Social Work History Overview

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Questions and Answers

When did the first social welfare agencies begin in the United States?

The early 1800s

What were the primary services provided by early social welfare agencies?

The primary services were provided exclusively by members of the clergy and wealthy "do-gooders"

What was the focus of early social welfare agencies?

The focus was on meeting such basic physical needs as food and shelter and attempting to "cure" emotional and personal difficulties with religious admonitions.

What was the goal of the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism, founded by John Griscom in 1820?

The goal was to investigate the habits and circumstances of the poor, to suggest plans by which the poor could help themselves, and to encourage the poor to save and economize. Signup and view all the answers

What was a common method employed by early social welfare agencies?

A common method was conducted house-to-house visitation of the poor (a very elementary type of social work). Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant change that occurred by the last half of the 1800s?

By the last half of the 1800s, a fairly large number of private relief agencies had been established in large cities to help the unemployed, the poor, the ill, people with a physical or mental disability, and orphans. Signup and view all the answers

What is the COS model?

The COS model is a system of charity organization societies that joined forces to provide direct services to individuals and families, or to plan and coordinate efforts of private agencies. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of "friendly visitors" in the COS model?

"Friendly visitors" were volunteers who worked with those in difficulty. Signup and view all the answers

What is a settlement house?

A settlement house is a community center located in a poor neighborhood that provides services such as education, job training, and social support. Signup and view all the answers

Who is considered the founder of the settlement house movement?

Jane Addams Signup and view all the answers

What year did Toynbee Hall, the first settlement house, begin?

1884 Signup and view all the answers

In what year did Richard Cabot introduce medical social work at Massachusetts General Hospital?

1905 Signup and view all the answers

The COS model aimed to provide direct services to individuals and families, but did not focus on planning and coordinating efforts of private agencies.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

Settlement houses emphasized "environmental reform" and focused on helping residents improve housing conditions and living standards.

True (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social work is a relatively new profession, emerging in the early 1800s to address urban poverty.
Early social welfare agencies were primarily religious groups and wealthy individuals, lacking formal training in human behavior.
Early efforts focused on basic needs like food and shelter, and attempts to address emotional and personal problems, using religious guidance.
The Society for the Prevention of Pauperism, founded in 1820, aimed to help the poor help themselves, emphasizing self-reliance and thrift.

Charity Organization Societies (COS)

By the late 1800s, a rise in private relief agencies emerged to address the needs of the poor, unemployed, and ill.
These agencies lacked coordination resulting in overlapping services.
The English Charity Organization Society (COS) provided a model adopted by American cities.
COSs aimed to provide direct services, coordinate efforts of private agencies, conduct thorough investigations of applicants, and use volunteer "friendly visitors."
Friendly visitors offered sympathy and encouraged self-sufficiency; less emphasis on financial aid.

Settlement Houses

Concurrently with COS's development, settlement houses emerged in the late 1800s.
Toynbee Hall (London, 1884) was the first; many followed in large US cities.
Settlement house workers, often daughters of ministers from middle/upper classes, lived in impoverished neighborhoods.
They used a missionary approach to improve living conditions, promote hygiene/education, and foster social action/community organization.
Workers focused on environmental reform to improve housing, health, living conditions.

By the late 1800s, some Charity Organization Societies began receiving funding contracts to manage relief funds. Executive secretaries organized and trained volunteers and established standards and training courses.
The New York Charity Organization Society facilitated training programs by 1898 and expanded in subsequent years.
Universities began offering social work training programs.
Richard Cabot introduced medical social work at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1905. Social workers were subsequently employed in schools, courts, child guidance clinics, and other settings.

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Description

This quiz explores the evolution of social work from its inception in the early 1800s, focusing on the responses to urban poverty and the role of early social welfare agencies. Learn about significant organizations like the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism and the Charity Organization Societies that shaped the field's development. Test your knowledge on how these foundations laid the groundwork for modern social work practices.