CHAPTER III

SOCIAL WORK

INTRODUCTION

The environment keeps on changing rapidly and this implies a significant question to the
coping capacities of social organizations and institutions. Global and local societal challenges create
shifting context that requires new practices and services. The social situation calls for humane and
sustained development interventions and social services that seek to enhance individual and
community life. In the context of social turmoil and human battle, the social work emerges as a
relevant and valuable profession. Like any profession, social work embraces its own vision, values,
principles, practices, and functions. It is an evolving profession that grows in institutional, political, and
social contexts. The provision of social work services in various contexts is contingent on arrays of
interconnecting aspects that form and describe how social work is appropriated. Nevertheless, what
is essential is an environment that facilitates individuals and community to participate in generating a
more compassionate and inclusive setting.

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS
What is social work and its value in enhancing the quality of life of individuals, groups and
communities? What comprises its services, processes, and methods?

PERFORMANCE TASK

Title: Understanding Social Work: "The Life Inside the Institution"

Context:

Social work aims to improve individual and community's quality of life. Its nature of work
goes beyond care and rehabilitation for and of the needy, the neglected, and the marginalized such
as the abused children and youth, the elderly, the sick, the physically and mentally challenged, and
the poor

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In general. Social work is practiced in various settings. The practitioners work in child caring and child
agencies, family service agencies, home care, rehabilitation facilities, medical and psychiatric
centers/clinics. Among others. In order to deepen your understanding on the social work as a
profession, it is vital to experience it at first hand through an exposure in a setting, where social work
is being practiced.
Divide yourself into (8) groups with at least (5) members per group. Each group will do the
following tasks:
1. Map out the different institutions where social workers practice.
2. Choose the institutions where you can conduct profiling and observation.
3. Communicate with the chosen institution and schedule your visit.
4. During the visit, you are expected to get to know the institution and on social
worker.
5. The first task is to write a paper entitled “The Life inside the Institution”
6. In the paper, your are required to incorporate three (3) things:
a. The Institution/ Agency

Describe the Institution/Agency- its context, history, its vision and mission,
the different cases/problems it manages, program and services it offers the
different approaches intervention sit applies, the various problems it
encounters and the successes it now enjoys.

b. The Social Worker

Describe the Social Worker- her/his qualifications, her/his tasks and

responsibilities, the challenges and opportunities, her/his aspirations.

c. Your Reflection as an Outsider

Observe, Document, Asses and Reflect- observe intently the interactions

in the institution; document your observations; narrate your constitutional
encounters (what strikes you most and why); cite key observations in the
institution and give recommendations for further improvement, if any.

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 LESSON AND GUIDE QUESTIONS

Lesson/Themes Guide Questions

The Disciplines of  How is social work being defined? What are its goals and
Social Work scope? What are its core values and principles?

The Professionals and  What are the roles, functions, competencies, areas of
Practitioners in Social specialization and career opportunities of professionals and
Work practitioners in social work practice?

The Clientele and  What are the characteristics and needs of various types of
Audiences in Social clientele and various audiences in social work practice?
Work

Social Work Settings,  What are the social work services and processes in different
Processes and social work settings
Services

Methods and tools in  What are the methods and tools utilized in social work practice?
Social Work

LEARNING COMPETENCIES

At the end of the chapter, the students are expected to:

Knowledge  Define social work and identify its goal and scope.
 Demonstrate comprehension of the principles of social work and
discuss its core values.
 Show an understanding of the roles and functions of social workers
and identify specific work areas in which social workers work.
 Identify career opportunities for social workers.
 Value rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities
 Distinguish between ethnical and nonethical behavior among
practitioners.
 Describe clientele and the audience of social work.
 Distinguish the needs of individuals, groups, organizations, and
communities
 Identify the settings in which social workers are found.
 Illustrate the different processes involved in undertaking social work.
 Identify the methods and tools used in social work

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Skills  Undertake participant observation and document observations.
 Assess and reflect on the data gathered.

CHAPTER PRETEST
What do I know about Social Work?

Direction:

The following statements enable you to reflect on and figure out your level of
understanding about Social Work as profession. You are required to agree or disagree with
each of the following statements. Please put a check mark (✓) if you agree and cross mark
(x) if you disagree.

Repeat the same process after completing Chapter III. Kindly see any changes or
differences in your answers? What new knowledge have you acquired about the Social
Work profession?

Before the Statements After the

Chapter Chapter
Study Study

As a profession, social work is concerned with the person’s

adjustment to her/his environment or being referred to as
person’s social functioning.

