Important Notes for DIASS PDF

Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences Teacher: RENZY KIEL A. AGUILON Social Sciences is the study of society and the manner in which people behave and influence the world around us. -Tells about the world...

Disciplines and Ideas in the Applied Social Sciences Teacher: RENZY KIEL A. AGUILON Social Sciences is the study of society and the manner in which people behave and influence the world around us. -Tells about the world and our immediate experiences -Can help explain how society works -From the causes of unemployment or what causes economic growth -To how and why people vote or what makes people happy -It provides vital information for governments and policy makers, local authorities and NGOs Applied Social Sciences is about entails using and adapting abstract principles and theory, which were derived from the various disciplines under the Social Sciences, in connection with concrete problems, especially with a utilitarian aim. The difference? Pure Social Sciences encompass only the concepts, ideologies, definitions, and purposes of the multiple disciplines under it. Applied Social Sciences denote the integration of these knowledge and information in dealing with and resolving problems and issues in the real world. What are the main branches of Pure Social Sciences? Anthropology the study of people past and present with a focus on understanding the human condition. Human Geography it focuses on human activities and their impact for instance on environmental change. Economics address key questions about the production and exchange of goods and services. Demography study of population. Political Science it focuses on the theory and practice of government and politics. Psychology studies the human mind and try to understand how people experience the world through various emotions, ideas, and conscious states. Sociology understand the way people relate to each other and functions as a society or subgroups. Linguistics As the branches of social sciences analyse the relationship of human beings with the society, Linguistics is an indispensable area of study amongst these disciplines as it peruses upon how a language is formed, its main origins as well as evolution. It explores the roots of every language, be it official ones or local dialects and indigenous languages and understands their role in defining the culture and traditions of a specific society. How are those branches of Pure Social Sciences associated with Applied Social Sciences? The earlier mentioned branches of the Social Sciences are integrated in the three subcategories of the Applied Social Science: Counselling Social Work Communication Counselling empowers diverse individuals, families and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. It involves helping people make needed changes in the ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. It is a goal based collaborative process involving a non judgemental and a supportive counsellor. Defining Social Sciences – is made of several disciplines and these include history, political science, sociology, psychology, economics, geography, demography, anthropology and linguistics. As a body of scientific knowledge, the social sciences provide diverse set of lenses that help us understand and explain the different facets of human society. The varieties of lens that social sciences study refer to the different fields of the social sciences that investigate human society Branches of the Social Sciences  Economics studies the allocation of scarce resources and the production and exchange of goods and services in society. Anthropology is the scientific study of humans and their cultures in the past and present time. History is systematic study of human past events in order to understand the meaning, dynamics, and relationship of the cause and effects of events in the development of societies. Political Science primarily studies human behavior in relation to political systems, governments, laws, and international relations. Psychology studies how the human mind works in consonance with the body to produce thoughts that lead to individual actions. Sociology a systematic study of people’s behavior in groups Geography is the study of interaction between people and their environments. Demography according to the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (2016) demography is the scientific study of human populations across time. Defining the Applied Social Sciences-branch of study that applies the different concepts, theoretical models, and theories of the social science disciplines to help understand society and the different problems and issues. The applied social sciences is utilized to provide alternative solutions to the diverse problem of the society. Three main career tracks for applied social scientist: Counseling is one of the fields of applied social sciences as an application of the social sciences, counseling provides guidance, help, and support to individuals who are distraught by a diverse set of problems in their lives. Social work practitioners help individuals, families, and groups, communities to improve their individual and collective well-being. Communication Studies- Applied social science provide adequate training for careers in the field of journalism and mass communication because of multidisciplinary knowledge and skills that graduates learn from social sciences. Counseling – For Nystul (2003) defined it as basically an art and a science wherein you endeavor to weigh the objective and subjective facets of the counseling process. As an art is the subjective dimension of counseling. It upholds a flexible and creative process whereby the counselor modifies the approach to meet the developing needs of the clients. As a science, on the other hand, is the objective dimension of the counseling process. Goals of Counseling – the key component of individual, group, organizational and community success -Detailed and expansive counseling goals have been identified by Gibson and Mitchell (2003), which are as follows: 1. Development Goals – assist in meeting or advancing the clients human growth and development including social, personal, emotional, cognitive, and physical wellness. 2. Preventive Goals – helps the client avoid some undesired outcome. 3. Enhancement Goals- enhance special skills and abilities. 4. Remedial Goals – assisting a client to overcome and treat an undesirable development 5. Exploratory Goals- examining options, testing of skills, trying new and different activities, etc. 6. Reinforcement Goals- helps client in recognizing, that what they are doing, thinking, and feeling is fine 7. Cognitive Goals-involves acquiring the basic foundation of learning and cognitive skills 8. Physiological Goals – involves acquiring the basic understanding and habits for good health 9. Psychological Goals – aids in developing good social interaction skills, learning emotional control, and developing positive self – concept.  Scope of Counseling The wide ranges of human problems create a widened scope and field of counseling. Broadly, the scope of counseling includes individual counseling, marital and premarital counseling, family counseling, and community counseling. A more focused subject matter related to scope of counseling is the 4757-15 Scope of Practice foe Licensed Professional Counselors. According to Mcleod (2003) ,the founders of humanistic psychology, including Maslows and Rogers ,highlighted the importance of values. Ethical Principles of counseling which are follows: These are the ideas that underpin both personal and professional codes. 