SOW 758 Lecture 1

Sociology of Social Problem (MSW 758 Lecture 1)
Sociology, Social Work, and Social Welfare
Sociology
Sociology is a behavioural science that deal with human interaction within a group or sometimes
it is define as a science of societal problems. All intellectual fields are profoundly shaped by
their social settings. This is particularly true of sociology which not only is derived from that
setting but takes the social setting as its basic subject matter. The most important social
conditions of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, conditions that were of the utmost
significance in the development of sociology. The forces that led to the development of
sociology as a discipline are political revolution in France in 1789, Industrial Revolution in 1800
and the rise of capitalism, the rise of socialism, Feminism, Urbanization, Religion change, the
Growth of Science. Social thinkers like Auguste Comte, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and
many others were significant to the development of sociology as an academic discipline.
Social Work
The advent of Social Work as a new discipline was a response to the societal needs in this
postmodern era. Social Work has even become more relevant in recent times given the waves of
globalisation, technological advancement, urbanisation, industrialisation, the global economic
crisis and global terrorism which have hitherto left many countries in a state of penury. The
incessant conflicts across the globe, terrorist attacks and the strife in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA)
have not only rendered many people homeless but have also resulted in food shortages, leading
to malnutrition especially, in the Third World countries. Thus, Social Work is both a professional
and academic discipline institutionalised to formalise help. The cardinal objective of the
discipline is to help solve both old and emerging personal and social problems. One of the most
popular and the most important aspects of social work (practice or profession) is social work in
health care settings, popularly known as Clinical or Medical Social Work. However, the
emphasis of the profession in the hospital environment has been consistently glossed over or
even completely overlooked, especially in developing countries, despite the fact that social work
can produce knowledge and skills that will assist hospitals in taking care of patients. Indeed,
patients with chronic diseases usually experience emotional and social- environment trauma in
an attempt to manage their condition. The main objective of the discipline in hospital
environment therefore, is to avoid and mitigate the negative psychosocial effects of diseases and
to admonish and teach patients how to deploy their resources effectively.
Conceptual Clarification
It is true that there is no universally accepted definition of Social Work. It is, however, important
to examine some of the available definitions in the literature. Some scholars have defined Social
Work as a discipline that helps people solve individual, group and community problems, and
attain satisfying individual, group and community interactions via the professional engagement.
(Farley and Smith, 2006). Social Work promotes social change, resolves problem in human
relationships and help uplift the freedom of people to improve wellness. Using the human
behaviour perspective and social systems, the profession involves at the level of social
environments. Fundamental human rights, human dignity and social equity are germane to the
Social Work profession. (International Association of Schools of Social Work: 2001).
Social work can also be viewed as the art of helping at the micro, mezzo and macro levels to
enhance human capacity for social functioning and create an enabling environment for the
actualisation of goals. The professional activity consists of the application of social work ethics,
values and methods to any social service, counselling, psychotherapy, health services and
(involvement in) legislative matters (NASW, 1973). From these scholarly definitions, it is not
out of place to conclude that Social Work is a professional discipline that is concerned with (arts
of) helping clients/individuals, groups and communities surmount their emotional, psychological
and sociological problems and get to a state of social functioning and well- being.
Specifically, Medical Social Work is a sub-discipline in Social Work concerned with the
application of social work principles, values and methods in helping individuals, groups and
communities overcome their emotional, psychological and social problems so as to get to a state
of social functioning in a hospital setting. The arts of social work is deployed in the hospitals. A
medical social worker, therefore, is a person who has received professional training in an
institution of higher learning/university (level) in the art of helping individuals, groups or
communities overcome their emotional, psychological and psychosocial well-being to a state of
social functioning in the hospital setting.
What is a Social Welfare System?
Social Welfare are programmes design by the government, Individual and NGO which aim to
resolve individual, group and community problems. A social welfare system provides assistance
to individuals and families in need. The types and amount of welfare available to individuals and
families vary depending on the country, state, or region. In the U.S., the federal government
provides grants to each state through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
program.1The benefits that an individual or family receives as part of a social welfare system
will vary by state, as will the eligibility requirements.
How a Social Welfare System Work
Social welfare systems provide assistance to individuals and families through programs such as
health care, food stamps, unemployment compensation, housing assistance, and child care
assistance. In the U.S., a caseworker is assigned to each individual or family applying for
benefits to determine and confirm the applicant's needs. The benefits available to an individual
vary by state. Eligibility is determined based on factors surrounding the person’s financial status
and how it relates to the minimum acceptable levels within a particular state. The factors
involved can include the size of the family unit, current income levels, or an assessed disability.
Within each state, social welfare systems may go by different names, but they often serve similar
functions. This can cause confusion when attempting to compare one state's program to another.
Additionally, the requirements to qualify also vary, depending on the poverty line in a particular
state. This allows for adjustments based on items such as cost of living that are not standardized
across the country.

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Sociology of Social Problem (MSW 758 Lecture 1)

Sociology, Social Work, and Social Welfare

How a Social Welfare System Work

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