What is Social Work as a Profession?
Why Productive and Efficient Methodology?
The Professionalization of Social Work was born at the end of the 19th century in Amsterdam, basically, as a result of the humanistic and anthropological journey of remote times and its current need in the scenarios philanthropic . In this way, academic training in the first schools of social service gave birth to Social Assistance as a profession.
Extending the thread of written history, the social reformer Octavia Hill, was one of the pioneers in teaching academic courses in Social Work ; which, were composed to learn to treat other people, understand their reality and generate guidelines for help.
Later, Dr. Mary Ellen Richmond, is considered the first researcher of Scientific Social Work ; establishing the bases to the School of Social Work of the University of Columbia in New York in the year 1918. Later, Social Work Schools were created in Ohio, Germany, Washington and Pennsylvania.
Currently, Social Work as a Profession has managed to build a Productive and Efficient Methodology, strengthening theoretical, methodological and instrumental frameworks . However, joint efforts must still be made, in order to harmonize the academic discussion of their problems, with the creation of a special Curriculum, which allows accreditation n of the career of Social Work in Universities [1].
Why Social Assistance, Social Work and Social Service
Epistemologically, the Social Service, Social Work and Social Assistance Methodologies are clearly different . Possibly, in certain functions within their praxis they coincide with synchronous frameworks.
The Social Assistance Methodology is aimed at giving immediate answers to the needy, making this technique an effective and efficient action . The services provided to this part of the population that needs it are done, because normally they cannot do it themselves.
Progressively, the Social Service is an evolutionary Methodology of Social Assistance . Organize systematically, with more structured and detailed technical procedures, assistance to each individual, populations or communities. More specifically, it is aimed at satisfying needs and adapting types of society to specific changes, through operational methods . The achievement, which is highly productive and effective, is the progress of social and economic conditions in the community, population or individual involved.
According to these Methodologies, the Social Work function is aimed at creating awareness, inspiring motivation and organization of the People . For what purpose? To promote the independent self-development of individuals, groups and communities, creating and acting Real, political, social and economic projects that ensure the necessary and dignified conditions for “ a new way of being a man ” [2 ].
Productive and Efficient Methodology
Dr. Cristina de Robertis, in the first chapter of her work "Fundamentals of Social Work: ethics and methodology", invites her readers to reflect on the professional ethics of Social Workers, linked to human values that put the person in the center of the intervention, first recognizing their dignity, respect and their rightful place in society. It ensures that there should be no break between responding to emerging social problems and the values and principles of the individual and collective professional identity of the graduate .
Due to the above, I will say that it is Methodology, because it uses as a reference a set of rational, scientific and doctrinal procedures, in order to achieve an objective or a range of objectives. Study the ontological, epistemological and logical foundations .
The Social Work Methods are tools, ways, paths and means to achieve the goals set Professionally . You must use various ways of monitoring for theoretical formulation, monitoring and praxis.
If observed epistemologically, the Method is equal to goal ; which means that there is a pre-established intention to reach an end, in which a set of consequential and rational measures are used to achieve it. The foregoing evidences that Social Work sets a goal and results in a reality, in which it would necessarily need one or more Work Methodologies .
It means that the Methodology of Social Work Action is formed by the Methods of Social Work of Cases, Social Work of Groups and Social Work of Organizations and Development of the Communities . It means that it is formed by common elements of the three Methods, bringing to fruition a synthesis without any specificity.
I explain it very briefly. In the Method are the objectives and the purpose to which they converge. Then, a general objective and specific objectives are displayed. It should be noted that the specific objectives are determined by the situation or manifest social reality, for this reason, they may be multiple and diverse, depending on the requirements of the eventuality.
In conclusion
The performance of a Social Worker is oriented to the realization of facts . To achieve this, you must investigate in advance, in order to plan actions . That is, a Social Worker investigates to act. This item is very important, because it makes the Social Profession the delivery of a productive and efficient service.
Currently, the Social Worker may generate fertility actions in their professional practice by studying modern research step by step . There is a diversity of literature in relation to Social Work and its materialization in society. Depending on where you are, you can use technological tools that will land your thematic focus on the sector or sectors of your intervention.
On the other hand, in the Professional exercise, Social Workers face concrete facts . That is why they must resort to the knowledge provided by the social and scientific sciences.
But everything is not here. Necessarily, a deeper advance must be made, both in the theoretical field and in the field of praxis. When the Social Workers begin to consume the application of the two items described above, they will begin the acquisition of new knowledge, which, added to those already known in theory and practice, will allow the Social Worker to make their own theory . What does it mean? The Social Worker will forge a theory of action, which should ultimately be useful for action. Thus, deliver more efficient, productive and healthy services.
If your passion is Social Work, and the Community is your focus of action, what do you expect to complement and make use of the items outlined above ? I invite you to reflect your actions and strengthen ties, methodologies, training and knowledge that will be forging you as a Successful and Human Professional .
Bibliographic Notes :
[1] Document: Current scenario for the Social Work Profession, challenges in academic training ”Zoila Silva. Retrieved from: http://www.ts.ucr.ac.cr/binarios/congresos/reg/slets/slets-019-069.pdf
[2] Ander Egg. nineteen ninety five
Author : William Hernán Estrada Pérez, Editor in the Great Family of hermandadblanca.org
