Compiled Review Notes
Compiled Review Notes
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
iii. Helping Process . . . . . . 241
4
PART II. FIELD INSTRUCTION II
a. Phases in Group Development . . . . . . 378
5
Human
Behavior and
Social
Environment
6
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
SOCIAL REALITIES
Conditions in the macro level that has significant impact in the
lives of the people in the society
SOCIAL SITUATION
Emergent configuration of people, culture, specific meanings,
time and space, dynamic processes such as social control, readjustment
and interaction
◼ Political
Refers to the leadership and governance, decision-making
and policy development. This dimension is usually with power
and and dominance, as well as service delivery and community
participation in development.
✓ “How is power distributed?”
✓ “Who wins? Who loses? Who decides?”
◼ Economic
Refers to the situations including the challenges along
income generation, employment, and livelihood opportunities.
7
These situations usually affect people’s ability to make choices,
acquire assets of value, and manage stress.
✓ “How are resources allocated?”
✓ “Who owns? Who produces? Who consumes?”
✓ “Who gains? Who pays?”
◼ Cultural
Refers to the customary values and belief system held by
the members of the community.
✓ “What are the values exhibited?”
◼ Spiritual
Refers to the belief and faith system of a particular
community. It is the intimacy and connection to a spiritual being
and also serves as a concrete foundation of a community’s
patterns of behaviour. It is also a critical factor in influencing
decision-making, among others.
✓ “Do our religious traditions have anything to say
about situations like this?”
✓ “Have other religious traditions responded?”
✓ “How closely linked is our theology to the existing
situation?”
◼ Environment, and
Mainstreaming and establishing link and contribution of
environment into the socio-economic situation of a particular
community.
✓ “How did this situation develop over time?”
◼ Gender
Integrating the analysis of sex and gender data. This include
making relevant use and analysis of sex-disaggregated figures
and analysis of data on gender-based violence.
✓ “How vulnerable are the women and children?”
✓ “How do vulnerable groups behave in society?”
POVERTY
“It is the total absence of opportunities, accompanied by high
levels of undernourishment, hunger, illiteracy, lack of education, physical
and mental ailments, emotional and social instability, unhappiness,
sorrow & hopelessness for the future.” [United Nations]
8
“Poverty is also characterized by chronic shortage of economic,
social and political participation, relegating individuals to exclusion as
social beings, preventing access to the benefits of economic and social
development and thereby limiting their cultural development.”
9
opportunity, and dignity of those disadvantaged on the basis of their
identity.
Prejudice – a negative opinion about a person or a group based
in incomplete knowledge.
Stereotype – an over-generalized belief about a particular
category of people. stereotypes are generalized because one assumes
that the stereotypes is true for each individual person is category.
Discrimination – the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different
categories of people or things especially on the grounds of race, age or
sex.
10
Lower Middle Income Per capita incomes between twice
the poverty line and four times the
poverty line
Middle Income Per capita incomes between four
times the poverty line and seven times
the poverty line
Upper Middle Income Per capita incomes between seven
times the poverty line and twelve times
the poverty line
Upper Income (but not rich) Per capita incomes between twelve
times the poverty line and twenty
times the poverty line
Rich Per capita incomes at least equal to
twenty times the poverty line
11
CONCEPTS OF NEOLIBERALISM AND GLOBALIZATION
NEOLIBERALISM
Neoliberalism is a political and economic philosophy that has
shaped the modern global economy. This presentation aims to explore
the history, origins, key concepts and theories, as well as the pros and
cons of neoliberalism. Neoliberalism is a governing rationality based on
market logic.
BENEFITS OF NEOLIBERALISM
1. Economic growth: Neoliberal policies promote entrepreneurship,
innovation, and competition, which can lead to economic growth.
2. Lower inflation: Neoliberal policies prioritize stable prices through a
focus on sound monetary policy.
3. Greater efficiency: Deregulation and privatization can lead to greater
efficiency and productivity.
4. Increased international trade: Neoliberal policies promote free trade,
which can lead to increased international cooperation and trade.
5. More individual freedom: Neoliberal policies prioritize individual
freedom and choice, allowing people to pursue their own goals and
dreams.
CRITICISMS OF NEOLIBERALISM
1. Inequality: Neoliberal policies can lead to greater income and wealth
inequality, as the benefits of economic growth are not distributed
equally.
2. Environmental degradation: Neoliberal policies can lead to
environmental degradation, as businesses prioritize profit over
environmental concerns.
3. Social welfare cuts: Neoliberal policies can lead to cuts in social
welfare programs, which can harm vulnerable populations.
4. Financial instability: Neoliberal policies prioritize free markets and
deregulation, which can lead to financial instability and crises.
5. Loss of sovereignty: Neoliberal policies prioritize international
cooperation and trade, which can lead to a loss of national sovereignty.
12
GLOBALIZATION
Globalization is the process by which all peoples and communities
come to experience an increasingly common economic, social, and
cultural environment. By definition, the process affects everybody
throughout the world.
SOCIAL CHANGE
It is the variations over time in a society’s laws, norms, values and
institutional arrangements.(Barker, Robert L., The Social Work Dictionary, 3rd
edition, 1995).
Social change theories are concerned with the macro level issues which
defines the
individual’s situation. These theories can be generally be classified as
functionalist theories and conflict theories.
FUNCTIONALIST THEORIES
Key ideas in functionalist theories are stability, function and roles, and
adaptation. Simply put --
1. The objective of every society is to become stable.
2. Each member or unit of society has a particular function and role
which contributes to its maintenance or stability.
3. Differences may arise from the role performance of each member or
unit in society, as well as the presence of external forces that may affect
the stability of society. Thus adaptation to each other and adaptation to
external forces is important.
13
Although a system should be viewed as a constantly changing whole,
that is, always in process of movement towards its goals, its parts are assumed
to interact in a
more or less table structure at any particular point in time.
Views the client, the worker and the agency as social systems that
comprise a social system framework.
Assumptions:
1. Human behavior is seen from a multiplicity of factors, internal
and external, operating in a transaction. A systems approach is an
orienting framework rather than a specific theory of human behavior
2. Human systems: A system is a dynamic order of parts and
processes standing in mutual interaction. There are many kinds of
system, animate and inanimate, but social service workers are interested
in those systems that are composed of interacting human beings.
3. Individuals as a system: Individuals are composed of dynamic
parts and processes, each making up a subsystem or domain. Within the
individual, the biophysical and psychological are the principal domains.
In the psychological domain are the cognitive, affective and behavioral
subsystems.
4. Social systems and the social environment: People live out their
lives within the context of social systems and norms and institutions which
are generated through social interactions within these systems. The ever-
changing social environment serves both as a source of stress and
source of support.
5. Roles: Individuals are connected to social systems through the
roles they occupy in them.
14
General Concepts of the Systems Theory:
✓ Boundaries - in systems perspective is defined as a closed circle
around selected variables where there is less interchange of energy
or communication across the circle than there is within the circle
✓ Closed systems do not interact with any other systems; they neither
accept input from them nor convey output to them. When systems
are closed, they are said to have the quality called entropy. What
this means is that closed systems over time tend toward less
differentiation of their elements. Thus they lose organization and
effective function.
✓ All social systems must be open (the concept of open systems) to
input from other systems with which they interact and develop.
✓ Holon which means that each level in a system faces both ways
towards the smaller systems of which it is composed and towards
the larger system of which it is part.
✓ Steady state - refers to how a system maintains itself by receiving
input and using it.
✓ Differentiation - refers to the idea that systems become more
complex with more different kinds of components over time.
✓ Non-summativity means that the whole is more than the sum of its
parts.
✓ Equifinality - simply put is “different beginnings, one ending”.
✓ Reciprocity implies that if one part of the system changes, the
change interacts
with all other parts which also change. As a result of reciprocity
exhibit both
equifinality (you can reach the same result in several different
ways) and multifinality (similar circumstances can lead to different
results because parts of the system interact in different ways.
✓ Input refers to energy being fed into the system across the
boundary.
✓ Output would mean the effects on the environment of energy
passed through the boundary of a system.
✓ Feedback loops - mean the information and energy passed to the
system caused by its outputs affecting the environment which tell it
the results of its outputs
15
3. target system: people that the social workers need to change or
influence in order to accomplish the helping goals (may include the
client system)
4. action system: those which the social worker interacts in a cooperative
way in order to bring about change helpful to the client
5. professional system: professional association of social workers, the
education system by which workers are prepared, and the values and
sanctions of professional practice
6. problem identification system: the system that acts to bring a potential
client to the attentions of the social worker
ROLE THEORY
A role is a socially expected behavior prescribed to a person occupying
a particular status or position in a social system. Social norms guide the
definition of a particular role of a person, as well as the expected attitude and
behavior for each.
Social functioning is the sum of the roles performed by the individual.
Important concepts:
Status: One’s rank or position in society. This may be based on the socio-
economic standing, age and gender (among others) of a person.
Norms: Refer to rules and standards of behavior in a particular culture or
group.
Role sets or role clusters: An array of roles that one can take on at any
particular time (e.g. a 17-year old female may have the
following roles: daughter, sister, student, girlfriend).
Role complementarity or reciprocity: Paired roles such as parent-child,
teacherstudent.
Role conflict: Conflicting expectations from a person occupying two or
more positions at the same time (e.g. women who engage in
paid work to supplement family income but are expected in
their society to be fulltime home makers).
16
Role incongruity: Situation wherein the personal perception of a role
differs from the expectation of society or one’s significant others (see
also example for role conflict).
CULTURE THEORY
This theory expounds on the critical influence culture on a person’s
internal (thinking) and external (actions) processes.
Culture is defined as a “complex whole which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, laws, customs and other capabilities and habits acquired by
man as a member of his society” (Hunt et al, 1987).It refers to the entire way of
life of people or society that they create acquired from other societies, and
ready to transmit to subsequent generations (Mendoza, 2008).
Aspect of Culture
Beliefs – concepts about how the world operates and where individuals
fit in it; may be rooted in blind faith, experiences, traditions, or scientific
observations
Values – the general concepts of what is good, right, appropriate,
worthwhile and important either reflected on behaviour or expressed
verbally.
Norms – the written and unwritten rules that guide behaviour and
conduct appropriate to given situation.
Folkways and customs – behaviour patterns of everyday life.
Mores – folkways which involve ethical values
CHILD WELFARE
This field is concerned with the well-being of children and youth
through the provision of programs and services for their physical, social,
psychological, spiritual and cultural development.
The focus is on strengthening the relationship between parents
and child, the role of the family, and the responsibility of the community
in the child’s development. It also includes supplemental and substitute
child-caring services to prevent the child’s suffering from parental
deprivation.
17
2 typed of child welfare services:
1. Direct Service – is rendered in the form of:
a) Assistance to children in their own homes in the form of
material assistance, educational services, sports and recreation,
health services, and etc.,
b) Child placement through residential care in an institution,
foster care, or adoption.
2. Indirect Service – is in the form of:
a) Financing on a national or international level
b) Coordination to facilitate and avoid duplication among
agencies with similar or related services
ACTIVITIES
i. Admission interviews with the child, family and/or significant
others,
ii. Following through recommendations given which institutions
if this is what is called for assisting the child and his family in
coping with their situation, or assisting youth conducting
individual counseling or group sessions.
iii. Conducting individual counseling or group sessions with
child and/or his family.
iv. Interpreting the child’s needs and problems to the
staff/other members of the helping team.
v. Following up the adjustment of the child if he is with foster or
adoptive parents.
vi. Planning appropriate activities with the youth to meet their
individual as well as group needs.
vii. Preparing the child for discharge/placement in the case of
children in residential homes, or helping the child and his family
during the period of probation if this is the court’s disposition on
the case, and then helping him prepare to make satisfactory
adjustment in the community.
viii. Recommending discharge of the client or closure of the
court case if conditions call for it.
18
the child with biological parents or to prepare the child for adoption, in
case of older children, to prepare them for independent living.
RESIDENTIAL/INSTITUTIONAL CARE - Temporary 24 hours residential
group care to children whose needs cannot, at the time be adequately
met by their biological parents or other alternative family care
arrangements.
FAMILY WELFARE - Family welfare is concerned with the
improvement, strengthening and support of the family in meeting its own
needs.
ACTIVITIES
i. Engaging the family in problem-solving relationship
ii. Mobilizing existing resources and crating nonresources
needed by the family
iii. Regularly assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of
existing policies, programs and services that relate to the
family
iv. Supervising staff in their various activities to the families being
served
HEALTH
Concentrated in hospitals which provide social services to
patients who are emotional and social situations directly or indirectly
cause, maintain, or aggravate their illness.
19
ACTIVITIES:
i. Eligibility studies (this is done during admission since there is
need to determine whether a patient should be given free
or partly free medical treatment)
ii. Interpretation to patient and his family of hospital policies
and regulations
iii. Data gathering on patient’s personal and social situations to
assist medical staff to arrive at a more accurate diagnosis
iv. Use of appropriate forms of help to patient and his family
during the period of medical treatment, including
counseling as well as group treatment activities with his
family and/or together with other patients
v. Mobilizing hospital as well as community resources to meet
various patient needs
vi. Performing coordinating and liaison activities between the
patients and the medical staff, the patient and the hospital
administration, and the patients/hospital and the
community at large
CORRECTIONS
Corrections is the administration of penalty in such a way that the
offender is corrected, that is his current behavior is kept within
acceptable limits at the same time his general life adjustment is
modified.
It is a process of treatment, prescribed by the court for person
convicted of offenses against the law, during which the individual on
probation lives in the community and regulates his own life under
conditions imposed by the court and is subject to supervision by a
probation officer. While parole is the release of a prisoner under him
might be returned to the correctional institution if he violates the
conditions of his parole.