1. Autonomy of individuals Is based on the right to freedom of action and freedom of choice in so far as the pursuit of these freedom does not interfere with the freedom of others ; counseling cannot happen unless the client has made a free choice to participate 2. Principle of Non maleficence This refers to instruction to all helpers or healers that they must ,above all, do no harm; Beneficence refers to the order to promote human welfare 3. Principle of Justice Concerned with the fair distribution of resources and services , unless there is some acceptable reason for treating them differently For counseling , the principle has particular relevance to the question access The BACP Ethical Framework for Good Practice , drawing on virtues perspective also identified a set of personal qualities that all practitioners should possess: empathy, sincerity, integrity, resilience, respect, humility, competence, fairness, wisdom and courage Roles and Functions of Counselors Here in the Philippines, Counseling is a profession (R.A. 9258 also known as the Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004) that allows you to help others manage their responses to life’s challenges (Cleofe et al., 2015). It is more just listening, its “active listening”; its more emphatic, it’s caring; the relationship of client and therapist/counselor are guided by rules and regulations (Code of Ethics, R.A. 9258) so as to protect not only the Counselors, but also the rights of clients According to Gibson and Mitchell (2003) a helping profession is composed of members “who are especially trained and licensed to perform a unique and service for fellow human beings”. Roles / Functions Description Individual Assessment Seeks to identify the characteristics and potential of every client; promotes the client’s self-understanding and assisting counselors to understand the client better Individual Counseling Considers as the core activity through which other activities become meaningful. It is a client –centered process that demand confidentiality. Relationship is established between counselor and client. Group Counseling and Guidance Groups are means of providing organized and planned assistance to individuals for an array of needs. Counselor provides assistance through group counseling and group guidance. Career Assistance Counselors are called on to provide career planning and adjustment assistance to clients. Placements and Follow -Up A service of school counseling programs with emphasis on educational placements in course and programs. Referral It is the practice of helping the clients find needed expert assistance that the referring counselor cannot provide. Consultation It is the process of helping a client through a third party or helping system improve its service to its clientele. Research It is necessary to advance the profession of counseling; it can provide empirically based data relevant to the ultimate goal of implementing effective counseling. Evaluation and Accountability Evaluation is a means of assessing the effectiveness of counselor’s activities. Accountability is an outgrowth of demand that schools and other tax-supported institutions be held accountable for their actions. Prevention This includes promotion of mental health through primary prevention using a social – psychological perspective. Career Opportunities and Areas of Specialization of Counselors 1. Marriage and Family Counseling – refers to the efforts to establish an encouraging relationship with couple or family and appreciate the complications in the family system. 2. Child and Adolescent Counseling – is a developing area of expertise in counseling profession. The counseling strategies focus on helping children and adolescents acquire coping skills through promotion of resiliency, positive attachment relationship, emotional and intellectual intelligence, and other qualities that promote optional development. 3. Group Counseling – is the dynamic field in the counseling profession. Group counseling as a practice can be located in most counseling programs and became the essential part of counselor’s system. Group counseling offers the following: opportunities to members to learn from observing other group members; can functions as helpers and helps; opportunities to discover that you others have similar concerns ; members are encouraged to offer help to others ;opportunities to enhance interpersonal skills; the therapeutic climate created similar as the client’s family origin. 4. Career Counseling –is an evolving and challenging counseling field. This type of counseling aids individual on decisions and planning concerning their career. The counseling approach includes integrating theory and practice. Adopted Savickas (1996) as cited Nystul (20003) adopted the model of Wagner (1971) on structural analysis of personality to the realm of vocational psychology. The model consist of vocational career services, occupational placement, vocational guidance, career counseling, career education , career therapy, and position coaching. 5. School Counseling- refers to the process of reaching out students with concerns on drugs, family and peers or gang involvement. The job requires sensitivity to individual differences and considers diversity in enhancing educational perspective. The job requires skills on consultation, counseling’s exceptional students and with the ability to handle problems such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, divorced or single parents, dropping out of school. 6. Mental Health Counseling - is manifested in the challenges posed by its clientele with mental disorders. Mental disorders include serious depression, schizophrenia, and substance abuse. Mental health counselors have to be inventive, and creative to address these problems. The job requires patience, humility, kindness and compassion. Rights and Responsibilities, and Accountabilities of Counselors  Code of ethics help counselors to remind them of their rights, responsibilities and accountabilities in the counseling profession. The rights, responsibilities and accountabilities of the counselors are based on the counselor’s associations of Code of Conduct. The code of ethics of the counselors is divided into seven sections, namely, (a) counseling relationship, (b) confidentiality (c) professional responsibility (d) relationships with other professionals, (e) evaluation, assessment, and interpretation, (f) teaching, training and supervision (g) research and publication. (Gladding, 2000). We shall only present in details three of the seven areas, namely, counseling relationships, confidentiality, and professional responsibility. The following three tables below provide a sample code of ethics of the American Counseling Association. Areas Description The Counseling Relationships 1. Client welfare Counselor’s primary responsibility is to respect the dignity and promote the welfare of clients. They are also expected to encourage client’s growth. Counselors and clients are expected to work together in crafting individual counseling plans consistent with the client’s circumstances. 2. Respecting Diversity Counselors do not engage in discrimination based on age, color, culture, disability, ethnic group, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status and socio-economic status. Counselors shall respect differences and understand the diverse cultural backgrounds of their clients. 3. Client Rights Counselors shall disclose the purposes, goals, techniques, procedures, limitations, potential risks, benefits of the services to be performed and other pertinent information to the client throughout the counseling process. Counselors offer clients the freedom to choose whether to enter into a counseling relationship and determine which professional will provide counseling, except when the client is unable to give consent. 4. Clients Served by others In cases where the client is receiving services from another mental health professional, with client’s consent, inform the professional person already involved to develop an agreement. 5. Personal Needs and values Maintain the clients and avoid actions that seek to meet their personal needs at the expense of the clients. Counselors shall be aware of their values, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior and how these apply in a diverse society and avoid imposing their values on clients. 6. Dual Relationships Counselors are aware of their influential position over their clients  avoid the exploiting the trust and dependency of the clients. Counselors should not accept as superiors or subordinates’ clients’. 7. Sexual Intimacies with Clients Counselors should not have any type of sexual intimacies with clients and do not counsel persons with whom they have sexual relationship. Counselors should not also engage with sexual intimacies with their former clients within a minimum of two years. 8. Multiple Clients In cases where counselors agree to provide counseling services to two or more persons who have a relationship, counselors clarify at the outset which person or persons are clients and the nature of relationship they will have with each other involved person. 