SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL

WORK: THE FAMILY, GROUPS, AND

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
HABIB D. PAGILOGON, RSW
FAMILIES GROUPS

SOCIAL
FUNCTIONING

COMMUNITIES
Societal Forces
FAMILY DYNAMICS
What is a Filipino Family?

Think…
Reflect…
Share…
What is a Family?
 Oriental – Traditional
vs
Occidental – Egalitarian
 FAMILY
PATTERNS
AND
CHANGING
ROLES
 TYPES OF FAMILY ORGANIZATION

1. Nuclear – married men and women with

their offspring
2. Extended – recognition of kin relations
beyond that of husbands, wife and
unmarried children
TRENDS

3. Dual-income families
4. Single-parent families
5. Step-families
6. Cohabiliting couple
7. Same-sex couples
TYPES OF NUCLEAR FAMILY

1. Family of Orientation – one is born and

reared or socialized
2. Family of Procreation – established by the
person by his marriage
POINTS OF INTERACTION

1. Parent-Child Relationship
2. Husband-Wife Relationship
3. Sibling Relationship
 TYPES OF FAMILY STRUCTURES

1. Conjugal family – emphasizes marital bond

2. Congsaguineal family – emphasizes blood
ties
TYPES OF FAMILIES BASED ON DESCENT

1. Patrilineal – related to the father

2. Matrilineal – related to the mother
3. Bilateral – both
TYPES OF FAMILIES BASED ON RESIDENCE

1. Patrilocal – near parents of groom

2. Matrilocal – near parents of bride
3. Bilocal – either both
4. Neolocal – independent
5. Avunculocal – near maternal uncle of the
groom
TYPES OF FAMILIES BASED ON AUTHORITY

1. Patriarchal – vested on the oldest male

2. Matriarchal –vested on mother or mother’s kin
3. Equalitarian – equal
4. Matricentric – prolonged absence of father gives
the mother authority
 FAMILY FUNCTIONS

1. Regulates sexual behavior and is unit for reproduction

2. Performs the function of biological maintenance
3. The family is the chief agency for socializing the child
4. The family gives its members status
5. It is an important mechanism for social control
6. Other functions: economic, educational, recreational, religious
and political
POINTS OF CONFLICT IN THE FAMILY

Women:
 Structural Discrimination – inequality in many aspects: education,
ability to control conception and birth , sexual satisfaction, access
to jobs and careers
 Cultural discrimination – stereotyping, language used,
socialization; culture of silence
 Sexual Exploitation – spawned by a double standard of morality
 Role strain created by marriage and motherhood
POINTS OF CONFLICT IN THE FAMILY

Children:
 Child abuse (as per RA 7610)
 Child Neglect
 Culture of silence
 Lack of opportunity for education, health and recreation
 VAWC
POINTS OF CONFLICT IN THE FAMILY

Elderly:
 Elder Abuse (economic, psychological, and physical)
 No security/no insurance for old age
 Separation from the family (isolation, loneliness)
 Ill health, subsistence income or none at all
RESULTS OF CONFLICT IN THE FAMILY

1. Wives, even mothers with small children, are likely

to be employed outside the home.
2. More families are likely to end with separation.
3. Single Parent families are more likely to become
prevalent.
THE FAMILY
AS A
SYSTEM
FAMILY BOUNDARIES
members and their roles, norms values, etc.
Types
1. Random
families – unhealthy, lack clarity on boundaries and
each member seems to be doing his or her own thing
2. Closed families – rigid with well-defined roles and family
stability is of great importance
3. Open families – healthiest, clear boundary, balanced and
flexible
 STRUCTURAL PATTERNS

rules about who may or may not participate in any

family activity
Types
1. Healthy family – neither too rigid nor too diffuse
2. Enmeshed family – too rigid
3. Disengaged family – too diffuse
FAMILY ALIGNMENT

refers to the joining or opposition of one member to

another
1. Spouse subsystem
2. Parental subsystem
3. Sibling subsystem
4. Parent-child subsystem
5. Adult-elderly subsystem
INTERACTIONAL PATTERNS
factors that contribute to healthy family

Marriage Expression of feelings

Power relations Dealing with loss

Closeness Family values

Communication Intimacy and autonomy

Problem-solving abilities
NEEDS SATISFACTION

1. Survival needs – basic requirements for

nourishment, shelter and protection
2. Developmental needs – have to do with
psychological well-being
CULTURAL
VARIABLES
“Culture is a complex whole that
consists of all the ways we think and do
and everything we have as members
of society.” (Bierstadt, 1974)
 KINDS OF CULTURE

