Definition of social work in different decades. The concept of social work

✓ control:

✓ insurance;

✓ service;

✓ guardianship, etc.

OBJECT AND SUBJECT OF SOCIAL WORK.

Social work is characterized mainly by object-subject relations.

Under the object of social work are understood.

✓ in a broad interpretation - all people;

✓ narrow - groups, strata of the population, their individual representatives, individuals in a difficult life situation.

The subject is the carrier of object-practical activity and cognition (individual, social group), the source of activity directed at the object. Classification of subjects of social work:

✓ organizations, institutions, social institutions of society:

The state with its structures in the form of legislative, executive and judicial authorities of various levels;

Various state social services (territorial centers for social assistance to families and children);

Administrations state enterprises, organizations, institutions, universities and their divisions, etc.;

✓ public, charitable and other non-governmental organizations and institutions:

Unions:

Branches of the Children's Fund:

Red Cross Societies:

Private social services, organizations, etc.;

✓ people engaged in practical social work professionally or on a voluntary basis:

Organizers-managers and performers;

Practical social workers providing direct assistance, support, providing social protection to clients.

PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL WORK.

The principles of social work are the most important structural elements of logical forms scientific theory and fundamental rules of empirical (practical) activity. It is through the application of principles that a direct correlation of theoretical provisions, embodied in categories and patterns, with the practice of social work is carried out. The following groups of principles of the theory of social work are distinguished.

General philosophical principles underlying all sciences about society, man and the mechanisms of their interaction. These include: the principle of determinism, the principle of reflection, the principle of development, the principle of the unity of consciousness and activity, the principle of historicism, the principle of the inextricable relationship between the individual and his social environment.

Socio-political principles express requirements due to the dependence of the content and direction of social work on the social policy of the state. This dependence determines the conceptual approaches to the choice of priorities in the social protection of the population, to the combination of individual and public interests in social work. The main principles of this group include: the unity of the state approach in combination with the regional characteristics of social work, the democratism of its content and methods, taking into account specific conditions life of an individual or a social group when choosing the content, forms and methods of social work with them, the legality and fairness of activities social worker.

Among the organizational principles, one should highlight such as the socio-technological competence of personnel, the principle of control and verification of performance, the principle of functional certainty, the principle of unity of rights and duties, powers and responsibilities.

The specific principles of social work define the basic rules for activities in the field of social services population.

The principle of universality requires the exclusion of discrimination in the provision of social assistance on any grounds of an ideological, political, religious, national, racial, or age nature. Assistance should be provided to each client for a single reason - his need for assistance.

Principle of protection social rights states that the provision of assistance to the client cannot be conditioned by the requirement for him to renounce or change his social rights.

The principle of social response implies the awareness of the need to take action on identified social problems, to act in accordance with the specific circumstances of the social situation of an individual client, and not be limited to only a standard set of measures aimed at the "average" consumer of social services.

The principle of preventive orientation involves making efforts to prevent the occurrence of social problems and life difficulties of clients or to prevent the aggravation of problems that have already arisen. Practice shows that it is always easier to prevent a social disaster than to subsequently make efforts to eliminate its manifold consequences.

The principle of maximizing social resources comes from the fact that each social system inevitably allocates a minimum of funds for the provision of social assistance to its population.

The principle of confidentiality is related to the fact that in the process of activity, information about the client becomes available to the social worker, which, if disclosed, can harm him or his relatives, discredit and discredit them.

The principle of tolerance is due to the fact that social work is carried out with a wide variety of categories of clients, including individuals who may not inspire sympathy for a specialist. The political, religious and national characteristics of individuals in need of assistance, their behavioral stereotypes and their very appearance may be unusual for people involved in social work.

Knowledge of the social reality surrounding us is the most important instrument of practical influence on it. The essential components of the system of elements of scientific theory are the consequences arising from the laws and principles, imprinted in methods, technological algorithms and techniques. They give the key to the solution problem situations and practical tasks. The system of categories, regularities and principles of social work combines logical consistency, systematic work methods and practical orientation.

SOCIAL WORK AS A SUBJECT

social work as academic discipline in Russian Federation, being at the intersection of many sciences, includes theory, technology, the history of social work (including foreign experience), as well as the foundations of philosophy, psychology, sociology, pedagogy and other general humanitarian and special social disciplines in refraction to the specifics of providing specific assistance to a person who found themselves in a difficult life situation in a particular society. As an academic discipline, it helps to master the scientific and theoretical knowledge of the analysis of the socio-political situation, to make it possible to isolate from it a group or an individual who finds himself outside the limits of an adequate social state or behavior.

The social work education system should be a combination of theoretical and practical components. One of the important elements in the training of social work specialists should be the development of the basics of medicine, psychology, psychotherapy, medical psychology, law, etc. Mandatory in the training system special measures that provide personal psychoprophylaxis for future specialists and the active nature of training (personally- and professionally-oriented training). Studying proccess should be built in such a way as to stimulate the development of independent activity of students.

The main goal of education is the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, the acquisition of practical skills and abilities that meet the basic requirements for training a specialist in social work. A modern social worker is a specialist in the field of social engineering and technology, who is deeply versed in the legal, moral and psychological characteristics of people's life, has high legal preparedness, medical and psychological competence, observation, attention, mercy and love for a person, high moral qualities.

SOCIAL WORK AS A PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

Social work is a special type of activity, the purpose of which is to satisfy the socially guaranteed interests and needs of individuals, as well as various groups of the population.

Social work is a special kind of activity. Why? Because social work is an activity aimed at helping people who need it, who are not able to solve their life problems without outside help.

Social work can be professional or non-professional. Professional social activity includes: content, nature of work, professionalization, specialization. Signs professional activity is the totality of knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired during the period of study at the university.

Social work also includes components of non-professional activities, such as care, charity, mercy.

