MODULE 07

The Discipline of Social Work

Welcome!
This module introduces you the discipline of social work. Furthermore, this module
presents you the goals, scope, core values and principles of social work.

Objectives:
At the end of this module you will be able to:
1. Identify the goals and scope of social work
2. Demonstrate comprehension of the principles of social work.
3. Discuss the core values of social work

Please be reminded that at the end of this module you should comply the following:
1. Activities
2. Answer the quiz.

Preliminary Activity

What professional career is likely to have this picture?

 Development of the Lesson

To understand fully the coverage of this lesson, read silently the material.

Definition of Social Work

“Social work as a professional activity of helping individuals, groups or

communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating
societal conditions favourable to the goal.”

- National Association of Social Workers, United States

“Social work as a field within human services and a part of services of the
government. It considers social work as an important service to the society focusing
on the individuals and families in need.”
- United Nations Economic, Social and Cultural Organization, 2000

“Social work as a practice based and academic discipline that promotes change
and social development. Accordingly, the principle of social justice, human rights,
collective responsibility, and respect of diversities are vital in the field.
- International Federation of Social Workers

“Social work as an APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCE of helping people achieve an

effective level of psychosocial functioning and effecting societal changes to enhance
the wellbeing of people.” Cox and Pawar, 2006

“Social work as a profession which is concerned about the person’s personal

adjustment to his/her environment and she referred this as person’s social
functioning.” Mendoza, 2002

Four Areas of Consideration in Social Work (Morales and Sheafor (1983)

1. Social worker is concerned with enabling or facilitating change.

2. Social worker helps people or institutions to enhance social functioning.

3. Applying the social systems theory, social work is a profession that helps people
to interact more with the social environment.

4. Social worker must have handles in fortifying and securing the necessary
resources to attain the goals of the clients.
Scope of Social Work (Lishman et al, 2004)

- Child Development

- Medical Social Work

- Administrative and Management

- Local Social Work

- International Social Work

- Social Work in Acute Psychiatric Hospital

- Social Work As Community Organizer

Scope of Social Work

Social Work as Primary Discipline

a. Adoption and services to unmarried parents

 Difficult decision to keep the baby or place it for adoption

 Applies both individual and group counseling to assist women in making

decisions

b. Foster Care

 Removing children from homes and placing them to foster homes

temporarily

 Works with the parent, child and court to administer court decisions to
remove a child due to detrimental situations

c. Residential Care

 Group care home or a residential treatment center

 These are for children exhibiting anti-social behaviors that require intensive
treatment
 d. Support in own home

 Support services to keep children in their own homes

 Counseling, family consultations, clients with appropriate institutions such as

day care centers and home maker services.

e. Protective Services

 Protecting the child from abuse, maltreatment, exploitation by parents.

 Seeks to protect the child without infringing the rights of parents

f. Family Services

 Family counseling involves family case work, family group work and family
therapy

 Family life education strengthens family relationships through educational

activities to prevent family breakdown

 Family planning involves planning the number, spacing and timing of child
births to fit with their needs.

 Make decisions about the patterns of reproduction towards enhancing quality

of life.

g. Income Maintenance

 Public assistance – financial aid to the poor.

 It includes cash grants, food stamps, general assistance such as hospital and
medical care, and supplemental security income.

 Social Insurance – social provisions that are funded by employers and

employees through contributions to a specific program.

Social Work as an Equal Partner

a. Support for people in their own homes program

 Helping older people remain in their homes and linking them with community
programs such as health care, meals and home care services.

b. Support for people in the long term care facilities

  Refers to nursing homes or other group living facilities.

c. Community Services

 Community organization activities – gathering and analysis of data,

matching delivery of services to the population distribution, securing funds,
coordination with existing agencies and educating the general public about
the services.

Community Services

 Community planning – involvement of social workers with the physical,

economic and health planners in the long range planning of communities.

Social Work as a Secondary

Discipline

a. Correctional Facilities – provide counseling and link them to the outside world,
provide support upon release.

b. Industry – Support to both managers and employees. Serves as basis for

development

c. Medical and Health care – attend to the social and psychological factors
contributing to the medical condition of the patients.

d. d. Schools

Facilitate the provision of direct educational and social services and provide direct
social case work and group work to selected students

Core Values of Social Work

Principles of Social Work

1. Acceptance

 Respecting clients under different circumstances

 Understanding the meaning and causes of clients behavior

 Recognizing people’s strength and potentials, weakness and limitation.

2. Client’s participation in Problem Solving

 Client is expected to participate in the process.

 Participates in planning ways in resolving problem

 Identifying resources to solve

 Act through the available resources

3. Self-determination

 Individual, groups and communities who are in need have the right to
determine their needs and how they should be met.

4. Individualization

 Understanding client’s unique characteristics and different methods each

client.

5. Confidentiality

 Client should be accorded with appropriate projection, within the limits of the
law, with no any harm that might result from the information given to the
social worker.

6. Worker self-awareness

 Social worker consciously examines her feelings, judgments, biases,

responses whether it is professionally motivated.

7. Client Worker Relationship

 The client is in need of help in social functioning and the worker is in the
position to help.
 Analysis, Application and Exploration

Based on what you have read about accomplish the following activity

Name:_________________________________________Date:_________________
Grade & Section: ________________________________Score:_________________

Activity 1

Answer the following questions:

1. Do you see yourself as a social worker by profession in the future?

2. What particular core values of social work that you are willing to apply in your
life? Why?
Explain the 7 Principles of Social Works
1. Acceptance

2. Client’s Participation in Problem Solving

3. Self-Determination

4. Individualization

5. Confidentiality

6. Worker’s Self Awareness

7. Client-Worker Relationship
 Generalization

In summary, social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that

promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and
liberation of people.

Assignment

For your assignment, research the following:

Name:_________________________________________Date:_________________

Grade & Section: ________________________________Score:_________________

1. Enumerate the roles, functions, and competencies of social work

2. Identify the areas of specialization in which social workers work

3. What are the career opportunities of social workers?

 Congratulatory Note

CONGRATULATIONS on reaching the end of this module!!

Keep up the good work!!!

Reminder:
All exercises and activities done should be submitted before start of the succeeding lesson/s. You may now
proceed to the EVALUATION of the lesson covered in this module!

References

Dela Cruz et al. Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences. Phoenix
Publishing House. Quezon City: 2016
Name:_________________________________________Date:_________________
Grade & Section: ________________________________Score:_________________

Quiz No. 7
Identification
Identify what is being asked.

1. Is a professional activity of helping individuals, groups or communities

enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal
conditions favorable to the goal.
2. Removing children from  homes and placing them to  foster homes
temporarily
3. These are for children exhibiting anti-social behaviors that require intensive
treatment.
4. The client is in need of help in social functioning and the worker is in the
position to help. 
5. Individual, groups and communities who are in need have the right to
determine their needs and how they should be met. 
6. Understanding client’s unique characteristics and different methods each
client. 
7. Client should be accorded with appropriate projection, within the limits of
the law, with no any harm that might result from the information given to the
social worker. 
8. Social worker consciously examines her feelings, judgments, biases,
responses whether it is professionally motivated. 
9. Facilitate the provision of  direct educational and social  services and
provide direct  social case work and group  work to selected students 
10.  Provide counseling and link them to the outside world,  provide support
upon  release.