UNIT 1: DEFINITIONS OF SOCIAL WORK

I. READING COMPREHENSION

There are many different definitions of social

work. According to the National Association
Social Workers (NASW), “Social work is the
professional activity of helping individuals,
groups, or communities enhance or restore
their capacity for social functioning and
creating societal conditions favourable to this
goal.”

In the International Federation of Social

Workers (IFSW) General Meeting in Montreal, Canada, July 2000, Social Work was defined as
follow “The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human
relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilizing
theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where
people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are
fundamental to social work”. According to the IFSW social work in the 21 st century is
acknowledged dynamic and evolving and that no definitions should be regarded as exhausted.

Lundy (2004) emphasizes in his book: “The profession of social work is founded on
humanitarian and egalitarian ideals. Social workers believe in the intrinsic worth and dignity of
every human being and are committed to the values of acceptance, self-determination and
respect of individuality. They believe in the obligation of all people, individually and
collectively, to provide resources, services and opportunities for the overall benefit of humanity.
The culture of individuals, families, groups, communities and nations has to be respected
without prejudice.”

While some people continue to question whether social work is a profession, by most definitions
and criteria social work does seem to meet the requirements of a profession. Ernest Greenwood
has stated that “all professions seem to possess: (1) systematic theory, (2) authority, (3)
community sanction, (4) ethical codes, and (5) a culture.” These criteria are similar to those
identified by Bernard Barber as essential attributes of professions:

1. A high degree of generalized and systematic knowledge.

2. Primary orientation to community interests rather than self-interest.
3. A high degree of self-control of behaviour through codes of ethics internalized in the
process of work socialization and through voluntary associations organized and operated
by the work of specialists themselves.
4. A system of rewards (monetary and honorary: that is primarily a set of symbols of work
achievement and thus ends in themselves.

Nevertheless, social work has been developing a knowledge base that can be agreed upon in
part. It has the essential attributes of a profession, one that has developed in response to the
needs of people and the concerns of a social milieu. Social work does require persons to obtain a
specific education (baccalaureate or masters degree in social work, BSW or MSW). It does have
a code of ethics that regulates professional standards of conduct. And social work has been
recognized as having expertise in the areas of social functioning by licensing/license and
regulation in a growing number of states. It is an occupation focused on service to others. Its
professional organization, NASW does unify what might otherwise be diverse groups (which
would be concerned with social functioning yet competing for turf and power, concerned with
self-protection and group privilege. Through its various activities and services, NASW has
encouraged the development of a professional culture. Social work has the essential attributes of
a profession, a profession that has developed in response to the needs of people and the concerns
of a social milieu.
Comprehension questions:

1. What is social work defined in the Social Work Dictionary?

2. What do social workers believe in according to Lundy?
3. Which criteria do all professions seem to have by Ernest Greenwood?
4. How many essential attributes of professions did Bernard Barber identify? Name one of
them.
5. What does social work require persons to do?
6. What has social work profession developed for?

II. GRAMMAR: Word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc

There are eight different kinds of word in English. They are called 'word classes' or 'parts of
speech'.
- Verb: have, am, is, would, like, come, are, sitting, look
- Noun: conference, work, coffee, party, Saturday, Jessica, friends, corner
- Adjective: important, busy, good, cheap
- Adverb: tomorrow, rather, really, here
- Preposition: at, to, on, in
- Determiner: an, this, our, the
- Pronoun: I, it, you
- Linking word: so, and
Some words can belong to different classes depending on how they are used in a sentence.
VERBS NOUNS

Can I look at your photos? I like the look of that coat.

We work on Saturday morning. I'll be at work tomorrow.

Exercise 1: Read this paragraph and then say which word class each underlined word
belongs to.
Andrew didn't go to the cafe with the other students. Rachel told him they were going there, but
he wanted to finish his work. Andrew isn't very sociable. He stays in his room and concentrates
totally on his studies. He's an excellent student, but he doesn't have much fun.
1 the…………………………. 8 in ……………………
2 told………………………… 9 and …………………….
 3 they………………………. 10 totally ……………………
4 there ……………………. 11 an …………………
5 he ………………………… 12 excellent …………………….
6 finish …………………… 13 but ……………………
7 sociable ............................... 14 fun …………………..

Exercise 2: Is the underlined word a verb, a noun or an adjective?

1 Laura wanted to talk to Rita.
2 Laura wanted a talk with Rita.
3 The windows aren't very clean.
4 Doesn't anyone clean the windows?
5 We went to a fabulous show in New York.
6 Laura wanted to show Rita her photos.
7 Henry thought Claire looked beautiful.
8 A strange thought came into Emma's head.
9 Sarah is feeling quite tired now.
10 Studying all night had tired Andrew out.

