SOCIAL WORK
Social work is the profession which is concerned
with man's adjustment to his environment; a person (or
groups) in relation to that person's (or group's) social
situation. This is referred to as a person's "social
functioning," which results from the performance of his
various social roles in society, e.g., son, father, husband,
employee, employer, patient, committee chairman, citizen.
Some people have difficulties in the performance of any, or
several, or even all of their social roles, and therefore have
inadequate or ineffective social functioning. Why do
people experience these difficulties? In general, social
functioning problems are caused by any of the following:
a.
personal inadequacies
or
sometimes
pathologies which may make it difficult for
man to cope with the demands of his
environment;
b.
situational
inadequacies
and
other
conditions which are beyond man's coping
capacities; and
c. both personal and situational inadequacies.
Personal inadequacies may be due to physiological
factors like poor physical constitution, wrong attitudes and
values, poor or unrealistic perception of reality, ignorance,
and lack of skills. Situational inadequacies, on the other
hand, refer to the lack of resources and opportunities in
society, the existence of resources or opportunities which,
however, are beyond the reach or coping capacities of
people (such as the availability of employment, but only
for highly skilled or trained workers), and the existence of
an unjust or exploitative situation such as in the
workplace, or in the community.
All social worker efforts are therefore focused on
either helping a person adjust to or cope with his
environment (if it is his inadequate coping capacities
which prevent him from the effective performance of his
social role), or modifying or changing his environment/
situation (if this is the source of his problem), or both.
Social work is not a hit-or-miss or trial-and-error method
of helping people, but a professional service which makes
use of scientific knowledge and skills as bases for engaging
people in problem solving, whether individually, in
groups, or as communities. It makes use of both human
and material resources in the solution of social functioning
problems. The United States Council on Social Work
Education has this definition of social work: "Social work
seeks to enhance the social functioning of individuals,
singly and in groups, by activities focused upon their
social relationships which constitute the interaction
between man and his environment. These activities can be
grouped into three functions: restoration of impaired
capacity, provision of individual and social resources, and
prevention of social dysfunction."9
In July 2014, the International Association of
Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International
Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) jointly announced
this new international definition of social work which, it is
believed, is applicable to social work practitioners and
educators in every region and country of the world:
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. Principles of social justice, human
rights, collective responsibility and respect for
diversities are central to social work.
Underpinned by theories of social work, social
sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge,
social work engages people and structures to
address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.
The above definition may be amplified at
national and/or regional levels.
The IFSW is the worldwide body for professional
social work with 140 professional associations representing
more than three million social workers (The Philippine
Association of Social Workers, Inc. is a member of the
IFSW. The National Association for Social Work Education
in the country is a member of the IASSW.).
The IASSW and the IFSW provide a commentary
on this definition, stating that "Social work in its various
forms addresses the multiple, complex transactions
between people and their environments. Its mission is to
enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich
their lives, and prevent dysfunction. Professional social
work is focused on problem solving and change. As such,
social workers are change agents in society and in the lives
of the individuals, families, and communities they serve.
Social work is an interrelated system of values, theory, and
practice."
Social work, introduced in the 1930's as a
systematic method of helping people in the field of public
welfare in the Philippines, came to be officially recognized
as a profession with the passage of a law by Congress in
1965, elevating social work to a profession (see Appendix
1). There are 150 schools of social work in the country
today and trained social workers find employment in a
variety of fields and settings which are engaged in social
welfare activities. These include traditional social work
settings such as hospitals, public assistance agencies, and
institutions for different needy groups, as well as the more
recent social work fields like housing and resettlement,
business and industry, social planning, and so on. These
fields will be discussed more lengthily later on.
Certainly, the term "social work" is still mistakenly
used in referring to acts of charity or philanthropy, and
"social worker" is often used in our society to refer to
charitable individuals who find time or provide material
resources for the needy. This misinterpretation is
unavoidable but, with professional social workers' active
demonstration of their roles and functions in many fields
today, there has been an increasing recognition of the
important contribution of social work to social welfare.
In the next chapter, we shall present the historical
evolution of modern-day organized social welfare services
in the Philippines. A careful reading of this chapter is
essential to an understanding and appreciation of social
welfare, as well
today.