UNIT 2 PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK:

GENERIC PRINCIPLES AND THEIR

APPLICATION
* B.V. Jagadish
Contents
2.0 Objectives
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Generic Values of Social Work
2.3 Generic Principles of Social Work
2.4 Profession : A Response to Human Needs
2.5 Social Change for Humanization as the Goal
2.6 Interventions in the Basic Units of Society
2.7 Let Us Sum Up
2.8 Keywords
2.9 Suggested Readings
2.10 Answers to Check Your Progress

2.0 OBJECTIVES
This unit deals with important areas of social work. After studying the unit you
must be able to:
 understand the factors that influenced the emergence of professional social
work;
 understand the generic values and principles of social work; and
 know how social work intervenes in different levels of society.

2.1 INTRODUCTION
Over the years, social work has been transformed from a simple helping profession
into an empowering profession and in the process passed many a milestone. With
a well defined and established value system, principles, skills and techniques, it
occupies an important position in the society. Today, the social work profession
is shouldering the unprecedented responsibility of maintaining a social order that
promotes the good of everyone. It is playing an active role in bringing about
planned change with an emphasiz on humanization of social relationships and
transactions for the overall betterment of society.

2.2 GENERIC VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK

In this section, you will learn about the values of social work and their application.
Any professional activity is guided by a set of values. The body of knowledge of
social work has certain core values, evolved over a period of professional practice,
that are common to all social work practice situations, irrespective of the methods.

