will have no direct contact with the victims. Because it entails assisting the helpless, this is commonly referred to as social service. In social work, however, face-to-face interaction between the professional and the client is essential. In some cases, in addition to providing temporary relief, the social worker also helps to improve interpersonal relationships and resolve adjustment issues related to disasters and natural calamities. Social work is the type of involvement required to address deeper issues and other relationship difficulties.

The Scientific Foundation of Social Work

The practice of social work is scientifically supported. Knowledge, according to social workers, is not valuable in and of itself. Social work is founded on a scientific body of knowledge, albeit one drawn from a variety of fields in the social and biological sciences. In social work, as in any other discipline, there are three types of knowledge.

1) Knowledge that has been put through its paces.

2) Theoretical knowledge that must be transformed into empirical knowledge.

3) Assumptive knowledge, or practical wisdom, must be transformed into hypothetical knowledge, which must then be evaluated.

To supplement the knowledge, sociology, psychology, anthropology, political science, economics, biology, psychiatry, law, and medicine are all used. All disciplines have contributed significantly to our understanding of human nature. Social workers use their expertise to assist their clients in dealing with problems.

Humanitarianism is central to social work. It is known as "Scientific Humanism" because it is based on scientific principles. Social work is founded on a set of ideals that, when combined, constitute the "Philosophy of Social Work." The foundation of social work is a belief in the inherent worth and dignity of the individual. Man is revered for being a human being, not for his wealth or power. Human nature bestows worth and dignity on each individual, which all other humans must respect. Discrimination in social work is prohibited on the basis of caste, colour, ethnicity, sex, or religion.

Social work opposes "Social Darwinism" and the concept of "survival of the fittest." This means that social workers do not believe that in society, only the strong will survive and the weak will perish. Those who are sick, disabled, or in need of assistance are equally important to social workers. Individuals are viewed as a whole, with equal worth and dignity, regardless of psychological, societal, or economic differences. The social worker believes in the ability of the individual while also acknowledging individual differences. Individual self-determination is emphasised as important. He must be comprehended from both a domestic and a cultural standpoint. In social work, "idealism and realism" coexist. Individuals are important to a social worker, but so is society. The social environment has a significant influence on an individual's personality. However, the individual must accept responsibility for his or her actions and behaviour in the end. The worker must resolve the issue that is upsetting the client. As a result, social work is primarily a problem-solving occupation.

Social Work's Scope

The goal of social work is to help people who are in need develop the ability to solve their own problems. It's both a scientific experiment and a work of art. Social work is science in the sense that a social worker's body of knowledge is composed of knowledge from other disciplines, and she or he uses this theoretical foundation to help people, i.e., for practise. Theoretical knowledge must be put into practise. The ability to perform the task is referred to as skill. As a result, professional social work must be transformed into a professional service based on specialised knowledge and a set of social work ideals.

A social worker must develop positive relationships with the people she serves. She should be able to interview people and write reports. She or he should be able to diagnose, or determine the source of the problem, and then devise a treatment plan. The four key steps in social work are assessing the problem, planning a solution, carrying it out, and evaluating the outcome. The social worker's genuine desire to help the client will not suffice to resolve the situation. She should be able to help her clients.

1) Casework in social setting 

2) Belonging to social groups.

3) Involvement in community activities.

 4) Social work research. 

5) Social assistance administration. 

6) Participation in extracurricular activities

The first three are known as direct aid methods, while the last three are known as secondary or auxiliary aid methods. These six social work practices are methodical and well-planned approaches to assisting others.

Individual problems, whether in the context of the whole or as a component of it, are the focus of social case work. When a person becomes involved in an issue because he is unable to deal with it on his own due to circumstances beyond his control, he becomes entangled in it. Because of his nervousness, he is temporarily unable to solve problems. In any situation, his social functioning is disrupted. Through professional relationships, the case worker gathers information about the client's entire environment, determines the causes, develops a treatment plan, and attempts to change the client's perceptions and attitudes.

Social group work is a type of social work service in which a professionally trained individual helps individuals improve their relationships and social functioning through group experiences. Individuals are essential in group work, and they are helped to strengthen their social ties through adaptable programmes that emphasise the individual's personality development in group functioning and relationships. Individuals are assisted in making necessary changes and adjustments by and through the group.