Therefore, social work can be professional and non-professional. The year 1990 is recognized as the beginning of professional social work in Russia. However, non-professional social work takes shape much earlier and has gone through three stages.

Social workers are the main subject of social work, since they must have certain professional, spiritual and moral qualities.

The structure of social work is all components, the content of which is determined by the need to meet the most pressing interests and needs of the objects of social work.

The following aspects of social work are distinguished.

✓ solution of everyday and urgent problems related to the social protection of the population;

✓ anticipation and prevention of acute social problems on a global scale (unemployment, poverty, various social diseases, the most acute forms of deviant behavior, etc.)

by generalizing the practice of work, identifying the main trends, submitting proposals to state authorities and local self-government.

The main directions (types) of social work.

✓ social diagnosis; ✓ social therapy;

✓ rehabilitation; ✓ prevention;

✓ control:

✓ insurance;

✓ service;

✓ guardianship, etc.

The social worker, whose job responsibilities will be discussed below, is hired and fired by the head of the CSO. Exit from the state is carried out in accordance with the procedure established in Articles 77-81 of the Labor Code.

General information

Persons who have:

higher;
primary vocational;
secondary special education.

Persons who do not have training in their specialty may be involved in activities. People who are subject to service are called wards. Persons acquire such status when applying to the Council of Veterans, CSO or the Committee of Social Protection, as well as when a social worker identifies those in need of care during a special round. Wards who have completely lost the possibility of self-service are sent to a nursing home.

Social worker: duties, employee salary

An employee of the CSO can perform certain instructions of the wards. They may not be included in the list of duties of a social worker, but they follow from the general meaning of his activity. Its essence is to provide support and assistance to lonely people and the disabled. For example, an elderly woman has difficulty moving due to serious health problems. A social worker can take her to a bathhouse, after which the person will feel better and be able to take care of himself. The day of the CSO employee begins with a phone call to the wards. The duties of a social worker include clarifying the assignments that should be executed, the list necessary products. All information is recorded in a special notebook for each ward. At the end of the year, based on an assessment of the employee's performance, he is assigned or not assigned a category. In the first case, among other things, he can count on a salary increase. After another three years, the premium will be 10%, and after five years - 30%.

Discharges

The following categories have been established:

Fifth grade. It is assigned to an employee who has a professional (primary) education. At the same time, there are no requirements for his experience. Also, employees with a complete secondary (general) education have the 5th category. In this case, they need to carry out activities in the profile for at least three years.
Sixth or seventh grade. To obtain this category, an employee may have a professional higher education. In this case, there are no requirements for his experience. Also, an employee may have a secondary specialized education. In this case, he must be in the state for at least three years.
Eighth grade. It is assigned to employees whose work experience is not less than five years, and they have higher education in their specialty.

Important Points

AT functional responsibilities social worker is to provide household services to persons in need of assistance. An employee of the CSO is directly subordinate to the head of the department, deputy director, head of the center. The employee needs to know the regulations and laws of the federal, local and regional levels, other regulations related to the regulation of his activities. The social worker, whose duties are contained in the relevant instructions, is responsible for his activities before the law. He must comply with the rules of the CSO, know the norms and regulations for labor protection, industrial sanitation, safety, fire protection. An indispensable condition for the high-quality performance of tasks is compliance with the requirements for the organization of consumer services for the elderly and the disabled. The employee needs to know the basics of the psychology of the wards, to master the methods of first aid.

Basic prescriptions

AT professional duties social worker includes:

Provision of services that are included in the list guaranteed by the state.
Compliance with visiting schedule.
Identification of citizens in need of service and support.
Carrying out surveys among the company's employees.
Participation in the preparation of documents of employees who need it.
Informing employees about their obligations, rights and conditions for the provision of services.
Respect for confidentiality in relations with wards.
Execution of orders and instructions of the leadership of the CSO.
Coordination of activities with superiors.
Timely notification of the onset of incapacity for work.
Separation request financial assistance employees who need it.
Filling out documentation in accordance with the recommendations for doing business, making timely additions and changes.
Participation in the public life of the CSO.

The rights and obligations of a social worker are regulated by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

A responsibility

In case of violation labor discipline The employee is subject to the provisions of art. 419 TK. Timely execution official duties social worker guarantees effective assistance to people in need. Such an attitude towards one's activities has a beneficial effect on the atmosphere within the team, the ability to work and the interests of employees. The duties of a social worker must be performed conscientiously and clearly. In many ways, not only the general condition of the ward, but also his life often depends on the timeliness of the provision of assistance.

Determining Criteria

To perform the duties of a social worker, it is not enough to have certain skills or knowledge. An employee must also possess certain personal qualities. Formed moral and moral convictions, objectivity in assessing the problems of the ward, honesty, tact, justice, attentiveness, creative thinking, sociability, adequacy of self-esteem, tolerance, humanity, willpower, kindness, patience - this is not the whole list of qualities that should be endowed Social worker.

Used Methods in Activity

The duties of social protection workers are not only to provide the necessary assistance to the wards. For the most effective implementation of their activities, employees are prescribed, in accordance with the Instruction, to develop and implement various methods, allowing to study problems in more depth and in detail, to choose the best means of solving them. Thus, a social worker in a school whose duties are related to helping children should act, among other things, as a consultant and, in some way, a teacher. Using an educational approach in their activities, the employee gives recommendations, teaches demonstrations and modeling of correct behavior, uses role-playing games, establishes the interaction between the student and the teacher. The duties of a social worker in a hospital deserve special attention.

