What is the essence of social work. YUL. Social work: its essence, functions and features of development. Subjects and objects of social work
Social work as an object of study and professional activity.
Social work as independent discipline and object of study formed in European countries in the 19th century. Along with it, the concepts of “social workers” and “social services” arose.
Definition of social work as a professional activity enshrined at the international level in 2001 by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASHW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).
Social work as a professional activity is understood as:
· as a form of work, for the performance of which a specialist must have knowledge, skills, abilities in this field, as well as have the appropriate abilities and personality characteristics.
· as an organization of assistance and mutual assistance to people and groups who find themselves in difficult life situations, their rehabilitation and integration.
· as satisfying socially guaranteed and personal interests and needs of various groups of the population, creating conditions that contribute to the restoration or improvement of people’s ability to socially function.
· as a dynamic, developing profession, based on the achievements of social sciences and the results of practice, representing a special social mechanism capable of responding flexibly and competently deciding social problems at all levels of the social structure, down to a specific member of society.
In the works of Professor E.I. Kholostova uses the following definition: “Social work is a specific type of professional activity, providing state and non-state assistance to a person in order to ensure the cultural, social and material standard of his life, providing individual assistance to a person, family or group of people.” This definition has the advantage of broad coverage of the phenomenon, emphasizing both state and non-state principles of such activities.
The essence, goals and principles of social work.
In the very general view social work is a complex social phenomenon, an independent field of scientific and practical knowledge, a profession and an academic discipline.
To be more specific, the essence of social work can be summarized in several definitions:
· this is the totality various types activities of social service workers, aimed at helping socially deprived groups of the population: the unemployed, the elderly, the disabled, the poor, and those with many children.
· this is a type of human activity, the purpose of which is to optimize (i.e. choose the best possible option) the implementation of the subjective role of people in all spheres of society in the process of life support and active existence of the individual, family, social and other groups and layers in society.
· it is a means and a form social control in the interests of society or the state, in the name of noble or hostile goals on the one hand. On the other hand, human life is an organic unity of various processes, aspects and phenomena that different time under different circumstances, they can come to the fore or give priority to other processes.
· this is the provision of assistance to individuals and various groups in the implementation of their social rights. Since social rights are very multifaceted and ensure the social functioning of the individual, the problems that social work seeks to solve are very broad and varied.
· this is an interdisciplinary area of scientific knowledge that studies the content and patterns of this activity.
· this is a mandatory mechanism for the functioning of a well-maintained modern social state.
The meaning (essence) of social work is clear - it is an activity to assist individuals, families, groups in realizing their social rights and in compensating for physical, mental, intellectual, social and other deficiencies that impede full social functioning.
The main goal of social work– preserving the health and life of clients.
The purpose of social work activities: to enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich their lives and prevent dysfunction.
Principles of social work.
General principles: universality, protection of social rights, client-centrism, self-reliance, maximization of social resources, confidentiality, tolerance
General philosophical principles: determinism, unity of consciousness and activity, epistemological and personal approaches
Specific principles:
psychological and pedagogical - empathy (sympathy), attraction (attractiveness), trust
methodological – continuity, consistency, continuity, competence
organizational – universality (applying to everyone), complexity (totality, combination), mediation (facilitation of agreement, transactions between parties), solidarity (active sympathy, community of interests, unanimity), subsidiarity (assistance), i.e. allowance, financial assistance.
Principles relating to the personality of the social worker and the nature of his relationship with the client\Lavrinenko I.M.\:
The social worker must:
consciously apply specific knowledge and skills in a specific situation
deal with the client as a whole person, taking into account his biological, psychological, social and spiritual state
conduct business relations with the client, respecting his dignity
see the client as an individual
provide the client with a modern vision of his problem
be based on knowledge of the client's capabilities
encourage the client to make maximum efforts to solve his problems
promote maximum client self-determination
help the client acquire self-management skills in emerging situations
work with clients confidentially
Constantly evaluate progress in changing people.