9. Group Work Counselors screen prospective group counseling / therapy participants to determine those with compatible needs. In group setting, counselors take reasonable precautions to protect clients from physical or psychological trauma. 10. Fees Prior to entering the counseling relationship, the counselors clearly explain the clients all financial arrangements related to professional fees. This Code of Ethics in Guidance and Counseling expresses the ethical principles and values of the Association and serves as a guide to the professional and personal conduct of all its members. It also informs the public which they serve of the standards of ethical conduct for which members are to be responsible and accountable. The Code reflects such values as integrity, competence, responsibility and an understanding of and respect for the cultural diversity of society. Members have a responsibility to ensure that they are familiar with this Code of Ethics, understand its application to their professional and personal conduct, and strive to adhere to its principles and values. They should also be familiar with other sources of information which will assist them in making informed professional decisions. These include the laws, rules and regulations, and policies which are professionally relevant in their working environment. Members are accountable to both the public and their peers and are therefore subject to the complaints and disciplinary procedures of the Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association. By accepting this statement of ethics, members of the Association are committing themselves to act ethically in the provision of professional services. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES The expectations for ethical conduct as expressed in this Code are based on the following fundamental principles: · Respecting human rights and dignity · Respect for the client’s right to be self-governing · A commitment to promoting the client’s well being · Fostering responsible caring · Fair treatment of all clients and the provision of adequate services · Equal opportunity to clients availing counseling services · Ensuring the integrity of practitioner-client relationship · Fostering the practitioner’s self-knowledge and care for self · Enhancing the quality of professional knowledge and its application · Responsibility to the society · · The Clientele and Audiences of Counseling · Individuals and groups of people who receive service from various counseling professions constitute the clientele and audience. These individuals and groups vary in their needs and context where they avail of counseling services. · Characteristics of the Clientele and Audiences of Counseling · The clientele and audiences of counseling are normal people. They are not in need of clinical or mental help. They may be the youth in need of guidance at critical moments of their growth, anyone in need of assistance in realizing a change in behavior or attitude, or simply seeking to achieve a goal. What the audience normally calls for in counseling is application or development of social skills, effective communication, spiritual direction, decision-making, and career choices. Sometimes, people need to cope with crisis. Other clientele and audiences of counseling may be people in need of premarital and marital counseling, grief and loss, domestic violence and other types of abuse, or coping with terminal illness, death, and dying. · The Individual as Client of Counseling · The most common type of counseling is the individualized type. The individual who needs to be helped to manage well a life-changing situation or personal problem or crisis and other support needs may undergo counseling as an individual. Problems like alcoholism, loss of job, divorce, imprisonment, and rehabilitation can cause of shame and embarrassment. Without acquiring enough strength ad ability to go through such life experience, people are vulnerable and may come out worse. · The Group and Organization as Client of Counseling · Groups exist in communities, organizations, students in schools, teachers in school, and departments in workplaces, and such entity can undergo group counseling to meet counseling needs on that level. The needs can range from desire to reduce conflict or manage it, become more productive as a team or work better together. Some of the group processes and procedures resemble those that are applied to individuals. · The Community as Client of Counseling · When people experience something collectively, which may be socially troubling and constitute the danger of blocking their collective capacity to move on, counseling is necessary to be undertaken on a community level. · · · · The Counseling Services, Processes, and Methods · Counseling offers a wide range of services to individuals, groups and organizations, and communities. In all the services, several processes are involved from needs assessment to intervention or program designing and a selection of an array of methods available to the profession in dispensing he services appropriately. Assessment to intervention or program designing and a selection of an array of methods available to the profession in dispensing he services appropriately. · Conducting Needs Assessment for Individuals, Groups, Organization, and Communities · Since counseling is essentially an intervention, it is important that counselors accurately understand the needs of their clients. This also helps to align their competencies to the needs of individuals, groups, organizations, and communities that they intend to serve. Needs assessments may range from a systematic observation of symptoms to conducting formal surveys using a questionnaire to determine the felt needs of the potential clients. The results of the needs assessment will become the basis to decide on the range of services to make available to the clients as well as choice of processes to be followed. In some cases, individual counseling may be made while in some cases, group counseling may be considered appropriate. The choice  of counselors in terms of areas of specialization (that may be fitting to the context) can be determined after a needs assessment is done. · Monitoring and Evaluating for Counseling Effectivity · When interventions are designed, the implementation stage follows. To ensure that everything planned is performed accordingly, accurate documentation of all details is necessary to generate data of factual evidence about the implementation. Both the planned and unplanned occurrences in the process are documented. This is called monitoring. The goal is to ensure that everything is being done as designed based on the diagnostic procedure and resource alignment. Monitoring is done during the implementation phase. · At the end of the period of implementation or at a certain marked 16 reasonable period, assessments are needed to determine initial results— what is happening. This is called evaluation. Evaluation examines the results and finds out if the intended results are being met or not. It is the basis to continue or to phase out a program. If monitoring documents the process, evaluation concentrates on the results Areas of Specialization where Counselors Work 1. Child Development and counseling 2. Adolescent development and counseling 3. Gerontology 4. Marital relationship counseling 5. Health 6. Career/lifestyle Code of Ethics of Counselors Principle 1; Respect for the rights and dignity of the client Principle 2: Competence Principle 3: Responsibility Principle 4: Integrity Different types of special counseling population according to (Gibson and Mitchell, 2003) 1. People Who Abuse Drugs 2. People Who use Tobacco 3. People Who Abuse Alcohol 4. Women 5. Older Adults 6. People with AIDS 7. Victims of Abuse 8. Gay Men and Lesbian Women Different Settings Where counsellors are found a. Government setting b. Private Sector c. Civil Society d. Schools setting e. Community setting Processes in Counselling 1. Relationship Building 2. Assessment and Diagnosis 3. Goal Setting 4. Intervention and Problem-Solving 5. Termination and Follow-up 6. Evaluation  Methods in Counselling 1. Psychodynamic Approach - The psychodynamic approach in psychology emphasizes unconscious processes and unresolved past conflicts as influences on behavior. Rooted in Freud’s theories, it explores the interplay of drives, desires, and defense mechanisms in shaping personality and behavior. 