* Dr. B.V. Jagadish, R.M. College of Social Work, Hyderabad. 17

Basics of Before we dwell on these, let us understand the meaning of the term value. Every
Social Work
social group has its own set of expected behaviour patterns that all the members
in it strive to follow to accomplish a desired end state. In other words, values are
fundamental norms and preferred behaviour patterns, shared by members of a
society or a subgroup, which aim at integrating and channelling the organized
activities of the members. A value specifies whether to follow or not to follow a
particular behaviour. For example, truthfulness is a value every group upholds. The
value prescribes that people speak the truth and proscribes telling lies. People are
willing to expend certain effort and energy to realize a value; they are ready to
sacrifice to uphold a value, and impose sanctions if anyone threatens to deny or
defile the value. Some examples of values are honesty, truthfulness, integrity, patriotism,
respect for elders, etc.
The values of a profession are, therefore, its basic fundamental beliefs and preferred
behaviour patterns to be upheld by the professionals while practicing. Social work
as a profession dealing with people having problems of social adjustment and
social functioning has its own values that guide its practitioners. The social worker
has to follow the social values of the society to which he/she belongs and has to
have thorough understanding and appreciation for the social values prevalent in the
society. Many of the problems of the clients are related to a social value that they
are not able to uphold. For example, a person not taking proper care of his/her
family, has a problem in following the value of 'responsibility' as head of the family.
The problem may arise because the client might not have matured mentally or he/
she does not want to take up the responsibility because it is burdensome. In such
a situation, the social worker, having a fair understanding of the value of one's
responsibility towards the family, counsels and helps the client to take up his/her
responsibility as the head of the family. Thus, the social worker restores the social
functioning of the client.
As a member of society, social worker also adheres to these social values. Sometimes
the social worker may get into a dilemma whenever he/she has to deal with a client
who has violated social values which the social worker upholds in high esteem.
For example, a social worker, strongly subscribing to the value of honesty and
earning by rightful means, may find it difficult to work with an open mind with the
client who is an offender and who has caused damage to society. The values of
the profession come to the rescue of the social worker in these types of value
conflicts and dilemmas.
Social work values and basic philosophy are related. Philosophy analyzes the basic
principles and concepts of social life. It provides the significance and importance to the
values of social life and interprets the ideals and moral behaviors of individuals, society
and their relationships. The values when organized into a rational system, forms the
philosophical background of social work.
Social work values focus on three general areas: values about people, values
about social work in relation to society and values that inform professional behavior
(Dubois & Miley, 1999). Some of the fundamental values of social work are
discussed below:
The value is the conviction in the inherent worth, integrity and dignity of the
individual (Friedlander,1977). A person failing to perform or follow the social
functioning prescribed to him/her is considered an unworthy and undesirable element
18 by society. He/she is denied dignity and considered as a person with no integrity
and treated degradingly by the society. People are not so much concerned about Professional Social Work:
why the person has not been performing his/her social responsibilities properly. Generic Principles
and their Application
This value reminds the social worker that every client that comes (with a problem)
to him/her is not to be considered as a person having no value and no virtue
because he/she is in a disadvantageous situation. For a social worker the client is
as worthy as any other person and the client is in that situation because of many
other factors acting upon him/her. Given an opportunity to understand and analyze
the social situations better, the person may get out of the problem and may not
get into a similar problem situation again. Making a person feel worthy of himself/
herself and treating him/her with dignity, encourages the person to engage seriously
and overcome his/her problem and lead a purposeful life. The conviction in the
dignity, worth and the integrity of any individual, enables the social worker to deal
with any type of client with a positive frame of mind.
The second value is belief in democratic functioning. Social work relies on the
democratic process while dealing with the client system. This implies that decisions
are taken through consensus and nothing is imposed on the client. The worker, the
client and others, are all involved in the decision making process. While doing so,
the right of the client in choosing the solution, is given utmost importance.
The third value is the firm belief in equal opportunity for all, limited only by the
individual's capacities (Friedlander, 1977). This value expresses the need for social
justice. Social work fights against social injustices meted out to the disadvantaged
and vulnerable sections of society. Irrespective of caste, religion and economic
status, intelligence, etc., every one must have equal access to societal resources.
At the same time, social work also takes into consideration, the limitations of the
individual's capacity to access these resources and make use of them. For example,
if a disabled person wants to pursue mountain climbing as a passtime activity, he/
she should not be disallowed because he/she is disabled. But at the same time, if
he/she does not have the physical strength and capacity to climb mountains, then
he/she may be made to realize that mountaineering is not suitable for him/her and
he/she should choose some other activity which is more suitable for him/her.
The fourth value is social worker's social responsibility towards himself/herself,
his/her family, and his/her society (Friedlander, 1977). This value cautions the
social worker not to neglect himself/herself, his/her family and the society in which
he/she is living while discharging his/her professional duties. If he/she fails to
perform his/her responsibilities towards himself/herself and his/her family, then he/
she himself/herself or his/her family may fail to perform their social functioning and
may become failures needing social work intervention.
The fifth value is to transmit knowledge and skills to others (Sheafor & Morales
1989). This value instructs the social worker to provide the information that he/
she has, that would enable the client to take care of himself/herself, in case the
client faces similar problems in future. This is to ensure that the client does not
become dependent on the social worker throughout his/her life. Further, it also
suggests that sharing of information and skills among the co-professionals goes a
long way in promoting the competence of the professional practice.
The sixth value is separating personal feelings from professional relationships (Sheafor
& Morales 1989). This value reminds the social worker that he/she should not
allow personal feelings to intrude in a professional relationship, as this may make
him/her over concerned or develop a biased or prejudiced view about the client 19
Basics of and his/her problem situation. The social worker might have undergone similar
Social Work
experiences and been in similar social situations in his/her personal life. And there
is a possibility that he/she might relate these to the present client and may lose the
objectivity needed for social work intervention. Therefore, he/she should be watchful
about any of his/her personal feelings that are affecting his/her professional relationship.
The seventh value assumes high standards of personal and professional conduct
(Sheafor & Morales 1989). It emphasizes that the conduct of the social worker
should be exemplary at both personal and professional levels. As a professional,
he/she should follow the code of ethics outlined for the social work practitioner.
The success of any profession depends on the integrity and character of the
professionals practicing it. In social work practice situations, clients come with a
number of fears, hesitations, doubts and distrust about everything around them.
They have to confess a number of confidential and emotional information and
expect a lot of trust from the worker. Divulging the confidential information carelessly
or making fun of the clients plight or looking down upon the client does great
harm. Even his/her personal behaviour outside practice hours should not only be
acceptable to people but should also gain him/her respectability. The social worker
is a respectable member of society and he/she should not indulge in any conduct
that is considered bad or disapproved by society. Therefore, it is essential that a
social worker be a person of high integrity and of high ethical conduct.
Check Your Progress I
Note: a) Use the space provided for your answer.
b) Check your answer with those provided at the end of this unit.
1) Explain the term value? Discuss the need for a social worker to have a good
knowledge about social values prevailing in society.
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2) Explain any two values of social work.
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2.3 GENERIC PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL WORK