In legislative and other regulations Russian Federation the principles arising from the generalization of the experience of social work in the country are formulated:
§ respect for human and civil rights in the field social services and ensuring their state guarantees;
§ equal opportunities for citizens when receiving social services; voluntary consent of citizens to receive services;
§ accessibility of social services;
§ maintaining confidentiality in work;
§ continuity of all types and forms of social services;
§ targeting;
§ priority of assistance to citizens who are in a situation that threatens their health or life;
§ preventive focus; promoting social rehabilitation and adaptation;
§ interdepartmentalism and interdisciplinarity;
§ activity approach;
§ territorial organization social service;
§ state support for voluntary public activities to provide social services and assistance to the population.
§ general - humanism, collectivism, unity of word and deed, tolerance, honesty, truthfulness, etc.
§ specific - compliance of the level of qualifications with functional responsibilities, economic requirements for the results of work and its payment, etc.
Subjects and objects of social work:
Subject-object relationships are fluid. What was an object in one respect can become a subject in another act of cognition or activity, and vice versa. Social work is one of these areas of social reality.
Because the Social worker- always active side ( subjective), we can talk about what his activity is aimed at, regardless of whether it meets with an active response or is only passively accepted by people. In this sense objectsocial work are individuals, families, groups, communities in difficult life situations.
1. The essence of social work as a fundamentally new type of activity. Principles and patterns of social work.
One of the main distinguishing features of social work is the very nature of the process of social action between a specialist and a client. As a special type of activity, social work covers three areas: 1. Social therapy at the individual personal and family levels for the purpose of social adaptation and rehabilitation of the individual and resolution. 2. Social work with a group, and groups can be classified: by age (children, youth or groups of elderly citizens), by gender, by interests or similar problems (confessional, associations of single parents, single mothers, groups of former alcoholics or drug addicts, etc. .). 3. social work in the community, at the place of residence. It is focused on expanding the network of social services, strengthening community ties, and creating a favorable socio-psychological climate in places where people live densely. The nature of professional activity requires the social worker to be familiar with a wide range of issues, starting with the organization of the system social security in general and relevant legislation, elements of sociology and economics, and ending with specific, i.e., presupposing knowledge of applied psychology, methods of working with “clients”. A social worker acts to some extent as a psychologist, and as a sociologist, and as a teacher, and as a lawyer. Social work is characterized by an orientation towards real people with their life concerns and difficulties. The social worker acts as an intermediary between the client and society. It contributes, on the one hand, to the effective adaptation of the client in this society, on the other hand, to the process of humanizing this society, overcoming its alienation from the concerns of real people. Social work is carried out through the activities of the system of social services and social institutions.
WITH social work thought- This is an activity to assist individuals, families, groups in the realization of their social rights and in compensation for physical, mental, intellectual, social and other deficiencies that impede full social functioning. Unlike other forms of social assistance, social work is a two-way interaction. A social service employee must necessarily rely on the resources of the client himself, organize and encourage him to resolve his own problem.
ABOUT The objects of social work are individuals, families, groups, communities in difficult life situations. A difficult life situation is a situation that disrupts or threatens to disrupt the possibility of normal social functioning of these objects. The client's social situation is the subject of social work. The purpose of this activity is to improve the client’s social situation, prevent its deterioration, or at least alleviate the client’s subjective experience of his situation.
The main pattern of social work can be identified the relationship between the state’s social policy and the content of social work in society. The effectiveness of achieving the goals of social work will depend on such factors (patterns) as: the joint interest of the social worker and the client in the final results of their interaction; integrity and complexity of the social work specialist’s influence on the client; compliance of powers and responsibilities of a social work specialist; correspondence between the development levels of a social work specialist and a client of social services, etc. The more deeply a social work specialist understands and the more fully he takes into account its patterns in his practical activities, the more effective his results
Basic principles social work: the principle of unity of consciousness and activity, the principle of historicism, the principle of the inextricable relationship between the individual and his social environment, the dependence of the content and direction of social work on the social policy of the state, taking into account the specific living conditions of an individual or a social group when choosing the content, forms and methods of social work with them, the legality and fairness of the activities of a social worker, the socio-technological competence of personnel, the principle of authority and responsibility, the need to take into account individual characteristics when implementing any procedures, a comprehensive analysis of assessing the living conditions of clients and the choice of forms and methods of working with them; individual approach; purposefulness and targeting of social work.