III. PRACTICE EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Choose one word from the list which best fits each space.

nineteenth understanding process

developing
contemporary constantly conceptualized influenced
aspects knowledge to understand systematic
Social work as a developing profession is a second major theme of social work practice. In order
……..……………… (1) social work as it is conceptualized and practical today, it is necessary
to have some idea of how it developed. ………………….……. (2) social work practice is the
product of a heritage of responses to need and concern in other times and situations. The
response to need has always been ……………..………. (3) by the events of the times and by
the current philosophical/philosophic stance, knowledge base, and social welfare concerns and
events.

Social work, which began in the life and thought of the late …………….….. (4) and early
twentieth centuries, is a fairly new profession, although its roots are firmly planted in the Judeo-
Christian heritage. All professions must change to meet ………………….… (5) changing times.
Social work as a young profession has experienced growth not only relative to the concerns and
climate of changing times but also relative to the …..………….……. (6) of developing its
knowledge, value and skill base.

To gain an …………………..…. (7) of how the theory and practice of social work developed, it
is necessary to examine the nature of professions generally and to be aware of some of the
important milestones in social work. Because the development of a systematic knowledge base
is one of the important …………………….…. (8) of a profession, an understanding of the
development of the practice theory enhances one’s understanding of contemporary social work
practice and theory.

Exercise 2: Complete the text with a form of the word in brackets.

Development of Social Work Knowledge

As social work developed, several concepts became important in (1) …………..…………

(expression) the nature of its practice. Five of these concepts are useful in developing an
understanding of how the knowledge base developed, not in (2) …………………... (
but in the social climate of the day and in the contemporary social welfare scene. These five
concepts are assessment, person in the situation, relationship, process, and (3)
…………………….. (intervene).

It is not possible to present here all the details either of social history and its (4) ………….
………... (effectiveness) on the development of social welfare institutions or of the history of
the profession itself. It is the development of the five concepts of social work practice theory
during each (5) ………………….… (particularly) historical era that will be (6)
……………….….. (examination). The sources for this study have generally been those books
most often cited in the social work literature of the era. Because theory about the practice of
social work has been (7) …………..…………… (strength) influenced by the development of
the casework method, the (8) …….……………… (majority) sources for the development of
the material presented here have been from that area of social work. However, the development
of both group work and community organization work will also be considered.

Exercise 3: Match the words or phrases to their definitions.

a. the condition of being separated and kept apart from others

1. heritage
b. a formal meeting which smb is asked questions to see if they are
2. welfare suitable for a particular job or for a course of study at a college,
university, etc.
3. intervene
c. to joint people, things, parts of a country, etc. together so that
4. sanction
they form a single unit
5. isolation d. all the time; repeatedly
e. a condition of physical health, emotional comfort, and economic
6. unify
security./The efforts of a society to help its citizens achieve that
7. milieu
condition.
 f. the social environment that you live or work in
g. the history, traditions, and qualities that a country or society has
had for many years and that are considered an important part of its
character
h. official permission to carry out a plan granted by the established
8. privilege authority
i. to become involved in a situation in order to improve or help it
j. a special right or advantage that a particular person or group of
people has
Exercise 4: Translate the following text into Vietnamese.

The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and
the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human
behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at the points where people interact with
their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work.

Social work in its various forms addresses the multiple, complex transactions between people
and their environments. Its mission is to enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich
their lives, and prevent dysfunction. Professional social work is focused on problem solving and
change. As such, social workers are change agents in society and in the lives of the individuals,
families and communities they serve. Social work is an interrelated system of values, theory and
practice.

Social work grew out of humanitarian and democratic ideals, and its values are based on respect
for the equality, worth, and dignity of all people. Since its beginnings over a century ago, social
work practice has focused on meeting human needs and developing human potential. Human
rights and social justice serve as the motivation and justification for social work action. In
solidarity with those who are disadvantaged, the profession strives to alleviate poverty and to
liberate vulnerable and oppressed people in order to promote social inclusion. Social work
values are embodied in the professions national and international codes of ethics.

