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HISTORY OF SOCIAL WORK.
Term Paper ID:23343
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Essay Subject:
Evolution of profession & need to balance helping clients & changing society. Theory, impact of social change, casework, accountability, agencies, direct care.... More...
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7 Pages / 1575 Words
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Paper Abstract:
Evolution of profession & need to balance helping clients & changing society. Theory, impact of social change, casework, accountability, agencies, direct care.
Paper Introduction:
Social work practice involves a dual mission: to assist clients and to change society. These two distinctive branches of social work emerged in the United States from the Charity Organization Societies and from the Settlement House Movement. The services performed by the Charity Organization Societies later became known as casework. The Settlement House Movement activities eventually developed into group work and community organizations. The challenge of modern social work is to balance the dual focus of the profession by providing for the individual's needs within the context of his or her environment.
The social work profession emerged from the complex social needs that developed in Europe and North America as a result of urbanization and industrialization. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, aid to the poverty-stricken was administered either
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There weregrowing demands that social workers and other human service professionalsbecome accountable in the sense of achieving what they had promised todeliver" (pp. For example, a client's income status, maritalrelations, or health condition should be of concern when developingstrategies for psychosocial intervention. Many of the services performed by the "friendly visitors" weresimilar to those of present-day social workers. The social work profession emerged from the complex social needs thatdeveloped in Europe and North America as a result of urbanization andindustrialization. 36). New Liberalism redefined the concept of liberty in light of itsrelation to citizenship and community: "In effect, the community becomes asource of value independently of the subjective preferences of atomizedindividuals" (Barry, 199 , p. 89-1 4. . (1993). Volunteers at the settlement housesworked to improve neighborhood conditions and to help recent immigrantsassimilate into the American mainstream. As an outgrowth of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" legislation,social work focused renewed attention on social factors, in conjunctionwith developments in the behavioral sciences. Outdoor relief did not require the institutionalization of therecipient. The 19th century also saw the emergence of social group work andcommunity organization work through the establishment of settlement houses: "Reintegration of community through settlement houses became the passionof social workers such as Jane Addams, Lillian Wald, and Graham Taylor"(Berkowitz and McQuaid, 1988, p. Meyer, C. 91). Criticism of the directcare model was widespread: "Supporters of individual treatment wereaccused of being agents of social control and were attacked for 'blamingthe victim' rather than the effects of oppression, poverty, and trauma andfor 'pathologizing' the behavior of . Prior to the 2 th century, charitable endeavors were the purview ofprivate groups. culturally diverse persons ratherthan respecting their unique characteristics and strengths" (Goldstein,1996, p. The federal government did notplay a large role in the administration of social welfare programs untilFranklin Roosevelt's New Deal era. Lack of accountability and focus on a larger social visionmarginalized the importance of direct care social work practice during the196 s and 197 s. Rank, M. As social work evolves as a profession,practitioners will continue to find themselves charged with theresponsibility of multiple roles. The SettlementHouse Movement activities eventually developed into group work andcommunity organizations. Minneapolis: University of MinnesotaPress. Academicscontinue to dominate the movement, however. Moore, S. The goal of these "friendly visits"was to enable the individuals and families to become economically self-sufficient. Living on the edge: The realities of welfare inAmerica. Although Green did not endorse a welfare state, he believed thestate was responsible for removing the barriers to the achievement of thegood life. The failure of social work agencies to make widespread use ofevaluation practices is perceived as a shortcoming in the social workprofession. New York:Columbia University Press. The effectiveness of casework also come under severe attack. 13). Clinical social workersintervene with individuals, families, and groups to provide a wide range ofservices. Barry, N. Assessment in social work practice. Berkowitz, E. New York: Columbia University Press. Charity societies were the predecessors of social casework andfamily service agencies. (1992). Once the settlementhouse reformers recognized the need for political action to supplementtheir social efforts, they organized to lobby for legislative changesbeneficial to the poor. 37). Chicago:Nelson-Hall Publishers.----------------------- 9 In its infancy, social work adopted a paternalisticperspective in its service to clients, with emphasis on character reform asthe solution for personal and social problems. Journalof Contemporary Human Services, pp. Idealist social philosophy is often referred to as New Liberalism. Reflections on knowing oneselfethically: Toward a working framework for social work practice. Later in the 2 thcentury the focus again shifted, this time to the psychological factors ofhuman problems. In assessing the person in his or herenvironment, the social worker seeks to comprehend the inter-related facetsof the client's life. . In terms of communal action, Green advocated volunteer welfareefforts: "Indeed, Green's followers were heavily engaged in social work inthe deprived areas of London and instrumental in setting up the CharityOrganization Society" (Barry, 199 , p. Although founded in London, Charity Organization Societies also werefounded in the United States and Canada. These two distinctive branches of social work emergedin the United States from the Charity Organization Societies and from theSettlement House Movement. Even businesses got involved in social work by providingfor the diverse needs of their employees. The movement was initiated by thesocial work academic community during the 195 s and early 196 s. Although the vast majority of these professionals are employedin social agencies, an increasing number are being involved in privatepractice. settlementhouse was Hull House where Jane Addams and other social reformers lived andworked to improve conditions in Chicago's slums. Modern social work operates within a psychosocial context.Throughout the past century, the following social work purpose has evolved: "Social work claims as it central purpose the enhancement of adaptationsbetween individuals, families, groups, communities--and their particularenvironments (Meyer, 1993, p. Clinical Social Work Journal, pp. Goldstein, E. 95). As Reid (1994) describes it, "Concerns over the effectiveness of caseworkmerged with concerns over social work's accountability . Rank (1994) cites de Tocqueville's assessment of thisdependency, " . 