• SOCIAL WORK

Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession that concerns itself with
individuals, families, groups, communities and society as a whole in an effort to meet basic needs
and enhance social functioning, self-determination, collective responsibility, and overall well-being.
Social functioning is defined as the ability of an individual to perform their social roles within their
own self, their immediate social environment, and the society at large. Social work applies social
sciences, such as sociology, psychology, political science, public health, community development,
law, and economics, to engage with client systems, conduct assessments, and develop
interventions to solve social problems, personal problems, and bring about social change. Social
work practice is often divided into micro-work, which involves working directly with individuals or
small groups; and macro-work, which involves working with communities, and fostering change on
a larger scale through social policy.

• NEED

A need is something that is necessary for an organism to live a healthy life. Needs are distinguished
from wants. In the case of a need, a deficiency causes a clear adverse outcome: a dysfunction or
death. In other words, a need is something required for a safe, stable and healthy life (e.g. air,
water, food, land, shelter) while a want is a desire, wish or aspiration. When needs or wants are
backed by purchasing power, they have the potential to become economic demands. Basic needs
such as air, water, food and protection from environmental dangers are necessary for an organism
to live. In addition to basic needs, humans also have needs of a social or societal nature such as the
human need to socialise or belong to a family unit or group. Needs can be objective and physical,
such as the need for food, or psychical and subjective, such as the need for self-esteem. Needs and
wants are a matter of interest in, and form a common substrate for, the fields of philosophy,
biology, psychology, social science, economics, marketing and politics.

• PROBLEMS

A distinction can be made between “task” and “problem.” Generally, a task is a well-defined piece
of work that is usually imposed by another person and may be burdensome. A problem is generally
considered to be a task, a situation, or person which is difficult to deal with or control due to
complexity and intransparency. In everyday language, a problem is a question proposed for
solution, a matter stated for examination or proof. In each case, a problem is considered to be a
matter which is difficult to solve or settle, a doubtful case, or a complex task involving doubt and
uncertainty.

• SOCIAL FUNCTIONING

social functioning is a significant aspect of depression distinct from the symptoms of depression.
Social functioning defines an individual's interactions with their environment and the ability to
fulfill their role within such environments as work, social activities, and relationships with partners
and family. The analysis of social functioning has arisen from a growing interest in measuring the
consequences of depression and antidepressant therapy. Impairment often persists long after the
resolution of symptoms by pharmacotherapy, and is not extensively assessed by the traditional
scales to measure the intensity of depressive symptoms. Assessment is influenced by the method
used, and there is an increased awareness that the patient's perspective should be foremost.
Several scales for the evaluation of social functioning have already been developed, ranging from
those requiring a structured interview with a trained assessor to self-assessment scales. In
constructing such tools, a balance must be found between the amount of detail required to
produce a clear account of the patient's social functioning and the ease of use in large multicenter
studies.

• HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights are moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behaviour
and are regularly protected in municipal and international law. They are commonly understood as
inalienable, fundamental rights "to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he
is a human being" and which are "inherent in all human beings", regardless of their age, ethnic
origin, location, language, religion, ethnicity, or any other status. They are applicable everywhere
and at every time in the sense of being universal, and they are egalitarian in the sense of being the
same for everyone. They are regarded as requiring empathy and the rule of law and imposing an
obligation on persons to respect the human rights of others, and it is generally considered that they
should not be taken away except as a result of due process based on specific circumstances.

• SOCIAL WELFARE

A social welfare system offers assistance to individuals and families in need, with such programs as
health care assistance, food stamps, and unemployment compensation. Lesser known parts of a
social welfare system include disaster relief and educational assistance.

•SOCIAL AGENCY

A social agency, defined “formally structured unit, sanctioned by society, whose goals and activities
focus on meeting human needs.” (Turner, Pg 209) is simply known as one of the contacts between
the government and the population that helps the people in need to obtain the services and
resources of our social welfare.

• CLIENT

Since social work and social service work practice covers. a wide spectrum, the definition of “client”
in relation to a. member of the College, “refers to any person or body that. is the recipient of, or
has contracted to receive, social work. or social service work services from the member, including.

• CASE

Social case work is a method employed by social workers to help individuals find a solution to
problems of social adjustment which they are unable to handle in a satisfactory way by their own
effort.

• PERSONAL-IN- ENVIRONMENT

The person-in-environment (PIE) theory is the key concept and philosophy in the field of social
work that states that a person's behavior can largely be understood by looking at their
environment, including their past environment. The field of social work prides itself on the PIE
theory, which is a scientifically-proven premise that gives the field some credibility in the scientific
community.