Foundational Social Work Principles and Practices

• Foundational social work includes the principles, values, and practices forming the basis of social work, encompassing broad knowledge for supporting individuals, families, and communities.

Values and Ethics

• Social work is founded on core values like social justice, integrity, dignity, worth, and competence
• Ethical standards that guide professional conduct and decision-making.

Human Behavior and Development

• Psychological, sociological, and anthropological perspectives explain individual and communal behavior.
• Developmental stages include knowledge of human growth and development.

Social Systems and Structures

• Social institutions that interact within society are family, education, healthcare, and the legal system.
• Cultural competence includes recognizing and respecting diverse backgrounds, cultures, and client experiences.

Practice Methods

• Intervention techniques include cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused, and strengths-based practices.
• Assessment skills indicate you can evaluate individual and community needs using qualitative methods and standardized tools.

Policy and Advocacy

• Social policy knowledge involves awareness of existing policies impacting client populations and the field.
• Advocacy skills are the ability to advocate for clients, communities, and policies to promote social justice and equity.

Research and Evidence-Based Practice

• Research methods covers understanding qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and applications.
• Evidence-based interventions include knowledge of how to apply research findings to inform and enhance practice.

Communication and Relationship Building

• Skills development includes effective communication skills like active listening, empathy, and rapport-building.
• Collaboration is the ability to work in interdisciplinary teams with other professionals and organizations.

Diversity and Social Justice

• Intersectionality is understanding how race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status intersect and affect lived experiences.
• Critical reflection involves encouragement to reflect critically on your own biases and their impact on practice.

Concept of Community

• A community is a group sharing common characteristics, such as location, values, or interests.
• Geographical communities include people living in the same area.
• Cultural or ethnic communities share common heritage, language, or traditions.
• Religious or spiritual communities share faith, beliefs, and religious practices.
• Types of communities include urban and rural.
• Community structures refer to how individuals or groups organize and interact, applying to social sciences such as sociology, ecology, and online platforms.
• "Major" and "secondary" community structures describe different organization and interaction levels.

Major Community Structures

• These are larger frameworks that organize a community, like primary groups and institutions/organizations.
• Primary groups are close-knit groups, such as family and friends, with personal and enduring relationships.
• Institutions/organizations are larger structures, such as schools, businesses, governments, and religious organizations.
• Cultural norms and values are shared beliefs, customs, and practices.

Secondary Community Structures

• Smaller, temporary, or specialized groups existing within the broader community, such as secondary groups, subcultures/micro-communities, and networks/social connections.
• Secondary groups are less personal and more task-focused, such as colleagues or classmates with goal-oriented interactions.
• Subcultures/Micro-Communities: Smaller groups within a larger community that share specific interests, practices, or beliefs differing from the larger community's norms, like hobby groups or professional organizations.
• Networks and Social Connections: Includes informal relationships based on shared interests, work, or activities.

Elements of Community

• Communities create a sense of belonging and shared identity.
• People are the most important element, sharing common interests, values, and goals.
• Location Communities often have a physical location, such as a neighborhood, town, or city where there is a sense of place and belonging.
• Shared values and beliefs, either religious, political, social, or cultural.
• Social interactions are built on work, school, recreation, etc.
• Social institutions include schools, churches, businesses, and government agencies.
• A strong sense of belonging is essential for a healthy community.
• Shared history and culture includes traditions, customs, and stories passed down through generations.
• Support systems include social support networks, financial assistance, and more.
• Focus is on collective action and empowerment, helping groups identify needs and address social issues.
• The aim is to strengthen community relationships and facilitate collaboration for long-term change and community responsibility.
• Focus on the community includes addressing issues at the community level to improve overall well-being.
• Emphasis on collective action recognizes community action to solve their own problems.
• Empowerment and self-determination enhances the community's ability to address its own issues by promoting participation.
• Social justice and equality address issues of inequality and empower marginalized groups.
• Capacity building focuses on the ability of communities to address their needs by leadership skills, and networks.
• A long-term perspective to enable community change, building relationships and trust.

Historical Development of Community Organization

• Origins trace back to movements like the settlement house movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The settlement house movement (1880s-1920s) was pioneered by Jane Addams and Hull House in Chicago to empower poor immigrant communities through education and advocacy.
• Labor Movements (Late 19th-Early 20th Century) consisted of unions using grassroots organizing to advocate for workers' rights.
• Community Organizing in the Philippines includes a focus on Women's Organizing Post-WWII.
• The Philippines has a rich history of community organizing, intertwined with struggles for justice and equality.
• Modern CO began post-World War II and was focused on the evolution of CO in the Philippines.
• The devastation of World War II created ground for social change.
• Women emerged as powerful agents of change demanding rights.

Early Community Organizing Efforts

• The post-war period saw a rise in labor unions.
• Government & NGO-led rural development incorporated community participation.
• Rural women's organizations emerged in the 1960s/70s that addressed access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and women's rights.
• The Catholic Church supported parish-affiliated women's groups
• Urban women's groups addressed factory conditions, reproductive health rights, and violence.
• Marcos Regime (1972-1986): suppression targeted women’s organizations who worked underground by providing support and organizing resistance.
• Increased women's participation in government and policymaking has raised awareness.
• Poverty, discrimination, and violence remain great challenges.

Key Women Figures:

• Lina Lopez-Bautista: Founder of the Gabriela Women's Party, a prominent women's rights group.
• Aurora Aragon-Quezon: Was a feminist leader and politician instrumental in the women's suffrage movement.
• Lorena Barros: Dedicated her work to rural women as a social worker and activist.
• Globalization and neoliberal policies have significantly impacted women's lives, presenting new challenges, where technology aided communication, networking, and mobilization.

Explore the foundational knowledge of social work, including values, ethics, and human behavior. Understand social systems, cultural competence, and intervention techniques. Learn about supporting individuals, families, and communities through established practices.