In this case, he has a big responsibility on his shoulders. A person in a medical institution requires maximum sensitivity, care, and help. In this case, the social worker not only fulfills his duties of servicing the ward. He also plays the role of a supporter or mediator in overcoming personality disorganization, apathy in cases where it is not possible for a sick person to do this on their own. The facilitative approach is aimed at explaining the situation, encouraging and mobilizing existing internal resources ward. During the recovery or rehabilitation period, this is of fundamental importance. There is also an advocacy approach to the implementation of activities by a social worker. In this case, the employee acts as a representative of the ward or a group of persons in need of it. In this case, the duties of a social worker include, among other things, assistance in putting forward arguments, selecting reasonable accusations.

Employee Opportunities

The rights and obligations of a social worker are two categories that are closely related. Using his authority, the employee can effectively carry out his activities, the purpose of which is to timely help those in need. The rights of a social worker are established in articles 1, 379-380, 353-369, 209-231 of the Labor Code. Also, its capabilities are defined in collective agreement and rules of the order of the CSO. In the process of performing his/her activities, the social worker has the right to:

Involve relatives and relatives in providing assistance that goes beyond the scope established by the Instruction.
Receive information from wards about the state of health, relationships with other family members.
Use the client's personal data when filling out the necessary documentation.

International practice

Summarizing all of the above, we can conclude that the basis of the activities that a social worker performs are duties. Ukraine, Russia and many other countries are participating in a large-scale humanitarian program to eradicate poverty, provide primary education, and provide stable support to the most disadvantaged segments of the population. As the experience of foreign countries shows, the need for conducting multifaceted, comprehensive social work is especially high in times of crisis. At these moments, there is a significant deterioration in the well-being of most citizens. Ukraine, like Russia, has experienced such periods more than once in its entire history. However, the government of these countries always strives to eliminate emerging problems. A special role in the implementation of this task belongs primarily to the social protection service.

The role of the state

In the issue of providing citizens with real assistance, the state today takes a side, secondary position. At the same time, a social worker, on the one hand, serves people. It helps to overcome this or that specific problem. On the other hand, he is also in the service of the state. Power through the employees of the CSO reduces social tension. To put it bluntly, the state, using a social worker, "calms down" the needy population. In this case, the employee is in a rather difficult situation. By virtue of duty - professional and human - the social worker acts primarily in accordance with the principle of humanism. Along with this, it is the fulfillment of the state task of maintaining balance in society.

Finally

For the most qualitative performance of their duties, a social worker must possess various skills, abilities, knowledge in such areas as psychology, medicine, sociology and others. Only in this case can he be considered a worthy implementer of the set state goals. The skills and knowledge possessed by a social worker, in combination with his individual qualities, should be assessed using appropriate methods. Analysis of the results, correction of shortcomings, filling in the missing information will undoubtedly contribute to a more effective fulfillment of one's duty. The desire for improvement is manifested not only in the desire to acquire more extensive practical experience, theoretical knowledge. Of no small importance is the improvement of personal qualities, overcoming shortcomings, especially those that negatively affect his activities. The individual qualities of an employee act as the basis for successful interaction with the ward and are considered an essential condition for his professional suitability.

As a social phenomenon, social work is one of the types and methods of social activity, which has its own specifics. This type social activity is active, its object and subject are people, and the main goal and means is to achieve a social result in the life of a person, the whole society.

phrase "social activity" semantic content is ambiguous. In one context, it is used to refer to the nature of activity in society as a whole. In another sense, the phrase "social activity" is often identified with the activities of people in the social sphere, within which the formation and development of the social structure, social institutions, and the social status of a person take place. But most often social activity is associated with the concepts of "social policy", " social partnership”, “social security”, “social welfare”, “social work”, etc.

Social work as a practical activity is aimed at support, personal development, rehabilitation of individual and social subjectivity of a person. It is carried out at professional and non-professional levels. The non-professional level of social work is voluntary (charitable) assistance, professional social work is realized through the functioning of a number of specializations aimed at solving specific human problems (medical, legal, economic, educational, etc.).

The object and purpose of social work as a type of activity is a person in various states and at various stages of his age development. In this sense, it is an essential factor in the social reproduction of society as a whole and of the individual in particular.

The boundaries of social work as spheres of social action can be defined only in specific spatial and temporal coordinates, since at the professional level social work is largely limited by the framework predetermined by the social policy of a particular state in a specific time period of its historical development. Social work is characterized by continuity, which is due to the fact that social and humanitarian problems in society, as well as theoretical and practical approaches to their resolution, arise in parallel with the development of both the society itself and the individuals that make it up. The scope of social work as a social activity is expanding simultaneously and accordingly with the expansion and complexity of the nature and scope of social ties in society.

Social work is a social activity in its various manifestations, which is aimed at helping people in difficult life situations (individuals, social groups, communities) to achieve a sufficient level of social functioning.

AT foreign experience social work, two main models coexist, based on a different understanding of human nature and its social values and social problems. One of them is characterized by a "corrective", "punishing", "encouraging" style of working with an individual, and the other - "encouraging" or "supporting" style. The first model can be called “through a person to society”, within which the main responsibility for social welfare is assigned to the person himself, and the second - “through society to a person”, when the social share of responsibility for the well-being of an individual is large enough. Undoubtedly, in the real practice of working with the population, there are many combinations of methods and technological techniques that underlie both models. Nevertheless, the gravity or shift of the center of gravity towards the "punishing" or "encouraging" model is typical for any country.

The purpose of social work is to enable all people to develop their full potential, enrich their lives and prevent life difficulties. Professional social work aims to solve problems and achieve change. As such, social workers are agents of change in society.

A holistic or holistic approach involves considering the levels of social work at which it is carried out and on which its functions, forms and methods depend. However, in understanding their essence, there is no uniformity to date. So, in foreign literature, individual and family social work, group social work are singled out; public work (work with the community at the macro level); social administration and planning.

In domestic approaches, the following levels of social work are distinguished: micro-, meso-, macro-, and meta-levels.