Principles are statements of dos and don'ts to get best results-while practicing
social work. They are the guide- posts for the professional to carry out the work
20 in the field. Principles are elaboration of the values in the form of understandable
statements to practice a profession. For example, the value of dignity and worth Professional Social Work:
of an individual is expressed in the principle of belief in the self-determination of Generic Principles
and their Application
an individual or group or a community. The principles are time tested and arrived
at out of vast experience and research.
A principle is a verbalised statement of an observed uniformity related to some
class of objects... Principles that is general rules or laws, concepts, fundamental
truths, generally accepted tenets are the means by which we proceed from one
situation to another.... (Barr, A.S. & Burton).
The most widely discussed generic principles of social work are as follows:
 Principle of Acceptance
 Principle of Individualisation
 Principle of Communication
 Principle of Self-determination
 Principle of Confidentiality
 Principle of Non-judgmental Attitude
 Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement.
Now let us discuss these principles.
Principle of Acceptance: The client and the social work professional should both
accept each other for getting the best results. The client should accept the worker
because the worker is the one who is helping the client to overcome his/her
problem situation. In social work situations, the client may approach the social
worker directly or the social worker may be nominated by the agency or someone
might refer the client to the social worker. Unless the client feels that the social
worker has the potential to understand his/her predicament and is concerned
about helping him/her out of the problem, the client may not cooperate in the
relationship through which the social work intervention is to be planned. Any
doubt about the competence of the social worker by the client results in serious
complications in the helping process. Similarly, the worker should also accept the
client as a person with a problem who has come to him/her for help. Irrespective
of the appearance and background of the client, the worker should accept the
client as he/she is, without any reservations. Sometimes the personal experiences
of the worker may come in the way of accepting the client. For example, a worker
who was abused by his/her alcoholic father during his/her childhood may find it
difficult to accept an alcoholic client who has come for help in restoring his/her
family relationships. In this case, the social worker should not be influenced by his/
her childhood experience of being abused by his/her alcoholic father whom he/she
hated and rejected, and show hostility or indifference towards the client. Mutual
acceptance is the beginning of the process of establishing a strong professional
relationship towards working out a solution to the client's social dysfunctioning.
Principle of Individualisation: A belief in the uniqueness of the individual and
his/her inherent value lies at the heart of social work practice. Each person's
nature is capable of integrating and directing its own forces in a way that is
different from that of every other individual nature. Social worker views the problem
of each client as specific and helps the client move forward finding the most
satisfactory means for him/her to deal with his/her particular problem situation. 21
Basics of This principle reminds the social worker that while dealing with the client, it is to
Social Work
be kept in mind that the worker is not dealing with an inanimate object or inferior
being. Because the client could not find a way out of his/her problem, he/she need
not be looked down upon as a person without dignity, worth or value. This is a
general response the client gets from the community. And this makes the client feel
that he/she is a human being without any worth and develops a poor image of
himself/herself. The social worker, as a caring and helping professional should
believe that the client is an individual with dignity, worth and respect and has the
potential to come out of his/her undesirable situation with dignity and respect given
the right environment and encouragement. Further, the social worker should always
consider that each client is unique and distinct from other clients having a similar
problem as each person responds and reacts to the same stimuli differently and
gets into or gets out of different problem situations in different ways.
Principle of Communication: In social work, the communication between the
social worker and the client is of paramount importance. The communication
could be verbal, that is oral or written, or non-verbal where gestures, signs or
actions are used to send the message. Most of the problems concerning human
relations arise due to faulty communication. In communication, a message is sent
by the sender and received by the receiver. A true communication takes place
when the meanings of the terms and other symbols the sender and the receiver use
and act upon are shared and have the same meanings. If the message of the
sender is properly or correctly understood by the receiver then the communication
is smooth. But if the receiver fails to interpret the message correctly (the sender
wants to convey), then there is a break or misunderstanding in the communication
process, which results in confusion and problems. Sometimes, the sender is unable
to express the feelings or what he/she wants to communicate, that also leads to
miscommunication. In addition to these there are other barriers to the smooth flow
of messages, such as distance, noise, temperament, attitudes, past experiences,
mental capacity to comprehend and so on.
The social worker should have enough skills to grasp the verbal and nonverbal
communication of the client. Communication is stressed in social work relationship
because the backgrounds of the client and the worker may be different, the mental
state of the client and the worker may vary. The environment in which the
communication takes place may change from time to time giving enough scope for
miscommunication. Therefore, the worker should make all the efforts to see that
the communication between him/her and the client is proper. The function of social
worker is principally to create an environment in which the client feels comfortable
in giving expression to his/her feelings. The atmosphere includes the client's trust
and confidence in the worker and the worker's acceptance of the client. The client
should be assured that the worker understands correctly what he/she wants to
convey. For this,techniques such as clarifications and reclarifications, elaborating
what the client has said, questioning and reframing of what the client has said, can
be effectively used. Similarly, the worker has to make sure that the client understands
correctly what he/she is conveying to him/her. For this, the worker may ask the
client to repeat what he/she is saying. In this way, miscommunication between the
worker and client can be reduced and it can be ensured that the worker client
relationship is well established and strengthened.
Principle of Confidentiality: This principle provides a strong base for effective
22
use of social work intervention. It helps in building a strong worker-client relationship.
In social work, it is most important to provide information to the worker. This Professional Social Work:
ranges from simple factual information to what may be very confidential. A person Generic Principles
and their Application
may not be willing to share certain information about his/her personal details with
anyone unless the person with whom it is shared is trustworthy. He/she must have
confidence that worker will not misuse it to cause discomfort, or to ridicule or to
cause damage to his/her reputation. In social work, unless the client provides all
the information that is necessary for the worker, it is not possible to help the client.
For this to happen, the client should have absolute faith in the worker that the
information passed on to the worker will be kept confidential and will be used only
for assessing and working out possible solutions to the client's problem. That is
why the worker should assure the client that the confidential information about the
client is not divulged to others to the disadvantage of the client.
To follow this principle the worker faces certain dilemmas. Firstly, should the
confidential information be shared with other agency personnel who are associated
with the case and fellow professional social workers who too can assist the
worker in resolving the problem of the client. Secondly, what should he/she do
about some information concerning the criminal activities of the client, wherein as
a responsible citizen he/she may be required to pass it on to the investigation
agencies whenever he/she is asked? In the case of the former the social worker
may share the information in the best interest of the client. But in the case of the
later, it is really tough for the social worker to withhold information as it has been
received under the promise of keeping it confidential. In such circumstances, the
decision is to be left to the client whether to disclose it to the social worker or
not. And the social worker shall make it clear to the client that he/she cannot give
any guarantee of non-disclosure to the concerned authorities, where legal requirements
compel ordinary citizens to make disclosure of information received by him/her.
Failure to maintain confidentiality, seriously affects the worker client relationship.
Therefore, the worker has to show discretion while securing and sharing information
about the client with others. Information that is needed should only be gathered
from the client. Prior consent of the client is to be taken before sharing the
information with even those who are concerned about the client.
Principle of Self-determination: This principle emphasizes the client's right to
self-determination. Every individual has the right to assess what is good for him/
her and decide the ways and means to realize it. In other words, it points out that
the social worker should not impose decisions or solutions on the client simply
because the client has come to him/her for help. No doubt, the client has come
to social worker because he/she could not solve the problem by himself/herself.
The social worker should support and guide the client to develop insights into his/
her social situation in the correct perspective and encourage and involve him/her
to take decisions that are good and acceptable to him/her. In this way, the client
is helped not only to realize his/her potentialities but also to feel independent and
like a person with worth and dignity. Social responsibility, emotional adjustment
and personality development are possible only when the person exercises his/her
freedom of choice and decision.
Principle of Non-judgmental Attitude: The principle of non-judgmental attitude
presumes that the social worker should begin the professional relationship without
any bias. That is, he/she should not form opinions about the client, good or bad,
worthy or unworthy. He/she has to treat the client as somebody who has come
to him/her for help and he/she should be willing to help the client without being 23
Basics of influenced by the opinions of others about the client or his/her situation. This
Social Work
enables the worker to build the professional relationship on a sound footing as
both the worker and the client feel free to their understanding of each other.
However, it is to be noted that a non-judgmental attitude does not mean not
making professional judgments about the problem situation and the various options
being considered in order to tackle the problem.
Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement: The principle of controlled
emotional involvement guards social worker from either getting too personally
involved in the client's predicament or being too objective. In the case of the
former, the worker may over-identify with the client because he/she finds a lot of
similarities between the problem situation of the client and over life situation/s or
with the personality of the client. This may interfere with the professional relationship
and judgments about the client's problem. The worker may start sympathising by
over indulging in the client's life and this may interfere with the client's right to self-
determination and independence.
In the case of the latter, by being too objective and detached, the client may feel
that worker is not interested in him/her and his/her predicament. This may inhibit
the client from coming out with all the confidential information. The feelings of
worthlessness and helplessness may be reinforced in the client. All this may result
in a premature end to the professional relationship. Therefore, the social worker
should maintain a reasonable emotional distance even while sympathasising with
the client. He/she should indicate the understanding of the predicament of the
client without showing pity or appearing to be indifferent.
Check Your Progress II
Note: a) Use the space provided for your answer.
b) Check your answer with those provided at the end of this unit.
1) Explain the principle of individualisation with examples.
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2) Discuss the principle of non-judgmental attitude.
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2.4 PROFESSION: A RESPONSE TO HUMAN