WORD LIST

(adj.) /sʌɪkəʊˈsəʊʃ(ə)l/ thuộc về

psychosocial
enhance (v) /ɪnˈhɑːns, -hans, ɛn-/ làm tăng, nâng cao
interact (v) /ɪntərˈakt/ tương tác
professional (adj.) /prəˈfɛʃ(ə)n(ə)l/ chuyên nghiệp
community (n) /kəˈmjuːnɪti/ cộng đồng
 consensus (n) /kənˈsɛnsəs/ sự đồng tâm, sự nhất trí
nevertheless (adv) /nɛvəðəˈlɛs/ tuy nhiên, tuy thế mà
baccalaureate (n) /ˌbakəˈlɔːrɪət/ bằng tú tài
intervene (v) /ɪntəˈviːn/ can thiệp, xen vào
association (n) /əsəʊsɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n, -ʃɪ-/ hội, hội liên hiệp, đoàn thể
essential (adj) /ɪˈsɛnʃ(ə)l/ cần thiết, thiết yếu, chủ yếu
otherwise (adv) /ˈʌðəwʌɪz/ mặt khác, về mặt khác
milieu - milieux (n) /'mi:ljɜ:/ /mi:'ljɜ:/ môi trường, hoàn cảnh

UNIT 2: WHO ARE SOCIAL WORKERS?

I. READING COMPREHENSION

Social work is a
profession for those
with a strong desire
help improve
people’s lives.
Social workers
assist people by
helping them cope
with issues in their
everyday lives, deal
with their
relationships, and solve personal and family problems. Some social workers help clients who
face a disability or a life-threatening disease or a social problem, such as inadequate housing,
unemployment, or substance abuse. Social workers also assist families that have serious
domestic conflicts, sometimes involving child or spousal abuse. Some social workers conduct
research, advocate for improved services, engage in systems design or are involved in planning
or policy development. Many social workers specialize in serving a particular population or
working in a specific setting.

Child, family, and school social workers provide social services and assistance to improve the
social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the well-
being of families and the academic functioning of children. They may assist single parents,
arrange adoptions, or help find foster homes for neglected, abandoned, or abused children. Some
specialize in services for senior citizens. These social workers may run support groups for the
children of aging parents; advise elderly people or family members about housing,
transportation, long-term care, and other services; and coordinate and monitor these services.
Through employee assistance programs, social workers may help people cope with job-related
pressures or with personal problems that affect the quality of their work.
In schools, social workers often serve as the link between students’ families and the school,
working with parents, guardians, teachers, and other school officials to ensure students reach
their academic and personal potential. In addition, they address problems such as misbehavior,
truancy, and teenage pregnancy and advise teachers on how to cope with difficult students.
Increasingly, school social workers teach workshops to entire classes.
Child, family, and school social workers may also be known as child welfare social workers,
family services social workers, child protective services social workers, occupational social
workers, or gerontology social workers. They often work for individual and family services
agencies, schools, or state or local governments.
Medical and public health social workers provide psychosocial support to people, families, or
vulnerable populations so they can cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses, such as
Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, or AIDS. They also advise family caregivers, counsel patients, and
help plan for patients’ needs after discharge from hospitals. They may arrange for at-home
services, such as meals-on-wheels or home care. Some work on interdisciplinary teams that
evaluate certain kinds of patients—geriatric ororgan transplant patients, for example. Medical
and public health social workers may work for hospitals, nursing and personal care facilities,
individual and family services agencies, or local governments.
Mental health and substance abuse social workers assess and treat individuals with mental
illness or substance abuse problems, including abuse of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Such
services include individual and group therapy, outreach, crisis intervention, social rehabilitation,
and teaching skills needed for everyday living. They also may help plan for supportive services
to ease clients’ return to the community. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are
likely to work in hospitals, substance abuse treatment centers, individual and family services
agencies, or local governments. These social workers may be known as clinical social workers.
Administrators, planners and policymakers: Other types of social workers include social work
administrators, planners and policymakers, who develop and implement programs to address
issues such as child abuse, homelessness, substance abuse, poverty, and violence. These workers
research and analyze policies, programs, and regulations. They identify social problems and
suggest legislative and other solutions. They may help raise funds or write grants to support
these programs.

Comprehension questions
1. What are the purposes of child, family and school social workers to provide social services
and assistance?
2. What is the specific work of a school social worker?
3. What kind of social workers are you if you look after a person with disability at home?
4. Medical and public health social workers only work in medical orgamizations. True/ False.
5. When you are working with a person with substance abuse problems you are also a medical
worker according to the text. True/ False.
6. What does it mean by “these programs” at the end of the text?

II. GRAMMAR: Basic sentence structures

There are five main structures which we can use to make a simple statement.
1 SUBJECT VERB
 My arms are aching.
Something happened.
2 SUBJECT VERB OBJECT
I need a rest.
Five people are moving the piano.
- The subject and object can be a pronoun (e.g. I) or a noun phrase (e.g. the piano).
3 SUBJECT VERB COMPLEMENT
This piano is heavy.
It was a big problem.
- The complement can be an adjective (e.g. heavy) or a noun phrase (e.g. a big problem).
- The complement often comes after be. It can also come after appear,become, get, feel,
look, seem, stay or sound.
4 SUBJECT VERB ADVERBIAL
It is on my foot.
Their house is nearby.
- An adverbial can be a prepositional phrase (e.g. on my foot) or an adverb (e.g. nearby).
5 SUBJECT VERB OBJECT OBJECT
It is giving me backache.
David bought Melanie a present.
- We use two objects after verbs like give and send.
Adverbials
- We can add adverbials to all the five main structures.
My arms are aching terribly.
I really need a rest.
Of course this piano is heavy.
Fortunately their house is nearby.
To everyone's surprise, David actually bought Melanie a present.

