UNIT 2 PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK:

GENERIC PRINCIPLES, VALUES

AND THEIR APPLICATION
Contents
2.0 Objc~t~\cs
2 1 Intrciduction
2.2 Generic Values of Social Work
2.3 Generic Principles of Social Work
7.3 I'rofession : A Response to Human Needs
2.5 Social Change for Humanisation as the Goal
2.6 Interventions in the Basic Units of Society
2.7 Let Us Sum Up
2.8 Key Words
2.9 Suggested Readings
3.10 Allsuer:, lo Chcck F'our Progress

2.0 OBJECTIVES
'I'his u~iitdeals with important ;11'c:ts of social work. After studying the unit you n~ust
be able to:
understand the factors that influenced the emergency c~l'professionalsocial
,{vrIi:
understand the generic values and principles of social \\ark; and
know how social work intervenes in different levels ol's;)cicty.

2.1 INTRODUCTION
Over the years social work has been transfijnued fi.0111 a s.;r11I ;?Ic' : . \ : ! : I : : ! ' ; :?'.I : I V !or!
into an empowering profession and in the proccss passed nlari) i i ii;; l,. ; i j i ~ i . . M ' i ~ h
a well defined and established value system. principles, skills a11c1tech 1icluc.s.i l
occupies an important position in the society. 'I'oday the social work [Link] i.
shouldering the unprecedented responsibility of maintaining a sociai osclcl. t1?:11
promotes the good of everyone. It is playing an active role i l l l>~-ingi~~!l. ;~l-,oi.~r
planned change with an emphasis on humanization of social relatinnsliil7>:tncl
transactions for the overall betterment of society.

2.2 GENERIC VALUES OF SOCIAL WORK

In this section you will learning about the values of social work arld their apylicatiron.
Any professional activity is guided by a set of'values. The body of knowlcdgc. o l
social work has certain core values, evol\red over a period of professional practlcc,
that are common to all social work practice situations. irrespecti\re c-!'tllc ~~i<.:l~i~d>.

Before we dwell on these let us understand the nleaning of the tern1 v~r!l/). F L cr!
social group has its own set of expected beha\ iour patte:-ns that a1I tllc ! n c ,ibets
~
in it strive to foilow to accomplis11 a tlc.\[Link] criJ ~ L ' L ~111
C othcr wo~.cls.\ ali~cs::tc
Basics of Social Work fundamental norms and preferred-behaviour patterns, shared by members of a
society or a subgroup which aim at integrating and channelling the organised activities
of the members. A value specifies whether to follow or not to follow a particular
behaviour. For example, truthfulness is a value every group upholds. The value
prescribes that people speak the truth and proscribes telling lies. People are willing
to expend certain effort and energy to realise a value; they are ready to sacrifice
to uphold a value, and impose sanctions if anyone threatens to deny or defile the
value. Some examples of values are honesty, truthfulness, integrity, patriotism, respect
for elders, etc.

The values of a profession are therefore its basic fundamental beliefs and preferred
behaviour patterns to be upheld by the professionals while practicing. Social work
as a profession dealing with people having problems of social adjustment and social
functioning has its own values that guide its practitioners. The social worker has to
follow the social values of the society to which he belongs and ha5 to have thorough
understanding and appreciation for the social values prevalent in ihe society. Many
of the problems of the clients are related to a social valuk that they are not able
to uphold. For example a person not taking proper care of his family, has a
problem in following the value of 'responsibility' as head of the family. The problem
may arise because the client might not have matured mentally or he does not want
to take up the responsibility because it is burdensome. In such a situation, the
social worker, having a fair understanding of the value of one's responsibility
towards the fmily, counsels and helps the client to take up his responsibility as the
head of the family. Thus the social worker restores the social functioning of the
client.

A3a member of society social worker also adheres to these social values. Sometimes
the social worker may get into a dilemma whenever he has to deal with a client who
has violated social values which the social worker upholds in high esteem. For
example, a social worker, strongly subscribing to the value of honesty and earning
by rightful means, may find it difficult to work with an open mind with the client
who is an offender and %Tho has caused damage to society. The values of the
profession come to the rescue of the social worker in these types of value conflicts
and dilemmas.