NEEDS
24
Each individual has a wide array of needs requiring satisfaction (Stroup, 1965).
Human needs can be broadly classified as physical needs and psychological needs. Professional Social Work:
Physical needs revolve around physical comforts that protect us and enable us to Generic Principles
and their Application
perform efficiently in society while psychological needs refer to emotional and
mental states such as the desire for love and affection, social recognition, spiritual
fulfillment, etc. Every individual strives and struggles to meet these needs. Needs
are met in complex interactions between the individual and the social environment.
Sometimes, individuals fail to meet some of these needs due to certain reasons.
In earlier societies, the unmet needs of people were taken care of mostly by family
or by occupational groups such as merchant guilds or by religion or by the political
group in authority - clan, king or the government. As societies evolved, needs
became more and more complex and helping activities had to be organized in
systematic manner. The ingenuity and compassion in man enabled him/her to satisfy
those unmet needs, that are causing misery to people, in more innovative ways
with a human touch and a scientific temperament. This, in turn, resulted in the
evolution of various professions such as medicine, nursing, engineering, law, etc.
Social work is no exception to this. Social work profession exclusively evolved
to give relief to human society by finding permanent solutions to these unmet
human needs.
Poverty is a serious obstacle to meeting these needs. During the period upto the
18th century, the attitude of the society from the point of the king and the aristocracy
as well as the church towards unmet needs owing to poverty of people were
mainly due to the failure of the individual or due to the sins or wrath of the God.
Therefore, there was no need to come to the rescue of such people and they were
left to fend for themselves. But with the advent of great philosophers and social
thinkers, the understanding of human suffering, mostly manifested in poverty and
pauperism underwent a change.
The scientific inquiry into the causes of poverty indicated that (i) social and economic
conditions rather than individual failure are the causes of poverty and the pathetic
and utterly inhuman living conditions of the poor (ii) poverty cause various other
social problems in society (iii) alms giving and temporary relief measures are of no
use (iv) permanent solutions have to worked out to deal with the problem of
poverty and thereby the other needs of the people, and (v) people want to come
out of poverty and they can be helped to come out of it.
The charity organization society and settlement house movements, the YMCA and
YWCA organizations developed in response to the needs of the poor, the destitute,
the illegitimate and orphaned children and unmarried mothers on one hand and on
the other the disabled, the mentally disturbed, immigrant workers living in the
neighbourhood communities, almshouses, reformatories, and asylums. Charity was
provided on scientific lines by undertaking a thorough investigation into the state
of dependence and the factors responsible for it. The needy were encouraged to
find resources within the family and the community and become independent. A
scientific approach to charity and philanthropy replaced untrained volunteers by
trained paid workers. The final outcome was the birth of the profession of social
work by the late 19th century, to cater to the physical, social and emotional needs
of people. Social work as a profession responds to people's needs in ways that
no other profession does. Social work brings out the full potentialities of the clients
and enables them to stand on their own in meeting their needs.