Yes, on micro level social work is carried out with an individual on a specific case (case work), social work with a family or family therapy. This level of social work is considered in more as a practical psychosocial activity, which is presented, first of all, in individual work with the client. Social work at this level is aimed at solving the following professional tasks:

providing assistance to an individual who finds himself in a difficult life situation, through support, counseling, rehabilitation or the use of other types of social services;
actualization of the self-help potential for people who find themselves in a difficult life situation;
activation of the potential of one's own strengths and capabilities of a person;
carrying out preventive work to prevent the occurrence of negative factors affecting the life of an individual or group.

Thus, at the micro level, social work is built on the basis of client requests, and in this case, the paradigm of assistance is quite wide: from individual counseling to social patronage.

On the mesolevel a community method of social work (community organization/clevelopment) or territorial (communal) social work is implemented jointly with local governments. Social work is deployed on the basis of specialized social services specialized in social services for problematic groups of the population. Practical work with socially vulnerable groups of the population is aimed at preventing difficult life situations, at rehabilitation and adaptation of these groups to new unusual living conditions. This level involves the combination of social work with social policy aimed at the implementation of specific social programs on a local scale.

Consequently, at the mesolevel, social work acts as a kind of activity to provide assistance to various groups of those in need, moreover, the paradigm of assistance here is quite broad. In particular, groups of people in need can be defined by the state. In this case, the strategy of assistance to the least protected categories of citizens will be determined by the state social policy. Priorities social support can be established by individual charitable organizations whose activities may be related not only to the distribution of humanitarian aid, but also to the organization of the most important areas of clients' lives.

In foreign experience, specialists in communal social work provide assistance to public organizations, self-government bodies in organizing and improving social services, holding cultural and recreational activities.

On the macro level social work is carried out at the level of society as a whole, in this case it acts as a social policy that can be aimed at solving the following social problems:

ensuring an adequate level of well-being;
minimizing poverty and unemployment,
prevention of crime and drug addiction, etc.

Macro-level specialists of social work are faced with the task of purposefully influencing the formation and implementation of social policy at all levels (from municipal to federal) in order to ensure a socially healthy living environment and life of the population. The effectiveness of the implementation of social programs is ensured by the interaction of state, public, charitable institutions in the field of social protection of citizens). Thus, at the macro level, social work is associated with social administration, where issues of a legislative nature, organization of an assistance infrastructure, and determination of a set of measures to regulate social problems are resolved. The most important forms of activity and existence of the assistance process are socio-political actions, the organization of the functioning of social services designed to regulate social relations in situations of social tension.

Meta level social work is presented from the standpoint of science, where the theoretical provisions of social work are summarized.

Individual work with the client includes communicating with the client one-on-one, face-to-face, if his social problems require outside intervention. Such work is connected with helping the client in regulating his relations with his immediate environment or in eliminating social or economic pressure on him, which delays or limits his development as a person.

This work includes: helping an elderly person to find financial support due to him, including resolving issues pension provision helping an orphan in his attempts to establish his rights as a person or find adoptive parents who would like to adopt him. In other cases, this work may include helping a homeless person, providing financial support to a person in need, counseling in prisons for those who are about to be released on parole, etc. Individual work is carried out in a wide variety of social institutions, such as hospitals, clinics for mentally handicapped, family counseling centres, child adoption agencies, day care centers, social welfare departments, nursing clinics, nurseries, maternity hospitals, schools, care centers for singles and the elderly, care facilities juvenile delinquents, mentally retarded or people with physical and mental disabilities.

Group work is intended for the intellectual, emotional and social improvement of the individual through group activities. Group work differs from individual work in that, unlike the one-on-one interaction experience, in a group social development personality occurs most intensively. Naturally, when organizing group work, it is impossible to make a group of clients with heterogeneous needs. Moreover, it is desirable to select clients with similar needs for group work, life experience and goals. The tasks of group work include further socialization of the individual and the exchange of information between group members, changing their social behavior to improve relationships with others.

The organization of social work at the place of residence is a process of stimulating and helping social workers municipal district in assessing the state of affairs, in planning and coordinating efforts to ensure the health, welfare and recreation of the population. It is difficult to determine the nature and extent of the real activity of the organizer of social work at the place of residence without getting acquainted with the needs of the inhabitants and finding out the resources for their satisfaction in the given district. Therefore, these activities include researching people's specific needs, aligning social workers with those needs, supporting and encouraging participation in these activities, and playing a catalytic role in stimulating and sustaining the level of additional effort on the part of the municipality.

In Russia, such activities usually began at the initiative of organizations of the disabled or pensioners, groups of interests and hobbies. In past years, pioneer and Komsomol organizations have been responsible for taking the initiative in implementing many remarkable programs of work in the community.

AT public practice social work is carried out in professional and non-professional - voluntary activities. Voluntary activity of citizens and legal entities is the provision of disinterested (gratuitous) or concessional support, including cash, provision of services, etc. The Federal Law "On charitable activities and charitable organizations” (1995) established the foundations for the legal regulation of this activity, identified possible forms of its support by state authorities and local governments, the procedure for creating and operating charities and their closures.

In theoretical approaches, charity is considered in three main systemic relationships: charity and politics, charity and morality, charity and economy. Thus, the political basis of charity is realized in the function of the state to "implement the good" in the form of reducing beggary and poverty in ensuring the social health of society. In particular, in 1987 the first independent public Children's Fund was created in the USSR, which provides charitable assistance disabled people and orphans, collecting donations from the population and enterprises.

Charity as a system of economic mechanism acts as a kind of public service in the form of charity for the poor, free education and health care. In this case, social charity is implemented in the following areas: ensuring "public health", organizing a system of assistance to those in need, practical socialization and social patronage.