20
ACTIVITIES
During the correctional periods the service of the correctional
agency is viewed as Re: socialization, in the personal community that
will response to his needs as an individual
For his re: socialization process to be effective, the offender will have to
provided;
1. Significant individual relationships that allow him to see himself
as a person or worth
2. Membership in groups that offer genuine satisfaction through
legitimate experiences
3. Access the normal opportunity structures of the community,
such as employment, education, recreation and religious
instruction
4. Remedial services appropriate for dealing with his individual
problems in social functioning such as vocational training,
psychotherapeutic help or medical rehabilitation.
5. Children and adolescence that are not granted probation by
family courts because their adjustment cannot be achieved in
their own homes are committed to reformatory or training schools.
( boys- Vicente Madrigal rehabilitation Center/ Girl Marilac Hills)
SCHOOLS
Social Worker exist primarily to provide helping service to those
students whose problems in school stem from social and emotional
causes which interfere with their adjustment and potential academic
achievement.
SPECIAL GROUPS
Drug Dependents - Are person, who , as a result of periodic or continuous
use of drugs ( usually in the form of sedatives, stimulants, hallucinogens)
have developed a physical/ psychological need for / dependence on
these drugs to the extent that their denial produces adverse effect.
21
Drug Abuse or Substance Abuse - General term that includes all drug-
taking. Use of any drugs legal or illegal when it is detrimental to the user’s
physical, emotional, social intellectual and spiritual well- being.
COMMUNITY WELFARE
As a field of social work practice, it encompasses a variety of
programs and services which have for their main goal the well-being of
entire communities. Social workers in this field work with individuals,
families, and small groups, and their concern is the provision of
opportunities that would enable people in the community to work
together towards common goals, particularly those that would bring
about their common upliftment. Social work practice in all these settings
involves not only the provision of needed community services and in the
process cooperating and collaborating with various groups and
organizations, but also organizing communities for their own problem
solving.
22
services, counseling services, family planning services, skills training
and job placement, and the like.
INDUSTRY
Social welfare services in the field of modern industrial operations
are generally concerned with any or all of the following:
(a) efforts to establish or improve social security, health and
general welfare of employees and their families;
(b) finding the best-suited workers for employers and the right job
for workers seeking employment;
(c) the use of social workers to assist the employees and their
families in personal, health, and financial problems and
difficulties; and
(d) the development and maintenance of community welfare
services.
CULTURAL COMMUNITIES
a.k.a tribal Filipinos, ethnical minorities, indigenous peoples and
national minorities. In direct work with cultural communities or what is
also referred to as “grassroots practice” most agencies in the past were
project oriented, convinced primarily with the accomplishment of
specific projects that would benefit the community.
23
INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL WELFARE
The Goals of International Social Work Agreement also exists in the
social work profession concerning the goals of development-focused
international practice:
• The elimination of barriers to development which, in every
society, have been used to oppress historically disadvantaged
population groups—especially women; older adults; children and youth;
persons with disabilities; political and economic refugees; persons with
mental illness; and persons who have been disadvantaged on the basis
of gender, race/ethnicity, poverty, religion, social class, caste, and
sexual orientation
• The realization of more balanced approaches to social and
economic development
• The assignment of the highest priority to the fullest possible
human development
• The fullest possible participation of people everywhere in
determining both the means and outcomes of development
• The elimination of absolute poverty everywhere in the world
• The promotion and protection of human rights for all citizens
• The realization of new social arrangements that accelerate the
pace of development and assure the satisfaction of basic needs of
people everywhere
• The transformation of societies toward more humanistic values
based on social justice, the promotion of peace, and the attainment of
the fullest possible human development.
Refugee
A refugee is a person who is outside their country of origin or
habitual residence because they have suffered persecution on account
of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because they are a
member of a persecuted 'social group'. UNHCR provides protection and
assistance not only to refugees, but also to other categories of displaced
or needy people. These include asylum seekers, refugees who have
returned home but still need help in rebuilding their lives, local civilian
communities directly affected by the movements of refugees, stateless
people and so-called internally displaced people (IDPs). IDPs are
civilians who have been forced to flee their homes, but who have not
reached a neighboring country and therefore, unlike refugees, are not
protected by international law and may find it hard to receive any form
of assistance.
SOCIAL PLANNING
Charged with the responsibilities of seeing to it that the country’s
strategy for social development “includes as essential components
those welfare activities which help to insure plans and policies are fully
responsive to the needs and aspiration f people; to alleviate the most
24
urgent social problems without undue delay and prevent further social
disruption and to achieve a more equitable distribution of benefits
accruing at each stage of national development ”.
SOCIAL PROBLEM
A social condition that is perceived to be harmful to more than
just a few people. A situation in the society that is a result of an impact
25
All social problems involve a widespread perception of the
difference between the real – what is- and the ideal – what ought
to be. The ideals of society are based on the values and attitudes
of its people.
3. Social problems must be perceived as problems by a
significant number of people or by a number of significant
people.
No matter how undesirable a social condition may seem to
a few people, it cannot be regarded as a social problem until it is
subjectively perceived as such either by a significant proportion of
the population or by a number of people who occupy positions of
power and influence in society.
4. Social problem must be regarded as capable of solution
through collective action.
All societies experience social conditions that they
recognizę as undesirable, such as disease, war or fume. But it is
only when people believe that they have the capacity to do
something about these conditions that the conditions are
regarded as social problems
26
2. CONFLICT THEORY
According to Conflict Theory, "social problems arise from various
kinds of social conflict. Common to this incudes class conflict, racial or
ethnic conflict and gender conflict."
Karl Marx - class conflict involves conflict between 2 classes:
Bourgeoisie (capitalist) – own the means of production; and,
Proletariat (laborers) – do not own the means of production
Capitalism – an economic system where the means of production
are largely in the hands on the hands of private persons whether as
individuals, groups or corporations, with minimum government
interventions.
As Balkan, Berger & Schmidt (1980) shares, "Economic marginality
leads to a lack of self-esteem and a sense of powerlessness and
alienation, which creates intense pressures on individuals. Many people
turn to violence to vent their frustrations and strike out against symbols of
authority, and others turn this frustrations inward and experience severe
emotional difficulties."
27
In Addition to Perspectives in Analyzing and Interpreting Social Problems:
● Social Disorganization
● The disruption or breakdown of a social system.
● Value-Conflict
● Differing values and attitudes among various social groups.
● Deviance
● Any conduct that violates social expectations.
28
B. FILIPINO PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL WORK
Major Characteristics
➢ Emphasis in psychology on (1) identity and national consciousness, (2)
social awareness and Involvement, (3) psychology of language and
culture (4) application and bases of Filipino Psychology in health
practices, agriculture, art, mass media, religion, etc.
➢ Primary areas of protest – it is against a psychology that perpetuates
the colonial status of the Filipino mind; it is against a psychology used
for the exploitation of the masses; against the imposition to a 3rd world
country of psychologies developed in industrialized countries.
➢ In terms of psychological practice – it is concerned with folk
practices/indigenous techniques, babaylan, or katalonan techniques
of healing; popular religio-political movements; community/rural
psychology
29
BIO – PHYSIOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SPIRITUAL – MORAL
FRAMEWORK.
The bio-psychological, social, spiritual, and moral framework seeks to
explain the complex interplay of various factors towards the growth and
development of an individual.
Biological Factors
Genetics - inhereted traits influence physical characteristics, health
predispositions, and certain behaviroural tendencies.
Neurological Development - Brain maturation and neurological
processes affect cognitive abilities.
Psychologgical Factors:
Cognitive Development - How individuals perceive, process, and
interpret information changes over time, influencing
reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Emotional Development - the development of emotions and emotional
regulation skills affects interpersonal relationships, resilience, and
coping mechanisms.
Personality - Individual traits and characteristics shape how people
interact with their environment and respond to challenges.
Social Factors:
Family Dynamics - Early relationships with caregivers impact attachment
styles, self-esteem, and social skills.
Peer Relationships - Interactions with peers influence socialization,
identity formation, and behavior modeling.
Community and Cultural Influences - Societal norms, cultural practices,
and community resources shape beliefs, values, and
opportunities available to individuals.
Spiritual Factors:
Belief System - Personal beliefs, religion, and spirituality provide
frameworks for understanding purpose, morality, and
existential questions.
Meaning and Purpose - Spiritual beliefs contribute to resilience, coping
strategies, and decision-making during challenging times.
Connection to Something Greater - Feelings of connectedness to others,
nature, or a higher power influence well-being and sense of identity.
Moral Factors:
Ethical Development - Understanding of right and wrong evolves over
time, influenced by upbringing, cultural norms, and personal
experiences.
Values and Decision-Making - Moral principles guide behavior, ethical
choices, and interactions with others.
Social Responsibility - Recognition of one’s impact on others and the
broader community shapes altruistic behaviors and civic
engagement
MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH
30
➢ Based on the belief that human behavior is dynamic
➢ Developed through internal & external forces Influenced by the interaction
of person, environment, & time
THREE DIMENSIONS
1. The person…
biological, psychological, social, & spiritual
2. The environment…
family, neighborhood, community, social structure, clan, “tribe”
3. Time…
constants, trends, cycles, shifts, time orientation, pace of time, life
events
31
2. Hiya. Sibley (1965), an American scholar, translated hiya as ‘‘shame’’.
Another American, Lynch (1961) saw hiya as ‘‘the uncomfortable feeling
that accompanies awareness of being in a socially unacceptable position,
or performing a socially unacceptable action.’’ For example, when an
employee is scolded in front of other people. To add to the negativity of
this interpretation of hiya, Andres (1994) described hiya as ‘‘an ingredient
in why Filipinos overspend during fiestas in order to please their visitors, even
to the extent of going into debt’’ (p. 64). This conventional interpretation of
hiya is inadequate because it does not take into account the importance
of understanding how affixations in Philippine languages can give a new
meaning to a word. Bonifacio (1976) alerted us to the different meanings
of the word hiya depending on its form – nakakahiya (embarrassing),
napahiya (placed in an awkward position), ikinahiya (be embarrassed with
someone), etc. With some affixes, it becomes negative, e.g., napahiya;
with others, positive, e.g., mahiyain (shy); and in still other forms, it can either
be positive or negative depending on the context, e.g., kahihiyan (sense
of propriety, or embarrassment). Salazar (1981, 1985b) expounded on
affixation and hiya and showed the internal and external aspects of hiya.
Evidently, it is the external aspect which foreign scholars have captured.
After all is said and done, the more appropriate translation of hiya in English
is not “shame’’ but ‘‘sense of propriety’’.
32
Utang na loob is a calling heard by many Filipinos who go to other lands
but who still retain strong ties with their homeland.
33
1. Pakikisama which means giving in concession or following
the lead of suggestion of another.
2. Euphemism means stating of an unpleasant truth,
opinion, or request as pleasantly as possible.
3. Go Between or tulay means 3rd party who will carry a
message
b. Amor Propio is a term used to refer to the sensitivity to personal
affront and functions to protect the individual against loss of social
acceptance. Hiya is fear of exposure of one’s insecure self.
2. EMOTIONAL CLOSENESS AND SECURITY IN A FAMILY - This value is
believed to be facilitated through the following: sacrificing individual interest
for the good of the family, parental striving to give their children an education
even at great cost to themselves older
3. AUTHORITY VALUE - Belief that families will remain close if someone
exerts firm authority, and that such person must be respected and obeyed.
Closely relate to the authority value is the respect for traditions and rituals no
matter how impractical they have become.
4. PERSONALISM - Attaches major importance to personal factors which
guarantees intimacy, warmth, and security of kinship and friends in getting
things done. E.g tiwala, kakilala, walang pakialam
5. UTANG NA LOOB - Debt of gratitude - It is granted when a transfer of
goods or service takes place between individuals belonging to two different
groups. Returning the favor “with interest”.
6. PATIENCE, SUFFERING AND ENDURANCE - A person must suffer before
he can gain happiness, and related to it is that which many still believe, that
women, particularly must suffer in silence.
7. PERSONALISM - The degree of emphasis Filipinos give to interpersonal
relations, to face-toface encounter.
8. FAMILISM - family orientation, hence, total family approach
9. PARTICULARISM (or popularism)- tends to belong, to associate with
one person, groups or thing, places high value on affiliation, subjective,
hesitant to be held responsible for decisions, (pakikiramay, pakikisama,
bayanihan, paggalang)
PERSONALITY THEORIES
34
Perspective—an emphasis or point of view; concepts at an earlier level
of development (e.g., a “strengths perspective”) or at a broader
and higher level of abstraction (ex: a “humanistic perspective” or a
“developmental perspective”)
Paradigm—an archetype or mode of thought; a general way of seeing
the world (e.g., “modernism” or “post-modernism”)
Practice Model—a guide for practitioner interaction that operationalizes
theory; includes concrete actions and techniques (note: some
theories have more well-developed practice models than others)
Dimension—a feature that can be focused on individually or separately,
but can only be understood in relation to other features (as in
“dimensions of human behavior” or a “multi-dimensional approach”
to human behavior)
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY
INSTINCTS
Freud wrote that instincts were the basic elements of the personality, the
motivating forces that drive behavior and determine its direction. Freud’s
German term for this concept is Trieb, which is a driving force or impulse
(Bettelheim, 1984). Instincts are a form of energy—transformed physiological
energy—that connects the needs of the body with
the wishes of the mind.
The stimuli for instincts—hunger and thirst, for example—are internal.
When a need such as hunger is aroused in the body, it generates a state of
physiological excitation or energy. The mind transforms this bodily energy into
a wish. It is this wish—the mental representation of the physiological need—
that is the instinct or driving force that motivates the person to behave in a way
that satisfies the need. A hungry person, for example, will look for food. The
instinct is not the bodily state itself (the hunger). Rather, it is the bodily need
transformed into a mental state, a wish.
