Module 1: Understanding Basic Social Work Concepts PDF

MODULE 1 Understanding the Basic concepts and definitions in Social Work  THE LESSON STRUCTURE MODULE No. 1. Lesson 1: Definition of Social Welfare, its views and conceptions, categories, and goals. Time Frame: Within 1 week Introdu...

MODULE 1 Understanding the Basic concepts and definitions in Social Work  THE LESSON STRUCTURE MODULE No. 1. Lesson 1: Definition of Social Welfare, its views and conceptions, categories, and goals. Time Frame: Within 1 week Introduction: Welcome, aspiring social workers! I'm glad to have you as a part of the social work program. To begin, understanding the different definitions of social welfare is vital in the social work profession. In this module we will identify and understand the different concepts of social welfare as well us broaden our knowledge on the views and goals of social welfare and how it evolved to what it is now. Activity Activity 1: Definition of Social welfare based on 1. Gertrude Wilson – 2. Walter Friedlander – 3. Elizabeth Wickenden – Activity 2: In your own knowledge differentiate the conception of Social Welfare as: a. Residual b. Institutional c. Developmental Activity 3: Enumerate the Goals of Social Welfare and its general idea? REF: (T. Mendoza, Social Welfare and Social Work, Third edition 2008) Abstraction Social Welfare Getrude Wilson characterizes social welfare as an organized concern of all people for all people. Walter Friedlander defines it as "the organized system of social services and institutions, designed to aid individuals and groups to attain satisfying standards of life and health. According to Elizabeth Wickenden, social welfare includes those laws, programs, benefits and services which assure or strengthen provisions for meeting social needs recognized as basic to the well-being of the population and the better functioning of the social order. a nation’s system of programs, benefits, and services that help people meet those social, economic, educational and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society encompasses the well-being of all the members of human society, including their physical, mental, emotional, social, economic and spiritual being. Society responds to unmet needs or problems through the ff. ways: 1. Individual and group efforts. These refer to systematic and voluntary efforts undertaken by individuals and/or groups in response to the unmet needs of people in a community. 2. Major societal institutions which have their designated roles and responsibilities for meeting human needs (ex., family, the church, the government, cooperatives, and labor unions) 3. Social Agency - public or private social agency ▪ Major provision for helping people with their problem ▪ Professional Social Worker in the Philippines is usually employed by a social agency. (ex. DSWD, CSSDO, MSWDO, PSWDO, Bantay Bata 163, Home for the Aged, Red Cross) Views or Conceptions of Social Welfare 1. Residual the residual formulation conceives of the social welfare structures as temporary, offered during emergency situations and withdrawn when the regular social system is again working properly society must aid the people until they can once again assume responsibility for meeting their own needs views welfare in a demeaning and critical manner 2. Institutional sees social welfare as a proper, legitimate function of modern society Society is viewed as having responsibility to support its members and provide needed  benefits and services In contrast to residual wherein social welfare is viewed as demeaning, it views is as right to receive benefits and services on an on-going basis reflected in our Philippine Constitution (Art 2, Sec 9 of the1987 Constitution) Philippine Constitution (1987) “The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living and an improved quality of life for all.” 3. Developmental seeks to identify social interventions that have a positive impact on economic development Social Welfare Programs usually fall under the ff. categories a. Social Security This refers to the whole set of compulsory measures instituted to protect the individual and his family against the consequences of an unavoidable interruption or serious diminution of the earned income disposable for the maintenance of a reasonable standard of living Examples: compulsory employer liability (with or without insurance) provident funds and social insurance b. Personal social services -refer to service functions which have a major bearing upon personal problems, individual situations of stress, interpersonal helping or helping people in need, and the provision of direct services in collaboration with workers from government and voluntary agencies Ex. Programs for counseling, therapy and rehabilitation; programs for providing access, information and advice; institutional services; child protective services and programs for the treatment of deviants c. Public Assistance This refers to materials/concrete aids/support provided, usually by government agencies, to people who have no income or means of support for themselves and their families for reasons such as loss of employment, natural disasters, etc. In many foreign countries, public assistance is simply called "Welfare" Goals of Social Welfare 1 Humanitarian - The goal of social welfare that is rooted in the democratic ideal of social and Social justice. It is based on the belief that the human being has the potential Justice Goal for self-realization except that physical, social, economic, psychological and other factors hinder or prevent him from realizing his potentials. - This goal involves the identification of the most afflicted, the most dependent, the most neglected and those least able to help themselves. e.g. Pantawid Pamilya Program for the poor 2 Social - The goal of social welfare that is based on the recognition that needy, Control Goal deprived or disadvantaged groups in a society are capable of striking out, individually or collectively against what they consider to be an alienating or offending party. e.g. Social services to dissidents, juvenile and adult offenders 3 Economic - Programs designed to support increases in the production of goods Development and services and other resources that contributes to economic Goal development, benefiting able-bodied, relatively better-off members of the community. e.g. livelihood Changing Concepts of Social Welfare: From Residual to Developmental - As a frontline support to enable people to cope with changing situations and provide opportunities for their full development through the provision of institutional support. From Charity to Citizen Right - Citizens with rights and duties and in which economic security, education, and access to benefits and obligations accompany their full participation in society. From Minimum to Optimum - To provide the optimum that can nurture and develop human potentialities and to achieve some desirable level of well-being. From Special to Universal - Universal programs to meet the universal needs of people when faced with common social contingencies that are part of changing economic and social conditions.  From Individual to Social Reform - Social problems as rooted in “structural imbalance and defects” in institutional arrangements, where the rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer. From Voluntary to Public - Provided for a greater reach out of programs and services through the transfer of welfare provisions and services to the local government’s partnership with NGOs, POs and to promote general welfare. From Welfare of the Poor to the Welfare of Society - Generally aims to integrate the poor with the rest of the population, considering services as a matter of right. The changing concepts of social welfare are meant to be responsive to the socio- economic and political realities. From mere coping and crisis management, current social welfare efforts are meant to be liberating and empowering in order for people to make full use of their potentials and increase the quality of their lives as well as the lives of others. (ref. T. Mendoza, Social Welfare and Social Work,Third edition 2008) Application Workshop 1. (Conceptions of Social Welfare) Using the template provided below describe where do you think a specific view of Social welfare can be applied in social work? and site some examples View/conception Applications Residual Institutional Developmental Workshop 2. (Social Welfare Goals) Using the template below give at least 3 examples of activities/programs/service which tends to the specific goal of social welfare (examples given in abstraction not included) and why do you think if falls to that goal? Social welfare Goal Activity/service/Program Why does it fall under that goal?  Humanitarian and Social (ex. Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program.) Why do you think 4Ps belong Justice Goal under this goal?? Social Control Goal Economic Development Goal Assessment Answer this: 1. In your own understanding why do we need to define social welfare and its different meanings? 2. Why do we need to distinguish the different views of social welfare? 3. Why do you think understanding social welfare goal is important in social work practice? Closure Congratulations! For a job-well done. We are so proud of you.