Social work values focus on three general areas: values about people, values about
social work in relation to society and values that inform professional behavior
(Dubois & Miley, 1999). Some of the fundamental values of social work are
discussed below:

The value is the conviction in the Inherent worth, integrity and dignity of the individual
(Friedlander,] 977). A person failing to perform or follow the social functioning
prescribed to him is considered an urnorthy and undesirable element by society.
He is denied dignity and considered as person with no integrity and treated
degradingly by the society. People are not so much concerned about why the
person has not been performing his social responsibilities properly. This value
reminds the social worker that every client that comes (with a problem) to him is
not to be considered as a person having no value and no virtue because he is in
a disadvantageous situation. For a social worker the client is as worthy as any
other person and the client is in that situation because of many other factors acting
upon*him. Given an opportunity to understand and analyse the social situations
bettkr, the person may get out of the problem and may not get into a similar
problem situation again. [Link] feel worthy of binself and treating him
 with dignity, encourages the person to enga~eseriouslyand overcome his problem Professional Social Work:
Generic Principles, Values
and lead a purposeful life. The conviction in the dignity, worth and the integrity of and their Application
any individual, enables the social worker to deal with any type of client with a
positive frame of mind.

The second value is belief in democratic functioning. Social work relies on the
democratic process while dealing with the client system. This implies that decisions
are taken through consensus and nothing is imposed on the client. The worker, the
client and others, are all involved in the decision making process. While doing so,
the right of the client system in choosing the solution is given utmost importance.

The third value is the firm belief in equal opportunity for all, limited only by the
individual's capacities (Friedlander, 1977). This value expresses the need for social
justice. Social work fights against social injustices meted out to the disadvantaged
and vulnerable sections of society. Irrespective of caste, religion and economic
status, intelligence, etc., every one must have equal access to societal resources. At
the same time.socia1 work also takes into consideration, the limitations of the
individual's capacity to access to these resources and make use of them. For
example, if a disabled person wants to pursue mountain climbing as a past time
- activity, he should not be disallowed because he is disabled. But at the same time,
if he does not have the physical strength and capacity to clim;b mountains, then he
may be made to realise that mountaineering is not suitable for him and he should
choose some other activity more suitable which is more suitable for him.

The fourth value is social worker's social responsibily towards himself, his family,
and his society (Friedlander, 1977). This value cautions the social worker not to
neglect himself, his family and the society in wbch he is Iiving while discharging his
professional duties. If he fails to perform his responsibilities towards himself and
his family, then he himself or his family may fail to perform their social hctioning
and may become failures needing social work intervention.

The fifth value is to transmit knowledge and skills to others (Sheafor & Morales
1989). This value instructs the social worker to provide the information that he has,
that would enable the client to take care of himself, in case the client faces similar
problems in future. This is to ensure that the client does not become dependent
on the social worker through out his life. Further, it also suggests that sharing of
information and skills among the co-professionals goes a long way in promoting the
. competence of the professional practice.

The sixth value is separating personal feelings h m professional relationships (Sheafor

& Morales 1989). This value reminds the social worker that he should not allow
personal feelings to intrude in a professional relationship, as this may make him
over concerned or develop a biased or prejudiced view about the client and his
problem situation. The social worker might have undergone similar experiences
and been in similar social situations in his personal life. And there is a possibility
that h&might for him to relate these to the present client and may lose the objectivity
needed for social work intervention. Therefore he should be watchful about any
of his personal feelings are affecting his professional relationship.

The seventh value assumes high standards of personal and professional conduct
( ~ c e a f o&
r Morales 1989). It emphasizes that the conduct of the social worker
should be exemplary at both personal and professional levels. As a professional,
he should follow the code of ethics outlined for the social work practitioner. The
success of any profession depends on the integrity and character of the professionals
Basics of Social Work practicing it. In social work practice situations, clients come with a number fears,
hesitations and doubts ind distrust about everything around them. They have to
confess a number of confidential and emotional information and expect a lot of trust
from the worker. Divulging the confidential information carelessly or making f hof
the clients plight or looking down upon the client does great harm Even his
personal behaviour outside practice hours should not only be acceptable to people
but should also gain him respectability. The social worker is a respectable member
of society and he should not indulge in any conduct that is considered bad or
disapproved by society. Therefore it is essential that a social worker be a person
of high integrity and of high ethical conduct.

Check Your Progress I

Note: a) Use the space provided for your answers.
b) Check your answers with those provided at the end of this unit.
1) Explain the term value? And discuss the need for a social worker to have a
good knowledge about social values prevailing in society.