The principle of universality requires the elimination of discrimination in the provision of social assistance on any grounds of ideological, political, religious, national, racial, age nature. Assistance should be provided to each client for a single reason - his need for help.
The principle of protection of social rights states that the provision of assistance to a client cannot be conditional on requiring him to renounce his social rights or part of them. For example, according to current legislation assistance provided to a large family cannot be linked with the requirement for it to limit the birth rate.
Principle of social response implies awareness of the need to take action on identified social problems, to act in accordance with the specific circumstances of the social situation of the individual client.
The principle of preventive orientation involves making efforts to prevent the emergence of social problems and life difficulties of clients or to prevent the aggravation of problems that have already arisen.
The principle of client-centrism means recognizing the priority of the client’s rights in all cases, except those where this conflicts with the rights and interests of other people. Within the framework of this principle, one can consider the sovereignty and autonomy of the client, who has the right to accept or not accept the help of social workers, has the right to choose one or another type of help, must receive full information regarding work with him, and also has the right to protect his personal life from outside interference. to the extent that it does not harm the rights and interests of other persons.
The principle of self-reliance emphasizes the client’s subjective role, his active position in resolving his problems.
Principle of confidentiality is associated with the fact that in the process of activity, the social worker becomes available information about the client, which, if disclosed, can harm him or his loved ones, discredit and discredit them. Such information may only be used for professional purposes; it should not be disclosed, except in cases provided for by law and related to the possibility of violence or harm to any person, especially children.
The principle of tolerance due to the fact that social work is carried out with the most various categories clients, including those with personalities who may not inspire sympathy from the specialist.
Thus, the system of laws and principles of social work is the foundation on which all practical activities of a social work specialist are built.
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Question 3. The essence, goals and principles of social work: modern approaches to understanding the essence and goals of social work, principles of social work: general, general philosophical, specific
The essence of social work in Russia
Let’s begin to consider the essence of social work with the basic word “work”, which expresses the fact that it is organized and initiated by the state, society, body, institution, specialist. In accordance with the meaning of the word “work,” a social work specialist becomes the initiator, organizer, and guide. But the client should not play only a passive role, he should cooperate with the specialist to the best of his ability. In other words, social work is built according to the formula “subject-subject relations”.
The substantive essence of social work is embodied in the most complex phenomenon “social”, which expresses the diverse ways and forms of existence and interaction in society as a system of integral social subjects (individual, family, work collective, community, group, classes). In a civilized society, such existence and interaction should be built on the principles of equality and partnership, fair distribution of material wealth, and reliable guarantees for ensuring the self-affirmation of social subjects included in society. All these conditions, which constitute the essence of the concept “social”, are the most important guidelines for social work.
As for the definition of the concept and essence of social work as a type of activity, there are different interpretations of social work in the published literature. The essence of social work can be summarized in several definitions:
A type of social assistance to individuals and (or) population groups in difficult life situations, with the goal of achieving harmony between a person and the environment.
Providing assistance to individuals and various groups in the exercise of their social rights. Since social rights are very multifaceted and ensure the social functioning of the individual, the problems that social work seeks to solve are very broad and varied;
A type of human activity, the purpose of which is to optimize (i.e. choose the best possible option) the implementation of the subjective role of people in all spheres of social life in the process of life support and active existence of the individual, family, social and other groups and layers in society.
A type of professional activity aimed at satisfying socially guaranteed and personal interests and needs of various groups of the population, at creating conditions that contribute to the restoration or improvement of people’s ability to socially function.
A means and form of social control in the interests of society or the state, in the name of noble or hostile goals on the one hand. On the other hand, human life is an organic unity of various processes, aspects and phenomena, which at different times and under different circumstances can come to the fore or give priority to other processes.
This is a dynamic, developing profession, based on the achievements of social sciences and the results of practice. It is a special social mechanism capable of responding flexibly and competently solving social problems at all levels of the social structure, down to a specific member of society.
Social work is not charity, on the part of society, the state in relation to individuals, groups, communities - it is a mandatory mechanism for the functioning of a well-ordered modern social state.