Community organisation is another type of social work. A community is made up of groups and refers to a well-organized system of interactions; however, no community is perfectly organised. Community organisation is a systematic approach to attempting to strengthen community ties. Community organisation entails identifying problems, locating resources to solve community problems, developing social relationships, and putting in place necessary programmes to achieve the community's goals. In this way, the community can become self-sufficient and foster a cooperative mentality among its members

Social welfare administration refers to the process of organising and administering both private and public social work services. A social worker in administration may be responsible for developing programmes, mobilising resources, involving personnel selection and recruitment, proper I organization, coordination, providing skilled and sympathetic leadership, guiding I I and supervising staff, dealing with programme financing and budgeting, and evaluating.

Social work research is a systematic investigation aimed at discovering new facts, testing old ideas, confirming existing theories, and determining causal links between the issues that a social worker is interested in. To scientifically launch any type of social work programme, a comprehensive analysis of the given situation, including social work research and surveys, is required.

The purpose of social action is to effect desired changes in order to ensure social progress. Raising awareness about social problems, mobilising resources, encouraging various groups of people to speak out against harmful practises, and applying pressure to enact laws are all activities of social workers who use the social action approach. It seeks to strike a reasonable balance between community needs and environmental concerns.

Social Work Function

The three primary functions of social work are restoration, resource provision, and prevention. These are linked and interdependent. Curative and rehabilitative components are involved in restoring damaged social functioning. The therapeutic component eliminates the factors that contribute to the individual's social dysfunction. That is, disrupted interpersonal relationships are repaired by removing the causes of the disruption. After removing the variables that caused the condition, the individual must acclimate to the new cure or device recommended. The individual is assisted in adjusting to the new situation's demands. This is known as the rehabilitative aspect. A hearing aid, for example, is suggested as a treatment for a partially deaf child whose social relationships have suffered as a result of the problem. This is the healing aspect. The rehabilitative component is becoming accustomed to the hearing aid.

Both the development and instructional aspects of resource provision are critical. The developmental aspect is meant to promote resource effectiveness as well as personality variables for effective social interaction. Mr. and Mrs. X, for example, are a happily married couple despite occasional disagreements. They are not divorcing, and their marriage is in good condition. With the assistance of a family counselling organisation, they can work out their issues and repair their relationship. It's referred to as the developmental aspect. The educational spectrum is designed to acquaint the general public with specific criteria and requirements for new or changing circumstances. A talk given by a counsellor, for example, to address family and marriage issues is an educational process.

The third function of social work is to prevent social dysfunction. It entails detecting, correcting, or removing circumstances and situations that may obstruct efficient social functioning as early as possible. Establishing a youth club for males in specific locations, for example, may aid in the prevention of juvenile criminality. Pre-marital counselling for teenagers may assist in avoiding future marital problems.

Social Work Objectives

The goal of social work is to alleviate suffering by resolving people's problems. People have psychosocial problems that affect their physical and mental health. Aside from that, children's and adults' adjustment problems can be addressed separately. In other words, social work improves the social functioning of individuals, organisations, and families by providing recreational services to the general public, and it can help society avoid delinquency and crime through the prudent use of leisure time. It also connects the client system to the resources that it needs. Individuals benefit from social work because it helps them to effect changes in their environment that promote their growth and development.

Social work encourages democratic ideas and the development of positive interpersonal relationships, which leads to optimal family and neighbourhood changes. Social workers are not believers in 'Social Darwinism.' It rejects the concept of survival of the fittest. As a result, legal aid is used to promote social justice. It also promotes social fairness through the development of social policy. Social work also improves the efficiency of the system for delivering social services.

The Worker's Personal Attitude

The social worker is also a human being. She or he will experience all of the emotions that a human does. Because she or he is in a position to help others, she or he may feel superior. When she/he looks in the mirror and sees herself/himself. All of this can be traced back to the worker's childhood and professional experiences as a Social Worker. She/he must understand her/his own feelings and control Nature, Scope, Goals, and Functions while professionally participating in the assisting position. She or he must accept the client's emotions exactly as they are. She/he must not mix them up with her/his own. She or he must focus on assisting the client while making effective use of the client's emotions and resources.