........................................................................................................................
2) Explain any two values of social work.

2.3 GENERIC PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL WORK

Principles are statements of dos and don'ts to get best results while practicing
social work. They are the guide- posts for the professional to carry out the work
in the field. Principles are elaboration of the values in the form of understandab!e
statements to practice a profession. For example the value of dignity and worth
of an individual is expressed in the principle of belief in the self -determination of
an individual or group or a community. The principles are time tested and arrived
at out of vast experience and research.

The most widely discussed generic principles of social work are as follows:
Principle of Acceptance
Principle of Individualisation
Principle of Communication
Principle of Self-determination
Principle of Confidentiality
Principle of Non-judgmental Attitude Professional Social Work:
Generic Principles, Values
Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement and their Application

Now let us discuss these principles.

Principle of Acceptance: The client and the social work professional should
both accept each other for getting the best results. The client should accept the
worker because the worker is the one who is helping the client to overcome his
problem situation. In social work situations the client may approach the social
worker directly or the social worker may be nominated by the agency or someone
might have referred the client to the social worker. Unkss the client feels that the
social worker has the potential to understand his predicament and is concerned
about helping him out of the problem the client may not cooperate in the relationship
through which the social work intervention is to be planned. Any doubt about the
competence of the social worker by the client results in serious complications in the
helping process. Similarly the worker should also acceptthe client as a person with
a problem who has come to him for help. Irrespective of the appearance and
background of the client the worker should accept the client as he is, without any
reservations. Sometimes the personal experiences of the worker may come in the
way of accepting the client. For example, a worker who was abused by his
alcoholic father during his childhood may find it difficult to accept an alcoholic client
who has come for help in restoring his family relationships. In this case the social
worker should not be influenced his childhood experience of being abused by his
alcoholic father whom he hated and rejected or show hostility or indifference
towards the client. Mutual acceptance is the beginning of the process of establishing
a strong professional relationship towards working out a solution to the client's
social dmctioning.

Principle of Individualisation: This principle reminds the social worker that

while dealing with the client it is to be kept in mind that the worker is not dealing
with an inanimate object or inferior being. Because the client could not find a way
out of his problem, he need not be looked down upon as a person without dignity,
worth or value. This is a general response the client gets from the community. And
this makes the c1:ent feel that he is a human being without any worth and develops
a poor image of himself The social worker, as a caring and helping professional
should believe that the client is an individual wit11 dignity, worth and respect and has
the potential to come out of his undesirable situation with dignity and respect given
the right environment and encouragement. Further, the social worker should always
consider that each client is unique and distinct from other clientshaving a similar
problem as each person responds and reacts to tlle same stimuli differently and gets
into or get out of different problem situation in different ways.

Principle of Communication: In social work, the communication between the

social worker and the client is of paramount importance. The communication could
be verbal, that is oral or written, or non-verbal where gestures, signs or actions are
used to send the message. Most of the problems concerning human relations arise
due to faulty communication. In communication a message is sent by the sender and
received by the receiver. A true communication takes place when the meanings of
the terms and other symbols the sender and the receiver use and act upon are
shared and have the same meanings. If the message of the sender is properly or
coi~ectlyunderstood by the receiver then the communication is smooth. But if the
receiver fails to interpret the message correctly (the sender wants to convey), then
there is a break or misunderstanding in the communication process, whfch results
Basics of Social 'Work in confusion and problems. Sometimes, the sender is unable to express the feelings
or what he wants to communicate, then also there is miscommunication. In addition
to these there are other barriers to the smooth flow of messages, such as distance,
noise, temperament, attitudes, past experiences, mental capacity to comprehend
and so on.

The social worker should have enough skills to grasp the verbal and nonverbal
communication of the client. Conlmunication is stressed in social work relationship
because the backgrounds of the client and the worker may be different, the mental
state of the client and the worker may vary. The environment in which the
communication takes place may change from time to time giving enough scope for
miscommunication. Therefore the worker should make all the efforts to see that
the communication between him and the client is proper. The client should be made
to feel comfortable and at ease to express his thoughts, feelings and facts. Further.
he should be assured that the worker understands correctly what he wants to
convey. For this, techniques such as clarifications and reclarifications, elaborating
what the client has said, questioning and reframing of what the client has said, can
be effectively used. Similarly the worker has to make sure that the client understands
correctly what he is conveying to him. For this the worker may ask the client to
repeat what he is saying. In this way, miscommunication between the worker and
client can be reduced and make sure that the worker client relationship is well
established and strengthened.

