Introduction to Social Work

Profession and Its

Philosophical-Base
Imran Ahmad Sajid
18 Feb 2011


Ph.D. Research Scholar,
Department of Social Work,
University of Peshawar.
Email: imranahmad131@gmail.com
Social Work is an enabling profession,
which empowers people to change the
way of their lives.
Social Work is a Professional Activity that
aims to assist people in overcoming
serious difficulties in their lives by offering
care, protection and counseling. (C. Henry
and Philpot.[e.d.1994])
2
Answer these Questions?
1. Do you imagine any society without human
sufferings?
2. Do you imagine any society where all members
are young and there is no old-age problem?
3. All members are healthy and wealthy?
4. All members have their needs satisfied?
5. A society where there is no stratification?
6. A society where there is no discrimination and
prejudice?
7. A society where there is no poverty?
8. Where every body is rich?
9. Where everybody is educated?
3
Definitely

NO
4
Because,
Human Societies are not Perfect
Social Problems emerge in human
societies which require humane solution.
&
Human Needs arise that must be satisfied.
5
Now Answer these Questions?
1. Are you offended when you see poor picking
their food from garbage?
2. When you see poor fighting over a bag of
floor or rice?
3. When you see illness and disease go
untreated because health care is not
affordable and efficient?
4. When you see children addicted to drugs?
5. When children beg in the streets, chowks
and parks?
6. When the deserving candidates do not get
job?
6
1. Are you willing to confront realities of
social problems and human needs?
2. Are you concerned with the plight of the
many who experience hardships of
poverty and the tears of hunger and pain?
3. Do you want to be involved in shaping a
society that strives to ensure a high
quality of life and social justice for all
social members?
7
If YES, then
WELCOME TO
THE PROFESSION OF SOCIAL WORK
8
Social Work Profession is charged with
fulfilling the Social Welfares mandate of
promoting well-being and quality of life.
Thus,
Social work encompasses professional
activities directed towards improving
human and social conditions and
alleviating human distress and social
problems.
9
IFSW and IFSSW 2000
Social Work Profession promotes social change,
problem-solving in human relationships,
the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance
well-being.
Utilizing theories of human behaviour and social
system.
Social work intervenes at the point where people
interact with their environment.
Principles of human rights and social justice are
fundamental to social work.
10
Philosophical-Base of
Social Work
11
Social Work is said to be a Helping
profession, BUT?
Why do we help people?
Why do we social workers care for people?
Why do we rehabilitate drug addicts,
alcoholic addicts?
Why do we work for poverty alleviation?
Why we promote social policy and social
change?
Why do we empower people?
Why do we work for peoples well-being?
12
Answering these question will lead you to your
philosophical base of social work.
Because,
What makes us do all what we do as a
social worker?
What are our fundamental beliefs and
principles which guides our behaviour and
makes us do what we do?
Why do we strengthen peoples social
functioning?
Why do we enhance social environment?

13
Philosophy is,
1. the beliefs and principles underlying any
department of knowledge [Oxford
Dictionary].
2. Philosophy is the study of truths and
principles of being, knowledge, or
conduct [Quartz Hill School of Theology].
3. A belief (or system of beliefs) accepted
as authoritative by some group or school
[Princeton University WordNet].
14
Thus it is clear that the concept of
philosophy is grounded in the
understanding that
there are truths ( ) and principles
( ) of our existence and that these truths
are accepted by us as well as others.
We can have a set of truths and
principles that guide us in how we
conduct ourselves and define what we
expect from others.
15
Philosophical-Base of Social Work
Social Work as a discipline focuses on theoretical
and philosophical positions such as Social Justice,
Equality, and Empowerment.
These can be described as Philosophies of Social
Work.
BUT,
Are these really philosophies of social work or
theories and concepts that guide the field, actions,
and behaviours?
16
Lets Investigate My
Philosophy of Social Work
My philosophy of social work is grounded
upon the concepts of [and I work toward]
Social Justice, Empowerment, and Equal
Access to all societal members.
BUT, to do so I need to employ effective
knowledge, techniques, and strategies.
17
1. Social Justice
Rawls Theory of Justice
The concept of Veil of Ignorance
From under the VOI, a person would
choose two (2) central principles;
1.All people are entitled to basic rights; &
2.It is unjust to maintain inequalities
between people.
18
All social primary goods are to be
distributed equally unless an unequal
distribution is to the advantage of
everyone (Rawl: A Theory of Justice). .
If I found inequality leading to further
disadvantage of some members of the
society, this is where I feel I must begin
my work.
19
I ask my self, what would be the socially
just approach to meeting the needs of
people worst-off among us?
How do I create equality?
How do I foster understanding and
acceptance?