When the body is in such a state of need, the person experiences a
feeling of tension or pressure. The aim of an instinct is to satisfy the need and
thereby reduce the tension. Freud’s theory is therefore a Homeostatic
approach, meaning that we are motivated to restore and maintain a
condition of physiological equilibrium, or balance, to keep the body free of
tension.
Two Types of Instincts
1. The Life Instincts
The life instincts serve the purpose of survival of the individual and
the species by seeking to satisfy the needs for food, water, air, and sex.
The life instincts are oriented toward growth and development. The
psychic energy manifested by the life instincts is the libido. The libido can
be attached to or invested in objects, a concept Freud called cathexis.
If you like your roommate, for example, Freud would say that your libido
is cathected to him or her.
35
The life instinct Freud considered most important for the
personality is sex, which he defined in broad terms. He was not referring
exclusively to the erotic, but also included almost all pleasurable
behaviors and thoughts. He described his view as enlarging or extending
the accepted concept of sexuality. He considered the sexual impulses
to include “all of those merely affectionate and friendly impulses to
which usage applies the exceedingly ambiguous word ‘love’ ”.
2. The Death Instincts
In opposition to the life instincts, Freud postulated the destructive
or death instincts. Drawing from biology, he stated the obvious fact that
all living things decay and die, returning to their original inanimate state,
and he believed that people have an unconscious wish to die. One
component of the death instincts is the aggressive drive, which he saw
as the wish to die turned against objects other than the self. The
aggressive drive compels us to destroy, conquer, and kill. Freud came to
consider aggression as compelling a part of human nature as sex.
LEVELS OF PERSONALITY
⚫ The conscious - corresponds to its ordinary everyday meaning. It
includes all the sensations and experiences of which we are aware
at any given moment. As you read these words, for example, you
may be conscious of the sight of the page, a message you want to
send to a friend, and someone playing loud music next door. Freud
considered the conscious to be a limited aspect of personality
because only small portion of our thoughts, sensations, and
memories exists in conscious awareness. He likened the mind to an
iceberg. The conscious is that part above the surface of the water—
the tip of the iceberg.
⚫ Unconscious - invisible portion below the surface. This is the focus of
psychoanalytic theory. Its vast, dark depths are the home of the
instincts, those wishes and desires that direct our behavior. The
unconscious contains the major driving power behind all behaviors
and is the repository of forces we cannot see or control.
⚫ Between these two levels is the preconscious. This is the storehouse
of all our memories, perceptions, and thoughts of which we are not
consciously aware at the moment but that we can easily summon
into consciousness. For example, in the unlikely event you mind
strays from this page and you begin to think about what you did last
night, you would be summoning up material from your preconscious
into your conscious. We often find our attention shifting back and
forth from experiences of the moment to events and memories in
the preconscious.
36
The id is the reservoir for the instincts and libido (the psychic energy
manifested by the instincts). The id is a powerful structure of the
personality because it supplies all the energy for the other two
components. Because the id is the reservoir of the instincts, it is vitally
and directly related to the satisfaction of bodily needs. The only ways
the id can attempt to satisfy its needs are through reflex action and
wish-fulfilling hallucinatory or fantasy experience, which Freud labeled
primary-process thought.
➢ EGO - “Reality Principle”
The rational master of the personality. Its purpose is not to thwart
the impulses of the id but to help the id obtain the tension reduction it
craves. Because the ego is aware of reality, however, it decides when
and how the id instincts can best be satisfied. It determines appropriate
and socially acceptable times, places, and objects that will satisfy the
id impulses. The ego does not prevent id satisfaction. Rather, it tries to
postpone, delay, or redirect it in order to meet the demands of reality.
It perceives and manipulates the environment in a practical and
realistic manner and so is said to operate in accordance with the reality
principle. The powers adults use to satisfy their needs. Freud called these
abilities secondary-process thought.
➢ SUPEREGO - MORAL IMPERATIVES
There is also a third set of forces—a powerful and largely
unconscious set of dictates or beliefs— that we acquire in childhood:
our ideas of right and wrong. In everyday language we call this internal
morality a conscience. Freud called it the superego. He believed that
this moral side of the personality is usually learned by the age of 5 or 6
and consists initially of the rules of conduct set down by our parents.
Through praise, punishment, and example, children learn which
behaviors their parents consider good or bad. Those behaviors for
which children are punished form the conscience, one part of the
superego. The second part of the superego is the ego-ideal, which
consists of good, or correct, behaviors for which children have been
praised.
37
ANXIETY: A THREAT TO THE EGO
Anxiety as an objectless fear, meaning that we cannot point to its
source, to a specific object that caused it.
Types of Anxiety:
1. Reality anxiety (or objective anxiety).
This involves a fear of real dangers in the real world. Most of
us justifiably fear fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and similar
disasters. We run from wild animals, jump out of the paths of
speeding cars, and run out of burning buildings. Reality anxiety
serves the positive purpose of guiding our behavior to escape or
protect ourselves from actual dangers.
2. Neurotic Anxiety
This has its basis in childhood, in a conflict between
instinctual gratification and reality. Children are often punished for
overtly expressing sexual or aggressive impulses. Therefore, the
wish to gratify certain id impulses generates anxiety. This neurotic
anxiety is an unconscious fear of being punished for impulsively
displaying id-dominated behavior.
3. Moral anxiety
Results from a conflict between the id and the superego. In
essence, it is a fear of one’s conscience. When you are motivated
to express an instinctual impulse that is contrary to your moral
code, your superego retaliates by causing you to feel shame or
guilt. In everyday terms, you might describe yourself as
conscience-stricken. Moral anxiety is a function of how well
developed the superego is. A person with a strong inhibiting
conscience will experience greater conflict than a person with a
less stringent set of moral guidelines. Like neurotic anxiety, moral
anxiety has some basis in reality.
38
DEFENSE MECHANISMS
Strategies the ego uses to defend itself against the anxiety
provoked by conflicts of everyday life.
1. Repression - is an involuntary removal of something from conscious
awareness. It is an unconscious type of forgetting of the existence of
something that brings us discomfort or pain. Repression can operate
on memories of situations or people, on our perception of the
present (so that we may fail to see some obviously disturbing event
right in front of us), and even on the body’s physiological
functioning.
2. Denial - A defense mechanism that involves denying the existence of
an external threat or traumatic event.
3. Reaction Formation - A defense mechanism that involves expressing
an id impulse that is the opposite of the one that is truly driving the
person.
4. Projection - involves attributing a disturbing impulse to someone else.
5. Regression - involves retreating to an earlier, less frustrating period of
life and displaying the usually childish behaviors characteristic of
that more secure time.
6. Rationalization - reinterpreting our behavior to make it more
acceptable and less threatening to us.
7. Displacement - shifting id impulses from a threatening object or from
one that is unavailable to an object that is available; for example,
replacing hostility toward one’s boss with hostility toward one’s child.
8. Sublimation - Altering or displacing id impulses by diverting instinctual
energy into socially acceptable behaviors.
9. Identification- when the individual is frustrated, a reaction may be to
become the same as the other individual or of trying to be like the
other individual.
10. Fantasy- the person escape from the real world.
11. Compensation- the overemphasis on one type of behavior in order
to cover up felt deficiencies in other areas.
12. Intellectualization- feelings are concealed from oneself by analyzing
situations in an intellectual way
13. Introjection- this is the opposite of projection. A person attributes to
the self what he sees in others.
14. Isolation– the effect associated with an idea is looked out. A person
admits unacceptable feeling intellectually, but he does not
experience them emotionally.
39
PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
(1.) THE ORAL STAGE (0-2 years old) – During this stage, the infant's
primary source of interaction occurs through the mouth, so the rooting and
sucking reflex is especially important. The infant derives pleasure from oral
stimulation through gratifying activities such as tasting and sucking.
The primary conflict at this stage is the weaning process--the
child must become less dependent upon caretakers. If fixation occurs at
this stage, Freud believed the individual would have issues with
dependency or aggression. Oral fixation can result in problems with
drinking, eating, smoking, or nail biting.
Fixation - A condition in which a portion of libido remains invested
in one of the psychosexual stages because of excessive frustration or
gratification.
(2.)THE ANAL STAGE (2-4 years old) –the primary focus of the libido was
on controlling bladder and bowel movements.
The major conflict at this stage is toilet training--the child has to
learn to control his or her bodily needs. Developing this control leads to
a sense of accomplishment and independence. Positive experiences
during this stage served as the basis for people to become competent,
productive, and creative adults.
Inappropriate parental responses can result in negative
outcomes. If parents take an approach that is too lenient, an anal-
expulsive personality could develop in which the individual has a messy,
wasteful, or destructive personality. If parents are too strict or begin toilet
training too early, an anal-retentive personality develops in which the
individual is stringent, orderly, rigid, and obsessive.
(3.) THEPHALLIC STAGE (4-6 years old) – between four to six years,
pleasure gratification of
children shifts from the anal to the genital region which Freud calls the phallic
stage. Children derive pleasure from activities associated with stroking and
40
manipulating their sex organs. Children also discover the differences between
males and females.
Oedipus Complex- the stage when young boy experience
feelings of possessive love for their mother and see their fathers as rivals.
However, the child also fears that he will be punished by the father for
these feelings, a fear Freud termed castration anxiety.
Castration Anxiety - A boy’s fear during the Oedipal period that
his penis will be cut off.
(5.) THEGENITAL STAGE (12 years and up) – starts with the onset of
puberty. The individual develops a strong sexual interest in the opposite sex.
Where in earlier stages the focus was solely on individual needs and, interest in
the welfare of others grows during this stage.
If the other stages have been completed successfully, the
individual should now be wellbalanced, warm, and caring. The goal of
this stage is to establish a balance between the various life areas.
41
2. Attitudes
a) extraversion - attitude of the psyche characterized by an
orientation toward the external world and other people.
b) introversion - attitude of the psyche characterized by an
orientation toward one’s own thoughts and feelings.
3. Psychological Functions - refer to different and opposing ways
of perceiving both the external real world and our subjective inner
world. Jung posited four functions of the psyche: sensing, intuiting,
thinking, and feeling
4. Psychological Types - eight personality types based on
interactions of the attitudes (introversion and extraversion) and
the functions (thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuiting)
a) The extraverted thinking types live strictly in accordance
with society’s rules. These people tend to repress feelings
and emotions, to be objective in all aspects of life, and to
be dogmatic in thoughts and opinions. They may be
perceived as rigid and cold.
b) The extraverted feeling types tend to repress the thinking
mode and to be highly emotional. They conform to the
traditional values and moral codes they have been taught
and are unusually sensitive to the opinions and expectations
of others. They are emotionally responsive, make friends
easily, and tend to be sociable and effervescent. Jung
believed this type was found more often among women
than men.
c) The extraverted sensing types focus on pleasure and
happiness and on seeking new experiences. They are
strongly oriented toward the real world and are adaptable
to different kinds of people and changing situations. Not
given to introspection, they tend to be outgoing, with a high
capacity for enjoying life.
d) The extraverted intuiting types find success in business and
politics because of a keen ability to exploit opportunities.
They are attracted to new ideas, tend to be creative, and
are able to inspire others to accomplish and achieve. They
also tend to be changeable, moving from one idea or
venture to another, and to make decisions based more on
hunches than on reflection. Their decisions, however, are
likely to be correct.
e) The introverted thinking types do not get along well with
other people and have difficulty communicating ideas.
They focus on thoughts rather than feelings and have poor
practical judgment. Intensely concerned with privacy, they
prefer to deal with abstractions and theories, and they focus
on understanding themselves rather than other people.
Others see them as stubborn, aloof, arrogant, and
inconsiderate.
42
f) The introverted feeling types repress rational thought. They
are capable of deep emotion but avoid any outward
expression of it. They seem mysterious and inaccessible and
tend to be quiet, modest, and childish. They have little
consideration for others’ feeling and thoughts and appear
withdrawn, cold, and self-assured.
g) The introverted sensing types appear passive, calm, and
detached from the everyday world. They look on most
human activities with benevolence and amusement. They
are aesthetically sensitive, expressing themselves in art or
music, and tend to repress their intuition.
h) The introverted intuiting types focus so intently on intuition
that they have little contact with reality. They are visionaries
and daydreamers—aloof, unconcerned with practical
matters, and poorly understood by others. Considered odd
and eccentric, they have difficulty coping with everyday life
and planning for the future.
5. Personal Unconscious - The reservoir of material that was once
conscious but has been forgotten or suppressed.
6. Complex - To Jung, a core or pattern of emotions, memories,
perceptions, and wishes in the personal unconscious organize
around a common theme, such as power or status.
7. Collective Unconscious - the deepest level of the psyche
containing the accumulation of inherited experiences of human
and pre-human species.
8. Archetypes - Images of universal experiences contained in the
collective unconscious.
a. persona archetype - the public face or role a person
presents t others.
b. Animus archetype - Masculine aspects of the female
psyche.
c. Anima archetype - Feminine aspects of the male psyche.
d. shadow archetype - The dark side of the personality; the
archetype that contains primitive animal instincts.
e. self archetype - To Jung, the archetype that represents
the unity, integration, and harmony of the total
personality.
43
JUNG’S DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES
44
ALFRED ADLER: ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY
He assumes that man is motivated primarily by social motives. He
stressed social context of personality development. He believed that
humans are social creatures by nature not by habits.
Basic Concepts:
➢ Striving for Superiority
This is the foremost source of human motivation in his thinking.
There are 3 stages regarding the final goal of human: to be aggressive,
to be powerful, to be superior.
How this striving for superiority does come into being in a person?
Inferiority feelings + compensation: In general, feelings of inferiority
arise from a sense of incompletion or imperfection in any sphere of life.
➢ Style of life (lifestyle): Principles that explains the uniqueness of a person.