Principle of Confidentiality: This principle provides a strong base for effective

use of social work intervention. It helps in building a strong worker client relationslip.
In social work it is most important to provide information to the worker. This
ranges from simple factual information to what may be very confidential. A person
may not be willing to share certain information about his personal details with
anyone unless the person with whom it is shared is trustworthy. He must have
confidence that workers will not misuse it to cause discomfort, or to ridicule or to
cause damage to his reputation. In social work unless the client provides all the
information that is necessary for the worker, it is not possible to help the client.
For this to happen the client should have absolute faith in the worker that the
information passed on to the worker will be kept confidential and will be used only
for assessing and working out possible solutions to the client's problem. That is
why the worker should assure the client that the confidential information about the
client is not divulged to others to the disadvantage of the client:

To follow this principle the worker faces certain dilemmas. Firstly, sliould the
confidential infom~ationbe shared with other agency personnel who are associated
with the case and fellow professional social workers who too can assist the worker
in resolving the problem of the client. Secondly, what should he do about some
information concerning the criminal activities of the client, wherein as a responsible
citizen he may be required to pass it on to the investigation agencies whenever he
is asked? In the case of the former the social worker may share the inforination
in the best interest of the client. But in the case of the later, it is really tough for
the social worker to withhold information as it has been received under the promise
of keeping it confidential. In such circumstances, the decision is to be left to the
client whether to disclose it to the social worker or not. And the social worker
shall make it clear to the client that he cannot give any guarantee of non-disclosure
to the concerned authorities. Where legal requirements compel ordinary citizens to
make disclosure of infornlation received by him.
1
I
Failure to maintain confidentiality seri&isiy - a c t s the worker client relatioilship. Professional Social W o r k :
Generic Principles, Values
Therefore the worker has to show discretion while securing ahd sharing information and their Application
1I about the client with others. Information that is needed should only be gathered
from the client. Prior consent of the client is to be taken before sharing the information
with even those who are concerned about the client.
i
Principle of Self-determination: This principle emphasizes the client's right to
I
I
self-detem~inatioi~.Every individual has the right to assess what is good for him and
decide the ways and means to realise it. In other words, it points out that the
social worker should not impose decisions or solutions on the client simply because
, the client has come to him for help. No doubt, the client has come to social worker
because he could not solve the problem by himself. The social worker should
support and guide the client to develop insights into his social situation in the correct
perspective and encourage and involve him to take decisions that are is good and
acceptable to him. In this way the client is helped not only to realise his potentialities
but also to feel independent and like a person with worth and dignity.

Principle of Non-judgmental Attitude: The principle of ilon-judgmental attitude

. presumes that the social worker should begin the professional relationship without
any bias. That is, he should not form opinions about the client, good or bad,
worthy or unworthy. He has to treat the client as somebody who has come to
him for help and he should be willing to help the client without being influenced by
the opinions of others about the client or his silalation. This enables the worker to
build the professional relationship on a sound footing as both the worker and the
client feel free to their understanding of each other. However it is to be noted
that a non-judgmental attitude does not mean not making professional judgments
about the problem situation and the various optioils being considered in order to
tackle the problem.

Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement: The principle of controlled

emotional involvement guards social worker from either getting too personally
involved in the client's predicament or being too objective. In the case of the
former the worker may over-identify with the client because he finds a lot of
similarities between the problem situation of the client and over life situationls or
with the personality of the client. This may interfere with the professional relationship
and judgments about the client's problem. The worker may start synlpathising with
over indulging in the client's life and this may interfere with the client's right to self-
detem~inationand independence.

In the case of the latter, by being too objective and detached the client may feel
that worker is not interested in him and his predicament. This may inhibit the client
from coming out with all the confidential information. The feelings of worthlessness
and helplessness may be reinforced in the client. All this may result in a premature
end to the professional relationship. Therefore the social worker should maintain a
reasonable emotional distance even while sympathasising with the client. He should
indicate the understanding of the predicament of the client without showing pity or
appearing to be indifference.
Check Your Progress I1
Note: a) Use the space provided for your answers.
b) Check your answers with those provided at the end of this unit.