25
Basics of
Social Work 2.5 SOCIAL CHANGE FOR HUMANIZATION AS
THE GOAL
Social change is inevitable and many forces of change are acting upon various
social institutions. Sometimes the changes are slow while at other times these are
rapid. Whenever sudden and violent changes take place, people are taken off
guard and fail to cope with the disruption and disorganization caused by these
changes. The changes before and during the medieval periods were slow, but
since the industrial revolution, changes have occurred very rapidly and traditional
institutions and ways of living received a jolt. This has caused great misery and
suffering. In the process of social change certain sections gain at the cost of
others. This in turn causes social tensions and disorder. It is always desirable that
social change be planned so as to minimize its ill consequences and maximize its
benefits. Social work emerged in an attempt to shoulder this responsibility.
The goal of social work is to bring about humanization of the society through a
process of planned change. Social work is strongly committed to the most fundamental
human values and principles-human dignity, equality, democratic way of functioning,
right to self determination, and right to privacy. Only these values and principles
can establish a society with a human face.
The social work profession with commitment to social betterment, intervenes at
individual, group, community and societal levels to tackle and guide the forces of
change for the good of society.
Professional social workers, practicing in public or private settings, or social work
educators at the schools of social work, who are in constant touch with those
needs of the people which demand changes in social situations can foresee the
forces that are likely to effect change and initiate steps to manoeuver change for
social betterment. The areas of social change are prevention, reform, re-socialisation,
rehabilitation and planning (Pierce, 1989).
Practitioners experiment with the desired change situations at the micro level.
Social work educators undertake research to analyze the social conditions and
factors of change. For example, to change the position of women and empower
them in society, social workers may initiate the formation of small groups of
women and give them information, training and support to take decisions in key
areas of their life such as education, career, marriage, etc., thereby empowering
them. The results of such experiments are passed on to the policy framers who
in turn incorporate desired changes in the relevant policy areas and effect the
change at the macro level. Thus, social work contributes to social change in a
planned way and for the betterment of society.
Check Your Progress III
Note: a) Use the space provided for your answer.
b) Check your answer with those provided at the end of this unit.
1) What are different types of human needs?
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 ................................................................................................................ Professional Social Work:
Generic Principles
................................................................................................................ and their Application