The style of life is a compensation for a particular inferiority.
➢ Creative self: People make their own personalities. They construct them
out of raw materials of heredity and experiences.
➢ Superiority: Concept of creative self, ‘an upward drive’, an innate part
of life.
➢ Compensation: Effort to overcome marginalized/real inferiorities by
developing one’s abilities.
45
3. Neurotic Trends - Three categories of behaviors and attitudes toward
oneself and others that express a person’s needs; Horney’s revision of the
concept of neurotic needs.
• Movement toward other people—the compliant personality,
• Movement against other people—the aggressive personality,
and
• Movement away from other people—the detached personality.
46
47
ABRAHAM MASLOW: HEIRARCHY OF NEEDS
Types of Needs
➢ Deficiency Needs (D-needs)
These needs are similar to instincts and play a major role in
motivating behavior.
➢ physiological, security, social and esteem needs
Satisfying these lower-level needs is important in order to avoid
unpleasant feelings or consequences.
➢ Growth Need (also known as being needs or B-needs)
48
Growth needs do not stem from a lack of something, but rather
from a desire to grow as a person.
Structures of Personality:
a. Organism- focus of all experience.
b. Self or self-concept - subjective nature (own picture of self),
collection on self-perception, not entirely consistent with external
reality (distortion), the I or ME ideal self of what the person wanted
to be.
c. Phenomenological field - subjective reality, an individual behave
according to his/her reality and not on stimulating conditions.
1. Positive Regard - It includes acceptance, love, and approval from other
people, most notably from the mother during infancy. This need is probably
learned, although Rogers said the source was not important. The need for
positive regard is universal and persistent.
2. Unconditional Positive Regard - Approval granted regardless of a
person’s behavior.
3. Positive Self-Regard - The condition under which we grant ourselves
acceptance and approval.
4. Conditions of Worth - a belief that we are worthy of approval only when
we express desirable behaviors and attitudes and refrain from expressing
those that bring disapproval from others; similar to the Freudian superego.
5. Conditional Positive Regard - Approval, love, or acceptance granted
only when a person expresses desirable behaviors and attitudes.
6. Incongruence - A discrepancy between a person’s self-concept and
aspects of his or her experience.
49
actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is
learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an
idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded
information serves as a guide for action."
Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous
reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, an environmental
influences.
Self-regulation - controlling our own behavior. Those who are confident
and have high level of self-efficacy has the ability to regulate own behavior.
3 steps of self-regulation:
1. Self-observation: know self
2. Judgment: don’t set standards too high, don’t set self for failure
3. Self-response:use reward not punishment, celebrate victories,
don’t dwell on failure
Scope/Application:
Social learning theory has been applied extensively to the
understanding of aggression and psychological disorders, particularly in
the context of behavior modification. It is also the theoretical foundation
for the technique of behavior modeling which is widely used in training
programs.
Principles:
1. The highest level of observational learning is achieved by first
organizing and rehearsing the modeled behavior symbolically and then
enacting it overtly. Coding modeled behavior into words, labels or
images results in better retention than simply observing.
2. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if it results in
outcomes they value.
3. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if the model
is similar to the observer and has admired status and the behavior has
functional value.
50
B. F. SKINNER: REINFORCEMENT THEORY
Reinforcement - The act of strengthening a response by adding a
reward, thus increasing the likelihood that the response will be repeated.
Extinction The process of eliminating a
behavior by withholding reinforcement.
Operant behavior - Behavior emitted spontaneously or voluntarily
that operates on the environment to change it. Refer to his idea that an
organism has to do something in order to get a reward, that is, it must
operate on its environment.
Responses may be reinforced by the presentation (positive) or
removal (negative) of particular consequences.
2 types of Reinforcement
a.) Primary reinforcers
➢ innately reinforcing
➢ powerful in increasing the chance that a particular behavior
will occur
➢ primary reinforcers, the increase in response rate occurs
without training
b.) Secondary reinforcers or conditioned reinforcers
➢ influence behavior through training
➢ are not innately reinforcing
➢ done specifically by developing associations with a primary
reinforcer
➢ their power to reinforce behavior is acquired (example:
money, grades, tokens)
Both types of reinforcers are most effective when they
immediately follow
the responses they are intended to increase
51
Shaping behavior – is the acquisition of complex behaviors – such
as playing tennis and solving problems. It can generate complex
behaviors that do not occur naturally through a series of contingencies
in a program. Each stage of the program evokes a response and also
serves to prepare the organism to respond at some later point. It does
not entail trial and error at random points in the learning process.
Key Concepts:
a.) Scheme or schema - It is an organized pattern of thought or action
that is used to cope with or explain some aspect of experience.
In Piaget’s view, a schema includes both a category of
knowledge and the process of obtaining that knowledge. As
experiences happen, this new information is used to modify, add to,
or change previously existing schemas.
For example, a child may have a schema about a type of
animal, such as a dog. If the child’s sole experience has been with
small dogs, a child might believe that all dogs are small, furry, and
have four legs. Suppose then that the child encounters a very large
dog. The child will take in this new information, modifying the
previously existing schema to include this new information.
b.) Assimilation - The process of taking in new information into our
previously existing schema’s. The process is somewhat subjective, because we
tend to modify experience or information somewhat to fit in with our preexisting
beliefs.
In the example above, seeing a dog and labeling it “dog” is an
example of assimilating the animal into the child’s dog schema.
c.) Accommodation - Involves altering existing schemas, or ideas, as a
result of new information or new experiences. New schemas may also be
developed during this process.
d.) Equilibration - Piaget believed that all children try to strike a balance
between assimilation and accommodation, which is achieved through a
mechanism Piaget called equilibration. As children progress through the stages
of cognitive development, it is important to maintain a balance between
applying previous knowledge (assimilation) and changing behavior to
account for new knowledge (accommodation).
Equilibration helps explain how children are able to move from
one stage of thought into the next.
52
The dominant cognitive structures are behavioral schemes, which
evolve as infants begin to coordinate their sensory input and motor responses
in order to “act on” and get to “know” the environment. Children utilize skills
and abilities they were born with, such as looking, sucking, grasping, and
listening to learn more about the environment
Substages of the Sensorimotor Stage:
1. Reflexes (0-1 month): During this substage, the child understands the
environment purely through inborn reflexes such as sucking and looking.
2. Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months): Involves coordinating
sensation and new schemas. For example, a child may suck his or her
thumb by accident and then later intentionally repeat the action. These
actions are repeated because the infant finds them pleasurable.
3. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months): The child becomes more
focused on the world and begins to intentionally repeat an action in order to
trigger a response in the environment. For example, a child will purposefully
pick up a toy in order to put it in his or her mouth.
4. Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months): During this substage, the
child starts to show clearly intentional actions. The child may also
combine schemas in order to achieve a desired effect. Children begin
exploring the environment around them and will often imitate the
observed behavior of others. The understanding of objects also begins
during this time and children begin to recognize certain objects as having
specific qualities. For example, a child might realize that a rattle will
make a sound when shaken.
5. Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months): Children begin a period
of trial- and-error experimentation during the fifth substage. For
example, a child may try out different sounds or actions as a way of
getting attention from a caregiver.
6. Early Representational Thought (18-24 months): Children begin to
develop symbols to represent events or objects in the world in the final
sensorimotor substage. During thistime, children begin to move towards
understanding the world through mental operations rather than purely
through actions.
53
3.) THE CONCRETE-OPERATIONAL STAGE (7 – 11 or 12)
This stage is considered a transition between prelogical thought and
completely logical thought.
During this time, children gain a better understanding of mental
operations. Children begin thinking logically about concrete events, but have
difficulty understanding abstract or hypothetical concepts.
Two major cognitive events or operations occur during this stage:
(1)Conservation – refers to retention of the same properties
(volume, mass, number or other aspects of physical environment) even
if they are rearranged differently or reshaped. For example, the child is
able to recognize that the volume of water remains the same, no matter
what size or shape the container it is poured into.
(2)Reversibility – refers to the completion of certain operations in
the reverse order and ending up the same. For instance, the child will be
able to understand that water can exist in several states.
Abstract Thought: Instead of relying solely on previous
experiences, children begin to consider possible outcomes and
consequences of actions. This type of thinking is important in long-
term planning.
Problem-Solving: the ability to systematically solve a
problem in a logical and methodical way emerges. Children at
the formal operational stage of cognitive development are often
able to quickly plan an organized approach to solving a problem.
54
Stage 4: Social-order-maintaining morality/authority – what is right
is what
conforms to the rules of legitimate authority.
55
C. SOCIAL WORK AND SOCIAL DEVIATION
Characteristics of Deviance
● Deviance is Universal, but there are no universal forms or
deviance.
56
● Deviance is a social definition. It is not a quality of the act; it is
how we define it. It is not the act; it is how we label it.
● Social groups make rules and enforce them, rules are socially
constructed, and social groups utilize social control mechanism to
ensure they are adhered to.
● Deviance is contextual.
Humans are evaluative creatures. We continually make judgments
about the behavior and the characteristics of others and ourselves.
Societies everywhere have rules governing what we may and may not
do, and how we should look.
57
that are common and frequent are not deviant. (i.e takes 3 showers a
day, owning 3,000 books, possessing 3 doctoral degrees, attending 4
different undergraduate institutions before receiving one.
58
● Does not adequately allow contingencies or extenuating
circumstances that alter observer’s judgment as to whether a
given individual or
act will in fact be regarded as deviant.
● The normative definition ignores the distinctions between
violations of norms that generate no special attention or alarm
and ones that cause audiences to punish or condemn the actor.
59
remedy because deviant behavior is not a matter of choice. Obviously, the
recommended procedure for halting deviant behavior depends upon the
brand of determinism favored. Thus if the cause is located in the body, the
body must be “treated; if it is in social factors, anything from the family,
neighborhood or entire economic system may need renovation.
Up to the end of the 19th century, phrenology provided the basis for a
moderate amount of theory and research on the nature of criminal beings, but
in the final analysis, it makes no contributions to the understanding of deviant
60
behavior. One cannot detect the subtle shape of the brain by examining the
exterior of the skull, and no single sections of the brain one completely
responsible for the complex behaviors attributed to them by the phrenologist.
61
- what was scientifically found as a cause could be scientifically
eliminated.
- i. e. Nazi german during the World War I. a textbook on Social problem
reported on a proposal whereby “defective and confirmed criminals would be
placed in air-tight chambers and put to death by poisonous but not
unpleasant gas.
62
✓ relaxed
✓ need for affection
63
1. The cause is within the deviant; the goal was to discover individual
characteristics contributing to becoming involved in deviant behavior.
In short, this first approach concerned explaining the deviant by means
of biological and psychological positivism.
2. The other approach stressed the importance of social factors as a
cause of deviance. The goal was to explain both the existence of
deviant behaviors and its distribution in society. This in short concerns
explaining the varying amounts of deviance between groups by means
of social determinism.
A. Classical
This theory was patterned from the thought of Beccaria about a
plea for reform of the judicial and penal system of the time, which was
characterized by secret accusations, extensive use of tortures harsh
penalties for trivial offenses. In the 15th century, the death penalty and
serious mutilation were used only in extreme cases to supplement the
complicated and carefully differentiated system of fine, but now, they
become the most common measures. Judges resorted to them
whenever they were convinced that the offender was a danger to
society. The point was, it was no longer the extreme penalty for serious
offenses but a means of putting allegedly dangerous individuals out of
the way. In this kind of procedure, little attention was paid to the guilt or
innocence of a suspect.
According to Beccaria, humans are fundamentally rational and
hedonistic. They possess free will and make deliberate decisions to
behave based upon a calculation of the pain and pleasure involved. To
avoid continual chaos resulting from total individual freedom, humans
eventually enter a contract in which they submit to
a wide authority in exchange for security under laws of a state. Humans
are basically self-serving; however, given the opportunity they will
enhance their own position at the expense of other humans. Thus, the
role of the state is to prevent crime. It is better to prevent crimes than to
punish them. This is the ultimate end of every good legislation , which to
use the general terms for assessing the good and evils of life. To this end,
Beccaria argued that the law should be clear and simple and directed
against
only those behaviors clearly endangering society and individuals in it.
Because of their rationality, all human where seen as equal before the
law. He accepted literally the notion that punishment should fit the crime.
64
B. Neo Classical
Recognized as a practical matter that not all persons are equally
rational, particularly the young, the mentally disturbed, and those
confronted with other unusual circumstances. Despite their considerable
influence on Western Legal System, the classical and neo classical
schools failed to produce a variable theory of deviance. Their pre-
occupation with the rationality of humans resulted in overlooking how
society can adversely affect behavior.
2. FUNCTIONALISM
Sociologists who follow the functionalist approach are concerned
with the way the different elements of a society contribute to the whole.
They view deviance as a key component of a functioning society. Strain
theory and social disorganization theory represent two functionalist
perspectives on deviance in society.
65
Merton defined five ways people respond to this gap between
having a socially accepted goal and having no socially accepted way
to pursue it .
1) Conformity: Those who conform choose not to deviate. They pursue
their goals to the extent that they can through socially accepted
means.
2) Innovation: Those who innovate pursue goals they cannot reach
through legitimate means by instead using criminal or deviant
means.
3) Ritualism: People who ritualize lower their goals until they can reach
them through socially acceptable ways. These members of society
focus on conformity rather than attaining a distant dream.
4) Retreatism: Others retreat and reject society’s goals and means.
Some people who beg and people who are homeless have
withdrawn from society’s goal of financial success.
5) Rebellion: A handful of people rebel and replace a society’s goals
and means with their own. Terrorists or freedom fighters look to
overthrow a society’s goals through socially unacceptable means.
C. ANOMIE
Simply defined, a state where norms (expectations on behavior)
are confused, unclear or not present - normlessness.