AT last years in addition to state assistance structures, a network of public and voluntary societies is being formed that are actively involved in the problems of providing social assistance to those in need. Charitable organizations, as subjects of non-professional social work, have their own social programs, funding system, and in some cases production capacity for solving problems. Thus, over 500 charitable organizations are currently registered in Moscow, most of which provide assistance to the disabled, large families, lonely elderly people.

Volunteer associations (associations) are spread all over the world, and in recent years their number has been constantly increasing in our country. There are several types of organizations in the structure of the voluntary (third) sector:

charitable foundations;
charitable societies or associations;
self-help groups (eg Alcoholics Anonymous);
non-traditional, author's programs with the involvement of volunteers (health services, theaters, workshops).

Volunteering acts as a voluntary acceptance by a person of duties to provide gratuitous social assistance, services, patronage of the disabled, the sick and the elderly, as well as individuals and social groups of the population who find themselves in difficult living conditions. Volunteering as a movement is becoming more and more widespread among pupils and students and is acquiring organizational forms at the regional and interregional levels. The motives for joining the ranks of volunteers can be very different: moral and religious convictions, the need for communication, activity, the realization of one's abilities, public and state recognition, the desire to acquire new job or profession, etc.

Self-help groups are extremely individual in their structure, content, goals, value orientations, attitudes and activities. Some distance themselves from the official social assistance apparatus, while others work closely with it. Some strive to adapt their members to the outside world, while others are interested in changing society itself and public opinion.

Thus, self-help is one of the forms of alternative culture that makes it possible to hope for own goals and necessitates their active use.

The main problems of non-professional social activity are a rather limited circle of social assistance recipients, insufficient resources, lack of professional and specialized knowledge, spontaneous nature of activity, the possibility of criminalization, etc. Despite the importance of volunteering, as the institution of social work develops, the need for highly qualified professionals and the demand for specialized social services.

Rethinking the main content and direction of social policy has led to the need to determine the place and role of social work in the implementation of this policy. But first it is necessary to answer the questions: What is meant by social work as a professional activity? What are its main principles, content and features?

It is known that social work is not only a means of implementing social policy. It, performing the function of feedback, acts as a social locator, which determines, on the basis of special indicators, the real consequences of social policy, its viability and effectiveness. It is the system of social work as an activity to help a person, family, group of people in a difficult life situation, through material, financial, moral and legal support, counseling and service, that shows the real possibilities of society and the state for the social protection of a person.

In foreign studies, there is no single point of view regarding the prospects for social policy and the essence of social work as a type of professional activity. We made this conclusion by referring to the analysis of the works of foreign authors.

The Encyclopedia of Social Work emphasizes that the purpose of "social work is the interaction between individuals and society in order to improve the quality of life for all."

Dr. Barker's Dictionary of Social Work (USA) provides the following definition: “Social work is the professional activity of assisting persons with disabilities, groups or communities, enhancing or reviving their ability to function socially and creating favorable social conditions to achieve these goals."

American researchers M. Sappe and K. Wells give the following definition: “Social work is a profession of devotees who deal with the relationship between people and their environment, affecting people's ability to perform life functions, realize aspirations and values, alleviate distress, relieve discomfort and stress” .

improve the ability of each person to independently solve their problems and cope with their difficulties;
assist in seeking the necessary assistance from official and unofficial sources;
help improve the efficiency of these sources;
assist in the development and improvement of the social policy of the state.

The Charter of the German Trade Union of Social Workers states that social work as a professional activity includes: assistance in creating normal conditions for human life in society; identification of social problems; prevention, elimination and mitigation of personal and social conflicts; development of the ability to communicate, independence and tolerance; search and development of sources of assistance; identification and disclosure of opportunities for education.

The works of Swedish researchers emphasize that social work is a systematic, purposeful activity that is directly related to practical implementation and perspective, involves the interaction between the person and the environment, as well as the solution of various problems of the individual. They believe that social work is an activity to change the conditions and way of life of a person, the ultimate goal of which is the “liberation” of the individual client.

G. Bernler and L. Jonsson believe that understanding the client's problems alone is not enough to change his position, experiences or life. The aspect of the social worker's action is also important. Therefore, they invest both analytical and effective components in the content of the developed theory of activity “social work”, which was taken into account by us in the structural and content analysis of this activity.

Social work, according to Swedish scientists, is also a science of action. This means that this phenomenon requires the development of a theory of action. Analysis and action must be linked and integrated into theory. In those cases where theory and methods are separated, there is a risk that methods and techniques begin to take on a life of their own and turn into a kind of engineering art.

Swedish researchers, like many foreign scientists, include the socio-psychological aspect in the concept of “social work”. The socio-psychological block aims to bring about changes among people who deviate from the generally accepted norm or who are broken by life. This is a job in which it is necessary to be able to identify problems and needs at various levels: individual, interpersonal and structural.

Noteworthy is the point of view of Sh. Ramon and T. Shanin, who define social work as an organization of a personal service to help a person. It is based on altruism and aims to make it easier for people in personal and family crisis. everyday life and to solve their problems as radically as possible. Social work is an important link between the people who need help and the state apparatus, as well as legislation.

A significant role is played by various approaches and methods in the foreign school of social work, which complement the goals, objectives and content of social work in society. In this regard, we consider it appropriate to note the difference in directions and approaches in the practice of foreign social work (M. Richmond, Z. Freud, D. Dewey, W. Robinson, G. Hamilton,

A. Solomon and others). If the representatives of the diagnostic school put emphasis on the diagnosis (and the assessment of the personality became more important than the assessment of the social situation, environment), then the representatives of the functional school singled out the process of providing assistance, believing that a person internally always strives for something positive and is in a state of growth and development, while emphasizing the importance of the social environment, cultural and economic factors that facilitate or hinder this process. At the same time, representatives of the functional school are sure that it is impossible to directly know the “I” of another person, for this it is necessary to create such relationships in which the client can open up. To this end, the social worker is required good knowledge himself. Therefore, the training of a social worker should consist in "total (complete) getting used to", which contributes to self-development, self-knowledge.