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2) How does social work process brings about planned change?
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2.6 INTERVENTIONS IN THE BASIC UNITS OF THE

SOCIETY
Social work practice is carried out at different levels of society. Social work
intervention takes place at the level of the individual, family, group, community and
society at large. The interventions at each level are more or less independent and
sometimes inter-dependent depending on the nature and demands of the case in
point. Social work practice has developed methodical ways to intervene, and
these have crystalized into different methods of social work to deal with various
units of society. Casework method deals with individual and family levels, group
work method with small groups and also at the family level, community organization
method at the community level and social action method at the societal level.
The individual level intervention attempts to restore the social functioning of the
individual. The intervention is done at two levels. At the first level, work revolves
around the client alone and helps him/her to overcome his/her problem situation
by bringing about the changes in his/her behaviour, approaches, attitudes and
perceptions towards his/her life situations. In some cases the problem is not with
the individual but with the environment in which he/she is living and it is not
sufficient to work at the individual's level only. Therefore, work at the second level
includes both the individual and his/her environment, be it the family, or peer group
or the community or social organizations such as school, the work organization or
a social club.
The family being the basic social unit to which every person belongs has a great
influence on the well being of not only the individual but of the entire social system.
The family becomes the unit for social work intervention while providing help to
the individual member of a family or the entire family. Stroup (1965) has outlined
three types of needs that call for family work. They are- firstly those due to
external factors, secondly those due to internal factors and lastly, a combination
of internal and external factors. These factors result in malfunctioning and marital
discord due to miscommunications or a serious difference on attitudes and opinions
among family members. Sudden calamities may disintegrate the family such as the
sudden death of the earning member of the family, separation of the spouses due
to occupational demands, serious illnesses, etc. Failure of the members, particularly
the spouses to perform their roles leading to the neglect of children, elders and
sick members in the family may be due to lack of understanding, pressures of 27
Basics of work and other social commitments.
Social Work
The group as a unit of intervention is envisaged when a group of people have a
common problem or need. The groups may either be already formed or they may
be formed by the social worker. Growth and developmental problems, such as
problems in the performance of social roles, decision-making processes, leadership
styles and the communication patterns can be better resolved through a group
experience rather than by an individual approach. Here the group, constitutes the
client system. At the group level intervention, the focus may be on a particular
member of the group or a specific number of members or the whole group itself.
The community as a unit of social work intervention seeks to tackle the problems/
needs affecting a large number of people living in a community. At the community
level, social work bridges the gap between social welfare needs and social welfare
resources. It promotes cooperative and collaborative attitudes among the different
groups in the community. It campaigns for the involvement of people in the community
affected by the problem/need. Social work intervention aims at the empowerment
and capacity building of the community. It enables the communities to present their
case assertively and effectively before the local authorities and other agencies;
builds up leadership among the different groups in the community; enhances the
community's decision making capabilities and the mobilization of various resources
for improving the living conditions.
Social work is practiced in social welfare organizations being run under government
and private auspices. The social worker as an administrator has to plan, organize,
direct, and coordinate the delivery of services, has to prepare budgets for meeting
the costs, has to supervize the staff and finally, report to the higher levels about
the performance of the organization. Social work knowledge is required in
administering these functions. Knowledge of group work comes in very handy to
the administrator for forming task groups/teams for improving efficiency and
effectiveness of the service delivery and for conducting and overseeing the deliberations
of such groups/teams.
Check Your Progress IV
Note: a) Use the space provided for your answer.
b) Check your answer with those provided at the end of this unit.
1) Discuss the intervention of social work at family level.
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2) Discuss the need for intervention of social work at group level.
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 ................................................................................................................ Professional Social Work:
Generic Principles
................................................................................................................ and their Application