2. Experiential Approach - According to Kolb, this type of learning can be defined as "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combinations of grasping and transforming the experience." Experiential learning theory differs from cognitive and behavioral theories in that cognitive theories emphasize the role of mental processes while behavioral theories ignore the possible role of subjective experience in the learning process. 3. Cognitive-Behavioural Approach - is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps people learn how to identify and change the destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on their behavior and emotions. Cognitive behavioral therapy combines cognitive therapy with behavior therapy by identifying maladaptive patterns of thinking, emotional responses, or behaviors and replacing them with more desirable patterns. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on changing the automatic negative thoughts that can contribute to and worsen our emotional difficulties, depression, and anxiety. These spontaneous negative thoughts also have a detrimental influence on our mood. 4. Eclectic Approach - is an approach that draws on multiple theoretical orientations and techniques. It is a flexible and multifaceted approach to therapy that allows the therapist to use the most effective methods available to address each individual client's needs. It is also sometimes referred to as multi-modal or integrative therapy. Disciplines of Social Work Social Work is a helping profession. Some individuals have personal or family problems. Sometimes they cannot solve these by themselves. So they need outside help. Such help comes from trained people. The individual seeking help is known as a client and the trained person helping him is known as a social worker DEFINITION OF SOCIAL WORK Morales and Sheafor (1983) identified four areas of consideration: 1. In each helping situation, the social worker is concerned with enabling or facilitating change. Interventions to improve the quality of life may appropriately occur as part of the social work practice. 2. The social worker is in the business of helping people or social institutions, such as family, change to enhance social functioning. It is not to focus on the whole person but on social relationships. 3. Applying the social systems theory, social work can be viewed as a profession that helps people interact more effectively with their social environment. The focus is placed on the “interface or the meeting place or the transaction of person and the environment” (William Gordon, as cited by Morales and Sheafor, 1983). 4. In helping to achieve their goals of improved social functioning, the social worker must have handles in fortifying and securing the necessary resources to attain the goals of the clients. GOALS OF SOCIAL WORK The main goal of social work is to improve a society’s overall well-being, especially for the most vulnerable populations. Morales and Sheafor (1983) specified three (3) distinguishing goals of social work namely: caring, curing, and changing. These goals are outlined and described below: 1. The Goal on Caring Caring refers to the heart of social work and it focuses on the well-being or the welfare and comfort of the individual and community. 2. The Goal on Curing Curing refers to the aspect of treating people with problems in social functioning 3. The Goal on Changing Changing refers to the active participation of the social workers in social reforms. SCOPE OF SOCIAL WORK The concern of social work is to help people who are in need so that they develop the capacity to deal with their problems by themselves. It is both science and an art. Social work is science in the sense that the knowledge taken from different disciplines form the body of knowledge for a social worker and she/he uses this theoretical base for helping people i.e., for practice. What theory postulates has to be put into practice. The required capacity to do it is known as skill. Hence, professional social work with selected knowledge and the set of social work values, has to be transformed into a professional service. According to Morales and Sheafor (1983) Fields included in Social Work 1. Social Work as Primary Discipline a. Adoption and services to unmarried parents - Difficult decision to keep the baby or place it for adoption - Applies both individual and group counseling to assist women in making decisions b. Foster Care - Removing children from homes and placing them to foster homes temporarily - Works with the parents, child and court to administer court decisions to remove a child due to detrimental situations c. Residential Care - Group care home or a residential treatment center - These are for children exhibiting anti-social behaviors that require intensive treatment d. Support in own home - Support services to keep children in their own homes - Counseling, family consultations, clients with appropriate institutions such as day care centers and home maker services. e. Protective Services - Protecting the child from abuse, maltreatment, exploitation by parents - Seeks to protect the child without infringing the rights of parents 2. Social Work as an Equal Partner a. Support for people in their own homes program - Helping older people remain in their homes and linking them with community programs such as health care, meals and home care services. b. Support for people in the long term care facilities - Refers to nursing homes or other group living facilities c. Community Services - Community Organization activities, gathering and analysis of data, matching delivery of services to the population distribution, securing funds, coordination with existing agencies and educating the general public about the services - Community planning, involvement of social workers with the physical, economic and health planners in the long-range planning of communities 3. Social Work as a Secondary Discipline a. Correctional Facilities, provide counseling and link them to the outside world, provide support upon release b. Industry, support to both managers and employees. Serves as basis for employment c. Medical and Health care, attend to the social and psychological factors contributing to the medical condition of the patients. CORE VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK Definition of Values are fundamental norms and preferred behavior patterns, shared by members of a society or a subgroup which aim at integrating and channeling the organized activities of the members. A value specifies whether to follow or not to follow a particular behavior. (http://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/17109/1/Unit-2.pdf) These values are outlined below: 1. Right to Self-Fulfillment- Each person has the right to self-fulfillment which is derived from his/her inherent capacity and thrust toward the goal; 2. Responsibility to Common Good- Each person has the responsibility as a member of the society to seek ways of fulfillment that contribute to common good; 3. Responsibility of the Society- The society has the responsibility to facilitate selffulfillment of the individual and the right to enrichment through the contribution of its individual members 4. Right to Satisfy Basic Needs- Each person requires for the harmonious development of his powers socially provided and socially safeguarded opportunities for satisfying his/her basic needs in the physical, psychological, economic, cultural, aesthetic, and spiritual realms. 