Exercise 1: Look at each underlined phrase and say what part of the sentence it is: subject,
verb, object, complement or adverbial.
1 The weather is marvellous.
2 We really enjoy camping.
3 It's great fun.
4 We're on a farm.
5 We like this place.
6 The scenery is beautiful.
Exercise 3: Put the words in the correct order and write the statements.
1 football / likes / Tom
2 an accident / David / had
3 moved / the piano / we
4 a tall woman / Harriet / is
5 sat / on the floor / everyone
6 gave / some help / Mike's friends / him
Exercise 4 Write down the two adverbials in each sentence.
► Prince Charles opened a new sports in Stoke centre yesterday.
1 He also spoke with several young people.
2 The sports centre was first planned in 1994.
3 Naturally, the local council could not finance the project without help.
4 Fortunately, they managed to obtain money from the National Lottery.
`
III. PRACTICE EXERCISES
Exercise 1: Choose one word from the list which best fits each space.
attempt linked protection
explores
intense professional process circumstances
approaches explain psychology protect
service theory sociology social worker
A newly-qualified social worker (1) ………….………….. how she can use theories she has
learnt at university in social work practice.

A lot of the social work theory taught at university is taken from psychology, law, philosophy,
education and even management. These theories (2) ………….…………. to explain human
behavior, relationships and social issues. But the theory we were taught is closely (3)
…………………… to everyday practice.

Whilst on placement in a child (4) …………..……………. department, I had weekly

supervision sessions with my practice educator. This is where I would chat about my caseload
and relate ideas and theory, taught at university, into practice. At times this questioning and
constant reviewing theories felt a bit (5) ………………………. But it was also hugely
important to my professional development as a social worker.

As a child protection social worker I have to make (6) …..………………… judgments about
risks and needs. I have to use my power to make sure whatever happens is in the best interest of
the child. My job gives me unique entry into the most private areas of parents and children’s
lives.

It is vital, therefore, that I am able to justify the decisions I make. Assessments must be made by
looking at evidence, and not uninformed judgments.
Even better, if we can find a theory to (7) ……………………… why an action has resulted in a
particular behavior, then as social workers we will have more understanding of the issues
affecting service-users lives.

However, it is also important that social workers understand that although a theory might seem
to “fit” to a service-user, this doesn’t necessarily mean that this is the “correct” understanding of
that service-users life. Even if we find a theory that appears to work, we still need to remain
open-minded and continue with our (8) ……….…….. of reflection.

Social work practice is a part of a process of evidence building where ideas have to be adapted
or abandoned in the light of changing (9) …………….. or new information. Each child, each
parent, each situation is different. Different (10) …….………. are needed to suit different
circumstances. No single theory can explain everything.

Exercise 2: Complete the text with an appropriate form of the word in brackets.

How might theory be of use to social workers? Social work, like all professions, uses theory to
guide practice. Observation: theory provides (1) …………………… (guide) on what a social
worker might need to look out for when meeting people who use services or careers and their
families. Description: theory provides a (2) ……..……………… (general) understood and
shared language in which these observations can be organized and recorded. Explanation: theory
can suggest how different observations might be linked in a framework that explains them.
Prediction: theory can indicate what might happen in the future. Intervention: theory can provide
ideas about what might bring about a change in the situation.

The importance of theory: Theory is important, in social work and social work education for a
number of reasons because it: Theory is the mark of a (3) ……………………… (professional)
Theory can ensure (4) ……………………… (accountable); Theory can help avoid
discrimination; Theory provides a way of making sense of complexity and uncertainty.

Why should Social Workers be concerned about theory? Observation: it tells us what to see,
what to look out for Description: it provides a (5) ……………………….. (concept) vocabulary
and framework within which observations can be arranged and organized. A clear theoretical
perspective guides Explanation: it suggests how different observations and influences might be
linked and connected; it offers possible (6) ……………………… (cause) social work
relationships between one event and another practice in five key areas Prediction: it indicates
what might happen next Intervention: it suggests things to do to bring about change.

What do we mean by theory in social work? Payne (1991: 52) helps us by distinguishing four