Lecture notes on comprehensive ability of social work (elementary)

Chapter I Objectives, Objects and Fields of Social Work

Section 1 The meaning and characteristics of social work

First, the meaning of social work

1, the general meaning of social work

"Social Work" is translated from English social work. Refers to professional and professional activities that are not for profit and serve others and society. In different countries, social work is also called social service or social welfare service.

2. China's understanding of social work.

Social work is an important part of social construction. It is a professional activity that embodies socialist core values, follows professional ethics, adheres to the purpose of "helping others to help themselves", comprehensively applies professional knowledge, skills and methods in the fields of social service and social management, helps needy individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities, integrates social resources, coordinates social relations, prevents and solves social problems, restores and develops social functions, and promotes social harmony.

Second, the characteristics of social work

1, professional help activities

Professional assistance activities emphasize that social work majors have a set of theoretical guidance, and social workers' services are not provided by personal life experience and enthusiasm. Social work major is not for profit, but directly serves all kinds of difficult people.

2. Pay attention to professional value

The so-called professional values refer to the ideas, guiding ideology and moral norms that social workers follow when they are engaged in social services. Professional value is the soul, principle and goal of social work specialty. At the same time, it also emphasizes the need to help the parties realize personal value, equality and justice.

3. Emphasize professional methods.

The so-called professional method refers to the unique method of this major, and in many cases it can only be mastered through professional education and training. The complex service that social workers are engaged in to help others requires special methods and skills. The basic methods of social work specialty include case work, group work, community work and a series of unique working methods. Professional methods themselves carry professional values and ideas.

4. Pay attention to practice

As far as the object of work is concerned, the direct goal of social work major is to serve the disadvantaged groups. As far as professional value is concerned, the value of social work theory and method can only be realized in practice.

Cooperation between the two parties can only help customers, and cooperation is an effective means to cultivate customers' self-worth.

6. The complexity of the problems faced by multi-party collaborative service objects is often beyond the reach of one person majoring in social work. Social resources need to be mobilized in many ways, and a variety of professions and institutions can work together to solve it satisfactorily.

Section 2 Objectives and Functions of Social Work

First, the goal of social work

1, target at service object level

(1) escape from danger

Danger means that a person's situation has endangered his basic survival, making him unable to maintain his basic survival needs and seriously threatening his life safety. Danger is universal, and it is the basic responsibility of society to provide help to people facing danger. Danger may be varied, which can be the dilemma of material life or the dilemma of psychological and social life. (such as extreme poverty, mental breakdown, drug addiction, suicidal tendency, etc.). )

(2) ease the difficulties

Difficulties refer to those living conditions that have affected personal life and have not endangered basic security, but can not be solved by personal strength. The goal of social work is to help people with difficulties and needs to reduce pressure, overcome difficulties and restore normal social life. (such as helping people with employment difficulties to find jobs, teenagers with Internet addiction, etc. )

(3) promoting development

Development is the basic need of individuals. Social work majors believe that everyone has potential. In the process of professional service, one of the basic goals of social work is to help individuals develop their potential and realize the happiness of their lives. Personal development includes the development of personal potential and the growth of ability. Therefore, development includes not only the development of personal potential in a smooth environment, but also the growth of personal ability to overcome difficulties under difficult circumstances.

Example: 20 10 Zhenti Li's husband died in a car accident this year and his son was 2 years old. Usually, when Li goes to work, his children are left unattended. Social workers coordinate the domestic service agencies in Li's community, which alleviates the care problem of Li's son. What goals does Xiao Shen provide for social work? Remove danger, ease difficulties, promote development and uphold justice. Every member of society will encounter many difficulties. Some difficulties are serious, and the parties have limited ability to deal with and solve problems, so they need help from others. One of the goals of social work is to help people with difficulties and needs to reduce stress and overcome difficulties.

2. Social goals

(1) Solving social problems Social problems refer to problems that are not purely physiological but related to social factors. It is social, extensive and harmful. Social work is to solve the social problems caused by limited social resources, unfair distribution and imperfect system. (such as population problem, employment problem, pension problem, etc. )

(2) Promoting social justice Social justice, also known as social justice, refers to the legal status of a society in terms of economic and political resource allocation according to its own values. Justice includes opportunity justice, process justice and result justice. Social justice is the main feature of modern society and the basic goal of social work. (A large number of vulnerable groups exist, and the children of migrant workers cannot receive normal education. )

Second, the function of social work.

