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Social work theories
Case study using the system theory in social work
Theoretical assumptions of social work
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Recommended: Social work theories
There is not always a straight-forward answer to life’s questions. It is important to be able to adapt to our environment and recognize that circumstances affect us differently from our brother, mother, friend, and neighbor. This ability to change our way of thinking is part of general systems theory.
Social work is about people helping people. It is the ability to make a difference to people in need who may feel like their values, opinions, and needs are not being met. Social workers are the sounding block to the oppressed and advocate for change in policies that are prohibiting certain people from flourishing. Two of the National Association of Social Workers values that truly resonate with me are the value of Social Justice and the Importance
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It can be used by social workers to identify which policies need to be changed, used to guide our practice and direct research. Systems theories are used to illustrate how people, otherwise known as a system, and their environment adapt to each other. In order to be a successful social worker, an understanding of the complexity of human behavior and the various methods to resolve issues or make change is required. Being aware of the different types of theories and how to execute them is essential to assessing the situation and providing …show more content…
System theories have been criticized to be opinions and ideological biases which do not address certain features in society. It is important to remember that system theories are ideological biases and opinions of the person who founded them at the time they were developed; which may not translate well to different periods of time. It is difficult to detect biases when they are assimilated into theories of human behavior. They are better at describing and explaining rather than predicting how people will react to certain experiences in their environment. Bateson stated that each “theory is a map of human behavior that suggests possible routes and goals of development…When we mistake the map for the territory, we make a grave error” (Robbins et al., 2012, p. 23)Click and drag to
Social Workers are very important to everyday life. They are the ones that help people in need when they have nobody else to turn too. Also, they provide resources and better understanding of predicaments that you could be experiencing. I will reflect on how the class has affected me, my own experiences and how some theories have connected to my life experiences, and lastly, if the class helped toward my major. This class is important for someone that wants to become a social worker and wants to learn about the different theories used. Also, learning about me during this process of completing this class is fun and a way to see if the social work profession is right for me. There was many theories explained throughout this class but many will not be said because it wasn’t the main points that I was trying to get across. There are two tools that are used that can help a social worker organize a client’s life: Bubble map and Briefcase exercise. There are so many different ways a social worker can help a client deal with their problems and come up with a solution. It is up to that social worker to identify the client’s problem and see what theory fits.
When all of your systems, such as family, work, and school are working well together, then the individual systems are working together as one larger system. The theories under the Person-In-Environment lens are able to be applied to both individuals and environments (Rogers, A. 2013). There are five theories discussed under the person-in-environment lens.
In understanding others, one must first understand our own family background and how it affects our understanding of the world. Conversely, family systems draw on the view of the family as an emotional unit. Under system thinking, one evaluates the parts of the systems in relation to the whole meaning behavior becomes informed by and inseparable from the functioning of one’s family of origin. These ideas show that individuals have a hard time separating from the family and the network of relationships. With a deeper comprehension of the family of origin helps with the challenges and awareness of normalized human behaviors. When interviewing and analyzing the family of origin, allow one to look at their own family of origin
Still, this model presents a holistic, systems approach and identifies the interaction as well as influence of various dimensions of the biological, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual environment on the individual.
Social work covers a broad range of areas but is primarily concerned with working to support, protect and empower vulnerable, excluded and marginalised members of society. While the profession may be going through a time of change, the essential qualities of social workers – to listen, support, to advocate on behalf of others and see people in the context of their whole lives – does not change.
As can be ascertained from just a small collection of readings, even theorists differ widely in their interpretations and applications of theory. Every '-ist ' of every '-ism ' believes that their approach is more beneficial than those of the others. Whether they are aware of it or not, even those social work practitioners who would underrate the benefits of the use of theory in their practice, preferring instead to rely on their own intuition and experience, are still employing
When discussing the interactions within different systems which were discussed in Chapter 1 of the text, you a left with complex yet systematic avenues to which an individual’s development can be affected. In order to fully understand the interactions of individuals on a day to day basic, it is imparative that we first understand that people and everything around them are in constant change. Rather those changes are internal or external, we must be able to identify these systems, which intel will help us with the understanding of human development.
There are people in our society that have committed their lives to helping people help themselves. Emerging as a profession in the early twentieth century, social work has become a vital component in society. The main goal of all social workers, no matter their area of expertise, is aimed at enriching and enhancing an individual's or a community's social or economic condition. Social workers interact with people and attempt to enhance the quality of life that people in a community live. They help people find the resources they need to help them out with problems they might have on a physical, emotional, or mental level.
Social work as a profession strives to help the welfare of those within the community whether its persons or families through advocacy. Often times clients are those who may be vulnerable and disadvantaged. Social workers aim to help people fulfill basic needs in their everyday lives and assist them by providing beneficial resources and intervention counseling. They do more than just help them in their current situation, it’s about helping them to survive and set attainable goals to live a fuller and better life for themselves, and most time for their families.
According to the National Association of Social Work (NASW), Social work is defined as, “The professional activity of helping individuals, groups, or communities enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable to this goal.” As such to pursue a career as a Social worker one must contain some key values. Such values include: one must be able to provide help, resources, and benefits to people so that they can achieve their maximum potential in life, they must also uphold that all citizens should be treated equally despite their socioeconomic background. In addition, they have to be willing to maintain trustworthiness and sound adherence to moral ideals, value the dynamic reciprocal interactions
As a social work professional, you must take into account your own personal values before you can be an effective worker in this field. Social workers sometimes need to put their own values aside when working with clients who don’t share their same ideals. Clients are diverse and are not going to always have the same values that the worker has. Social workers need to be professional and adhere to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) guidelines when working with any client.
Becvar, D. S., & Becvar, R. J. (1999). Systems theory and family systems (2 ed.). Lanham, NY: University Press of America.
In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, there are five systems that ultimately influence an individual. The first system is the microsystem, which consists of the people who have direct contact to an individual. In my own life, my immediate family consists of my mother and I. I am an only child to my mother and since my mother and my father have been separated since I was a baby, he has not been part of my microsystem. In addition, I am also a student at CCP. I have a network of friends whom I keep in close contact with. The people that I encounter at home, school, and work have direct contact with me and thus, they are part of my microsystem.
My understanding about the social work profession is one that works with a diverse group of people to better their well-being in all aspects. Social workers requires: responsibility, passion, and knowledge. The social worker has to understand their own personal cultural values, beliefs, and appreciate the multicultural identities of different people. The profession of social worker requires a lot of skills because they have different tasks and responsibilities. They are aware of social policies and programs for the diverse clients advocating.
A social worker works with individuals and their families, their aim is to help improve and empower the service user to improve outcomes in their lives. Social work is a profession that is based around people, from babies through to the older people.