In the works of Professor E.I. Kholostova uses the following definition: “Social work is a specific type of professional activity, providing state and non-state assistance to a person in order to ensure the cultural, social and material standard of his life, providing individual assistance to a person, family or group of people.” This definition has the advantage of broad coverage of the phenomenon, emphasizing both state and non-state principles of such activities.
Also, social work is an interdisciplinary area of scientific knowledge that studies the content and patterns of this activity. In addition, we can talk about a set of academic disciplines, the mastery of which is necessary for training a social work specialist. In addition, we can note the role of social work as a social phenomenon.
It is likely that at this stage of development of the theory of social work it is impossible to formulate a definition that would exhaust the entire content of the concept. But the meaning (essence) of social work is clear - it is an activity to assist individuals, families, groups in realizing their social rights and in compensating for physical, mental, intellectual, social and other deficiencies that impede full social functioning.
Social work is designed to provide assistance in accessing existing social resources, in their creation or in their replenishment.
Social work allows you to inform your clients about the existence of certain rights and the possibilities for their implementation, to diagnose their violation or incomplete implementation, and finally, to provide assistance in turning potential rights into actual ones. In this regard, social work is needed by all individuals and groups - among active, educated, prosperous clients this need is currently less or completely curtailed, among those less capable of independence, less informed, socially weak in some respects - it is more pronounced.
Social work carries:
♦ preventive in nature - provides for the implementation of preventive measures to prevent deviant behavior.
♦ active nature - focused on maintaining conditions that allow clients themselves to be included in the work as subjects of action;
♦ targeted nature - expressed in the development of provisions and legal norms providing social protection different population groups, in implementing measures to support decent living conditions, taking into account the individual needs of people, in accordance with established criteria);
2. When setting goals It is not enough for social work to formulate them only as “adaptation to society” or “promotion of social functioning.”
The goal of social work is the result of correlating value ideas about the duty of society (the state) to a citizen with the situation in which he finds himself. Article 7 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states: “Russia is a social state.” Of course, any state is social, therefore the term “welfare state” only emphasizes the state’s ability to implement social policy: to take care of the labor situation of the population, human rights, create healthcare and social security systems, support the poor, fight crime and negative conflicts, etc. d. One of the most important principles of the welfare state is this: you should help only those who are this moment he cannot cope with his own problems, and helps in such a way that in the future the person can cope with problems on his own. Thus, the goal of social work is the achievement by the object of a state characterized by the optimal use of personal and social resources in accordance with social standards and individual ideas about the norms of social functioning.
The goal, refracted in the conditions of a particular situation, becomes a specific task. The set of social work tasks can also be used to meaningfully characterize social work as a special type of social practice.
Introduction
Many people need help now when it is so difficult.
It's difficult for various reasons. As a result of the reforms, many found themselves below the social line when the question of daily bread became a priority.
Problems of treatment, education of children, and their recreation arose with no less urgency. Separately, we can raise the issue of unemployment, since for more than a year now, in our country, and throughout the world, the financial crisis continues to grow; no one is immune from unemployment. This leads to crime, a decline in morals, and permissiveness; this causes great anxiety and fear for oneself, for the fate of relatives and for the further prosperity of the Motherland.
Not everyone has the strength to fight. Many have lost confidence and hope for better changes. But someone has to help these people.
It is important to know where to go with your problems. In such situations, “social work” comes to the rescue; here they can support a person in difficult times, both financially – by providing payments, allowances, benefits, and spiritually – “to guide them on the right path.”
The relevance of the topic “the essence of social work, its object and subject” is now very high, and is due to the following circumstances:
– firstly, in modern conditions, the increase in the pace of the social movement to help the population. This is due to the increase in such strata of society as the disabled, pensioners, the poor, orphans, etc.
– secondly, the need to identify problems in social sphere.
Therefore, it is necessary to first understand what the object and subject of social work is, not only as a science, but also as an activity, and how academic discipline in order to subsequently identify problems, prevent their aggravation and take measures to stabilize the situation. Many people do not know, or have a vague idea, what “social work” is, who these social services and workers are, what their goals are, who they help, and in general what their help consists of?