5. Social Organizations required to facilitate individual’s effort at selfrealization – The notion that individual and society has the responsibility to provide appropriate social resources, it is the right of the individual to promote change in social resources that do not serve his/her need-meeting efforts 6. Self-realization and contribution to society- To permit both self-realization and contribution to society by the individual, social organization must make available socially-provided devices for need-satisfaction as wide in range, variety, and quality as the general welfare allows. Roles of Social Work These provide direction for professional activities and are best situated in the context of client system (DuBois & Miley 2008). The roles are generally interwoven with functions but DuBois and Miley (2008) have provided elements that can be distinctively viewed as roles rather than functions. For individuals and families, their role is that of an enabler— helping people find solutions. They are broker or advocates in case management, and they are teachers in terms of information processing. For formal groups and organizations, their role is that of a facilitator—in aid of organizational development. They are convener or mediator in aid of creating networks, and they are trainer for professional development. For community and society, their role is that of a planner—facilitating research and planning. They are activist in aid of social action, and they conduct outreach in aid of community education. Within the social work profession, their role is that of a colleague and a monitor—in aid of professional enculturation and socialization. They are catalysts for community service, and they are researcher-scholars in aid of knowledge development and capacity building. Today, the roles of social workers are grouped into three, which are case management, direct practice, and advocacy and policy building (Segal, Gerdes, & Steiner 2005). Functions of Social Work These speak of main activities professionally performed by social workers. DuBois and Miley (2008) include among others: ▪ counsel with individuals, facilitate groups, work with families, refine agency procedures, initiate new programs, lobby for legislative changes, organize community action, educate the public, conduct needs assessments, and evaluate practice and programs at various system levels and targets of change or social transformation; ▪ enhance social functioning of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities, ▪ improve the operations of the social service delivery network; and ▪ promote socials justice through development of social policy. Competencies of Social Work These cover all necessary skills and personality qualities needed by the profession to perform their various roles and skills. Foundationally, social work requires the following abilities and skills (DuBois & Miley 2008): think critically; build and sustain relationships; execute empowering processes; use practical methods; analyze policies; communicate effectively; strong cultural and intercultural competence; good computer literacy; conduct research; do social planning; perform crisis intervention; and sound time management. Areas Of Specialization Of Social Work 1. Family and child welfare. This includes services to families in situations that seriously disrupt family life such as physical or mental illness, unemployment, divorce, in aid of improving client’s family life. In child welfare programs or services such as adoption, daycare, foster child care, and care for children with disabilities and aiding physically or emotionally abused children and their families. 2. Health. Social workers help patients and their families in clinics, hospitals, and other health-care facilities. They provide physicians information about the social and economic background of patients; help patients and their families deal with the impact of illness and death and counsel patients who have been discharged to help them return to everyday life; provide counseling in maternal and child care; the care for dying patients and victims of certain diseases like HIV or cancer. 3. Mental health. Social workers provide aid to people suffering from mental and emotional stress and many other services similar to the ones offered by medical social workers. Many have training in psychotherapy, the treatment of mental or emotional disorders using psychological methods. 4. Corrections. Social workers in corrections are involved with programs concerned with the prevention of crime and the rehabilitation of criminals and provide counsel to people who are on probation or parole. 5. Schools. Social work in school is part of the program on all levels, from preschool through college. It includes services to students in special schools for individuals with emotional disturbances or physical disabilities. Social workers in schools provide vocational counseling, school adjustment counseling, and help with behavioral management and personal problems. They also assist students who have learning difficulties and help them work to their potential. Career Opportunities Of Social Work Social work careers span a wide variety of job opportunities in both public and private practice. Social workers can directly work with people they serve and it is common for them to volunteer their services. Hartman (2015) identifies a number of career opportunities that include work as administrators, supervisors, planners, researchers, or teachers. They are in various contexts such as child welfare administration and elderly care services. They also help in obtaining financial assistance and medical care for the elderly and other services that will enable them to live as independently as possible. They can work in clinics and community treatment centers to provide counseling to alcoholics and drug abusers. They can also work in public housing projects to help people find dwellings for families made homeless by urban crises, and in corporations and labor unions to provide a variety of work-related services including health counseling and retirement planning. They can work as social planning practitioners. Moreover, they can do fieldwork involving organizing and developing programs that deliver social service, and they can work as researchers on social service issues. Rights, Responsibilities, And Accountabilities Of Social Work By definition, social work is jointly presented by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and International Association of School of Social Work (IASSW): The social work profession facilitates 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 well-being. (March 2013) Code Of Ethics Of Social Work The code of ethics specifies the standards of ethics, conduct, and performance expected of registered social workers. It is a duty of a social worker to always protect the health and well-being of people who avail of the services. In everything that a social worker does, he/she has to demonstrate respect for the inherent dignity and worth of persons, pursuit of social justice, integrity of professional practice, confidentiality in professional practice, and competence in professional practice. Critical to any code of ethics is explicit provision of ethical principles and ethical standards and may go into specific enforceable guidelines for professional conduct in details that would provide objective professional judgment and make it easy to identify actual violations of ethical standards when they occur. Ethical Principles A sample of ethical principles and ethical standards here are adapted from the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. They are broad ethical principles based on social work’s core values of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These principles and standards set forth ideals to which all social workers should aspire. Value: Service Ethical Principle: Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers elevate service to others above self-interest. Social workers draw on their knowledge, values, and skills to help people in need and to address social problems. Social workers are encouraged to volunteer some portion of their professional skills without expecting significant financial return (pro bono service). Value: Social Justice Ethical Principle: Social workers challenge social injustice. Social workers pursue social change, particularly with and on behalf of vulnerable and oppressed individuals and groups of people. Social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice. These activities seek to promote sensitivity to and knowledge about oppression and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people. Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person Ethical Principle: Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.  