1) Explain the principle of individualisation with examples.

L%:r-.#\,co f Social \\ orh

2) Discuss the principle of non--iudginentnl attitude.

2.4 PROFESSION: A RESPONSE TO HUMAN

NEEDS
Each individual has a wide array of needs requiring satishction (Stroup, 1965).
Human needs can be broadly classified as physical needs and psycl~ologicalneeds.
Physical needs revolve around physical comforts that protect us and enable us to
perform efficiently in societ) while psycl~ologicalneeds to enlotional and mental
states such as the desire for love and affection, social recognition, spiritual fulfillment
etc. Every individual strives and struggles to meet these needs. Needs are met in
conlplex interactions between the individual and the social environment. Some
times iildividuals fail to meet some of these needs due to ccrtain reasons. In earlier
societies the unmet needs of people were taken care of mostly by family or b!.
occupational groups such as merchant guilds or by religion or by the political group
in authority - clan, king or the government. As societies evolved needs become
more and more complex and helping activities had to be organised in systematic
manner. The ingenuity and compassion in man enabled hi111 to satisfy those unmet
needs, that are causing misery to people, in more innovative ways with a human
touch and a scientific temperament. l h s , in turn, resulted in the evolving of various
professions such as medicine. nursing, engineering, law etc. And social work is no
exception to this. Social work profession exclusively (evolved) to give relief to
human society by finding pem~anentlysolutions, to these unrnet human needs.

Poverty is a serious obstacle to meeting these needs. (The period upto the 18"'
century the attitude of the society from the point of the king and the aristocracy as
well as the church towards unmet needs owing to poverty of people are mainly due
to the failure of the individual or due to the sins or wrath of the God). Therefore
there was no the need to come to the rescue of such people and they were left to
fend for themselves. But with the advent of great philosophers and social thinkers
the understanding of human sufTering, mostly manifested in poverty and pauperism
underwent a change.

'The scientific inquiry into the causes of poverty indicated that (i) social and economic
)nditions rather than individual failure are the causes of poverty (ii) the pathetic
ind in utterly inhuman living conditions of the poor and (iii) poverty cause various
c,:l?er social problenls in socicty (iv) alms giving and temporary relief measures are
of IIO use (v) p e n ~ ~ ~ i .-,L,I~~tio~ls
n c n ~ have to \\.orked out to deal with the problem of
poverty and thereby the other needs of the people. And (vi) people want to come Professional Social W o r k :
Generic Principles, Values
out of poverty and they can be helped to come out of it. and their Application

The charity organisation society and settlement house movements, the YMCA and
YWCA organisations developed in response to the needs of the poor, the destitute,
the illegitimate and orphaned children and unmarried mothers on one hand and on
the other the disabled, the mentally disturbed, immigrant workers living in the
neighbourhood communities, almshouses, reformatories, and asylums. Charity was
provided on scientific lines by undertaking a thorough investigation into the state of
dependence and the factors responsible for it. The needy are encouraged to find
resources within the family and the community and become independent. A scientific
approach to charity and philanthropy replaced untrained volunteers by trained paid
workers. The final outcome was the birth of the profession of social work by the
late19th century, to cater to the physical, social and emotional needs of people.
Social work as a profession responds to people's needs in ways that no other
profession does. Social work brings out the full potentialities of the clients and
enables them to stand on their own in meeting their needs.

2.5 SOCIAL CHANGE FOR HUMANISATION AS

THE GOAL
Social change is inevitable and many forces of change are acting upon various
social institutions. Sometimes the changes are slow and some other times these are
rapid. Whenever sudden and violent changes take place people are taken off guard
and fail to cope with the disruption and disorganisation caused by these changes.
The changes before and during the medieval periods were slow, but since the
industrial revolution changes have occurred very rapid and traditional institutions
and ways of living received a jolt. This has caused great misery and suffering. In
the process of social change certain sections gain at others cost of others. This in
turn causes social tensions and disorder. It is always desirable that social change
be planned so as to minimise its ill consequences and maximise its benefits. Social
work emerged in an attempt to shoulder this responsibility.

The goal of social work is to bring about humanisation of the society through a
process of planned change. Social work is strongly committed to the most hdarnental
human values and principles human dignity, equality, democratic way of hctioning,
right to self determination, and right to privacy. Only these values and principles can
establish a society with a human face.