Analysis of a social work problem involves obtaining answers to the questions: Who protects? Whom does he protect? That is, it is important to find out what the subject of social work is and what its object is.
The object of study of the course work is the essence of social work itself, its subject and object.
The purpose of the course work is to study and analyze the essence of social work, consider social work as a form of practical activity, as an academic discipline and from the point of view of an independent science. It is necessary to reveal the very concept of social work and its most important components.
Achieving this goal involves setting and solving the following tasks:
– define the term “social work”, expand this concept from the point of view of independent science;
– consider social work as a form of practical activity, clarifying its aspects;
– to identify what is the strategy, meaning and purpose of social work as an academic discipline;
– establish what key categories form the meaningful characteristics of social work;
– answer the question of what social protection, social support, social services and social security are, identify how they differ;
– give a description of the object of social work, what directions arise in it, and how they can be classified;
– consider the client as an object of social work;
– characterize the family from the point of view of the object of social work;
– define the subject of social work, establish how the subject can change, depending on whether social work is considered as a science, as a discipline or as an activity.
1 . The essence of social work
1.1 The concept of social work as an independent science
For several years now, a new type of professional activity has been dynamically developing in the Russian Federation, which is also a specialty in the higher education system - social work. The emergence of social work as a special institution and a special profession is caused not only by the increased demands of the population for social support, but also by a change in the content of these requests, their individualization, conditioning by deeper personal needs, more mediated conditions for their satisfaction. This activity can be both professional and volunteer, however, despite the importance of the volunteer movement, as the institute of social work develops, both the degree of training of personnel and the depth of specialization of its institutions will inevitably increase.
Social work can be defined as “a type of social activity aimed at optimizing the implementation of the subjective role of people in all spheres of society in the process of jointly satisfying needs, maintaining life support and the active existence of the individual.”
First of all, social work should be considered as an independent science, which determines its place in the system of sciences. Like any science, social work has its own subject, object, categorical apparatus. The object of the study is the process of connections, interactions, methods and means of regulating the behavior of social groups and individuals in society. The subject of social work as an independent science is the patterns that determine the nature and direction of the development of social processes in society.
The development of a scientific categorical apparatus is one of the priority tasks in the field of research into the theory of social work. The system of categories should include concepts that reflect: firstly, the specifics of the organization of social work in different areas of social practice (for example, social work in education, social work in the army, etc.); with different clients (social work with people with disabilities, social work with families, social work with risk groups); in different social situations (social work in extreme situations, social work in conditions of environmental distress, etc.). Secondly, different aspects of the organization of professional and non-professional social work (economics of social work, management, psychosocial technologies, etc.). Undoubtedly, as theory and empirical research in this area develop, the system of its categories will be enriched and expanded.
Interdisciplinary connections in the study of problems of man, society and the nature of their interaction are realized through comprehensive research. The relationship of social work theory with other theories is based on traditional models of the systems approach. Identification of the interaction of social work with other sciences showed its interdisciplinary nature, as well as its difference from such related fields of knowledge as sociology, psychology, etc.
The system of social work, no matter in what aspect it is considered, always represents open system, most closely intertwined with other social systems: economics, politics, law, culture, ethics, ecology, consumer services, etc. Understanding and seeing the connections of the social work system with other systems and the system of society as a whole raises social work to a high level of public culture, makes society truly humane, puts a person at the center of public life, makes people people in the highest sense of the word.
The idea of social work as a system has conceptual and methodological significance for the everyday management of social work. Knowing it as a system frees organizers from a one-sided approach, exaggerating the role of some of its individual aspects, allows timely anticipation and correction of possible distortions and errors in social services, raising the culture and efficiency of social work.
Social work is a universal social institution: its bearers provide assistance to all individuals, regardless of social status, nationality, religion, race, gender, age and other circumstances. The only criterion in this matter is the need for help and the inability to cope with life’s difficulties on one’s own. Although among those involved in social work there are many people who belong to one religion or another, the institution of social work itself is secular in nature, being an attribute of civil society. Because of this, in addition to very influential moral imperatives, the activities of a social worker are also regulated by state legislation.