1, meaning and type of function

(1) What is function refers to the influence of the existence and change of a certain part of the system on the whole and other parts. In social life, the social system from macro to individual and family has corresponding social functions. If the function is insufficient or missing, problems will occur. The professional function of social work is to help social systems recover and develop their social functions.

(2) Basic types of functions Because the society is extremely complex, the functions of any social system may have both positive and negative functions (positive and negative functions). Such as excessive social welfare and icing on the cake may cultivate lazy people.

2. The function of social work to the clients The basic function of social work major is to provide direct services for individuals and families, help individuals and families to play their normal social functions and assume social responsibilities.

(1) Promote the normal life of customers.

Whether people can lead a normal life does not depend entirely on them.

On the one hand, the ability of individuals and families to cope with the living environment itself is limited;

On the other hand, the complexity of society and environment often leads to the diversity of life difficulties, which is often beyond the ability of individuals. For some people, especially the disadvantaged groups in society, it is also very difficult to lead a normal life. Therefore, it is the responsibility of social work majors to help people in need. Social work major can be divided into several levels when helping people get a normal life. First, help people solve their immediate difficulties. Whether it is a material life dilemma or a psychological or social life dilemma, when people can't get out of the predicament by their own strength, students majoring in social work should help them out. Second, based on the requirements of professional values, it is more important to help people develop their living ability, rebuild their confidence, and cope with the challenges of their living environment with their own ability (helping others to help themselves).

(2) Promote the mutual adaptation between people and social environment.

"People in the environment" is a basic viewpoint for social work majors to analyze problems.

Its basic meaning is that man and the environment are inseparable. Personally, there are physiological, psychological, personal experience, ability and other reasons, as well as social reasons such as family, community, work unit and social system arrangement. Based on this view, the service goal of social work specialty is to establish a good interaction between individuals and the environment. On the one hand, it is necessary to improve the ability of individuals to adapt to the social environment, on the other hand, it is necessary to improve the environment, mobilize resources in the environment, and remove obstacles in the environment.

3. The role of social work in society

The role of social work in society mainly includes the following aspects:

(1) Maintain social order

Social order is a state in which all parts of society live in harmony and social stability, which is what any society is striving for. In practice, social work majors directly serve individuals, solve personal problems, reduce the danger of intensifying social problems, and play a role in maintaining social order.

Note: Comparison between social work specialty and government administrative management system.

Similarities: Both of them have the function of maintaining social order. Difference: They work in different ways and methods. The government administrative system tends to solve problems with administrative power, that is, top-down administrative system and power. The main basis for solving problems is system and policy. Therefore, there are some coercive factors in the process of solving problems, and maintaining the stability of social order is its direct goal. The major of social work emphasizes the satisfaction of people's needs and their development. The direct goal of social work specialty is not to maintain social order, but its function of maintaining social order is achieved by providing services, meeting people's needs and solving people's problems. In the method of solving problems, social work emphasizes solving problems by changing the environment and perfecting the system. Therefore, social work can play a more exploratory role in maintaining social order.

(B) to promote social harmony

Social harmony is a benign interaction between social elements, a state of life in which members of society accept each other and coexist on an equal footing. Good relationships and social support among people are the manifestations of a healthy society. Social work is people-oriented, and is committed to establishing a mutually supportive relationship among social members and building a caring society. The face-to-face, deeply rooted and humanized service that social work is good at plays a role in promoting social harmony in resolving contradictions and conflicts, which cannot be replaced and compared by general administrative means.

Section 3 Objects and Elements of Social Work

First, the object of social work

The objects of social work are divided into basic objects and extended objects.

1, the basic object of social work

The basic object of social work major mainly refers to the groups that are in extreme difficulties due to physiological and psychological reasons or irresistible social and natural reasons. Is the most worthy of help. Such as "three noes" and "five guarantees". (mainly material low-level help)

2. Expansion of social work objects

With the complexity of social problems, social progress and the development of social welfare system, the objects of social work are also expanding. It is manifested in: from helping people who have the most difficulties in material life to all those who need help when they encounter difficulties in basic life, from poor individuals and families to problematic and underdeveloped communities, from people in difficulty to the general public.

Second, the elements of social work

As a professional help activity, the basic elements of social work include clients, social workers, values, working methods and social interaction.

1, service object

Customers (also known as recipients, case owners or work objects) are the objects directly served or helped by social workers. The service object is the premise of the existence of social work specialty; Therefore, the service object is the constituent element of social work specialty. Generally speaking, customers can be divided into two situations. Before the establishment of professional relationship, people who seek social workers' help are only potential customers. Only when the helper has established a formal professional relationship with the social worker can the helper become a customer. Social work majors serve individuals and families, groups and communities.