Social workers treat each person in a caring and respectful fashion, mindful of individual differences and cultural and ethnic diversity. Social workers promote clients’ socially responsible self-determination. Social workers seek to enhance clients’ capacity and opportunity to change and to address their own needs. Social workers are cognizant of their dual responsibility to clients and to the broader society. They seek to resolve conflicts between clients’ interests and the broader society’s interests in a socially responsible manner consistent with the values, ethical principles, and ethical standards of the profession. Value: Importance of Human Relationships Ethical Principle: Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships. Social workers understand that relationships between and among people are an important vehicle for change. Social workers engage people as partners in the helping process. Social workers seek to strengthen relationships among people in a purposeful effort to promote, restore, maintain, and enhance the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, and communities. Value: Integrity Ethical Principle: Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner. Social workers are continually aware of the profession’s mission, values, ethical principles, and ethical standards and practice in a manner consistent with them. Social workers act honestly and responsibly and promote ethical practices on the part of the organizations with which they are affiliated. Value: Competence Ethical Principle: Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise. Social workers continually strive to increase their professional knowledge and skills and apply them in practice. Social workers should aspire to contribute to the knowledge base of the profession. TYPES OF CLIENTS Global Community Group Individual SOCIAL WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS It goes into micro level of the social system. The approach intended for individuals is clinical social work or direct practice. Clinical Social Work is a method of practice employed by thousands of social workers in a wide variety of social services, institutional settings and private practice. CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK · Practices the goal of enhancement and maintenance of psychosocial functioning of individuals, families and small groups. · It is the professional application of social work theory and methods to the treatment and preventions of: ü Psychosocial dysfunction ü Disability or impairment ü Emotional and mental disorder Communication Focuses on how humans use verbal and nonverbal messages to create meaning in various contexts across cultures using a variety of channels and media. Interested in impact of those message on human behaviour. It is the most basic & fundamental skill an individual needs in order to survive. It improves self-knowledge and self perception. It can also develop the means by which we perceive others. It teaches us important life skills critical thinking, problem solving, team building, conflict resolution, public speaking  The processes that bond humans together are founded on communication. The transactional process in which people generate meaning through the exchange of verbal messages in specific contexts, influenced by individual and societal forces and embedded in culture. (Alberts, Nakayama, and Martin 2007) Role of culture cannot be underestimated, culture affects all or almost all communication interaction. Context is among the most essential aspects in human communication, and by and large, listeners base their interpretation of expressions of language and actions on their prior knowledge and wide range of contextual information. It is the context that gives meaning to the communication process. Even if we understand words in language, it is difficult to fully appreciate meaning unless it is contextualized. The context can be email, television, with a friend, with family, a political campaign or a protest rally, a celebration, or a religious or social event. A frame of reference is a lens through which reality is perceived and filtered to create meaning or a standpoint formed through complex set of criteria or assumed values against which measurements, understanding, or judgements are made. 1. Psychological frame of reference may refer to a set of parameters that define one’s mental schema. 2. Cultural frame of reference may refer to a set of parameters that define one’s cultural bias. 3. Social frame of reference may refer to a set of parameters that define one’s social bias 4. Spatial frame of reference may refer to a set of egocentric experience, environmental, and geographical parameters that define one’s interpretation of reality. 5. Temporal frame of reference may refer to a set of transient parameters, such as space and a range of experience types that underlie immediate representations, which define one’s interpretation of reality. 6. Historical frame of reference may refer to a set of parameters that define one’s historical bias. Goals of Communication The aim is to create social and political change, say, by exposing the absurdities and injustices of courts, schools, prisons, and workhouses of the context Communication can deeply political in intent or shaped by a social and political agenda: The desire to normalize certain kinds of human behavior, see the world in new ways, and act in new ways as a consequence. Communication shapes the receiver’s behavior in a way that is compatible both with their own goals and the goals of the communicator. By helping people reach their behavioral goals, a communicator wins their consent to behave in ways that favors his/her message too. Communication is essential for everyday life. The goal is to make group life possible through socialization, enculturation, intergenerational solidarity, nation building, and social change. 1. Expressing one’s needs and wants 2. Transferring or Conveying information 3. Establishing Social closeness or sustaining relationships with others 4. Facilitating social etiquette to conform to the social conventions of politeness. Basic Elements of the Communication Process 1. Sender-Receiver 2. Message 3. Channels 4. Feedback 5. Noise 6. Setting Level of Communication Intrapersonal Communication – this refers to communication that occurs within us. Involves feelings, thoughts, and the way we look at ourselves. The self is the only sender and receiver. The channel is your brain. The feedback is in the form of talking to oneself or discarding certain ideas and replacing them with others. Interpersonal Communication – the communication that occurs on one-to-one basis usually in an informal, unstructured setting is interpersonal communication. Messages consist of both verbal and non verbal symbols. The most channels are sight and sound. Intercultural communication – this is an interpersonal communication that occurs between or among members of different cultures or people who are encultured differently. This is more apparent between persons coming from two different cultures of upbringing but it can also be among people of the same culture but brought up in different times or cultural contexts. Interviewing- Interviewing makes use of a series of questions and answers usually involving two people or groups. Small Group Communication- Occurs when a small group of people meets to solve a problem. Mass Communication- the sender-receiver sends a message to an audience in a highly structured manner. Professionals and Practitioners in the Discipline of Communication Defining the roles functions and competencies of communicators and journalists The foremost important role of communicators and journalists is to make available information and evidence to inform the public about issues that matter to them in the most neutral way possible. They provide facts for the public to form judgment and decisions. In this way, their functions follow naturally: to collect and document information, facts and opinions, and present them for public analysis and deepening to the root of reality. To communicate is to deliver truth and facts. Professional communicators and journalists are at the service of truth. They gather news, facts, and information that are critical to public life and well-being. The functions include being present where the news is happening and having the ability to record what is happening accurately with available technology. The competencies of communicators and journalists are along their delivery of roles and functions. They need to have listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Listening and reading are data- and information- gathering skills necessary for accurate writing and speaking. But writing and speaking skills are necessary for communication as tools. Poor writing and speaking skills can distort the message regardless of the good intentions of the communicator Areas of Specialization of Communicators and Journalists Communicators and journalists