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2.7 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, we have learnt about the meaning of the term value and the different
professional values of social work, such as inherent dignity and worth of the
individual, commitment to democratic functioning and social justice. We have also
learnt about the generic principles of social work such as acceptance, individualisation,
self-determination, confidentiality and so on. We also looked into the types of
human needs and the development of the social work profession to meet these
needs with reference to poverty. We have also examined how social change can
be brought about through planned intervention by social work process. Finally, we
have information about how social work intervenes at different levels of basic
social units such as family, group and community.

2.8 KEYWORDS
Charity Organization : An organized and scientific way of delivering
Society services and assistance to urban poor.
Generic : General or common.
Confidentiality : To maintain the secrecy of information given.
Individualisation : Asserting the uniqueness of a person.
Principle : Statements directing ways to be followed to
accomplish a goal.
Settlement House : A movement to improve the living and working
Movement conditions of immigrant workers settled in urban
neighbourhoods.
Social work intervention : The action or change efforts undertaken by a
professional social worker to deal with the
client's problem.
Value : Higher order of social norm that prescribes
and/ or prohibits a behaviour.

2.9 SUGGESTED READINGS

Compton R.H. (1980), Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work: Structure,
Function and Process, The Dorsey Press Homewood, Illinois.
Dubois, B. & Miley, K.K. (1992), Social Work: An Empowering Profession,
Allyvn & Bacon, London.
Friedlander, W.A. (1955), Introduction to Social Welfare, Prentice Hall Inc.,
New York.
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Basics of Friedlander, W.A.(ed) (1977), Concepts and Methods of Social Work, Prentice
Social Work
Hall of India Pvt, Ltd., New Delhi.
Morales.A., & Sheafor B.W. (1989), Social Work: A Profession with Many
Faces, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.
Misra, P.D. (1994), Social Work: Philosophy and Methods, Inter-India Publications,
New Delhi.
Pierce. D. (1989), Social Work and Society: An Introduction, Longman, New
York.
Stroup, H.H. (1965), Social Work: An Introduction to the Field, Eurasia Publishing
House (Pvt) Ltd, New Delhi.