The social work prefession with commitment to social betterment, intervenes at

individual, group, community and societal levels to tackles and guide the forces of
change for the good of society.

Professional social workers, practicing in public or private settings, or social work

educators at the schools of social work, who are in constant touch with those
needs of the people which demand changes in social situations can foresee the
.-
forces that are likely to effect change and initiate steps to manoeuver change for
social betterme~[Link] areas of social change are prevention, reform, reducation,
re-socialisation, rehabilitatiqn and planning (Pierce, 1989).

Practitioners experinlent with the desired change situations at the micro level. Social
work educators undertake research to analy'se the social conditions and factors of
change. For example, to change the position of women and empower them in
Basics of Social Work society, social workers may initiate the formation of small groups of women and
give them information, training and support to take decisions in key areas of their
life such as education, career, marriage etc., thereby empowering them. The results
of such experiments are passed on to the policy framers who in turn incorporate
desired changes in the relevant policy areas and effect the change at the macro
level. Thus social work contributes to social change in a planned way and for the
betterment of society.

Check Your Progress I11

Note: a) Use the space provided for your answers.
b). Check your answers with those provided at the end of this unit.
1) What are different types of human needs?

2) How does social work process brings about planned change?

INTERVENTIONS IN THE BASIC UNITS OF

THE SOCIETY
Social work practice is carried out at different levtls of society. Social work
intervention takes place at the level of the individual, family, group, community and
society at large. The interventions at each level are more or less independent and
sometimes inter-dependent depending on the nature and demands of the case in
point. Social work practice has developed methodical ways to intervene, and these
have crystalised into different methods of social work to deal with various units of
society. Casework method deals with individual and family levels, group work
method with small groups and also at- the family level, community organisation
method at the community level and social method action at the societal level.

The individual level intervention attempts to restore the social f~nctioning~of the
individual. The intervention is done at two levels. At the first level, work revolves
around the client alone and helps him to overcome his problem situation by bringing
about the changes in his behaviour, approaches, attitudes and perceptions towards
his life situations. In some cases the problem is not with the individual but with the
environment in which he is living and it is not sufficient to work at the indihdual's
level only. Therefore work at the second level, includes both the individual and his
environment, be it the family, or peer group or the community or social organisations
such as school, the work organisation or a social club.
 The family being the basic social unit to which every person belongs has a great Professional Social Work:
Generic Principles, Values
influence on the well being of not only the individual but of the entire social system. and tbeir Application
The family becomes the unit for social work intervention while providing help to
the individual member of a family or the entire family. Stroup (1 965) has outlined
three types of needs that call for family work. They are firstly those due to external
factors, secondly those due to internal factors and lastly, a combination of internal
and external factors. These factors result in malhctioning and marital discord due
to miscommunications or a serious difference on attitudes and opinions among
family members: Sudden calamities may disintegrate the family such as the sudden
I death of the earning member of the family, separation of the spouses due to
occupationd demands, serious illnesses etc. Failure of the members, particularly the
spouses to perform their roles leading to the neglect of children, elders and sick
members in the family may be due to lack of understanding, pressures of work
and other social commitments.

The group as a unit of intervention is envisaged when a group of people have a

common problem or need. The groups may either be already formed or they may
formed by the social worker. Growth and developmental problems needs, the
performance of social roles, decision-making processes, leadership styles and the
communication patterns can be better resolved through a group experience rather
than by an individual approach. Here the group, constitutes the client system. At
the group level intervention the focus may be on a particular member of the group
or a specific number of members or the whole group itself.

The community as a unit of social work intervention seeks to tackle the problems1
needs affecting a large number of people living in a community. At the community
level social work bridges the gap between social welfare needs and social welfare
resources. It promotes cooperative and collaborative attitudes among the different
groups in the community. It campaigns for the involvement of people in the community
affected by the problemlneed. Social work intervention aims at the empowerment
and capacity building of the community. It enables the communities to present their
case assertively and effectively before the local authorities and other agencies;
builds up leadership among the different groups in the community; enhances the
community's decision making capabilities and the mobilisation of various resources
for improving its the living conditions.