A breakdown in the cultural structure, occurring particularly
when there is an acute disjunction between cultural norms and goals
and the societies structural capacities of members of the groups to act
in accord with them.
The premium placed on financial success in the absence of
opportunities creates a disjunction between the goal and the
capacities or means of individuals to attain it.
Accordingly, societies evolved from a simple, non-specialized
form called mechanical towards a highly complex specialized form
called organic.
In the former society, people behave and think alike and more
or less perform the same work tasks and have the same group oriented
goals. When societies become more complex or organic, work also
becomes complex. In the society, people are no longer tied to one
another and social bonds are impersonal. - Changing of condition as
well as adjustment of life leads to dissatisfaction, conflict and 10
deviance. He observed that social periods of disruptions (economic
depression for example) brought greater anomie and high rates of
crime, suicide and deviance.
I. Durkheim’s Anomie
Emile Durkheim, a French sociologist wrote his major works
during a time when the study of deviant behavior was dominated
66
by those who viewed deviants as the products of defective
biology.
He argued that a society without deviance is impossible.
Thus it is impossible to have a collection of human so inflexible in
their behavior that none will diverge to some degree from the
ideal. He further claims that deviance is not only inevitable but
also necessary for the health and progress of society. Without
deviance society would be static. The inevitability and desirability
of deviance led him to conduct that deviance is “normal” in
society. This did not mean that he necessarily regarded the
individual deviant as normal. From the standpoint of society,
deviance is an expression of individual freedom and one of the
prices to be paid for social change.
Durkheim first used the concept of anomie in division of
labor in society. Here it played a minor role; it’s purpose was to
signify a lack of integration and adjustment that threatens the
cohesiveness of contemporary society, which unlike hunting and
agricultural society are characterized by a complex variety of
occupation and interest.
Durkhein felt that sudden change caused a state of
anomie. The system breaks down, either during a great prosperity
or great depression, anomie is the same result.
Anomic suicide – was one of the 4 types and was
considered to stem from a state of ‘normlessness” or
“deregulation” in society. Such suicide occurs because society
allows its members to have unlimited aspirations, and there is no
discipline imposed on notions of what may be realistically
achieved. These suicides arise particularly during periods of
sudden economic prosperity.
Thus Durkheim was convinced that humans are susceptible
to limitless ambition. Unless society imposes regulations upon
aspirations, unless there is some check upon the passions aroused
by perceived undiminishing prosperity, personal crises will develop
and result to suicide.
3. CONFLICT THEORY
Conflict theory looks to social and economic factors as the causes
of crime and deviance. Unlike functionalists, conflict theorists don’t see
these factors as positive functions of society. They see them as evidence
of inequality in the system. They also challenge social disorganization
theory and control theory and argue that both ignore racial and
socioeconomic issues and oversimplify social trends (Akers 1991).
Conflict theorists also look for answers to the correlation of gender and
race with wealth and crime.
67
A. Karl Marx: An Unequal System
Conflict theory was greatly influenced by the work of German
philosopher, economist, and social scientist Karl Marx. Marx believed
that the general population was divided into two groups. He labeled the
wealthy, who controlled the means of production and business, the
bourgeois. He labeled the workers who depended on the bourgeois for
employment and survival the proletariat. Marx believed that the
bourgeois centralized their power and influence through government,
laws, and other authority agencies in order to maintain and expand their
positions of power in society.
Theories of Justice
1.) Utilitarian
2.) Egalitarian
3.) Libertarian
4.) Communitarian
CLASS
a group of people who share the same social status. Status may
be due to education, family, occupation, gender, income, ethnicity,
religion
CLASS STRUCTURE
social hierarchy of classes in a society from high to low
stratification of inequality status based on perceived power in society
ex: economic, physical, familial, political, or religious power
“poverty” class - the group of people with the least economic
status or power
B. Feminist Theory
An outgrowth of the general movement to empower women
worldwide. Feminism can be defined as a recognition and critique of
male supremacy combined with efforts to change it.
The goals of feminism are:
➢ To demonstrate the importance of women
➢ To reveal that historically women have been subordinate to
men
➢ To bring about gender equity.
Simply put:
Feminists fight for the equality of women and argue that women
should share equally in society’s opportunities and scare resources.
Several Varieties of Feminism:
[1] Liberal Feminism believes that the equality of women
can be achieved within our existing society by passing laws and
reforming social, economic, and political institutions.
[2] Socialist Feminism blames capitalism for women’s
inequality and says that true gender equality can result only if
68
fundamental changes in social institutions, and even a socialist
revolution, are achieved.
[3] Radical Feminism says that patriarchy (male
domination) lies at the root of women’s oppression and that
women are oppressed even in noncapitalist societies.
[4] Multicultural Feminism emphasizes that women of color
are oppressed not only oppressed because of their gender but
also because of their race and class.
4. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical approach that can be
used to explain how societies and/or social groups come to view
behaviors as deviant or conventional.
A. Labeling Theory
Although all of us violate norms from time to time, few people
would consider themselves deviant. Those who do, however, have often
been labeled “deviant” by society and have gradually come to believe
it themselves. Labeling theory examines the ascribing of a deviant
behavior to another person by members of society. Thus, what is
considered deviant is determined not so much by the behaviors
themselves or the people who commit them, but by the reactions of
others to these behaviors. As a result, what is considered deviant
changes over time and can vary significantly across cultures.
Sociologist Edwin Lemert expanded on the concepts of labeling
theory and identified two types of deviance that affect identity
formation.
⚫ Primary deviance is a violation of norms that does not result in
any long-term effects on the individual’s self-image or
interactions with others. Speeding is a deviant act, but receiving
69
a speeding ticket generally does not make others view you as a
bad person, nor does it alter your own self-concept. Individuals
who engage in primary deviance still maintain a feeling of
belonging in society and are likely to continue to conform to
norms in the future. Sometimes, in more extreme cases, primary
deviance can morph into secondary deviance.
⚫ Secondary deviance occurs when a person’s self-concept and
behavior begin to change after his or her actions are labeled as
deviant by members of society. The person may begin to take
on and fulfill the role of a “deviant” as an act of rebellion against
the society that has labeled that individual as such. For
example, consider a high school student who often cuts class
and gets into fights. The student is reprimanded frequently by
teachers and school staff, and soon enough, develops a
reputation as a “troublemaker.” As a result, the student starts
acting out even more and breaking more rules; the student has
adopted the “troublemaker” label and embraced this deviant
identity. Secondary deviance can be so strong that it bestows
a master status on an individual. A master status is a label that
describes the chief characteristic of an individual. Some people
see themselves primarily as doctors, artists, or grandfathers.
Others see themselves as beggars, convicts, or addicts.
B. Techniques of Neutralization
How do people deal with the labels they are given? This was the
subject of a study done by Sykes and Matza (1957). They studied
teenage boys who had been labeled as juvenile delinquents to see
how they either embraced or denied these labels. Have you ever used
any of these techniques? Let’s take a scenario and apply all five
techniques to explain how they are used. A young person is working for
a retail store as a cashier. Their cash drawer has been coming up short
for a few days. When the boss confronts the employee, they are
labeled as a thief for the suspicion of stealing. How does the employee
deal with this label?
➢ The Denial of Responsibility: When someone doesn’t take
responsibility for their actions or blames others. They may use this
technique and say that it was their boss’s fault because they don’t
get paid enough to make rent or because they’re getting a
divorce. They are rejecting the label by denying responsibility for the
action.
➢ The Denial of Injury: Sometimes people will look at a situation in
terms of what effect it has on others. If the employee uses this
technique they may say, “What’s the big deal? Nobody got hurt.
Your insurance will take care of it.” The person doesn’t see their
actions as a big deal because nobody “got hurt.”
➢ The Denial of the Victim: If there is no victim there’s no crime. In this
technique the person sees their actions as justified or that the victim
70
deserved it. Our employee may look at their situation and say, “I’ve
worked here for years without a raise. I was owed that money and
if you won’t give it to me I’ll get it my own way.”
➢ The Condemnation of the Condemners: The employee might “turn
it around on” the boss by blaming them. They may say something
like, “You don’t know my life, you have no reason to judge me.” This
is taking the focus off of their actions and putting the onus on the
accuser to, essentially, prove the person is living up to the label,
which also shifts the narrative away from the deviant behavior.
➢ Appeal to a Higher Authority: The final technique that may be used
is to claim that the actions were for a higher purpose. The employee
may tell the boss that they stole the money because their mom is
sick and needs medicine or something like that. They are justifying
their actions by making it seem as though the purpose for the
behavior is a greater “good” than the action is “bad.” (Sykes &
Matza, 1957)
71
systems, and overcrowded housing into consideration, researchers
found that parents were the main influence on the behavior of their
offspring (Todd and Jury 1996).
72
to praise, criticism, and the sentiments of others, people with this
disorder are loners who pursue solitary interests
➢ Schizotypal Personality Disorder - unusual and eccentric
thoughts and behavior (psychoticism), interpersonal
detachment, and suspiciousness. People with this disorder might
have odd beliefs or magical thinking—for instance, the belief
that they can read other people’s minds and see into the future.
It is also common for them to have ideas of reference (the belief
that events have a particular and unusual meaning for them
personally) and to show suspiciousness and paranoid ideation.
They might also have recurrent illusions (inaccurate sensory
perceptions), such as sensing the presence of a force or a
person that is not actually there. In their speech, they might use
words in an unusual and unclear fashion. Their behavior and
appearance might also be eccentric—for example, they might
talk to themselves or wear dirty and disheveled clothing. Their
affect appears constricted and flat, and they tend to be aloof
from others.
73
extravagant and intense emotions, they are thought to be
emotionally shallow.
➢ Narcissistic Personality Disorder - grandiose view of their abilities
and are preoccupied with fantasies of great success.They are
more than a little self-centered—they require almost constant
attention and excessive admiration. Their interpersonal
relationships are disturbed by their lack of empathy, by their
arrogance coupled with feelings of envy, by their habit of taking
advantage of others, and by their feelings of entitlement—they
expect others to do special favors for them. People with this
disorder are extremely sensitive to criticism and might become
enraged when others do not admire them. They tend to seek
out high-status partners whom they idealize, but when,
inevitably, these partners fall short of their unrealistic
expectations, they become angry and rejecting (like those with
borderline personality disorder). They are also likely to change
partners if given an opportunity to be with a person of higher
status. This disorder most often co-occurs with borderline
personality disorder (Morey, 1988).
74
Generally, they are serious, rigid, formal, and inflexible,
especially regarding moral issues. They are unable to discard
worn-out and useless objects, even those with no sentimental
value, and they are likely to be excessively frugal to a level that
causes concern among those around them.
75
f. Case management – the manner and timing in the delivery of social
service
76
SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL WORK: THE FAMILY, GROUP, COMMUNITY,
AND ORGANIZATION
Person-in-Environment (PIE)
➢ explains how a person's environment plays a part in how they live and
behave. Things like their home life, religion, socioeconomic status, and
other factors can play a part (Rollo & Gonzales, 2023).
➢ is the idea that a person's environment has an impact on the way that
they live and the decisions that they make. It attempts to understand a
77
person and their behavior through their environment (Rollo & Gonzales,
2023)
➢ is the key concept and philosophy in the field of social work that states
that a person's behavior can largely be understood by looking at their
environment, including their past environment.
➢ is a practice-guiding principle that highlights the importance of
understanding an individual and individual behavior in light of the
environmental contexts in which that person lives and acts (Kondrat,
2013)
➢ a central and guiding framework for social work practice. It is based on
the belief that an individual can only be understood in the context of
their environment (e.g. physical, familial, spiritual, social, political,
societal, etc. (Mohinuddin, 2021)
➢ is a holistic approach to social work practice that recognizes the
importance of both individual and environmental factors in
understanding a person's well-being and behavior (Social Work Test
Prep, 2022)
➢ The Person-in-Environment Theory emphasizes holistic assessment. This
approach is important for several reasons:
1. PIE pushes you to look beyond the immediate issues presented by
clients. It requires an assessment that encompasses multiple facets
of a person’s life, including their social networks, community
resources, and broader societal factors.
2. By considering both individual and environmental factors, Social
Workers can identify underlying issues that may not be immediately
apparent. This can lead to more effective interventions and support.
3. Understanding the full scope of a client’s life situation can empower
them to make informed decisions and participate actively in their
care plan.
(Mitchell, 2024)
➢ This places the person at the center surrounded by the various
environments which s/he is a part of primary groups (those that are
currently most important to him/her and have the greatest influence
over his/her life such as family, friends, work groups, etc.); secondary
groups (those that have specialized claims on certain parts of his/her
interests and labours such as the workplace, school system, etc.); socio-
cultural contexts (ethnic heritage and the social order in which s/he
lives); physical environment and historical age (actual setting and time
wherein s/he functions).
78
Person in the Environment Configuration
79
II. THEORIES AND PERSPECTIVES IN UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENT
another."
Theoretical Concepts:
80
4. Interface - is the exact point at which the interaction between an
individual and the environment takes place.
5. Adaptations - are continuou, change oriented cognitive, sensory-
perceptual and behavioral processes people use to sustain or raise the
level of fit between themselves and their environment.
6. Coping - a form of adaptation that implies a struggle to overcome
problems. It refers to the way people deal with the negative
experiences they encounter
7. Interdependence - the mutual reliance of each person upon every
other person.
8. Life stressors - are generated by critical life issues that people perceive
as exceeding their personal and environmental resources for
managing them.
9. Stress - is the internal response for a life stressor and is characterized by
troubled, emotional psychological states or both.
10. Coping measures - are special behaviors often novel, that are devised
to handle demands posed by the life stressor.
11. Relatedness - refers to attachments, friendships, positive kin
relationships and a sense of belonging to a supportive social network.