1. Material – buildings, works of arts, clothing etc.

2. Non-Material – knowledge, beliefs, values, etc.
1. Folkways – organized and repititive
behaviors
2. Mores – involves moral or ethical values
3. Folklore – preserved traditional
customs, beliefs, dances, songs, etc.
4. Costumes – distinctive styles and
prevailing fashions
5. Language – mode of expression
6. Values – seeing a situation as good or
bad
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

 Culture is acquired
 Culture is adaptive
 Culture gratifies human needs
 Culture is ideational
 Culture is shared and transmitted
 Culture is social
 Culture tends towards integration
Ethnocentricim vs Xenocentricism

 While ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own

culture is superior and correct in comparison to
others, xenocentrism is the belief that other
cultures are better than one’s own culture.
PHYSICAL
VARIABLES
 PHYSICAL VARIABLES

1. Demography
2. Environmental changes – pollution, space
relationships, denudation of forest, urbanization
3. Ecology
– interrelationship of organism and their
environment
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT
AND PEOPLE

 The environment provides the resources

for life
 The environment serves as a water
repository
 The environment houses our species
“ Human stresses the tradeoffs
inherent in every decisions
that alters the environment
”
 PROBLEMS ARISING FROM POLITICS OF
ECOLOGY

 The concept of life as intrinsically good and death intrinsically

bad – birth vs death rates
 Underdevelopment – poor nations lagging behind
 The contraceptive revolution – no effect yet
 Birth control – expensive and involving whole adult population
 To persuade women and men – abandoning traditional views
is hard
 Poverty
Population Explosion – emphasis on
quantity rather than quality; the question
of economic stability; the specter of war,
the equally terrifying specter of universal
starvation
Family Planning – is a way of
regulating and spacing the births
of children by married couples
and helping childless couples find
out the cause of their inability
 Factors to be Considered in the Study of Family
Planning and Population Control
Consequences of fertility on health, child Emigration and immigration
development, family income, housing
and interpersonal relationships
Effect on economy, air and water Impact of fertility on society and people
resources; human services
Education Need for new values and behaviors

Political factors Role of the social worker

 Economic Inflation
High cost of living Resultant reduction of
equality
Poor management Lack of long-range
techniques economic planning
High cost of labor International relations and
politics
Lack of local materials Social problems
 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ASPECT

1. Standard of living – all those things which one insists on having

2. Mode of living – actual behavior and accomplishment
3. Division of labor – responsibility of each member of the family
4. Occupation – whatever an adult spends most of his time doing
5. Social status – recognized position
6. Social stratification – sum up the general estimates of social status
 LOVE,
COURTSHIP,
AND
MARRIAGE
Romantic love – it is feelings of erotic
attraction accompanied by an
idealization of the other
Courtship – it is a social process engaged in
by two individuals. A progressive
commitment leading to a succession of
event towards the development of a stable
interpersonal relationship
Marriage – it is a special contract of
permanent union between a man and
woman entered into in accordance with
law for the established of conjugal and
family life
COURTSHIP PROCESS

Private
Dating Going steady Engagement
understanding
 FACTORS TO FAMILY CONFLICTS
Personality adjustment Authority and responsibility
Domestic grievances Relatives and in-laws
Temperamental traits Trifles
• Extreme physical and mental
fatigue
• Unsatisfactory sex relations
• Emotional or intellectual
maladjustment
Frustration Handling money
Emotional immaturity Immorality
Parent fixation Jealousy
Recreation Sexual relations
ROLES OF HUSBAND AND WIFE IN MARITAL
ADJUSTMENT

1. Understanding of each other’s personality and

behavior
2. Recognition of individual private worlds
3. Communication
4. Obligation of fidelity
 THE FAMILY AND HUMAN SEXUALITY

Human Sexuality – to be human is to be sexual and to be

sexual is to be human

Sex education – process of teaching an individual to

understand and accept himself/herself as a whole person
and as such to related himself/herself to other people in a
healthy, constructive and meaningful manner
FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND
PARENTHOOD

 Child rearing
Points to consider: should be individualized,
dynamic relationship between parent and child,
sees child having bundle of potentialities
 CHILDREN’S NEEDS
Need for self-respect Need for love and
affection

Need for communication Need for recognition

Need to belong Need for discipline
Need for independence Need to face reality
FORCES OUTSIDE HOME WHICH HELP TO
SHAPE AND MOLD THE PERSONALITY

1.School
2.Religioustrainings
3.Community standards
4.Friends and contemporaries
PARENTHOOD REQUIRES ADJUSTMENTS

 Parental role – additional roles

 Emotional adjustments in parenthood
 The best time for having children
 Safety-first in parenthood – appropriate age
GROUP, ORGANIZATION
AND COMMUNITY
PROCESSES
 GROUP PROCESS

what goes on between and among members

 Dimensions
1. Goal-oriented
2. Quality of the interaction
ASPECTS OF GROUP PROCESS

