Social Work: Home

Social work is a profession dedicated to helping individuals, families, groups, and communities improve their well-being and address challenges that affect their quality of life. It focuses on promoting social justice, enhancing human rights, and empowering marginalized or vulnerable populations through a combination of direct practice, advocacy, and policy-making.

Key Concepts in Social Work

Human Rights and Social Justice:

• ​​​​​​​Social workers advocate for the protection of human rights and strive to ensure equal access to resources, opportunities, and services.
• Social justice emphasizes fairness in the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges in society.

Empowerment:

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Central to social work is the idea of empowering individuals and communities to gain control over their lives, make informed decisions, and overcome social barriers.

Person-in-Environment (PIE):

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Social work practice is informed by the understanding that people are influenced by the environments in which they live (e.g., family, community, social institutions).
• The PIE framework helps social workers assess clients holistically, considering both individual and environmental factors in their situations.

Ethics and Values:

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The social work profession adheres to a strong ethical framework, as outlined by governing bodies such as the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) and national associations.
• Core values include service, integrity, competence, and the dignity and worth of every person.

This subject guide provides access to all the resources relevant to the field of Social Work.

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