12. Self-esteem - represents the extent to which one feels competent,
respected, and worthy.
13. Self-direction - teh capacity to take some degree of control over one's
life and to accept responsibility for one's decisions and actions while
simultaneously respecting the rights and needs of others.
14. Habitat - includes dwelling places; physical ayouts of rural and urban
communities.
15. Niche - the status occupied by an individual or family in the social
structure of a community.
16. Reciprocal Transaction - cicrular interactions that systems have to
make changes neeted to protect itself and grow to accomplish its
goals.
➢ There are 5 environmental systems:
1. Microsystem - the setting where an individual lives. It is the person’s
immediate relationships and activities. For example, a child’s
parents, siblings, classmates, teachers, and neighbors would be part
of their microsystem.
2. Mesosytem - the set of interactions and relationships among all the
elements of microsystem which affects the person. For example,
open communication between a child’s parents and teachers
provides consistency across both environments.
81
3. Exosystem - Includes all the social settings that affect the individual,
even though he/she is not a direct member of this system. It
incorporates other formal and informal social structures. While not
directly interacting with the child, the exosystem still influences the
microsystems.
For instance, a parent’s stressful job and work schedule affects their
availability, resources, and mood at home with their child. Local school
board decisions about funding and programs impact the quality of
education the child receives. Even broader influences like government
policies, mass media, and community resources shape the child’s
microsystems.
4. Macrosystem - the larger society, which includes the
attitudes/ideologies of the culture in which the individual lives.For
example, boys raised in patriarchal cultures might be socialized to
assume domineering masculine roles.
5. Chronosystem - the patterning of environmental events and
transitions over the life course. It includes effects created by time or
critical period in development and sociohistorical events. Like how
growing up during a recession may limit family resources or growing
up during war versus peacetime also fall in this system.
➢ The bioecological focus on evolving person-environment interactions
built upon the foundation of his ecological systems theory while
bringing developmental processes to the forefront.
Both perspectives
believe the
interrelated ness of
every system and
their influence on
each other
82
Both perspectives
recognized that
systems can adapt
to the changing
environment
conditions and
evolve overtime.
83
4. Social systems and the social environment: People live out their lives
within the context of social systems and norms and institutions which
are generated through social interactions within these systems. The
ever-changing social environment serves both as a source of stress and
source of supports
5. Roles: Individuals are connected to social systems through the roles
they occupy in them.
84
o Relationship is a reciprocal, dynamic, interpersonal connection
characterized by patterns of emotional exchange, communication
and behavioral interaction
o Homeostasis is when a system is maintaining a constant state of
equilibrium or balance where the system is responding to change.
o Equilibrium is when a system is responding to the environment and is
maintaining itself in some sort of a balance.
o Disequilibrium is when the system is off balance and the responses to
and from the environment are prohibiting positive growth and change.
o Entropy is a quality of closed systems wherein closed systems over time
tend toward less differentiation of their elements. Thus they lose
organization and effective function.
o Holon which means that each level in a system faces both ways
towards the smaller systems of which it is composed and towards the
larger system of which it is part.
o Steady state refers to how a system maintains itself by receiving input
and using it.
o Differentiation refers to the idea that systems become more complex
with more different kinds of components over time.
o Non-summativity means that the whole is more than the sum of its
parts.
o Equifinality simply put is “different beginnings, one ending”.
o Reciprocity implies that if one part of the system changes, the change
interacts with all other parts which also change. As a result of
reciprocity exhibit both equifinality (you can reach the same result in
several different ways) and multi-finality (similar circumstances can
lead to different results because parts of the system interact in different
ways.
o Input refers to energy being fed into the system across the boundary.
o Output would mean the effects on the environment of energy passed
through the boundary of a system.
o Throughput is how the system processes or uses the input.
o Feedback is a special form of input in which a system receives
information about its own performance
o Positive feedback involves a system of receiving information about
what is going correctly in order to maintain itself and thrive
o Feedback loops mean the information and energy passed to the
system caused by its outputs affecting the environment which tell it the
results of its outputs
Other Important Concepts in Social Work using Systems Theory:
85
➢ Pincus and Minahan outlined six systems that social workers interact
with in their practice:
1) Change agent system: agency or institution that employs social
workers
2) Client system: an individual, group or community which asked help
from the social worker, or have entered into helping contract with
the social worker, or are expected to benefit from the intervention
3) Target system: people that the social workers need to change or
influence in order to accomplish the helping goals (may include the
client system)
4) Action system: those which the social worker interacts in a
cooperative way in order to bring about change helpful to the
client,
5) Professional system: professional association of social workers,
education system by which workers are prepared, and the values
and sanctions of professional practice
6) Problem identification system: the system that acts to bring a
potential client to the attentions of the social worker
86
❖ Tools helpful to system theories
1. Eco-map
➢ The eco-map identifies the client's current social context
➢ A paper and pencil diagram of the ecological system of the
client/family, the major systems, together with all their
relationships, that affect and are affected by the client/family.
2. Genogram
➢ A graphic representation of family members and their
relationships over at least three generations
➢ It looks like a family tree or a genealogy chart
STRENGTHS PERSPECTIVE
87
In the strengths based approach, clients are usually seen as the experts on
their own situation and professionals are understood as not necessarily having
the best vantage point from which to appreciate client's strengths.
(Saleebey, 1992)
The strength-based approach has its foundation in social work and builds
upon the client’s strengths, specifically seeing the client as resourceful and
resilient when they are in adverse conditions (Strengths-Based Models in
Social Work; McCashen, Wayne [2005]).
Rapp, Saleebey, and Sullivan (2008) suggest six standards for determining a
strength-based approach. If in agreement, practitioners can use the list when
considering what method they will use when practicing the strength-based
approach:
1. Goal orientation: It is crucial and vital for the client to set goals.
2. Strengths assessment: The client finds and assesses their own strengths
and inherent resources.
3. Resources from the environment: Connect resources in the person’s
environment who can be useful or enable the person to create links to
these resources. The resources could be individuals, associations,
institutions, or groups.
4. Different methods are used first for different situations: In solution-
focused therapy, clients determine goals first and then identify
strengths. In strength-based case management, individuals first
determine their strengths using an assessment.
5. The relationship is hope inducing: By finding strengths and linking to
connections (with other people, communities, or culture), the client
gains hope.
6. Meaningful choice: Each person is an expert on their strengths,
resources, and hopes. It is the practitioner’s duty to improve upon
choices the person makes and encourage making informed decisions.
Theoretical Concepts:
88
3. Hope. A belief in the possibility of positive outcomes.
4. Culture. Belief, traditions, and daily activities of a grpup of people. This
can also develop from connection to a particular geographic
location, as a result of an activity, because of a spiritual or other belief
system, or even be related to age, as seen in the culture of various
generations.
5. Cultural identity. Membership or a sense of belonging to a group of
people that informs beliefs, practices, and traditions.
6. Collaboration. A relationship that equalizes power and supporting
shared decision-making.
1. Survival questions
• What have you learned about yourself and your world during your
most difficult times?
• How have you been able to rise to the challenges put before you?
• What was your mindset as you faced these difficulties?
2. Support questions
• What people have given you uspecial understanding, support and
guidance?
• Who are the special people on whom you can depend?
• What associations, organization, or groups have been especially
helpful to you in the past?
3. Exception questions
• What parts of your world and your being would you like to
recapture, reinvent, or relive?
89
• What moments in your life have given you special understanding,
resilience and guidance?
• When things were going well in life, what was different?
4. Possibility questions
• What are your hopes, visions and aspirations?
• What are your special talents and abilities?
• What do you want to do out of life?
5. Esteem questions
• How is it that things are out worst?
• How do you keep going way after way when there seems to be no
hope?
• How did you learn to cope with such an awful situation when you
were still so young? Did you have to do it by yourself?
SIKOLOHIYANG PILIPINO
90
a. Kamalayan or consciousness - includes both motive and cognitive
experience
b. Ulirat - awareness of one's immediate surroundings
c. Isip - refers to knowledge and understanding
d. Diwa - includes habits and behaviors
e. Kalooban - emotions or feelings'kaluluwa or psyche - translates to
soul of the people
91
DEVELOPMENT OF INDIGENOUS CONCEPTS AND THEORIES
Rethinking Filipino values: (Boston, 1968; Lagmay, 1977; Sibley, 1985, Lynch,
1961)
Pakikisama vs Pakikipagkapwa
92
2 categories of kapwa:
93
An Analytical Framework: Indigenous Philippine Value Structure and
Correlated Behavior Patterns at the Surface, Core and Societal Levels
94
C. As sikolohiyang mapagpalaya (liberating psychology), the
movement is against psychology used for the exploitation of the
masses.
95
2) Research participants should always be treated by researchers as
equal fellow human being. In the method of pagtatanong-tanong
(literally, ‘‘asking questions’’, marked by casualness when in fact, the
researcher is truly determined to get answers to his questions/
improvised informal, unstructured interview), the research participants
are free to ask the researcher as many questions as they want
3) The welfare of the research participants take precedence over the
data obtained from them. The primary ethical responsibility of
researchers should be to the people and not to their institution or
funding agency.
4) The method to be used in a research should be chosen on the basis of
appropriateness to the population. Researchers cannot expect people
to adjust to the method; the method should adjust to the people (here
is where pakikiramdam (sensitivity) is most needed)
5) The language of the people should be the language of research at all
time
Other research methods:
Important concepts:
96
a nation. It may be based on a common religion, a common
language, a common national background, or a common racial
ancestry or frequency, or some combination of several of these factors
2. Ethnicity - refers to group membership in which the defining feature is
the characteristic of shared unique cultural traditions and a heritage
that spans across generations. Membership in an ethnic group provide
the cultural identity and lens through which the developing child
comes to understand and act uponprescribed values, norms and
social behavior.
3. Culture - a commonly used concept used to refer to the fact that
human groups differ in the way they structure their behavior, in their
world view, in their concept of the essential nature of the human
condition and how they view the rhythms and patterns of life.
4. Minority groups and minorities - The term "minority" has been used to
identify people who tend to be located "at the lowest end of the
spectrum of power and advantage".
5. Race - "differences in skin color, type of hair and facial features that
are biologically trivial have been used as markers for ascribing great
differences in power and privilege"; "a social construct that relies on
common understandings and self-definition rather than scientific
criteria
6. Oppression - keeping down by cruel, or unjust use of power or authority
7. Diversity - used in reference to the various populations that live in this
country, understanding that many people from many lands and
cultures in an exciting, heterogeneous context.
8. Ethnic sensitive social work practice - The term "ethnic sensitive social
work practice" once introduced came to be used by social workers
when referring in a broad, general sense to practice that is mindful of
the effects of ethnic and minority group membership in social
functioning and seeks to incorporate this understanding into practice.
Examples are:
97
• Black single mothers in poverty were the focus of attention. Minority
children and the educational system.
The overwhelming focus on people of color has already been noted, as has
the fact that coverage spanned a broad spectrum of areas with limited in
depth exploration of any one area. The notable exception was a focus on
adoption and concerns raised about transracial adoption. Review of the
ethnic reality of various groups far exceeded the urgent need for social
workers to develop practice knowledge and interventive approaches based
on understanding the ethnic reality of various groups.
There are four categories within the framework for ethnic minority social work:
98
5. the impact of the ethnic reality on all people with special attention
to those ethnic groups that are particular victims of racism and
poverty
6. the route to the social worker - a conceptualization of the paths to
social work services that recognizes that members of oppressed
minority groups are most likely to encounter social workers via
coercive routes to service such as the courts and the schools.
99
the community customs, traditions, language -including slang, social
networks and community values
CULTURE THEORY
✓ it is learned
✓ it is shared
✓ it is cumulative
✓ it is dynamic and adaptive
✓ it is a whole
Aspect of Culture
• Beliefs – concepts about how the world operates and where individuals
fit in it; may be rooted in blind faith, experiences, traditions, or scientific
observations
• Values – the general concepts of what is good, right, appropriate,
worthwhile and important either reflected on behaviour or expressed
verbally.
• Norms – the written and unwritten rules that guide behaviour and
conduct appropriate to given situation.
• Folkways and customs – behaviour patterns of everyday life
• Mores – folkways which involve ethical values
➢ Describes the society as a social system that has a social structure of its
own, made up of different parts which are interconnected, all working
together to achieve balance or social equilibrium.
➢ Functionalism asserts that the components of a society, similar to the
parts of the human body do not always work the way they are
supposed to work... When a component of a society interferes with
efforts to carry out essential social tasks, that parts are said to be
dysfunctional/
100
➢ The perspective also asserts that systems have a tendency to resist
social change; change is seen as disruptive unless it occurs at a slow
pace.
➢ Notable structural functionalists are: 1) Emile Durkheim and 2) Robert
Merton
➢ The major social institutions that are pillars of human society are:
a. Family
b. Education
c. Government
d. Economy
e. Religion
Structuralism upholds that:
RIGHTS-BASED APPRAOCH
❖ Rights-based Approach
➢ The foundation of rights-based approach is nested in universal legal
guarantees to protect individuals and groups against the actions
101
and omissions that interfere with undamenta freedoms,
entitlmentsm and human dignity as first presented in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
➢ Rights-based social work shifts the focus from human needs to
human rights and calls on social workers and the peopulations they
work with to actively participate in decision-making processes of the
state so that the state can better serve the interests of the
population.
❖ Charity-based Approach
➢ Charity-based efforts have led to the labelling of persons worthy
and unworthy of assistance, attributing personal behaviors as the
cayse of marginalization, poverty, disease, and disenfranchisement,
and restricted the tyoes of aid available accordingly.
➢ Judgments are cast by elites regarding who is deserving and who is
not based on criteria that serve to perpetuate existing social,
economic, and political relationships in charity-based approaches.