Ethics and Social Work

Any profession usually grants its practitioners a great deal of power. A layperson seeking social work assistance may be aware of the complexities of the problem. A social worker's professional advice is valuable, and his or her judgement should not be questioned. When power is not restrained by behavioural norms, it is easy for tyranny to emerge. Social workers may charge exorbitant fees or impose unpopular demands on the general public. As a result, professional organisations establish a code of ethics to govern the profession.

Philosophy of Ethics: The professional owes an ethical obligation to his or her clients, employers, and coworkers. She/he has a responsibility to the community as well as to his/her profession. The relationship between a professional and their client is the foundation of their service. The collaboration should be unbiased and neutral. The professional should not discriminate on the basis of gender, caste, creed, or colour. The professional must keep the client's situation and any relevant information strictly confidential. He or she should have a positive working relationship with his or her coworkers, one that is based on equality, cooperation, helpfulness, and regulated competition.

The professional owes it to society to devote all of her abilities and resources to the greater good. The professional's obligation to the profession is significantly greater. Members are held to the code of ethics through formal and informal social control techniques. When a profession is recognised, it is considered to be a profession. People can only gain recognition by reserving jobs for people with technical training, prioritising qualifications in jobs, providing awareness of promotions and financial resources, and so on.

Ethical Responsibilities of Social Workers: A social worker has ethical responsibilities to his clients, employers, coworkers, community, and profession. A social worker's basic ethical responsibility to his clients is to ensure the individual's well-being. The social worker should prioritise professional responsibilities over personal interests. She must respect her client's (self-determination) viewpoint. She should keep all client information confidential. Individual differences between clients should be respected by the social worker, and non-professional prejudice should be avoided.

The social worker has an ethical obligation to his employers and should devote himself to them. He/she must provide his/her employer with correct and up-to-date information. The social worker should be held accountable for the quality and scope of services provided while adhering to the standards and procedures of the agency. She/he should continue to help his/her agency improve its public image even after his/her position is terminated.

1. The social worker must respect his or her colleagues and assist them in carrying out their responsibilities. The social worker should undertake the task of broadening his or her knowledge. She or he should be fair to everyone and work with other studies and practises.
2. The social worker has an ethical responsibility to protect the community from unethical behaviour. She or he must contribute knowledge and skills to the benefit of the community.
3. Above all, the social worker has an ethical responsibility to his or her own profession. In the face of unfair criticism or misrepresentation, she or he should defend her or his profession. She/he should maintain and build public trust through self-discipline and personal behaviour. Professional practise necessitates professional education, which the social worker should promote at all times.

Professional Social Work Ideologies

If we look at the global historical context of social work, we can understand the following social work ideologies.

Charity through social work:

People were moved to help their neighbours in need as a result of their religious beliefs. Anyone in need of assistance was given alms. Those who helped them were given alms as a token of gratitude. As a result, western countries began their charitable social work practises. They started giving alms in cash and kind because religion inspired them to help their fellow humans who were in need. They quickly realised that they couldn't provide enough for the growing poor, and that a solution was required to solve the problem. At the time, the state (UK government) intervened by enacting legislation and initiating state inability to care for the destitute.

Approach to Welfare Social Work:

In the state began to assist the poor by distributing alms and passing the Elizabethan Poor Law (1601). The Act classified the poor into three categories: those who could work, those who couldn't work, and those who relied on others. The first group was forced to work in workhouses, while the second and third were given alms from alm houses. The Act, as well as subsequent legislation, failed to address the issue of poverty. To fully comprehend the situation, the government determined that a tailored strategy was required. The problem may be the same, but different people have different causes for the same problem. They realised that in order to find a solution, each cause had to be investigated. As a result, charitable organisations were formed to carry out that responsibility.

