Spotlight on History: Edith Abbott Social justice has been practiced for many years by civic minded individuals wanting to make the world a better place. Long before the “official” Social Security Act of 1935, there were pioneers that championed the causes of compromised children, elderly, and the infirmed in the United States. One such leader is Edith Abbott. Ms. Abbott is responsible for many of the events that shaped conventional social work education and ideals. This paper will focus on the life, education, and career of Edith Abbott, highlighting the efforts she made for modern social work. Educational Background Edith Abbott, was born in Grand Island, Nebraska on September 26, 1876. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Griffin Abbott, a high school principal 1). Her books and research benefitted social justice policy for every aspect of the population. Conclusion Edith Abbott’s contribution to contemporary social work education and practice is without question some of the most important and relevant. With experience championing issues ranging from child welfare, to immigration, to families, to the elderly and infirmed, Edith Abbott’s lasting legacy for social justice and social work education will benefit social work students and their charges for generations. At the time of Edith Abbott’s death in 1957, Wayne McMillen of Social Service Review wrote, “History will include her name among the handful of leaders who have made enduring contributions to the field of education. Social work has now taken its place as an established profession. She, more than any other one person, gave direction to the education required for that profession. Posterity will not forget achievements such as these” (Sorensen,
NASW Foundation. (2004). NASW Social Work Pioneers: Daniel O'Keefe (1914-1971). In NASW Foundation. Retrieved February 15, 2012, from http://www.naswfoundation.org/pioneers/o/okeefe.htm.
Popple , P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2011). Social work, social welfare, and american society. (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
In 1921, she was named head of the Children’s Bureau by President Warren G. Harding. She was also made a professor of public welfare at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration by her sister Edith, who was the school’s dean (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2017). For two years, Abbott served as a member of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Council on Economic Security, where she helped to plan the social security system and draft the Social Security Act of 1935 (New World Encyclopedia, 2017). She also served as a United States delegate to the International Labor Organization in 1935 and 1937. She served as an editor of the Social Service Review from 1934 to 1939, and in 1930, she published her two-volume work, The Child and the State (The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, 2017).
This class, Social Work Theory & Practice was made to be able to introduce me to social work theories, ideas, and skills needed to work in the social work profession. This class main tool used was a book called A Brief Introduction of Social Work Theory by David Howe which discusses social work theories in a compressive and explainable way. This class is important to my higher learning because it break down the theories that I will need to use during my practice and a...
Social work pursues to meet the demands and addresses the changing profession of fighting for human rights, improving social policies, and practice. I agree with the Abramovitz article that we have to know and understand the history of the social work profession. If people go without learning and comprehending the past, people cannot make accommodations for the future. Knowledge of the past will keep history alive, it will guide workers and their efforts to reform. The past also helps society in understanding programs that did not work. Society needs to understand the values that historical knowledge can bring positive changes in the future. Advocates for early social workers and their issues and concerns are still relevant in today's
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics (2010) proposes three core values of Social Work, respect for persons, social justice and professional integrity (pp.12). These core values establish “ethical responsibilities” for the social worker (AASW, 2010, pp.12), specifically, the value of respect for persons, which sustains the intrinsic worth of all human beings as well as the right to wellbeing and self determination consistent with others in society (AASW, 2010,p.12). This Code of Ethics stipulates the duty of care a social worker must provide, a...
From the humble beginning of Social Work there have been many people who have tirelessly worked, fought, and dedicated their life advocating for the people in our world who are disadvantaged. Furthermore, many of these people have been women who not only were strong enough to fight for the rights of others, but also had to fight the forces whom thought that women where in some way second hand citizens themselves. These women were brave and determined enough to break out of the box that society placed them in, and stand up for the social injustices that they seen taking place, and try to make a difference. Of the many women from the early days of Social Work none fought harder for social reform than Grace Abbott. Grace Abbott spent her life fighting to enact legislation for the betterment of society as a whole. This work would eventually earn her the nickname “the mother of America’s forty-three million children.”
Chenoweth, L & McAuliffe, D 2012, The road to social work and human service practice, 3rd edn, Cengage Learning, South Melbourne.
Bell and Bain Ltd, Glasgow.. Tompson, N., 2009. Understanding Social Work - a new approach. 3rd ed. of the year. London: Palgrave Macmillan, c. 1895.
This paper will explore what the primary mission of social work as a professional means to me. Through self-reflection of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, I will delve into why I chose social work as a career, the type of social worker I want to become, and ponder what challenges and obstacles may impede my chosen path.
Richmond has made several contributions to Social Work, which is why she is known as one of the “founding mothers” of the profession. While Social Work has progressed and changed methods throughout the years, many of Richmond’s contributions are still utilized today. Specifically her ideas of scientific casework and the Person-In-Environment, or Systems theory, she was just beginning to uncover. Richmond is one of the main reasons Social Workers are so highly educated today. She took the charitable volunteer work of upper class women and created a greatly needed profession out of
When they are in need we must do everything in our power to make a change. Sometimes this involve advocating for them to see a change in social problems. The definition of a social worker states that they are trained person that carries out work with the aim of alleviating conditions of those in need (12). This often calls the need for social justice. After learning about social workers throughout history, I realize there’s multiple ways to help those in need (11). They’ve been able to implement social welfare for the public.
Social welfare policy and the review of the YouTube video “The Tip Of The Iceberg: Social Work, Social Justice and Social Action – Darrell Wheeler, Ph.D.” The video gets off to a slow start but once the keynote speaker steps up to the mic, he begins to describe social work, social justice and social action with incredible intellect and very few notes. Dr. Wheeler knows his subject area extremely well and is passionate in leading others by sharing his knowledge.
The social work profession is defined as “a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people (ISFW, ‘Global Definition of Social Work’, 2016).” The definition may be true about the profession but it is more in depth than just that. To me, the profession’s primary focus is to help others through life as much as we can while letting them make their own choices and guiding them. In society, social workers are utilized in many different nonprofit and government roles. They serve the community in many different ways from monitoring parent visits to helping people through mental illnesses. Human beings are so complex and things that happen
The work of a social worker is complex and all encompassing. Social workers work in many capacities seeking justice, liberation, and equality. There work is global, as they work to put policies in place to govern practices. To keep up with societal shifts and generational changes there learning is continuous. As new questions rise so does the need for the continuation of research, not only to answer these questions but to implement into