So, foreign researchers consider the goal of social work to be assistance to people in the successful resolution of their problems in active participation the person himself. The means of achieving this goal is the release and development of the resources of a person and his social environment, the implementation of the necessary social changes.

In the publications of Russian researchers, there are also different interpretations of the concept of “social work”. Thus, the authors of the “Public Dictionary of Psychology, Sociology and Social Work” define social work as a kind of activity aimed at optimizing the implementation of the subjective role of people in all spheres of society in the process of its joint satisfaction of the needs of maintaining life support and the active existence of the individual.

L. G. Guslyakova considers social work as a social mechanism for maintaining the vitality of a person, his individual and social subjectivity; it is, first of all, a technology for the implementation of social policy in the field of supporting the “weak” sections of the population, their social protection. This technology is implemented through social services, one of the forms of which are social protection institutions. T. E. Demidova define social work as “a multifaceted purposeful activity of state and public organizations, individuals to assist a person in the realization of his creative, intellectual abilities and the creation of the necessary conditions for this.

Publications in the early 1990s of the last century, social work by domestic scientists (I. A. Zimnyaya,

V. A. Lukov, V. A. Ivannikov, etc.) is considered as a professional activity to help individuals, groups or communities to strengthen or restore their ability to social functioning and create social conditions conducive to the realization of this goal. Supporters of this approach see the main goal of social work in creating and maintaining conditions for the legal, dignified, comfortable existence of a person as a social subject.

According to the definition of N. S. Danakin, “social work is professional assistance to people in the successful resolution of their life problems through the implementation of social changes, the release and development of human resources and their social environment.” And further he clarifies that the meaning of social work is "in the formation and development of a person's skills to effectively solve life's problems based on their own resources."

E. I. Kholostova gives the following definition of social work - this is professional assistance to people in the successful resolution of their life problems through the implementation of appropriate changes, the release and development of human resources and their social environment.

Social work is one of many activities, but it should be emphasized that it is a special kind of activity.

Qualified assistance to people in solving their life problems determines the professional features of social work. The profession of a social worker is so closely connected with related professions that some may have doubts about its self-sufficiency as a special profession, the validity of its claims to an equal position among “brothers”.

From the traditional fields of activity related to the analysis and solution of human problems (psychology, sociology, pedagogy, jurisprudence, etc.), social work differs, first of all, in its integral character. The social worker acts to some extent as a psychologist, and as a sociologist, and as a teacher, and as a lawyer. Psychological methods it is used, say, in diagnosing a client's personality problems or neutralizing his resistance to proposed social therapy procedures. He resorts to sociological methods when compiling a social history of a family or studying a community. Pedagogical methods are used by him when influencing the attitudes and behavior of the client. He also acts as a lawyer, advising his client on legal issues. Social work is also close to medicine - and not only because it widely uses medical terminology (treatment, therapy, prevention, clinic, pathology, etc.).

The terminology in this case expresses some commonality in approaches to a person. Moreover, there are such areas of medicine that can rightfully be attributed to social work: social rehabilitation of patients, medical and social assistance, social hygiene, patronage. As for the term “patronage”, in some countries (Great Britain, Sweden) it just refers to social work in general.

A social worker is, in a sense, a generalist, but his universalism has fairly clear subject boundaries, set by the content of the client's life problems and possible ways to solve them. He does not replace the psychologist, sociologist or teacher, just as they, even taken together, cannot replace or replace the social worker. In this regard, let us point out one more fundamental feature of social work as a profession - its borderline character. The semantic and instrumental content of social work accumulates the boundary elements of related professions. It is not aimed at the "occupation" of neighboring territories and their forcible annexation. He is quite satisfied with the mode of mutual exchange of information, tools, technologies. The methodology of psychosocial work, for example, borrowed certain elements of classical psychotherapy, without causing, we believe, damage to its status and authority. Social work is not omnivorous. She is only interested in what helps to better understand the problems that occupy her. A meaningful attitude to these problems acts as a kind of evaluative indicator of those conceptual and instrumental “services” that are available to related fields of knowledge and professions.

Here we come to the formulation of another, perhaps even the main distinguishing feature of social work as a profession. If a psychologist deals with the human psyche, a physician deals with the state of his physical and mental health, and the lawyer - with his legal behavior, i.e. each of them approaches a person from some one, and "his" side, then the social worker perceives him as an integral individual, in the unity of his various sides. Speaking in Hegelian language, in the first case an abstract approach to a person is realized, in the second - a concrete one. This holistic vision of a person makes it possible, to some extent, to equalize the tendency of his partial “representation” in individual sciences and professions.

The value orientation of the actions of a psychologist or sociologist: from professional values to a person as a value. In the actions of a social worker, on the contrary, from a person as the highest value - to professional values.

Social work is characterized by an orientation to real people with their life concerns and difficulties, for related professions - to the tasks performed by them. social functions, realized mental qualities, observed or violated norms, etc.

There is another important feature of social work as a profession, which is not found in any of the related fields of activity, this is its intermediary nature.

Social work is unthinkable without an element of mediation, and this element is not peripheral, but central. The intermediary nature of social work is a consequence of its integrality and borderliness, focus on the whole person and focus on the life problems of real people. The need for mediation between a person and a different kind social institutions arises when the former cannot independently realize their rights and opportunities. With his participation, the social worker strengthens the will of the applicant and encourages the counter will of the authority to enter into the position of a particular person.

In its most general form, the social worker acts as an intermediary between the client and society. It contributes, on the one hand, to the effective adaptation of the client in society, on the other hand, to the process of humanizing this society, overcoming its alienation from the concerns of real people.