can work in a number of areas of specialization: speech writing and taking minutes of a meeting; advertising, marketing, and sales; communication education; electronic media, radio- television, and broadcasting; public relations; journalism; theater, performing arts, and dramatic arts; public communication and opinion management; and international relations management and negotiations. The specialization can be in copy writing, production directing; professional blogging, communication education, language arts coordination, forensic and debate coaching, drama directing, film and tape librarian, news editing, news directing, news writing, news anchoring, transmitter engineering, and technical directing. As journalists, they can also specialize in field reporting, news editing, news casting, author, copywriting, script writing, publishing, news service research, technical writing, acquisition editing, and interviewing. Career Opportunities for Communicators and Journalists The field of communication is wide and almost every aspect of business and human organization has communication specialists or roles. Companies have to relate with customers, clients, and other stakeholders. The same is true for government and public individuals because the need to be heard, to be understood, to be followed, and to convince others require communication. Professionals pursuing careers in communication have many options. Alberts, Nakayama, and Martin (2007) present some as follows: speech writers, press secretary, public information officer, public affairs specialist, communication assistant, meetings secretary, customer service representative, marketing assistant or officer, advertising, sales assistant and account executive, research associate, and operations manager. Broadly, other opportunities include careers in advertising; careers in communication education; careers in electronic media, radio-television, and broadcasting; careers in public relations; careers in journalism; careers in theater, performing arts, and dramatic arts; careers in communication in government and politics-related; and careers in international relations and negotiations. Advertising and marketing specialists can work as copywriter, account executive, sales manager, media planner, media buyer, creative director, media sales representatives, and can also function as public opinion researchers and pollsters (such as in Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia). They can find their niche in professional blogging for fashion and lifestyle, products and services marketing, and communication. Some bloggers focus on paid work or freelancing news and current affairs reporting. Communication educators can work as college or university professors, and may also serve as speech communication department chairpersons, language arts coordinators, elementary and high school speech teachers, forensic and debate coaches, or drama directors. Broadcasting careers can include opportunities to work as broadcasting station manager, director of broadcasting, film and tape librarian, community relations director, unit manager, film editor, news editor, news director, news writer, news anchor, transmitter engineer, and technical director. Other opportunities include advertising sales coordinator, traffic and continuity specialist, market researcher, actor/actress, disc jockey,  public relations manager, comedy writer, casting director, floor manager, talk show host, account executive, media buyer, and many more. In journalism, one can work as a reporter, editor, newscaster, author, copy writer, script writer, publisher, news service researcher, technical writer, acquisition editor, and interviewer. In public relations, one can work as publicity manager, advertising manager, marketing specialist, press agent, lobbyist, corporate public affairs specialist, account executives, development officer, fund-raiser, membership recruiter, sales manager, media analyst, media planner, creative director, audience analyst, news writer, and public opinion researcher. In theater and performing arts, graduates can work as performing artists, scriptwriter, producer, director, arts administrator, performing arts educator, costume designer, theater critic, makeup artist, stage manager, art and prop curator, stage manager, model, theater professor, and casting director. In communication in government and politics-related, communication graduates can work as a public information officer, speechwriter, legislative assistant, campaign director, research specialist, program coordinator, negotiator, lobbyist, press secretary, and elected officer. In international relations and negotiations, communication graduates can serve as on-air international broadcasting talent, corporate representative, translator, student tour coordinator, diplomat, foreign relations officer, host/hostess for foreign dignitaries, and foreign correspondent. Rights, Responsibilities, and Accountabilities of Communicators and Journalists It is also part of the responsibility of communicators and journalists to ensure that citizens are able to originate content and contribute to media content, and not just remain passive consumers of media output. There are respective codes of conduct and official laws and rules that regulate these media. However, these parameters do not always work for the citizens. Communicators and journalists have rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities to exercise and live by and which must provide guarantees against censorship and protection of freedom of expression, safeguarding the confidentiality of journalistic sources, and ensuring that information held by the government can be timely and easily accessed by the public. There are also general media laws and regulatory frameworks at both the national and international levels to comply with. There are regulatory bodies featuring existing press councils and relevant professional networks, and different types of media ombudsmen. It is the responsibility of communicators and journalists to ensure that citizens have convenient access to all media which is subject to just and fair law and universally recognized principles of human rights. Code of Ethics of Communicators and journalists 1. At all times upholds and defends the principle of media freedom, the right of freedom of expression and the right of the public to be informed. 2. Strives to ensure that information disseminated is honestly conveyed, accurate and fair. 3. Does her/his utmost to correct harmful inaccuracies. 4. Differentiates between fact and opinion. 5. Obtains material by honest, straightforward and open means, with the exception of investigations that are both overwhelmingly in the public interest and which involve evidence that cannot be obtained by straightforward means. 6. Does nothing to intrude into anybody’s private life, grief or distress unless justified by overriding consideration of the public interest. 7. 7. Protects the identity of sources who supply information in confidence and material gathered in the course of her/his work. 8. 8. Resists threats or any other inducements to influence, distort or suppress information and takes no unfair personal advantage of information gained in the course of her/his duties before the information is public knowledge. 9. 9. Produces no material likely to lead to hatred or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age, gender, race, colour, creed, legal status, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation. 10. 10. Does not by way of statement, voice or appearance endorse by advertisement any commercial product or service save for the promotion of her/his own work or of the medium by which she/he is employed. 11. 11. A journalist shall normally seek the consent of an appropriate adult when interviewing or photographing a child for a story about her/his welfare. 12. 