Goal-oriented Quality of Interaction

Overt 1. Goal determination 4. Role differentiation
2. Goal pursuit 5. Communication-
interaction
6. Conflict resolution and
behavior control

Covert 3. Values and norms 7. Emotions

Basic Competition Form of opposition and struggle
Conflict May develop from competition concerning to
overcome the opponent
Cooperation Mutual aid or alliance of persons
Derived Accommodation Process which follows competition or conflict
Assimilation Cultural fusion
Amalgamation Intermarriage of persons coming from different
ethnic groups
Acculturation Fairly close and long continued contact but do
not blend with one another
ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS

 Group dynamics – study of relationships

 Group structure – arrangement of interrelation of all parts
of the group
 Group purpose – general aim/s of the group
 Group composition – members personal characteristics
 Group rules – behavioral guidelines
❑Roles as expected to do
❑Norms as ought to do
❑Status as evaluation of worth
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL GROUPS

1. Members interact significantly

2. Members share common identity, sense of
belongingness
3. Members expect one another to adhere to a
special and distinct set of norms
TYPES OF
GROUPS
Formal Groups Command group – determined by structure
Task group – organized for a specific task
Committees – handles problems outside of
regular assignments
Informal Groups Social group – enjoy each other’s company (chat
group)
Interest group – groups that develop informally
around common interest (news group)
Primary group – gemeinschaft
relationship
vs
Secondary group – gesellshaft
relationship
Natural group – comes together
spontaneously on the basis of
naturally occuring events
vs
Formed group – come together
through some outside influence
In-group – individual feels at home
vs
Out-group – individual does not
feel a sense of belonging
1. Task group – so activites are accomplished
2. Treatment group – so help meet personal
needs of members
3. Informal/Skills building recreational groups –
provide activities for enjoyment and execise
4. Educational groups – teach specialized skills
and knowledge
5. Problem-solving and Decision-making groups
– such as developing a treatment plan
6. Focus groups – convened to discuss specific
issue or single topic
7. Self-help and Mutual-aid groups – shares
certain problems and meet regularly to help
each other
8. Socialization groups – to develop
attitudes and behaviors that are more
socially acceptable
9. Sensitivity and Encounter training groups
– people relate with each other in a
close interpersonal manner and self-
disclosure is a must to improve
interpersonal awareness
STRUCTURAL
PROPERTIES
OF GROUPS
1.Size – refers to the number of persons
in the group
2.Role structure – refers to the socially-
recognized pattern of expectations of
behavior on the part of the member of the
group in a certain position which he/she
occupies
CLASSIFICATION OF ROLES MEMBERS PLAY
IN THE GROUP

1. Task role – directed towards achieving goal (initiating,

seeking information and opinion, etc.)
2. Building and maintenance role – helping the group
function as a group (harmoninizing, gate keeping,
etc.)
3. Personal role – hindering group’s achievement of goal
(blocking, aggression, etc.)
3.Communication structure – refers to the
process of transferring and sharing messages
and meanings through the use of symbols,
like words, movements and gestures, and
sounds.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION PATTERN
AMONG GROUP MEMBERS

1. Maypole role – from leader to member or from member to

leader
2. Round robin – take turns in talking
3. Free floating – according to what is being said in the group
4. Hot seat – extended back and forth exchange between
the leader and a member as the other member watch
4.Affectional structure - refers to interaction
pattern based on emotional bonds
FORMS OF EMOTIONAL BONDS AMONG
GROUP MEMBERS

1. Pairs – e.g.courtship pair

2. Triads – e.g. mediator and two
3. Foursome – e.g. two pairs
4. Isolates – e.g. stay in fringe
5. Power structure – refers to the control of
reinforces
 BASES OF POWER

1. Reward power – ability to mediate rewards for the other person

2. Coercive power – ability to mediate punishments for the other
person
3. Legitimate power – one person has the right to percieve the
behavior of another person
4. Expert power – powerful person has greater resources with respect
to a given area
5. Referent power – ability of being well-liked and respected by others
which cause one to identify
6. Leadership structure – refers to the
consistent ability to influence people in
desired ways
LEADERSHIP THEORIES

1. Position theory – leader occupies topmost position

2. Trait theory – leaders are born not made
a. Charisma – leader inspires followers
b. Machiavellinism – leader using power
3. Style theory
a. Authoritarian – leaders have more absolute power
b. Democratic – leaders seek maximum involvement
and participation from members
c. Laissez-faire – minimum input or participation from
the leader
4. Situation theory – leadership is a function of situation
5. Functional theory – distributed functions approach
CONTRIBUTION OF THE GROUP
TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