Approach to Clinical Social Work:

Recognizing the need to assist the destitute, Congress passed the Social Security Act in 1935. The Act was passed in order to address the problems that arose as a result of industrialization. The government took over some of the people's financial issues. A large number of people offered to help. Volunteers monitor untrained individuals because they are trained individuals who can perform case work practise. Most people realised that money would not solve their problems, so they started working as counsellors. Psychological sciences, particularly psychoanalytic theory, have served as a foundation for counselling.

Clinical social work is a type of direct social work interaction that takes place primarily in the worker's office with individuals, groups, and families. In this technique, the worker facilitates contact between the individual and his or her social environment by using a disciplined use of self

Approach to Ecological Social Work:

Problems are viewed as environmental inadequacies rather than personal deficits in an ecological social work approach. Tradition in social work has emphasised social treatment and reform, laying the groundwork for an ecological approach. Professional social workers, as well as the organisations that employ them, see themselves as change agents working to effect systemic change. Identifying the problem, identifying the clients and target system (which is causing the problem), determining the decision-making process for change goals in collaboration with clients, and determining the "action system" with which the change agent can achieve change goals are the steps in an ecological approach.

Social workers aren't satisfied with simply caring for the disabled and the deviant. They want to accomplish more. Because of the influence of Marxism, they advocated oppression as the root cause of many problems in 1970. They expanded their professional obligations to include reform and development in order to achieve an egalitarian social order. Some revolutionaries in the profession have gone beyond societal change and growth. Rather than dealing with adjustment issues and viewing individuals as victims of an unjust social order, social workers work to transform the system by introducing fundamental changes to social structures and relationships. This is referred to as radical social work, and it has also failed to address the issues for a variety of reasons.

Social Work is Progress:

Some progressive social workers are friends with radicals and participate in their activities. They are fed up with society's inequity. Progressive social activists work to change the oppressive elements of society. They help them heal their wounds and educate them on making the best decisions for their future. Liberal feminism is a school of thought that advocates for gender equality, as well as equal suffrage, education, and career opportunities for men and women. Liberal feminists do not investigate the societal roots of gender discrimination.

According to Marxist feminists, women's oppression is a result of the capitalist mode of production. When there is a distinction between home and paid work, only the latter is productive.

Social Work and Spirituality

India is a religious melting pot with a long spiritual history. Hinduism's spiritual foundations are the Vedas and Upanishads. They provide a method for mastering one's own inner powers in order to discover the ultimate truth. The truth is the key to understanding one's own identity and the goals of one's life. It helps with emotional control and provides a sense of detachment from oneself. Other religions, too, assist their adherents in achieving these objectives.

We believe that serving others is serving God. Humanitarianism is the primary premise of social work. It recognises and respects human worth and dignity. In social work, individuals' inherent inventiveness and potential are valued.

The social worker assists them in reaching their full potential by utilising appropriate institutions and timely opportunities. The social worker will come into contact with a wide range of personalities, including those who are anti-social. She must develop a nonjudgmental attitude toward them, accepting individuals and groups for who they are. Despite the fact that she is on the receiving end of the beneficial relationship, the social worker is trained to maintain a controlled professional persona, allowing her to avoid feeling superior. In addition, she must cultivate a detached demeanour when interacting with clients in her professional endeavours.

Summary

The goal of social work is to help people resolve their problems. Social work is typically concerned with interpersonal issues such as marital problems, parent-child problems, chronic patient rehabilitation, and so on. It is not the same as providing social services. The presence of professional relationships and face-to-face engagement distinguishes social work from social service. Social work knowledge is derived from various social and psychological sciences. Some of the strategies used in social work include social casework, group work, community organisation, social action, social welfare administration, and social work resear

Social work's key functions include the restoration of poor social functioning, the provision of resources, and the prevention of social dysfunction. The goal of social work is to help people solve problems. It addresses psychosocial issues concerning physical and mental health, as well as interpersonal relationships and social justice.

Personal feelings such as love or hostility should not be allowed to interfere with the social worker's professional work. A social worker, like any other professional, is guided by professional ethics. She owes an ethical obligation to her profession, customers, coworkers, and communit

The social work history will provide an account of various ideologies ranging from charity to professional social work: nature, scope, goals, and welfare approach, clinical approach, ecological approach, radical approach to Functions progressive social work, and feminism.