Effective implementation of intermediary functions is possible under certain conditions:

- understanding by the social worker of the client's problems, his ability to "total getting used" to the client, to the meaning of his problems;
- the ability of a social worker to adequately express and present (represent) the client's life problems;
- the intermediary's knowledge of the social resources available to various institutions and organizations;
- knowledge by the social worker of the instrumental capabilities of related professions, whose representatives are involved in solving the client's problems;
- the presence of a common language that ensures mutual understanding of different specialists and their effective cooperation, the readiness of a social worker to become, if necessary, a “translator”;
- delegation by the client to the social worker of representative powers;
- Delegation of relevant powers to a social worker from state institutions and organizations;
- recognition of the social worker's right to partial representation of related professions;
- and, finally, the trust of the parties to the mediator, which is achieved thanks to his professionalism and is supported by impeccable work.

M. V. Firsov proposes to consider the concept of “social work” in the logic of diachronic processes, which allows expanding the semantic meaning of this concept, taking into account the historiography of this phenomenon.

In this regard, it can be assumed that the content of the concept of “social work” will also change, since the process moves from one state, task, problem, ideology of assistance to another, and its current form (model) is not complete, final. Due to this circumstance, there is not and cannot be a single interpretation (definition) of the concept of “social work”.

So social work activity, carried out by professionally trained specialists and their voluntary assistants, aimed at providing individual assistance to a person, family or group of people who find themselves in a difficult life situation, through information, diagnosis, counseling, direct in-kind and financial assistance care and maintenance of the sick and lonely, pedagogical and psychological support, orienting those in need of help to their own activity in overcoming difficult situations and contributing to them in this.

Social work - aimed at activation of the potential of the individual's own capabilities in solving difficult life problems.

Social work - professional activity, predominantly wearing preventive character.

Social work is a professional activity aimed ultimately at harmonization of social relations in society.

Questions and tasks

1. Give a conceptual description of social work from the point of view of foreign researchers.
2. Explain the different points of view of domestic researchers on the concept of "social work".
3. What are the reasons for the non-static content of the concept of “social work” in the historical aspect.
4. Find the common and different in the conceptual characteristics of social work in domestic and foreign studies.
5. How is social work classified as an activity in social work practice?
6. Which of the proposed definitions of social work as an activity do you prefer?

Social work- a unique type of professional activity to create social conditions for improving the living conditions of an individual, improving the well-being of the people. As a type of professional activity, social work was formed on the basis of the system of social protection of the population, education, health care, social services for youth, specialized institutions and institutions.

Traditionally, social work develops as a philanthropic assistance to an individual in a difficult life situation, a certain system of material support for the population in order to create the proper conditions for survival during the transition to market economy. The difficult socio-economic conditions of life have necessitated the development of modern scientific and applied approaches to social influence on the individual and his environment. One side - financial support state, the adaptation of society to the needs of the individual, on the other hand, the creation of appropriate social conditions for self-improvement and self-regulating personality in the direction of mastering its economic viability. The essential significance of social work is in its motivating, activating character, which is based on the understanding that the social worker cannot live for the client of his life. social activities is intended to find the positive possibilities of the individual, direct them in the right direction, help him realize his own life situation and find a way out of it.

The practical orientation of social work on the basis of scientifically based approaches to the organization of labor defines IT as a profession, a variety labor activity, requiring certain professional training and are, as a rule, a way of existence.

Social work is a specific type of professional activity authorized bodies to provide state and non-state assistance to a person in order to ensure the material, social, cultural level of his life, the provision of individual assistance to a person, family or group of persons. Social

activities are based on various humanitarian and democratic ideals. Social work has five key aspects: socio-economic, national-geographical, political, cultural, spiritual. The national-geographical aspect of social work lies in the fact that the activity takes place in the environment of a certain people, within certain boundaries - institutions, countries, regions, municipalities. The political aspect of social work is related to the fact that each country has its own political system, which, regardless of whether it is liberal or repressive, socialist or capitalist, determines the conditions for the practical activity of a social worker. The socio-economic aspect of social work comes from the fact that the main hopes of a person are proper living conditions, access to work, health and education systems, social security and social services, while social cohesion in any group or country depends to a large extent on the equitable distribution of available resources. The cultural aspect of social work arises in respect for the traditions, beliefs, cultural values of a particular country, social group, community, world cultural achievements and values. From the point of view of social work, it is important to create a prosperous social background for the life of the individual is the system of values, philosophy, ethics of social work, the ideals that underlie scientific and practical approaches to strategies to support the individual.

The basis of social work as a practical activity is:

· Principles of social work;

The process of social work;

Functions of social work;

Components of social work.

Principles of social work as a practical activity- the initial provisions of the theory of social work, reflecting its applied value (Table 1.1).

Table 1.1. Principles of social work

The principle of creating equal opportunities	The provision of social services to a person, regardless of his age, nationality, origin, social status, areas of employment, place of residence, religious affiliation; creation of such social conditions for the life of an individual that correspond to his needs and correlate with the conditions for the functioning of society
The principle of combining help with self-help	Reliance on the positive potential of the individual and its desire to perceive social influence
The principle of humanity	The priority of universal human values, providing for a look at a person in his relationship with nature, society, global issues, are dictated by the peculiarities and realities of modernity, universal culture, as well as such universal values, rooted in the family environment and the fundamental foundations of morality; combination of the interests of society and the needs of the individual in obtaining social services
Principle of differentiation and individualization	Accounting for the levels of physical, mental, social, spiritual, intellectual development of the individual, stimulating its activity, revealing the creative individuality of each
Principle of adaptation	Defines features of attraction various categories and target groups of the population to socially significant activities in order to adapt to the social environment and meet socially significant needs, as well as the adaptation of society to special needs certain categories citizens
The principle of integration	Creation of conditions for the inclusion of a person in activities various areas life of society, its positive socialization, individualization, identification