169). The overall dissatisfaction with casework strengthened the emergenceof the empirical practice movement. 195-2 2. As Royse (1992) contends: "Most social work practitionerswill be working in public or private agencies where accountability is amajor concern" (p. 18). (1996, April). References Abramson, M. . Creating the welfare state:The political economy of Twentieth-Century reform, 2nd Ed. . and McQuaid, K. 227). The most notable U.S. 17 -171). The settlementsoffered a Christian movement toward democracy (a significant number of themale residents and workers were Protestant ministers) that emphasizedsocial reform, racial progress, and humanitarianism. For instance, the concept of totalquality management (TQM) is being discussed in terms of its potential forhuman services professionals: "Customer service issues and a democraticorientation to problem solving should be integrated into training, careerdevelopment, and other human resources-oriented functions" (Moore & Kelly,1996, p. Although outdoor relief was popular in Europe and North Americaduring the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, its popularity waned bythe nineteenth century as the poor grew increasingly dependent on this typeof assistance. Welfare. New York:Praeger. In using research methods to guide andevaluate service in individual cases the empirical practice movement soughtto redefine social work as a scientifically based profession. Empirical practice is an approach tosocial work that emphasizes a research orientation. The work of charity societies, begun in the mid-19th century,eventually led the United States back to the outdoor model of socialwelfare. (199 ). Prior to the Industrial Revolution, aid to the poverty-stricken was administered either through "indoor" or "outdoor" relief.Indoor relief was based on the institutional model--workhouses andalmhouses where the able-bodied poor could seek refuge from the miseries oflife. Not only did the CharityOrganization Societies attend to the needs of the destitute, theorganization maintained a central registry to avoid duplication of servicesand to coordinate activities among the various relief agencies. Social work practice involves a dual mission: to assist clients andto change society. Volunteers were trained andsupervised in visiting the poor, unemployed, physically incapcitated, andotherwise needy members of society. . established anew V code entitled 'Religious or Spiritual Problem'" (Abramson, 1996, p.198). Modern social work also is showing increasing acceptance ofinnovative techniques of direct care. . In New Liberalism thought, freedom wasinterconnected with the pursuit of worthwhile activities for the commongood. Today, a majority of the members of the NationalAssociation of Social Workers (NASW) describe direct practice as theirprimary function (Goldstein, 1996, p. Thegeneral conception of social work that resulted from the empirical focus"was built around the methods of assessment, case monitoring, and outcomeevaluation that were used in the single-system studies of behavioralapproaches" (Reid, 1994, p. (1988). . Many of thesettlement house staff were educated women responding to the need to feeluseful to society. Quality now: moving humanservices organizations toward a consumer orientation to service quality.Social Work, pp. Casework theory in social work has evolved significantly over thepast century. The services performed by the CharityOrganization Societies later became known as casework. Hull House became a modelfor many other such institutions in the United States. In adapting to changing belief systems in society, the scope ofsocial work continues to enlarge and the demand for social work servicescontinues to increase. (1996, January). Settlement houses were first developed in England in 1884, but soonappeared in the United States as well. (1994). Program evaluation: An introduction. . 11). However, Royse (1992) cites statistics thatdemonstrate an overwhelming lack of formal evaluation, use of controlgroups, or cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses among socialservices agency administrators (p. Royse, D. Such charitable organizations had their origin inIdealist social philosophy, one of the main proponents of which was T.H.Green. Often sophisticated evaluationsare not necessary, all that is needed are simple, objective inquiries;nevertheless, the social work profession appears reluctant to evaluate itsown programs and methods. Social workers must possess the abilityto balance dual requirements both as client advocate and as societal changeagent. Social workers who advocated the direct care approachorganized to reverse this trend: "They became active in efforts to promotedirect practice, to establish higher standards and professionalcredentials, and to achieve legal regulation for private practice"(Goldstein, 1996, p. Spiritual issues have likewise gained consideration in theprofession: "Spirituality is an important but relatively unexplored areain social work, although it has gained increasing attention since theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . 37). and Kelly, M. They believed that by focusing on neighborhood change,settlements could change communities and the world. This movement has beendescribed as one of the most important developments in social work inrecent years (Reid, 1994, p. From this movement developed the sub-specialtyof clinical social work. Thus by themiddle of the 19th century and up until the Great Depression, indoor reliefwas the dominant method of providing assistance to the poor (Rank, 1994, p.13). What is clinical social work?Looking back to move ahead. 33-4 . (1996, Spring). Settlement house founders had idealist views of society. 225). 165). The focus of social workshifted during the early 2 th century as professionals became concernedabout the amelioration of adverse social conditions. 9 ). Although empirical practice isan established feature of social work education programs, it has yet toachieve wide acceptance among social work agencies. giving relief to people in their own homes encourageddependence, broke their spirit, corrupted their character, and made themfeel entitled to a free livelihood from the state" (p. The challenge of modern social work is to balancethe dual focus of the profession by providing for the individual's needswithin the context of his or her environment.
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