The principal mission of social work profession is to develop

human being and assist other institutions in attaining the basic
human needs of the people and in empowering the lost, the least
and the last.

Among the distinguishing goals of social work is curing which

refers to the heart of social work and focuses of the well-being on
the welfare and comfort of the individual and community.

Individualization involves recognizing and understanding the

client’s own unique characteristics and using different principles
and methods for each client.

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Primary settings in social work, practice include the schools.
Hospitals. Correctional facilities, human resource departments,
corporations, government planning departments, and political
offices.

Integrity of profession as a standard on ethical responsibility to the

social work profession requires social workers to work toward the
maintenance and promotion of high standards of practice and
should uphold and advance the values, ethics, knowledge, and
mission of the profession.

Each person makes her/his own adaptation to the demands of

various roles to perform in her/his situation depending on her/his
capacities and motivation to do so. This intends to gain satisfaction,
avoid or dissolve frustration, and to maintain her/his balance in
movement.

Self-determination means that the social worker is conscious about

her/his role in making use of her/his professional relationship with
the client in a way that will enhance the client’s development rather
than her/his own.

The worker must understand that the person is a biopsychosocial

being wherein s/he is made up of at least 3 parts or subsystems- the
physical, the psychological, and the social. Each of this affects and
is turn being affected by the others so that it is their totality as a
system that determines the person’s functioning rather that the
individualized operation of each subsystem.

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Community Organization is a process by which a community
identifies its needs or objectives, orders these needs or objectives:
finds the internal or external resources to deal with those needs or
objectives, takes actions in respect to them, and in so doing extends
and develops cooperative and collaborative attitudes and practices in
the community.

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LESSON 1

THE DISCIPLINE OF SOCIAL WORK

GUIDE QUESTIONS

What is social work? What are its goals and scope? What are its core
values and principles?

TOPICS:

 Definition of Social Work

 Goals and Scope of Social Work
 Core Values and Principles of Social Work

LEARNING COMPETENCIES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

Knowledge  Define social work and identify its goals and scope.
 Demonstrate comprehension of the principles of social work and
discuss its core values.

Skills  Demonstrate understanding of the basic concept of social work

through an activity

PRETEST

Instruction: Please put a mark (✓) if you agree and a cross mark (x) if you disagree in each of the
statements indicated below

I Agree Statements I Disagree

✓ Example:
Social work is a profession that deals with the person’s social
functioning.

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The principal mission of social work profession is to develop human
being and assist other institutions in attaining the basic human needs
of the people and in empowering them.

It is vital for the social workers to be aware and be actively vigilant in

identifying structures that exacerbates the situation and deepens
social destruction.

In terms of industry, social workers act as a support to both the

managers and the employees of the companies. They make
themselves available to the employees with social problems for
individual, family and group counseling.

Core values is not necessarily important in an organization because

does not actually help in shaping the behaviors and actions of its
members in interacting with their clients and other people.
Each person requires for the harmonious development of her/his
powers socially provided and safeguarded opportunities for satisfying
her/ his basic needs in the physical, psychological, economic, cultural,
aesthetic, and spiritual realms..
The concept of equal opportunities is premised on the ideal of social
justice; two elements of which are fairness and equality.

Social work is based on respect for the inherent worth and dignity of
all people and it is cultivated by altruistic and democratic principles.

Individualization does not necessarily involve recognition and

understanding of the client’s own unique characteristics.

Changing involves active participation of the social workers in social

reforms. It holds on the belief that the political, economic and social
structures contribute in the worsening of social conditions.
School social workers ‘ tasks should not includes consultation with the
teachers about techniques for creating a climate in which children are
freed and motivated to learn by interpreting social and cultural
influences in the lives of students, facilitating use of peers to help a
troubled child or assisting in managing relationships in the
classroom.

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 Activity 1

Case Study
Anna Maria is a newcorner at the senior high school program of Santa Barbara College.
Being new to the school, she is observed to be silent and avoids interaction in groups very
often. Three months after, the situation remains the same as she still finds difficulty building
relationships. She prefers to eat, to study, and walk alone. Bothered by the situation of Anna
Maria, her adviser in class preferred the case to the school’s social worker.

If you are the social worker, how will you handle the case? What core values and
principles are you going to apply? How will you manage the situation? Write your answer the
box below.

NOTE BOX

Name:_____________________________________________________

ACQUISITION OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

THE DEFINITION, GOALS, SCOPE, CORE VALUES, AND

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL WORK

DEFINITION OF SOCIAL WORK

The complexities of the social situation require social work to be responsive, dynamic,
and visionary. The method of helping and humanitarian.

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