❖ Needs-based Approach
➢ Attempts to introduce greater objectivity into the process of
selecting who is helped and how by using evidence to demonstrate
need and introducing effective and efficient interventions to
improve the life of the needy and society as a whole.
Charity-based Needs-based Rights-based
Approach Approach Approach
102
are deserving
of assistance
103
Interventions Immediate Symptomatic Fundamental
to respond manifestation deficits and structural causes
of problems may address while providing
structural alleviation from
causes symptomatic
manifestations
1. Individual
➢ Individuals seeking assistance are not judged to be worthy or
unworthy of assistance but rather are viewed as rights holders
2. Community/Group/Organization
➢ Community/Group/Organization efforts are redirected away from
roving that they deserve or need a resource toward learning about
how they can calaim their entitlements to resources.
3. Society
➢ Society redirects its social policies an dgoals to facilitate the
realization of human rights including addressing human needs.
FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
FEMINIST THEORY
104
Other Concepts Adopted From or Related to Feminism (and relevant to
social work practice)
• Gender equality means that women and men enjoy the same status
and conditions and have equal opportunity for realizing their potential
to contribute to the political, economic, social and cultural
development of their countries. They should also benefit equally from
the results of development.
• Gender equity moves beyond a focus on equal treatment. It means
giving to those who have less on the basis of needs, and taking steps to
compensate for historical and social disadvantages that prevent
women and men from otherwise operating on a level playing field.
Equity can be understood as the means, and equality is the end. Equity
leads to equality.
• Patriarchy: The "rule of the father," or a universal political structure that
favors men over women. It was originally used by anthropologists to
describe the social structure in which one old man, the patriarch, has
absolute power over everyone else in the family. It also refers to male
domination of political power and domination that maintains an unjust
system for the benefit of the rulers at the expense of the ruled.
• Gender Mainstreaming or Gender and Development (GAD)
mainstreaming is the main strategy of the Philippine government for
ensuring that the government pursues gender equality in all aspects of
the development process to achieve the vision of a gender-responsive
society where women and men equally contribute to and benefit from
development.
• Gender Sensitivity:The ability to recognize gender issues and to
recognize women's different perceptions and interests arising from their
different social position and gender roles.
• Multiple burdens of women: A situation referring to the heavy workload
of women and the many, overlapping tasks involved, which if
computed in terms of hours would total more than 24 hours. This
workload consists of unpaid reproductive work, paid productive work,
community management, and all other work necessary for the survival
of the family.
• Gender Stereotyping: Society's perceptions and value systems that
instill an image of women as weak, dependent, subordinate,
indecisive, emotional and submissive. Men, on the other hand, are
strong, independent, powerful, dominant, decisive and logical.
Unexamined images, ideas or beliefs associated with a particular
group that have become fixed in a person's mind and are not open to
105
change. For example, women's roles, functions and abilities are seen to
be primarily tied to the home.
• Gender Subordination: Submission, sometimes due to force or violence,
or being under the authority of one sex. It often results in women having
no control over available resources and having no personal autonomy.
Family
✓ Shared power
✓ Flexible organization
✓ Adaptive problem-solving, capable of different solutions
✓ Active coping mechanism
✓ High level of interaction
✓ Multiple and varied contacts within n without the family system
✓ Encouragement of a high degree of autonomy
Family Structure
106
o It is made up of set patterned sequences of behaviors that respond to
the combined and interacting needs of family members.
Classification of families according to INTERNAL STRUCTURES
1. Nuclear family
➢ Composed of husband and wife and their children in a union of
recognized by the other members of the society (Parson & Bales,
1955);
➢ The members, consisting of parents and their still dependent
children
2 kinds of nuclear family:
A. The Family of Orientation
➢ Family into which one is born, and where one is reared or
socialized. It consists of a father, a mother, and brothers and
sisters. (Murdock, 1949)
B. The Family of Procreation
➢ Family established by the person by his marriage and consists
of husband, wife, sons an ddaughters. (Murdock, 1949)
Main points of interaction in the family
❖ Husband- Wife relation
• Conjugal bond - the internal sense of obligation and privilege,
respect, affection, or sexual attraction existing in he mind and
heart of each spouse.
• Social pressure - the community expects the husband and wife
to be loving and faithful to watch other an dto have a lasting
and permanent marriage.
• Economic cooperation - the husband is the main breadwinner
while the wife makes care primarily of the domestic needs of the
family.
• Parent child relation - very strong filial bond between parents
and children
✓ Parent - loving, caring, and protective for their children,; work
hard and even plunge into debt to provide needs of their
children; and aspires great for their children's future etc.
✓ Children - love, respect, and obey their parents
• Sibiling's relation - mutual love, protection, and respect
✓ Brothers - are expected to look after their sisters and protect
them from harm
✓ Older siblings - are given the responsibility to take care of the
younger ones especially when the parents are away
✓ Younger siblings - are turn to obey their elders and look up to
them with respect.
107
2. Extended family
➢ Includes three generations family centered, live together as a
group, and through its kinship network provides supportive functions
to all members.
➢ Composed of two or more nuclear families economically and
socially related to each other.
2 kinds of family structure: (Linton as cited by Murdock, 1939)
A. Conjugal family
➢ Considers spouses and their offsprings as of prime importance
and which has a fringe of comparatively unimportant
relatives.
➢ Marriage bond is emphasized.
B. Consanguineal family
➢ Considers the nucleus of blood relatives as more important
than the spouses. The relationships of the person with the
blood kin formed during childhood is emphasized.
3. Single-parent family
➢ Children 17 years old or younger living in a family with single parent,
another relative or non-relative.
4. Blended family
➢ includes step-parents and stepchildren, separation,
divorce/annulment, and remarriage may cause it.
108
3. Bilocal residence - gives the couple a choice of staying with either the
groom's parents or the bride's parents, depending on certain factors
like the relative wealth of the families, or their status, and wishes of the
parents, or the certain personal preferences of the bride and the
groom.
4. Neolocal residence - permits the newly married couple to reside
independently of the parents of either groom or bride.
5. Avuncolocal residence - prescribes that the newly married couple
resides or near the maternal uncle of the groom; this type of residence
is very rare.
o Biologic
✓ Reproduction
✓ Care and rearing fo children
✓ Nutrition
✓ Health maintenance
✓ recreation
o Economic - provide adequate financial resources; determine
allocation of resources; and, ensure financial security of members
o Education - teach skills, attitudes and knowledge relating to other
functions
o Psychological/Affection - promote the natural development of
personalities; offer optimum psychological function; promote ability to
form relationships with people outside the family circle
o Sociocultural - socialization of children; and, promotion of social status
and legitimacy.
109
IV. THE GROUP: STRUCTURES, TYPES, DYNAMICS, PROCESSES, AND
FUNCTIONS
WHAT IS A GROUP?
WHAT IS AN AGGREGATE?
CLASSIFICATION OF GROUP
Are those that come together Are those that come together
because of some outside spontaneously on the basis of
influence or intervention natural events interpersonal
attraction or mutually
perceived needs or members
110
• A definable membership
• Group consciousness or conscious identification with each other
• Independence in satisfaction of needs
• Interaction
• Ability to act in a unitary manner
REASONS FOR USING GROUP MODE OF SERVICE
USES OF GROUPS
111
f. Many individuals have similar problems that are best handled with the
group properly, which can hasten decision-making on the part of its
members.
g. For certain purposes, it is more economical to work with groups than
individuals
PROPERTIES OF GROUP
112
2. SPONTANEOUS FORMATION GROUPS - Many groups arise because
people expect to derive satisfaction from associating together e.g.
social clubs, juvenile gangs, friendship and cliques.
3. EXTERNALLY DESIGNATED GROUPS - A collection of individuals may
become a group because they are treated in a homogenous way by
other people. Usually, people place into categories.
GROUP STRUCTURE
113
1. Reward Power - "rewards" - promotion, praise, etc.; group
members will usually like those with high reward power
2. Coercive power - "coercion" - a member can inflict adverse
or negative effects/remove positive consequences in
response to someone's behavior
3. Legitimate Power - "legitimate"; already given through
authority or position; can be based on age, intelligence,
physical characteristics, officership, legitimizing agent e.g.,
election process
4. Referent power - being "referred"; result of being well-liked
and respected.
5. Expert power - "expertise"; someone who has expertise/skill
that can be trusted
E. Leadership
➢ the ability to influence other people in some way
➢ Major theories in leadership
1. Position theory
✓ leader is in the topmost position and all others below are
lesser leaders
✓ Position is given through appointment, designation,
election, taking control, or manipulating situations
✓ The leader has a particular position in the organization
2. Trait Theory
✓ Leaders have personal traits or characteristics that make
them different from other people
✓ Leaders tend to be more dominant, introverted, more
masculine, have greater interpersonal sensitivity than
followers
3. Style Theory
➢ Leadership styles:
• Authoritarian - leaders have absolute power
• Democratic - weeks maximum involvement and
participation from members in decision-making and
problem-solving
• Laissez-faire - minimum input or participation from the
leader
4. Situatioal Theory
✓ "situation"; leadership is a result of a situation rather than
what he or she does.
✓ e.g., one who is neutral about an issue will be the leader
because he or she has clear mind
114
5. Functional Leadership Theory
✓ Any member can be a leader by taking actions that serve
the group goals
F. Role Structure
➢ Role refers to the socially-recognized pattern of expectations of
behavior on the part of a certain position of a person
➢ e.g., father, student, citizen, husband, lawyer
➢ Two leadership roles:
1. Task-specialist - provides best ideas and does the most to
guide discussions
2. Social emotional/group maintenance specialist - main
concern is group harmony and resolving tensions and conflict
within the group
G. Group norms
➢ Norms are rules and standards of behavior that emergres in a
group. Norms tells us how members control each other, which
behaviors are allowed and which are not.
➢ Different kinds of norms:
1. Written rules - norms that are codified e.g., Professional Code
of Ethics
2. Explicitly-stated norms - norms stated verbally or easily
recognized by members e.g., rules and regulations
3. Non-explicit or informal norms - neither stated nor written but
understood by the members e.g., chairman sitting in the head
of the table
4. Norms beyond awareness - norms created by osmosis e.g.,
greeting when one enters the office
H. Status
➢ Refers to one's rank or standing in the group
➢ To maintain criteria for the judgment of persons or positions,
thereby making social reward seem just
Group work process - the steps involved when a social worker works with a
group in order to help with some concern for problem affecting the group's
social functioning
115
Forces generated by the relationship between people and their interactions
in the group:
116
Comparison level Personal
consequences
Expectations:
NON-FUNCTIONAL ROLES
117
❖ Elaborating - Building on a previous comment, enlarging on it, giving
example.
❖ Coordinating - Showing or clarifying the relationship among various
ideas, trying to pull ideas and suggestions together
❖ Initiating - Suggestion new ideas or a changed way of looking at the
group problem or goal, proposing new activities.
❖ Information-Seeking - Asking for relevant facts or authoritative
information orrelating personal experience pertinently to the group
task.
❖ Information-Giving - Providing relevant facts or authoritative
information or relating personal experience pertinent to group task.
OTHER GROUPS
118
❖ Treatment groups: Support, Education, Growth, Therapy, and
Socialization.
❖ Task groups (Activity Group) - Formed and maintained so that specific
activities of job can be accomplished.
❖ Reference Group - Applies to the group against which an individual
evaluates his or own situation of conduct.
❖ Personal Groups - Come together spontaneously on the basis of
naturally occurring events, interpersonal attraction and, or mutually
perceived needs of members.
❖ In-Groups - Individual identifies himself by virtue of his awareness of
likeness. It embodies the pronoun "we".
❖ Social Groups - Comprised of two or more members who identify and
interact with one another on a personal basis as individuals; an
exclusive self-organizing.
❖ Primary Group - Closeness or physical proximity, smallness, durability.
identity of ends, relationship is an end itself, relationship is personal and
intimate.
❖ Secondary Group - Large in size, formality, impersonality, indirect
cooperation, voluntary membership
119
IV. THE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION: STRUCTURES, TYPES, DYNAMIC, PROCESSES,
AND FUNCTIONS
Organizations are social entities that are goal-directed, are designed as
deliberately structured and coordinated activity systems, and are linked to
the external environment. (Daft, 2007)
Four Elements:
• Social Entities
• Goal-Directed
• Deliberately structured and coordinated systems
• Linkage to the external environment
ORGANIZATIONAL THEORIES
MANAGEMENT
120
THE MANAGEMENT THEORIES
3 School of Thoughts:
121
Highlights: Healthy people go through the process of maturation.
g. The Modern View
The General Systems Theory - C. West Churchman
Highlights: Each person in the system is related to at least some
others in system.
Intersectionality is a way of understanding social relations by examining
intersecting forms of discrimination this means acknowledging that social
systems are complicated and that many forms of oppression like racism
sexism and ageism might be present and active at the same time in a
person's life everyday approaches to building equality tend to focus on one
type of discrimination for instance sexism and then work to address only that
specific concern but while the career of a young white and able-bodied
woman might improve with gender equality protections an older black
disabled lesbian may continue to be hampered by racism ageism ableism
and homophobia in the workplace.
122
➢ A multitude of systems many of which were influenced by their vertical
relationship than by their horizontal relationships. - Roland Warren
CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNITIES:
GEMEINSCHAFT GESELLSCHAFT
• Agricultural
• Forests
• Grasslands
• Freshwater
• Mangroves
• Coastal
• Urban
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
Community organizing work is a very important field of social work practice in
the Philippines. The interest in it was spurred greatly by the developmental
123
thrust in social welfare that was advocated in the sixties and the declaration
of Martial Law in theseventies. These events made many social workers realize
the need to shift emphasis from the one-to-one or small group mode of
helping people to a more mass-oriented, community-based practice in order
to reach a greater number of needy and disadvantaged people in society.