12. Avoids plagiarism. Principles of Communication 1. Principle of Conciseness The principle of Conciseness states that the message should be conveyed in concise form i.e. in the best shortest possible way. In other words, the message or information should be articulated completely in such a way that it is forwarded to the desired audience or receivers in fewer words or signals. By following this principle, individuals and organizations can save time and cost as well. It also helps in a much better understanding of the message by excluding unnecessary and excessive parts of the message. This way, it is more convenient to understand the concise message by the receiver as well. Example: Writing an e-mail to different clients to invite for an organization’s annual day celebration function requires a more concise e-mail message. Concise e-mail carrying information about venue, date & time followed by a brief itinerary of function is much clearer than describing everything of celebration in a subjective way. 2. Principle of Clarity While communicating, clarity or clear communication is also an important aspect for individuals and in business communication. By following the clarity principle of communication, one can focus on a specific message at a time. So, the message that is being conveyed must be clear. It also helps the receiver to easily understand the given message or idea. Due to clarity, there is much appropriate and exact message transmission. Clarity should be there while communicating through verbal words or in writing. Example: While giving a presentation on a particular topic, the presentation should cover the material related to the presentation topic, also voice tone and words should be clear that is easily understandable to the audience. 3. Principle of Correctness One can better understand or interpret the more accurate message. The guidelines for correct or accurate communication are covered under the principle of correctness. If the message is correct then its impact is also great and it also boosts the confidence of the sender. So, the correct use of language is essential in effective communication and it also increases the trust factor between the sender and receiver. Example: While writing e-mails or business communication letters, the correct use of language should be their i.e. grammatical errors or wrong verbs need to be avoided. 4. Principle of Concreteness The clear and particular message is defined as a concrete message. The concreteness principle of communication states that while communicating, the message should be to the point or specific, definite, and clear instead of being general or unclear. Concrete communication includes facts and figures to strengthen the message or idea. As the message is clear and specific, there are minimal or zero chances of misinterpretation of the message. Example: In sales meetings in organizations, communicating the message of quarterly or annual sales results by sales personnel consists of sales presentations that include different facts and figures of sales. This communication is based on the concrete principle of communication. 5. Principle of Completeness The next principle of communication states that communication should be complete to be effective. A message is said to be complete when the recipients of the message receive all the necessary information that they want to be informed. It also consists of a call to action i.e. a statement that is specifically meant for getting instant response from the receiver. The facts and figures in messages are also part of it. The more complex communication sometimes requires additional information or more elaboration so that there is no doubt for the audience or receivers. Example: Online shopping sites display complete information on different products i.e. fabric, color, measurements, qualities, price, etc. and also call to action features i.e. to instant buy the product by pressing buy now option. So their written communication about product information is an example of complete communication with their audience. 6. Principle of Courteousness The principle of courteousness states that while communicating, the sender should show respect to the audience or receiver. So, the sender should be polite, enthusiastic, reflective, and sincere. Being courteous is when the sender takes care of own and receiver’s feelings. These messages are focused on the audience, positive, and unbiased. Example: While communicating with employees for their counseling, HR Head takes a courteous approach by taking care of their feelings, listening to their issues or problems in a polite manner during the counseling session. 7. Principle of Coherence  The communication should be coherent i.e. both consistency and logic should be part of the sender’s message. Without being logical or coherent, the main purpose or idea behind the message can’t be conveyed properly. All terms of the message should be interconnected and relevant to the message being conveyed. Moreover, consistency should be maintained in the communication flow. Example: When there is a change in any HR policy, the HR Head communicates the changes by sending an e-mail to the staff. This communication consists of the logic of informing the new changes regarding the policy to the staff so that they can work as per new guidelines. Characteristics of Clientele and Audiences of Communication All people are clientele and audience in communication. However, communication can only be effective when communicators take into consideration the characteristics of the intended clientele and audience. Characteristics like social position, education level, age range, race and ethnicity, primary language, health status, job type, and information sources are worth considering. Social position is the status that a person enjoys in a communication context. One may be a president or leader, middle manager, a colleague or co-equal, or a subordinate in an organization of community. These social positions dictate how one gets communicated to and how that communication has to be crafted, packaged, contained, and delivered. Education level may suggest the reading skills and healthy literacy and the ability to engage with more complex topics—new and even unfamiliar. An audience that has limited literacy skills may find it difficult to use written materials; with such audience, oral presentations may be more effective. Age range can affect choice of communication format or distribution. The communication materials may be relevant to people of all ages but the age of the audience may affect the communication format or distribution channels. Social media websites and mobile texting for example may be more appropriate for providing information to younger audience while printed materials, emails, phone calls, meetings, and memos may be more effective for older audience. Race and ethnicity is an important consideration in communication particularly in deciding on graphics and photos. It is important to design the graphics and photos in the communication materials to reflect the demographics of the intended audience. Primary language has to be considered if the message is to be effective. If the language used is different from the one used by the target audience, there is a need to translate the communication materials into the primary language. Health status matters a lot as it dictates people’s disposition to listening and responding and the ability to’ make meaning out of the communicated material. Although people with certain health conditions tend to be more informed health-care consumers with a greater awareness of issues within the health-care system, it is important that the materials are more personal and relevant to specific health conditions or issues. Job type of the audience can affect the format of materials and the distribution methods to be used. For an audience without access to their own computers, disseminating the materials through an Internet site or email messages may not be effective. Information sources matter for they affect the format and distribution of the communication materials and also the medium they trust. Functions of Applied Social Sciences I. FUNCTIONS OF APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES TO SELF-DEVELOPMENT 1. Counseling – offers guidance to individuals in various situations of conflict, confusion, and crisis and provides the tools for the individual to address issues of self-development. 2. Social Work – offers a wide range of services, particularly in aid of liberating the marginalized individuals and facilitating participation in the public goods and services that are necessary for self-development. 3. Communication – empowers the individual with listening and speaking skills in order for them to be effective. The individual has to be sure that the message comes across accurately by considering the message itself, the audience or receiver, and how the message is likely to be received.