2.10 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check your progress I
1) Values are fundamental norms and preferred behaviour patterns shared by
members of a society or a sub-group which aim at integrating and channeling
the organized activities of the members. A value specifies whether to follow
or not to follow a particular kind of behaviour.
A social worker should have good grasp of the values of society because
many of the problems of the clients are related to a social value /s that they
are not able to uphold. For example, a person not taking proper care of his/
her family has a problem in following the value of 'responsibility' as head of
the family. The problem may arise because the client might not have matured
mentally or he/she does not want to take up the responsibility because it is
burdensome. In such a situation the social worker, having a fair understanding
of this value of responsibility towards the family, counsels and helps the client
to take up his/her responsibity as the head of the family. Thus, the social
worker restores the social functioning of the client.
2) Social work profession has a number of values to guide the professional while
practicing social work. Two such values are the inherent worth, integrity and
dignity of the individual and the firm belief in equal opportunity for all, limited
only by the individuals capacities. The first value reminds the social worker
that every client who comes to him/her with a problem is not to be considered
as a person having no value and no virtue because he/she is in a difficult
situation. For a social worker, the client is as worthy as any other person and
the client is in that situation because of many other factors acting upon him/
her. Given an opportunity to understand and analyze the social situations
better the person may get out of the problem and may not get into a similar
problem situation again.
The second value is the firm belief in equal opportunity for all, limited only
by the individuals capacities. This value expresses the need for social justice.
Social work fights against social injustices meted out to the disadvantaged
and vulnerable sections of society. It emphasizes that every person should get
his/her due share in society and works in that direction. Therefore, irrespective
of a person's gender, age, race, caste, religion and economic status, intelligence,
etc., everyone must have equal access to societal resources. At the same
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 time, social work also takes into consideration the limitations of the individual Professional Social Work:
in his/her capacity to access these resources and make use of them. For Generic Principles
and their Application
example, if a disabled person wants to pursue a career in mountaineering he/
she should not be disallowed because he/she is disabled. But at the same
time, if he/she does not have the physical strength and capacity to climb
mountains then he/she may not be allowed to opt for mountaineering as his/
her capacities do not permit him/her to do so.
Check Your Progress II
1) This principle reminds the social worker that while dealing with the client it
is to be kept in mind that the wrorker is not dealing with an inanimate object
or inferior being. Because the client could not find a way out of his/her
problem, he/she need not be looked down upon as a person without dignity,
worth or value. This is a general response the client gets from the community.
And this makes the client feel that he/she is a human being without any worth
and develops a poor image of himself/herself. The social worker as a caring
and helping professional should believe that the client is an individual with
dignity, worth and respect and has the potential to come out of his/her undesirable
situation with dignity and respect, given the right environment and encouragement.
Further, the social worker should always consider that each client is unique
and distinct from other clients having a similar problem as each person responds
and reacts to the same stimuli differently and gets into or out of the problem
situation in different ways.
2) The principle of non-judgmental attitude presumes that the social worker
should begin the professional relationship without any bias. That is, he/she
should not form opinions about client, good or bad, worthy or unworthy. He/
she has to treat the client as somebody who has come to him/her for help and
he/she should be willing to help the client without being influenced by the
opinions of others about the client and his/her situation. This enables the
worker to build a professional relationship on a sound footing as both the
worker and the client feel free and open to share their understanding of each
other. However, it is to be noted that a non-judgmental attitude does not
mean not making professional judgments about the problem situation and the
various options to tackle the problem.
Check Your Progress III
1) Human needs can be broadly classified as physical needs and psychological
needs. Physical needs revolve around physical comforts that protect us and
enable us to perform efficiently in the society while psychological needs are
related to emotional needs such as the desire for love and affection, social
recognition and spiritual fulfillment.
Professional social workers practicing in public or private settings or social
work educators at the schools of social work who are in constant touch with
those needs of the people which demand changes in social situations, can
foresee the forces that are likely to effect change and initiate steps to maneuver
change for social betterment. Practitioners experiment with the desired change
situations at the micro level. Social work educators undertake research to
analyze the social conditions and factors of change. For example, to change
the position of women and empower them in society, social workers may
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initiate the formation of small groups of women and give them information,
Basics of training and support to take decisions in key areas of their life such as
Social Work
pursuing education, career, marriage, etc., thereby empowering them. The
results of such experiments are informed to others and passed on to the
policy framers, who in turn, incorporate desired changes in the relevant policy
areas and effect the change at the macro level. Thus, social work contributes
to the social change in a planned way for the betterment of society.
Check Your Progress IV
1) The family being the basic social unit to which every person belongs has a
great influence on the well-being of not only the individual but of the entire
social system. The family becomes the unit for social work intervention while
providing help to the individual member of a family or the entire family.
According to Stroup, there are three factors that cause problems at the level
of the family. They are- firstly those that arise due to external factors, secondly
those due to internal factors and lastly, a combination of internal and external
factors. These factors result in malfunctioning and marital discord due to
miscommunication or a serious difference in attitudes and opinions among
family members. Sudden calamities disintegrate the family, such as the sudden
death of the earning member of the family, separation of the spouses due to
occupational demands, serious illnesses, etc. The failure of the members,
particularly the spouses to perform their roles, will lead to neglect of children,
old and sick in the family due to lack of understanding, pressures of work and
other social commitments.
2) The group as a unit of intervention is envisaged when a group of people have
a common problem or need. The groups may either be already formed or
they may be formed by the social worker. Growth and developmental problems/
needs, the performance of social roles, decision-making processes, leadership
styles and the communication patterns can be better resolved through a group
experience rather than by individual approach. Here, the group constitutes the
client. At the group level intervention, the focus may be on a particular
member of the group or a specific number of members or the whole group
itself.

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