2. Social workers

Social workers are the direct undertakers of social services and professionals who have mastered systematic professional knowledge and methods of social work. There is no social work without social workers, so social workers are the basic elements of social work. The service provided by social workers for clients is a special service that others cannot provide. The services provided by social workers for clients include not only professional norms, but also personal experience and values. As the leader of the service process of social work specialty, social workers are indispensable elements of social work specialty.

3. Social work values

Values of Social Work The soul of social work is the general name of a series of professional values and professional ethics recognized and observed by social workers. It includes the views of social work on helping others, on oneself and customers. The value of social work is altruism, that is, to help others, serve others, and promote social welfare and social justice as the goal of their own actions.

4. Professional methods to help others

Social work is a special activity and method to help others. As a means and measure to achieve the goal of helping others, the professional method of social work not only has tool value, but also is a process to achieve the professional goal relative to the professional goal of social work, which has process value that cannot be ignored. The basic methods of social work major mainly include case work, group work and community work.

5. Help activities

Helping others is a specific service provided by social workers to clients according to the requirements of social work professional goals and professional values, and it is a process of interaction and cooperation between social workers and clients. However, helping others is a process of interaction, cooperation and growth between the two sides as independent subjects around solving difficulties and problems. In this interactive process, the two sides understand each other's actions, cooperate with each other and overcome difficulties together.

The fourth quarter, the main areas of social work

The field of social work refers to the social life scope of people who provide professional services introduced by social work. The professional service field of social work is very extensive, and any social life field that people encounter or may encounter difficulties can become a service field. Social work has the following basic areas:

1, services for children and adolescents

Children and adolescents are the target groups determined according to their age characteristics. Children in China refer to people from infants to teenagers, while the United Nations believes that the upper limit of children can be extended to young people. According to the international understanding, children's service refers to the service provided for children, teenagers and teenagers, and it is a welfare service to promote their healthy growth. According to the theory of human growth, different stages of life development will encounter different difficulties and problems to be solved. The problems and needs of each age stage provide intermediary space for social work, and social work majors can provide corresponding services.

2. Social services for the elderly

Social service or social work for the elderly is a professional service for the elderly. The social needs of the elderly and the problems arising therefrom are special. Among them, the most prominent is the issue of support and care. Serving the elderly is not only a key point of social work specialty, but also an important practical field of social work specialty.

3. Women's social services

Women's social service (or women's social work) is a professional service aimed at women's needs and promoting their normal life and development. At present, the serious problems in China are: violation of women's rights (such as some baby girls being abused or even abandoned, girls dropping out of school in poor areas, domestic violence against women, etc. ); Gender inequality in employment; Rural women's pension, etc. Women's social services can be carried out at two levels: first, advocacy services. In view of the discrimination against women by cultural traditions, systems and policies, social work majors should advocate policies, strive to change the discriminatory factors against women and create an equal social environment; The second is to provide direct help to women who encounter problems, help them overcome obstacles in life, and gain their due equal status in social life.

4. Rehabilitation services

Rehabilitation service is a welfare service for the disabled, aiming at enhancing and restoring their physiological and social functions. Disability is divided into physical disability and intellectual disability. The former is a state in which human physiological organs (the main parts of the body) are incomplete or lose their functions, while the latter is a state in which human intelligence and spirit are underdeveloped or damaged and cannot function normally. In terms of rehabilitation services for the disabled, there are several important service models, such as in-hospital rehabilitation, community rehabilitation and vocational rehabilitation. In addition, helping disabled people who have the ability to work find jobs and providing legal aid to disabled people have played an important role in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests and promoting their social participation.

5. Social security

Social assistance is a kind of assistance to people who are trapped in basic life difficulties due to natural, personal and social reasons, and its purpose is to protect the life safety and basic rights of the parties. Social assistance is mainly the responsibility of the government, so it is also called public assistance. As a system, social assistance is the most basic and basic component of social security system (social welfare system). Social assistance is the government's most basic protection of its members' right to live. The main purpose of social assistance is to distribute food, survival materials and money to people in need, so that they can avoid hunger, disease and life safety.