 Provides opportunities to develop skills as participating

members of society
 The way in which individuals learn, the speed of their
learning, the retention of learned material , and the way
in which they solve their problems are definitely
influenced by small groups to which they belong
CONTRIBUTION OF THE GROUP
TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

 Formation of attitudes & tends to be decisive in the

development of norms of response to situations
 Changes an individual’s values, level of aspiration &
striving
 Modifies the individual’s habits of living, working &
carrying on life’s pursuits
 Perception of himself & his role in a given situation
CONTRIBUTION OF THE GROUP
TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

 Provides psychological support for individuals & help

them express themselves
 Influences the choices that individuals make when they
are in situations where alternatives are presented
 Affects individual’s speed, accuracy, & productivity in
the work situation
CONTRIBUTION OF THE GROUP
TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

 Security-giving function of the small group

 Places limits on individual drive for power & his need to
be controlling
THE FORMAL ORGANIZATION

 The concept of organization – refers to the formal

structure of roles and positions in an agency and how it
functions
 The structure of formal organization – is the actual
arrangement and levels of an organization
 The organizational chart – graphic presentation
 MODELS OF ORGANIZATION

1. Bureaucratic – pre-set of procedure and rules, a division of

labor base on specialization, promotion and selection base
on competence, impersonality on human relations
2. Democratic – participation and sharing in decision-making,
policy formulation
3. Adhocracy – blend of bureaucratic and democratic
4. Collegial – emphasizes collaborative lifestyle
 ORGANIZATIONAL PRINCIPLES

1.Division of work 6. Hierachical or scalar

principle
2. Unity of command 7. Line and staff principle
3. Span of control 8. Division of labor
4. Homogenous assignment 9. Short chain of command
5. Delegation of authority 10. Balance
INFORMAL ORGANIZATION

 informal, unofficial and unauthorized relationships

 arises naturally
 exists within the confines of formal organization
 reflects individual and group goals
 small and manageable
 instability
CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY

 Community is an aggregation of individuals

and families settled in fairly campact and
contigous geographical area, with significant
elements of common life as shown by
manners, traditions and modes of speech
 TYPES OF COMMUNITIES

1. Geographic – share physical space

2. Communities of interest – formed based on
common interest or shared concerns
3. Virtual communities – online community
 APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING
COMMUNITY

1. Ecological – geographical features, demography,

resources, and space relations.
2. Structural – institutions/organizations,
leadership/government, positions, status/roles,
communication pattern.
3. Normative – values and norms, history, language,
customs and traditions, knowledge, beliefs, and
aspirations.
COMMUNITY DYNAMICS AND PROCESSES

1. Effect of physical environmental forces

2. Technology
3. Population movement/migration
4. Industrialization
5. Urbanization community institutions
 SYSTEMS THEORY

 The network of relationships of structures and their

interdependence.
 Systems theory states that behavior is influenced by a variety
of factors that work together as a system. A person’s parents,
friends, school, economic class, home environment and other
factors all influence how a person thinks and acts. Seeking to
help correct missing or ineffective parts of that system can
have a positive impact on behavior.
 CONCEPTS

1. Open system – constant interaction

2. Closed system – do not interact with any other system
3. Boundaries – closed circle
4. Holon
5. Subsystem
6. Homeostasis – remain stable; steady state
7. Role
8. Relationship – dynamic interaction
9. Input
10.Output
11.Feedback (positive and negative)
12.Differentiation – from simple to complex
components
13.Equifinality
14.Multifinality
15.Entropy – progress towards disorganization
 TYPES OF SOCIAL SYSTEM

1. Change agent system – agency

2. Client system – those who have asked service
3. Target system – change agents need to change or influence
4. Action system – worker interacts in a cooperative way
5. Professional system – PASWI, NASWEI
6. Problem identification system – acts to bring a potential client to
the attention of the worker
ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

 Ecosystem theory – describes and analyze

people and other living systems and their
transactions
 CONCEPTS

1. Transaction – communication and interaction

2. Energy – natural power
3. Interface – the exact point at interaction takes place
4. Adaptation – capacity to adjust
5. Coping – struggle to overcome a problem
6. Interdependence – mutual reliance
 LEVELS OF SYSTEMS

1. Microsystem – direct environment we have in our lives

2. Mesosystem – involves the relationships between the microsystems
in one's life
3. Exosystem – defines the larger social system in which the child
does not function directly
4. Macrosystem – refers to the overall patterns of ideology and
organization that characterize a given society or social group
5. Chronosystem – includes transitions and shifts in one's lifespan,
socio-historical contexts that may influence a person