Social work is practiced in social welfare organisations being run under government
and private auspices. The social worker as an administrator has to plan, organise,
direct, and coordinate the delivery of services, has to prepare budgets for meeting
the costs, has to supervise the staff and finally, reports to the higher levels about
the performance of the organisation. Social work knowledge is required'in
administering these functions. Knowledge of group work comes in very handy to
the administrator for forming task groupslteams for improving efficiency and
effectiveness of the service delivery and for conducting and overseeing the
deliberations of such groupslteams.

check Your Progress IV

Note: a) Use the space provided for your answers

b) Check your answers with those provided at the end of this unit.
1) Discuss the intervention of social work at family level.
Basics o f Social W o r k

2) Discuss the need for intervention of social work at group level.

LET US SUM' UP
In this unit we have learnt about the meaning of the term value and the different
professional values of social work, such as inherent dignity and worth of the individual,
commitment to democratic functioning and social justice. We have also learnt about
the generic principles'of social [Link] as acceptance, individualisation, self-
determination confidentiality and so on. We also looked into the types of human
needs and the development of the social work profession to meet these needs with
reference to poverty. We have also examined how social change can be brought
about through planned intervention by social work process. Finally we have
information about how social work intervenes at different levels of basic social units
such as family, group and community.

2.8 KEY WORDS

Charity Organisation
Society

Generic
: An organised and scientific way of delivering
services and assistance to urban poor.

: General or common.
I
4
Confidentiality : To maintain the secrecy of information given.
*.

~nd~id~alisation : Asserting the uniqueness of a person

Principle : Statements directing ways to be followed to

accomplish a goal. -
Settlement House : A movement to improve the living and working
Movement conditions of immigmnt work& settled in urban
neighbourhoods.

Social work intervention : The action or change efforts undertaken by a

professional social worker to deal with the
client's problem.

Value : Higher order of social norm that prescribes andl

or prohibits a behaviour
 Professional Social Work:
2.9 SUGGESTED READINGS Generic Principles, Values
and their Application
Compton R.H. (1980), Introduction to Social Welfare and Social Work:
Structure, Function and Process, The Dorsey Press Homewood, Illinois.

Dubois, B. & Miley, K.K. (1992), Social Work: An Empowering Profession,

Allyn & Bacon, London.

Friedlander, W.A. (1955), Introduction to Social Welfare, Prentice Hall Inc.,

New York.

Friedlander, W.A.(ed) (1977), Concepts and Metho& of Social Work, Prentice

Hall of India Pvt, Ltd., New Delhi.

Morales.A., & Sheafor B. W. (1989), Social Work: A Profession with many

Faces, Allyn & Bacon, Boston.

Misra, P.D.(1994), Social Work: Philosophy and Methods, Inter-India Publications,

New Delhi.

Pierce.D. (1989), Social Work and Society: An Introduction, Longman, New

York.

Stroup, H.H. (1965), Social Work: An Introduction to the Field, Eurasia Publishing
House (Pvt) Ltd, New Delhi.

ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Check your progress I

1) Values are fundamental norms and preferred behaviour patterns shared by

members of a society or a sub-group which aim at integrating and channeling
the organised activities of the members. A value specifies whether to follow
i or not to follow. a particular kind of behaviour.

A social worker should have good of the values of society because

many of the problems of the clients are related to a social value Is that they
are not able to uphold. For example a person not taking proper care of his
e
family has a problem in following the value of 'responsibility' as head of the
family. The problem may arise because the client might not have matured
mentally or he does not want to take up the responsibility because it is
burdensome. In such a situation the social worker, having a fair understanding
of this value of responsibility towards the family, counsels and helps the client
to take up his responsibity as the head of the family. Thus the social worker
restores the social hctioning of the client.

2) Social work profession has a number of values to guide the professional while
practicing social work. Two such values are the inherent worth, integrity and
digmty of the individual and the firm belief in equal opportunity for all, limited
only by the individuals capacities. The first value reminds the,social worker
that every client that comes to him witha problem is not to be considered
as a person having no value and no virtue because he is in a difficult situation.
i For a social worker the client is as worthy as any other person and the client
I
is in that situation because of many other factors acting upon him. Given an
Basics o f Social W o r k opportunity to understand and analyse the social situations better the person
may get out of the problem and may not get into a similar problem situation
again.