6. Employment services

Employment service is a professional service for people with employment difficulties, including employment consultation, employment training and career design. There are two main service areas. On the one hand, it is a policy propaganda on employment issues and helps the government adjust its social welfare system and policies according to the needs of its clients. On the other hand, it provides direct employment-related services for people with employment difficulties, including employment consultation, vocational skills training and related psychological counseling. (Specifically, it includes helping job seekers understand the government's employment policy and master employment information; Training job seekers' professional skills. )

7. Mental health services

Mental health service is a service for people suffering from mental illness due to excessive psychological pressure, which affects their normal life. The mental health service of social work specialty is different from the psychological consultation of psychology specialty. The major of social work emphasizes that people are people in situations, and the psychological problems people face are also produced in social environment. Therefore, the mental health service provided by social work specialty emphasizes the relationship between social environment and mental health. Its service focuses not only on psychological problems, but also on improving people's living environment, thus promoting the solution of psychological problems.

8. Family services

Family social work service is an important field of social work, also known as family social work, which is a supportive service provided by social workers to families in need. Family is not only the object of service, but also the available means. Family is the most important living environment for individuals, and many personal problems come from family. By promoting the benign interaction between family members, the personal problems of family members can be solved.

For example, Zhang's husband usually has the concept of male chauvinism. He lost his legs in a car accident and had to walk in a wheelchair. He also lost his job and was very depressed. Zhang did all the housework and took care of her husband, but he always lost his temper and sometimes even abused Zhang. Zhang felt wronged and asked social worker Xiaolin for help. According to the requirements of professional services for women's social work, what advice does Xiaolin have for her? In 2009, Zhenti hired a nanny to take care of her husband; Send her husband to a rehabilitation institution; Change views and attitudes with her husband; Endure and maintain the status quo

It should be related to family social work. Family service takes the whole family as the service object, and helps to restore the normal life of the family and play its normal function by coordinating the relationship between family members and the family and the environment. Social workers help families solve difficulties and problems and promote family harmony when family problems arise, such as marital discord, divorce, domestic violence, tension between parents and children, serious illness of family members will disrupt the original family life, and unemployment of family members will affect the family economic life.

9. Medical social work

Medical social work is social work carried out in the fields of medical treatment, hygiene and health care. Related to medical affairs, mainly engaged in social work of medical institutions, also known as medical social work. Hospital is a special interpersonal environment. Social work can coordinate the relationship between related personnel in the medical environment, and the most important thing is to adjust the focus of people's attention to the care of patients.

10, school social work

School social work is mainly to help students study normally and grow up healthily. In the school environment, there is a natural tension between students and teachers. Social workers provide help to students in an equal relationship, so that they can readjust their psychological state and interpersonal relationships without pressure. Social workers can flexibly use social work professional methods according to the age characteristics of students, and play a role that teachers and parents can't play. There are three main ways of school social work: therapeutic school social work is aimed at the abnormal psychology and behavior of "problem students", and its purpose is to help them solve problems and develop normally; Social work in transitional schools is to help students adapt to drastic social changes, including various counseling activities; Community-school social work extends social work beyond the school, including contacting students' parents, realizing home-school communication, providing follow-up services for school-leaving students and carrying out community education to promote students' learning and growth.

1 1. Orthodontic services

Correction is also called correction. It is an activity of judicial organs and staff to make criminals or criminals with criminal tendencies get ideological and behavioral treatment and reintegrate them into society through various means. Correctional services include prison services and community services, also known as community corrections. The basic idea of correcting social work is the separation of man and crime. It is the crime that needs to be punished, not the person who committed the crime. This includes two aspects. On the one hand, correcting social work service should help the parties get rid of criminal behavior; On the other hand, in the process of punishing their criminal acts, we should make them feel equal.

12, urban and rural community development

Community is an important field of social work. Industrialized and urbanized lifestyles have had a great impact on people's social life. No matter in urban or rural communities, interpersonal relationships have become increasingly alienated. This not only affects people's social life, but also directly threatens the stability of the whole social structure. Therefore, promoting the development of urban and rural communities has become an important practical field of social work.

13, military social work

Social work in the army is a social service for soldiers with psychological stress and other difficulties. The main problems that soldiers may face are: First, the adaptation of recruits. The new soldiers will face the role change; Second, the problem of pressure relaxation; The third aspect is the service before and after retirement.

14, Corporate Social Work

Enterprise social work, also known as industrial social work, is a professional social work service for the labor groups in enterprises. In enterprises, the task of social work can be mainly divided into two aspects, on the one hand, the protection of labor rights and interests. On the other hand, social workers can also play an important role in coordinating labor relations.