But having a sense of what social justice is and
how to promote it still fails to provide those in
need of a mechanism to facilitate power within
and among them.
There needs to be a process whereby action can
be taken.
20
2. Empowerment
[Empowerment is] the process of
increasing personal, interpersonal, or
political power so that individuals, families,
and communities can take action to
improve their situations (Gutierrez, 1994).
To empower means;
To give somebody greater sense of
confidence and self-esteem [Encarta].
And to Authorise somebody [Oxford].
21
Askheim says,
Although empowerment is a main
objective for social welfare policy and
practice, it is also a complicated mix of
granting power to service consumers and
at the same time, retaining power as
service providers.
22
To understand empowerment, Note
that
To empower is to Relinquish Power.
Social Workers are criticized for being
both,
1. Social Advocates and
2. Social Controllers.

23
As Advocates
We focus on Power Issues and
Argue that social problems are largely
borne out of inequitable distributions of
authority.
We see the lack of power as the culprit of
oppression.
24
As Controllers
We focus on deviance and seek to
maintain harmony between groups in
society, thereby enforcing power we
maintain.
25
The Issue of Power
It seems the issue of power is embedded
in both the Society and the Social Work
Profession.
How do we relinquish power when we
recognize that sometimes, service
consumers are unable to manage power
granted to them?
26
The clients right to self-determination has
to be balanced against securing them
against risks and dangers and their right to
have an optimal quality of life.
So, Social Workers must recognize that
they hold power and sometimes it must be
retainedgranting full power to
consumers is neither reasonable nor
possible.

27
There is conflict between
how to retain power and
how much to empower?
To empower, I must identify my own level
of power and how to apply it?
Over-empowerment is also a possibility
(which can lead to disempowerment of
others).
28
3. Michel Foucaults Parrhesia
Parrhesia means,
Fearlessness, or boldness of speech.
The concept of Parrhesia focuses on the question
of,
Who among us has the right, duty, and courage
to speak the truth?
Fundamentally, we all do. But, many do not
concretely recognize this as their right.
29
Social Workers are bound by the duty to
speak out for people not empowered to
speak for themselves.
If you do not have the right to free speech,
you are unable to exercise any kind of
power.
Without Parrhesia, you can not oppose
power structure.
30
How can social work be effective if people
cannot exercise their right to free speech?
Therefore, it is we, the social workers, who
have a responsibility to educate people
who are oppressed in the action of
parrhesia.
Without parrhesia, the concept of justice,
equality, and empowerment remains just
those conceptsand lack concrete
application in the real world.
31
So, Education is our tool to achieve this
goal of moving positive forces of justice
and equality forward.

32
From this position,
Social Work is viewed as EDUCATION,
and education becomes power.
We do not tell a client what to do.
We inform, empower and educate.
33
BUT EMPOWERING IS HARD
WORK
Although the intention is good, but the
process of empowerment often fails due to
being long-term process.
34
Conclusion
John Rawls Veil of Ignorance protects us
from bias and against making decisions
about others we would not otherwise want
to be made about ourselves.
Askheims Empowerment provides an
understanding about how and when to
Grant and Retain power.
Michel Foucaults Parrhesia provides a
practical guide as to how to empower and
promote social justice.
35
My principles are social justice, equality
and empowerment.
And to translate these principles into
reality, I use Parrhesia as a tool of
practice.
36
37