Thus, to summarize, we can say that since social work has its own subject, object and categorical apparatus, it should first of all be considered as an independent science.
1.2 Social work as a practical activity
Social work is a professional activity aimed at helping people and social groups overcome personal and social difficulties through support, protection, correction and rehabilitation.
Unlike other forms of social assistance, social work is a two-way interaction. A social service employee, social therapist, or other specialist must necessarily rely on the resources of the client himself, organize and encourage him to resolve his own problem.
The term "social work" is closely related to the functioning market economy, since achieving its effectiveness is accompanied by social stratification. If the network is not created social support, then problems in the social sphere worsen and social tension arises. In countries with developed market economies, institutions for social support of people have been created for decades and operate quite successfully. Profession "social worker" is one of the most common here, and social structures have both a state and a private basis. In our country, the most pressing problem in the field of social work is its recognition as the most important activity that confirms the degree of social security of the individual, respect for fundamental human rights, the level of humanization of society. Social work refers to one of many types of activities. There are economic, political, legal, cultural, technical, scientific and other types of activities. And there is social work - a special type of activity.
In this regard, its various aspects should be noted.
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Social work is an activity carried out by professionally trained specialists and their volunteer assistants, aimed at providing individual assistance to a person, family or group of people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, through information, diagnosis, counseling, direct natural and financial assistance, care and service for the sick and lonely, pedagogical and psychological support, orienting those in need of help to their own activity in overcoming difficult situations and facilitating them in this.
Social work is a professional activity aimed at activating the potential of an individual’s own capabilities in solving complex life problems. social policy in theory social workCoursework >> Sociology
Theories social work characterized by a variety of approaches to identifying object And subject. In dictionary social work noted: " Object research social work is a process...
The multidisciplinary nature of social work brings it closer, first of all, to sociology. To consider this topic, you need to compare the object and subject of sociology and social work, and consider the influence of sociology on social work. Sociology is the science of the laws of formation, functioning and development of society as a whole, social communities, groups and layers of people, individuals. Thus, the object of sociology is society as a whole and its substructures as integral entities. By studying society, sociology explores the social aspects of social processes, social phenomena, social relations- i.e. relationships regarding life activity, lifestyle, social status of a person, social and other groups, classes in society. With this interpretation of the object of sociology, its connection with social work, on the one hand, and, on the other, their differences, are visible. The object of social work is specific areas of life, all people, individuals and groups in need of help, i.e. these are old people, pensioners, disabled people, orphans, alcoholics, homeless people and many other socially vulnerable groups and segments of the population. An even greater difference between these sciences is observed when comparing their subjects. Sociology studies patterns that are more fundamental than the mechanisms and patterns of social work as a science.
The subject of social work is characterized by its functions, such as: informational, diagnostic, prognostic, organizational, psychological and pedagogical, providing practical assistance, management. These functions do not exhaust the functions of sociology (cognitive, instrumental). In social work, these functions are focused on vulnerable groups of the population, and in sociology on the whole society.
Social work - professional creative activity, which includes components of both spiritual and practical orientation. What gives it a professional character is its legalization by the state as socially necessary and subject to legal regulation; compliance of its subjects and institutional elements with certain formal requirements; subjects have special vocational training, confirmed by the relevant document on education. The professional nature of social work is manifested in: its mandatory systematic nature; the presence of formalized principles and values; in social order on the part of society and building relationships between participants in activities within the framework of current labor legislation.
As a rule, the following levels of social work are distinguished:
1) Individual level (basic) involves working with individuals. It requires the specialist to have knowledge of psychology and communication skills. At the individual level, methods of observation, counseling, interviews, etc. are used.
2) In group social work, the following methods are used: socio-psychological trainings, role-playing games, psychodrama, art therapy. The training is used where development of communication skills is necessary. Role-playing games, psychodrama are used when an individual has problems mastering social roles.
3) The general social level is associated with solving problems that affect categories of the population and entire social groups. Solving these problems requires the adoption of measures that presuppose the presence of competence and powers that give the right to issue normative acts. The general social level is carried out by social management bodies and officials.
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