Section 5 The Main Roles of Social Workers

I. Role of social workers

1, the direct service role of social workers

(1) service provider. Social work services include psychological and spiritual services, material assistance and labor services, and policy information.

(2) supporters. Social workers should not only provide direct services or help to recipients (clients), but also encourage recipients to stand on their own feet, overcome difficulties, and make their own decisions when possible, that is, "helping others to help themselves", so as to help recipients restore their confidence and enhance their self-confidence, thus giving full play to their potential.

For example, Xiao Li, a college student, has serious emotional distress and social problems. Xiao Zhang, a social worker, recommended and instructed Xiao Li to read books on interpersonal communication and learn communication skills while using psychotherapy mode to coach him. What role did Xiao Zhang play? Social workers should not only provide direct services to clients, but also encourage them and create conditions for them to realize their self-development. Xiao Zhang not only provides direct service, but also recommends and guides reading related books, playing the role of a server and supporter. (20 10 real question)

(3) advocates. Advocacy means that social workers advocate a certain behavior directly to the parties. In the process of social work service, the basic principle of social work specialty is "the autonomy of the case owner". In the face of difficulties, social workers do not pull the recipients out of the predicament, but let them out of the predicament on the premise of providing them with help.

2. The role of social workers in indirect services.

(1) manager. Management refers to the management and control of the service process by social workers.

(2) resource seekers. Social work professional services are based on certain resources, but resources are always limited relative to people's needs. When a service goal is determined, social workers should organize around the established goal and strive for the necessary resources. The concept of resources includes material resources and human resources.

(3) People affected by policies. Policies can be national social policies formulated by the state or related policies formulated by social service institutions. Social workers must assume the role of policy influencers and promote the change and development of policies.

(4) researchers. Researchers have two kinds of understanding: narrow sense and broad sense. Researchers in a narrow sense are specialized researchers, while researchers in a broad sense are people who study problems seriously.

Second, the knowledge base of social workers.

1, theoretical knowledge

Sociology is a social science that studies social relations and social behaviors, social structure and its functions, social changes and their causes, and reveals their laws. The basic problem of sociological research is the relationship between individuals and society (groups), that is, how people form society, how society operates to meet the needs of its members, and how to treat social problems. People living in society and specific social situations need sociological knowledge to understand people's difficulties and solve social problems. In the history of social work development, psychological knowledge is an important source of social work theories and methods. The contribution of management knowledge, especially administrative knowledge, to social work is embodied in social administration. Social administration uses a set of administrative methods such as planning, organization, coordination and control to manage social work institutions in order to effectively achieve social work goals, which is a prominent embodiment of the relationship between management and social work.

2. Policy knowledge

Policy is an institutional arrangement formulated by the government, which involves the distribution of social wealth and public interests. The government's policy is also called public policy, facing the public; Social policy or social welfare policy is an institutional arrangement to give preferential treatment to vulnerable groups in order to promote social justice, and social policy is an important foundation of social work. In modern society, almost all social problems are related to government policies, and social work is to implement social policies to a great extent.

3. Technical knowledge

In order to help others effectively, social workers must master a variety of technical knowledge. Important things include investigation and research knowledge, knowledge of modern information tools and so on.

4. Cultural knowledge

The problems to be solved in social work are diversified, and social workers must master rich cultural knowledge, including religious beliefs, lifestyles, living habits, weddings, funerals, life and death, etc.

Third, the ability requirements of social workers.

1, technical ability

Technology is a specific means and method to deal with problems. Technology includes not only the technology corresponding to natural science (science and technology), but also the technology dealing with social affairs (social technology). Technical ability is embodied in people's practical ability to deal with specific problems.

2. Cultural ability

Culture refers to the values, behavior rules, living habits and lifestyles created and acquired by people in life practice, and cultural ability refers to the ability to understand these cultural phenomena. Because social work often faces difficult groups and vulnerable groups, and these groups have formed their own special concepts and lifestyles because they have been in a difficult and vulnerable position for a long time, social work should have strong cultural ability, or be sensitive to the cultures of different groups.

3. Psychological quality

Psychological quality is a person's ability and characteristics to respond to external stimuli. Social workers should have good psychological quality in order to deal with all kinds of people and face all kinds of problems.

4, continuous learning ability

Social workers need to learn new knowledge in order to face and deal with various problems. Social workers tend to think that no two things in the world are exactly the same, so different methods and skills are often needed to deal with different problems. Social workers should not only participate in professional training required by professional organizations, but also pay attention to various opportunities to increase their knowledge and ability.