The end of the table. 1.1

The principle of consistency of short-term and long-term prospects	Consistency of short-term and long-term prospects for the socialization of the individual, the interaction of state support measures, non-state and personal programs of educational, cultural, mental, physical development
The principle of an integrated approach	The use of a wide range of techniques and methods for solving socio-psychological problems, their variability by state, public, private institutions and organizations
The principle of ethics	Reflects the nature of the activity aimed at the correct processing of information and confidentiality
The principle of partnership and mutual trust	The basis of productive interaction in the social development of children and youth, various age groups population with state and non-state social services
The principle of respect for the individual	Observance of the right to a personal opinion, creation of conditions for the will of the client to express his own opinion in the process of providing social services
The principle of free service or precious services	Carried out in accordance with applicable law

social work process- a consistent change of social phenomena, stages in the development of the practice of social work, a set of consistent actions to achieve the final result.

The process of social work is implemented on different levels development of society: micro, meso and macro level.

micro level- social work with an individual and his immediate social environment: family, friends, neighbors, relatives, etc. It is based on direct relationships and relationships between the individual and society. Accordingly, the process of social work consists of the following stages.

1. Experienced: studying, researching the social conditions of life of citizens, their social problems, interests, requests for social services. This stage is implemented through the use of sociological (interviews, questionnaires, focus groups) and psychological and pedagogical methods (interviews, observation, testing of a client or group of clients) research.

2. Planning: based on the results and data obtained from the study of clients' problems, their psychological well-being, state, interests, requests, life characteristics, the main approaches to individual or group work are determined, depending on the area of social protection (labor and social policy, education, specialized institutions, social services for youth, etc.) goals, objectives, forms, methods of social work, resources (financing, staffing), interaction of specialists in a group (team), deadline, intermediate goals, adjustments, if necessary, of forms and methods of social impact, determination of the final result, coordination of the plan with consumers of social services.

3. The process of social work: providing services to clients, implementing the main provisions of the plan, correcting, if necessary, the main approaches to social work in the course of its implementation.

4. Summing up: evaluation of the results of work on the basis of predominantly qualitative data (improvement of the psychological state of the individual, social living conditions, material or financial position, the nature of relationships and relationships in society based on observation, conversations, questioning, testing, etc.).

5. Termination of the process of providing social services or transition to a new, further, meaningfully qualitative stage of social work.

This level of social service can be carried out on a contractual basis of social service with clients and is implemented mainly by specialists of organizations and institutions. social sphere.

Meso level: social work is carried out at the level of organizations and institutions of the social sphere. The objects of social work enter into relationships with the subjects of the provision of social services indirectly. This is the level of determining the main directions, approaches to social work by the administration of the institution, does not enter into direct contacts with consumers of social services, but is a determining link in improving the social background of society (district, microdistrict, city, region, region), improves content, forms, methods , technologies of social work within their powers and competence.

The process of social work at this level consists of the following stages:

1. A scientifically based study of social, socio-psychological, socio-economic, socio-cultural problems of various social groups of the population, the influence of territorial features of the living conditions of the population, the identification of priority sectors (areas) in social protection and support for socially vulnerable categories of the population, the identification of leading directions , forms, methods of social work, social technologies according to the needs of the region.

2. Planning social work at the level of organizations and institutions of the social sphere in order to determine the main, leading areas of social protection, support for the population, social dust willow on various social, socio-economic, socio-psychological and other problems of society. The programming of certain areas of social work is aimed at a more targeted social impact on the social situation of certain categories and target groups of the population: the disabled, orphans, the elderly, etc. Planning leads to close relationships between organizations and institutions of the state and non-state sectors of the social protection of the population, business structures that contribute greatly to the support of socially unprotected citizens.

3. Implementation of the system for the provision of social services structural divisions organizations and institutions and institutions subordinate to them: rehabilitation centers, specialized services, territorial centers and the like.

4. Expert review the effectiveness of the service in the field of social protection and support for different categories and target groups of the population on the basis of qualitative and quantitative indicators of information processing are reflected in the analysis of the work of the service, report t. Qualitative assessment is carried out through experimental work, sociological research; the analysis of quantitative data is based on statistical information, the quantitative composition of consumers of social services, the correlation of these results in connection with the improvement of living conditions of the population.

5. Transition to a qualitatively new level of social work, taking into account the positive and negative results of the previous stage.

Macro level: determination of state policy on social work. In foreign approaches, an exoriven (intermediate) is singled out, which determines the cross-cultural differences of social work in various countries peace. The essence of social work at the macro level lies in the fact that the objects of social work, that is, direct consumers of social services, usually do not have direct relationships with government bodies the authorities that determine their fate and the conditions of normal life, however, experience the negative and positive changes that occur in the political sphere of society. The process of social work is represented by the following periods:

1. Legislative regulation of the social policy of the state on the basis of international approaches and standards. Development of areas of social protection of the population, lobbying them in the government by state and non-state organizations and institutions that come up with initiatives to develop bills in the social sphere.

2. Development of by-laws and acts that determine the policy of the state at the level of ministries and departments: regulations, charters, instructions, procedures for the activities of services, the implementation of a system for the provision of social services, and the like.

3. Development government programs and projects aimed at improving the lives of citizens, determining the financing of certain areas of social work, social support for various categories of the population.

4. Social protection of the population in a certain period of development of the state, is determined by state programs and projects.

5. Expert evaluation of state programs and projects, their effectiveness based on the analysis of sociological and statistical data.

6. Determining the priorities of the system of social protection of the population, social work for the next period of development of the state in accordance with the new social, socio-political, socio-economic, socio-psychological, socio-cultural needs of the population.