The second value is the firm belief in equal opportunity for all, limited only by
the individuals capacities. This value expresses the need for social justice.
Social work fights against social injustices meted out to the disadvantaged and
vulnerabk sections of society. It emphasizes that every person should get his
due share in society and works in that direction. Therefore, irrespective of a
person's gender, age, race, caste, religion and economic status, intelligence,
etc., everyone must have equal access to societal resource's. At the same time
social work also takes into consideration, the limitations of the individual is
capacity to access these resources and make use of them. For example if a
disabled person wants to pursue a career in mountaineering he should not be
disallowed because he is disabled. But at the same time, if he does not have
the physical strength and capacity to climb mountains then he may not be
allowed to opt for mouiltaineering as his capacities do not permit him to do
SO.

Check Your Progress I1

1) This principle reminds the social worker that while dealing with the client it
is to be kept in mind that the worker is not dealing with an inanimate object
or inferior being. Because the client could not find a way out of his problem,
he need not be looked down upon as a person without dignity, worth or value.
This is a general response the client gets from the comn~[Link] this makes
the client feel that he is a human being without any worth and develops a poor
image of himself The social worker as a caring and helping professional should
believe that the client is an individual wit11 dignity, worth and respect and has
the potential to come out of his undesirable situation with dignity and respect
. given the right environment and encouragement. Further the social worker
should always consider that each client is unique and distinct from other clients
having a similar problem as each person responds and reacts to the same
stimuli diff'erently and gets into or out of the problem situatioil in diflerent ways.
The principle of non-judgmental attitude presumes that the social worker
should begin the professional relationship without any bias. That is he should
not form opinions about client, good or bad wortlly or unworthy. He has to
treat the client as somebody who has come to him for help and he should be
willing to help the client without being influenced by the opinions of others
about the client and his situation. This enables the worker to build a professional
relationship on a sound footing as both the worker and the client feel free and
open to share their understanding of each other. However it is to be noted that
a non-judgmental attitude does not mean not making professional judgments
about the problem situation and the various options to tackle the problem.

Check Your Progress 111

1) Hulnan needs can be broadly classified as physical needs and psychological

needs. Physical needs revolve around physical con~fortsthat protect us and
enable us to perform efficiently in the society while psychological needs are
related to emotional needs such as the desire for love and affection, social
recognition and spiritual fulfillment.
 Professional social workers practicing in public or private settings or social Professional Social Work:
Generic Prio-:pies, Values
work educators at the scl~oolsof social work who are in constant touch with and their Application
those needs of the people which demand changes in social situations, can
foresee the forces that are likely to effect change and initiate steps to maneuver
change for social betterment. Practitioners experiment with the desired change
situations at the micro level. Social work educators undertake research to
analyse the social conditions and factors of change. For example to change the
position of women and empower them in society, social workers may initiate
the formation of small groups of women and give them information, training and
support to take decisions in key areas of their life such as pursuing education,
career, maniage etc., thereby empowering them. The results of such experiments
are informed to others and passed on to the policy framers who in turn
incorporate desired changes in the relevant policy areas and effect the change
at the macro level. Thus social work coritributes to the social change in a
planned way for the betterment of society.

Check Your Progress IV

I ) The fanlily being the basic social unit to which every person belongs has a great
influence on the well-being of not only the individual but of the entire social
system. The family becoines the unit for social work intervention while
providing help to the individual member of a family or the entire family.
According to Stroip there are three factors that cause problems at the level
of the fanlily. They are firstly those that arise due to external factors, secondly
those due to in~ernalfactors and lastly, a combination of internal and external
factors. These factors result in nlalfunctioning and marital discord due to
misconminication or a serious difference in attitudes and opinions among family
members. Stidden calamities disintegrate the family, such as the sudden death
of the earning member of the family, separation of the spouses due to
occupational demands, serious illnesses etc. The failure of the members,
particularly the spouses to perform their roles will lead to neglect of children.
old and sick in t l ~ efamily due to lack of understanding, pressures of work and
other social commitments.

The group as a unit of intervention is envisaged when a group of people have

a common problenl or need. The groups may either be already formed or they
may be formed formed by the social worker. Growth and developmental
problen~s/needs,the perforlnance of social roles, decision-making processes,
leadership styles and the conln~unicationpatterns can be better resolved through
a group experience rather than by individual approach. Here the group
constitutes the client. At the group level intervention the focus may be on a
particular member of the group or a specific number of members or the whole
group itself.