DEFINING ORGANIZATION
124
3) Empowerment Perspective - The term suggests a process of transition
from a disempowered status to an empowered stage on the part of
the client or the target population.
125
group of agencies, public or private in collaborative effortswith the
community.
3. Social Action - This approach presupposes a disadvantaged segment
of the population that needs to be organized, perhaps in alliance with
others in order to make adequate demands on the larger community
for increased resources or treatment more in accordance with social
justice or democracy. (Saul D. Alinsky & Paulo Freire - consciousness-
raising)
126
SOCIAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES
SOCIAL CHANGE
127
2. The structure of the international system in the late twentieth century
3. The influence and in some instances, domination of western norms and
institutions in development concepts and policies
4. The political control of development
PERSPECTIVES ON DEVELOPMENT
128
Indicators of Development
129
Philippine Human Development Reports measures these dimensions
across provinces.
➢ serve as measure of how well a country has performed, not only in
terms of real income growth, but also in terms of social indicators of
people's ability to lead a long and healthy life, to acquire
knowledge and skills, and to have access to the resources needed
to afford a decent standard of living. Outcomes are measured
through 3 Components:
✓ state of health - State of health is reflected in the life expectancy
indicator.Life expectancy measures the number of years an
infant isexpected to live when born in a given year. lt
bestrepresents and ultimately reflects information on
physicalsafety, nutritional levels, efficacy of health
interventions,and other health indicators.
✓ level of knowledge and skill - Knowledge and the understanding
of one's natural, social and cultural environment greatly
increases the achievements that people can attain. Adult
literacy rate and enrollment ratios are the indicators used to
measure knowledge. Adult literacy rate shows the proportion of
the population who have basic reading and writing skills.
Enrollment ratios show the proportion of the population who are
receiving formal education at primary, secondary and tertiary
levels.
✓ level of real income - Livelihood and income provides for basic
expenditures and can be used for further improvement in human
capabilities. It also reflects the extent to which people are
productive contributors to societal development. To estimate
income levels, gross national product (GNP) per capita is used.
GNP measures the value of goods and services produced by a
group of people within a year. The total value is divided by
population size to arrive at average income.
4. Demographic indicators
➢ Birthrate - number of live birth per thousand of population per year
➢ Mortality rate - a measure in the number of deaths in a particular
population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time.
➢ Morbidity rate - the rate at which a disease or illness occurs in a
population and can be used it determine health of a population
and its healthcare needs.
➢ Life expectancy - number of years a person can expect to live
130
Important attributes of life:
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Old New
Problem-based Strengths-based
Support Growth
131
Entitlement Empowerment
Dependency Enterprise
Subsistence Asset-building
1. Human dignity
➢ Core value which serves as the foundation for development
➢ It is a principle which recognizes the humanness of man; that man is
endowed with rights and has certain humarn faculties to perfect or
maximize.
2. Popular Participation
➢ A principle which means that people or the recipients of
development initiatives should not be treated simply as receivers or
beneficiaries of development rather they should be involved in the
process of planning and implementing programs. They should
always be involved and consulted on matters affecting their
welfare.
3. Empowerment
➢ Development should provide opportunities for people to know and
analyze their own community problems and meet their own needs
with less assistance from others. It should provide skills to encourage
people to become more self-reliant.
4. Common good
➢ Development should be for the welfare of the majority and not
simply of the few or the powerful.
5. Social Justice
➢ Development should provide for the equitable distribution of wealth,
power and opportunities among families, groups, communities, and
nations. Those who have more should provide opportunities for
those who have less in life.
6. Sustainability (Intergenerational Equity)
➢ Development should not only look at the needs of the present
generation but also that of the next generation. It should meet
people's needs not only on a short-term basis, but should meet
lasting or long term needs.
132
7. Social Responsibility
➢ A principle which means that everyone is a steward of society.
everyone should be involved in addressing social issues and
problems. It emphasizes the social dimension of development and
addressing social problems. Everyone is co-responsible for the
welfare of society.
A. Sustenance
B. Self-esteem
C. Freedom
D. Economic sectors
There are 5 types of economic sectors:
• Primary - focuses on the extraction of natural resources from the
earth. e.g., agriculture and mining
• Secondary - focuses on manufacturing the natural resources
extracted by the primary sector to create new products e.g.,
automobile production
• Tertiary - this sector provides services to the consumers e.g., lawyer,
doctors, salesperson
• Quaternary - teh activities in this sector are focused on acquiring,
processing, and sharing information or knowledge. e.g., teachers,
researchers
• Quinary - this sector's role is to make decisions e.g., president
a. Evolutionary Perspective
➢ Most evolutionary theories of social change have adapted the
approach of identifying a succession of stages through which
human societies have progressed, from the supposedly relatively
simple patterns of our remote ancestors to the complexity an
diversity of the present way (Noble, 2000).
➢ August Comte
- conceptualized that there are three stages of social evolution which relate
both to the development of human thought from primitive superstition to
modern scientific reason, and to the changing order which the evolution of
consciousness give rise to (Noble, 2000).
133
Stages of Dominant mode of Dominant social
development thought groups
B. Structural Functionalist
➢ Society is stable, orderly system characterized by societal
consensus, whereby the majority of members show a common set
of values, beliefs, and behavioral expectations.
❖ Talcott Parsons
➢ The character of social system is determined by five pattern
variables:
a. particularism vs. universalism;
b. ascription vs. achievement;
c. affectivity vs. affective neutrality;
d. collective orientation vs. self-orientation;
e. diffuseness vs. Specificity
(Noble, 2000; Peet & Hartwick, 2009)
➢ Parsons argued that four functions are imperatives i.e., they are
necessary for or characterized by all systems. If they are to survive,
all systems must engage in four sets of activities aimed at meeting
their needs:
1. Adaptation (A) or the need for a system to adjust to its
environment and adjust the environment to its needs;
2. Goal attainment (G) or the need for a system to define and
achieve its primary goals;
3. Integration (I) or the need for a system to regullate the
interrelationship of its component parts;
4. Latency or pattern maintenance (L) Or the need for a system to
furnish, maintain, and renew the cultural patterns that create
and sustain individual motivation
(Ritzer, 2007).
134
C. Marxist Perspective
➢ Utilizing historical materialism, Marx postulated that every society,
whatever its stage of historical development, rests, on an economic
foundation- the mode of production which has two elements:
a. Forces of production - physical or technological arrangements of
economic activity
b. Social relations of production - the pattern of organization,
management and exploitation by those who own the means of
production of those who work creates the product
(Vago), 1996; Noble, 2000).
➢ The successive stages in the development of history are
characterized by the type of economic production:
• Tribal ownership, a type of primitive communism
• Ancient or slave mode of production
• Feudal mode of production
• Capitalism
• Communism
➢ For Marx, the mode of production is the substructure upon which
the rest of society the superstructure, is built. Social institutions such
as the government, education, and religion are dependent on the
mode of economic production in a given society (Vago, 1996).
➢ As Marx (1859) said: In the social production of their life, men
inevitably enter definite relations, which are independent of their
will, namely relations or production which orresponds to a definite
stage of development of their material productive forces. The sum
total of these relations of production constitutes the economic
structure of society. The real foundation on which raises a legal and
political Superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of
social consciousness. The mode of production of material life
conditions the social, political and intellectual life process in
general. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their
existence, but their social existence, determines their consciousness.
D. Dependency Theory
❖ Andre Gunder Frank
➢ Contemporary underdevelopment is in large part the historical
product of past and continuing economic and other relations
between the satellite underdeveloped and the now developed
metropolitan Countries (Frank, 1966)
➢ Noble (2000) summarizes the key points in Frank's dependency
theory:
135
✓ Economic neo-colonialism was responsible for perpetuating
underdevelopment of the poorer countries in the interests of
the capitalist powers.
✓ The basic structural feature of the capitalist system is the
division between the economies of the metropolitan core
and their satellites at the periphery.
✓ This pattern of metropole and satellite is repeated within each
society, with the metropolitan centers directing and exploiting
the satellite regional economies; and again, within each
region in turn, local metropoles surrounded by their satellite
local economies
✓ The concentration of capital at the core and the process of
expropriation of any economic surplus from the producers,
and its approbation by the owners of the capital,
systematically sip off resources from the peripheral regions.
E. Neoliberalism
➢ As Shah (2007) states, neoliberalism, in theory, is essemuaiy about
making trade between nations easier; it is about freer movement of
goods, resources and enterprises in a bid to always find cheaper
resources, to maximize profits and efficiency. To help accomplish
this, neoliberalism requires the removal or various controls deemed
as barriers to free trade, such as: tariffs, regulations, certain
standards, laws, legislation and regulatory measures; restrictions on
capital flows and investments.
➢ The main points of neoliberalism include:
1. The rule of the market (liberating "free" enterprise or private
enterprise from any bonds imposed by the government)
2. Cutting public expenditure for social services (and reducing the
social safety net): Deregulation (reducing government regulation
of everything that could diminish profits)
3. Privatization (selling state-owned enterprise, goods and services
to private investors)
4. Eliminating the concept ofthe public good" or" "community" and
replacing it with "individual responsibility (pressuring the poorest
people in the society to find solutions to their lack of health care,
education and social security all by themselves- then blame
them if they fail, as "lazy")
136
F. Post-Modernism
Fook (2002) explains:
➢ Postmodernism, in its simplest sense, involves a critique of totalizing
theories and the structures, boundaries and hierarchies which
maintain and enact them.
➢ Postmodernism acknowledges the existence of diverse and multiple
frameworks of discourses.
➢ Our meaning (and therefore our reality) is constructed out of the
language of our (multiple) discourses about it. In this way, there is no
one universal truth or reality, but instead "reality" is constructed out
of a multiplicity of diverse and fragmented stories.
➢ The grand narratives like Science and Reason, which sought to
provide a universal explanation and basis for human action and
inquiry, are now deconstructed and seen to be a mass of
conflicting ways of making sense of different experiences from
different perspectives.
G. Theory of Dualism
➢ Disarticulated development due to lack of integration between
traditional and modern sectors of the economy
Wny is Big Push theory not applicable in third-world countries like the
Philippines ?
✓ Lack of resources to use - a big push strategy requires a huge
number of resources for a country to invest to attain development,
but third-world countries may have limitations in terms of Resources
and capacities.
✓ Heterogeneity of economic conditions - different regions in third-
world countries have different levels of economic conditions. This
137
strategy may be applicable to urban areas but may not to rural
areas.
✓ Poltcal lnstability - Third-world countries have various political issues,
and it may hinder or block the execution of a big push strategy.
✓ Concern of Sustainability - The execution of a big push strategy in
third-world Countries may only be applicable during the early
period but not in the long run due to limited resources.
2. Rights-based Approach
➢ Originated from international human rights standards and
operationally directed to promoting and protecting human
rights. This approach seeks to analyze obligations, inequalities,
and vulnerabilities, and to tackle discriminatory practices and
unjust distributions of power that impede and undercut human
rights.
➢ This framework helps to promote sustainablity, empowering
people themselves (rights holders) especially the most
marginalized to participate in policy formulation and hold.
accountable those who have a duty to act (duty bearers).
o Duty Bearers - refers to the non-state or state actors who have
the responsibility to promote, uphold, protect, and fulfill the
human rights of rights holders.
o Rights Holders - are individuals who have human rights and
entitled to be protected from any abuse to their rights.
138
➢ RBA has 5 principles which are known as PANEL:
✓ Participation - evervone has the right to participate in the
decision making process.
✓ Accountability - duty bearers have the responsibility and are
accountable to ensure the protection and fulfllment of the
human rights of rights holders.
✓ Non-discrimination and equality - all individuals are entiled to
their rights without discrimination of any kind.
✓ Empowerment - everyone is entitled to claim and exercise
their rights
✓ Legality - the approach should have a legal basis.
139
wealth in the country would serve to increase the economic
facilities for the people.
c. Social opportunities deal with the establishments that provide
benefits like healthcare or education for the populace allowing
individuals to live better lives.
d. Transparency guarantees allow individuals to interact with some
degree or trust and knowledge of the interaction.
e. Protective security is the system of social safety nets that prevent
a group affected by povety from being subjected to terrible
misery.
5. Sustainable Development
➢ It Is a muitidisciplinary perspective pursuing both the development
of the human person and society but also preserving the natural
environment for future generations. A long range perspective in
social development is yo look into the effect of development
approaches on the environment and consequently on future
generations.
➢ Different areas of focus of sustainable development:
A. Culturally sustainable
B. Politically sustainable
C. Ecoomically sustainable
D. Manageably sustainable
E. Environmentally sustainable
6. Gender and Development
➢ Development perspective and process that are participatory and
empowering, equitable, sustainable, free from violence, respectful
of human rights, supportive of self-determination and actualization
of human potentials; asserts that women are active agents of
development. (Magna Carta of Women of the Philippines)
➢ Key concepts in GAD:
• Gender - Society or culture prescribes as proper, roles, behavior
personal identities and relationships
• Gender roles - Vary among societies. which in societies and
ourselves they are not bound to either men or women.
• Sex - As an analytical category, sex distinguishes males and
females, exclusively by biological characteristics
• Gender Equality implies that both men and women enjoy equal
power and opportunities in areas such as financial
independence, education, and personal development.
140
• Women's empowerment plays a crucial role in achieving gender
equality, encompassing aspects ike enhancing a woman's self-
esteem, declsion-making authority, access to resources, control
over her life, and the ablity to instigate change.
• Gender Equity on the other hand, pertains to fair treatment
based on the distinct needs of men and women. This may
involve equal treatment or different but equivalent treatment in
terms of rights, benefits, responsibilities, and opportunities.
• Intersectionality, an approach introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw
and essential to women, gender, and sexuality studies, is an
analytical approach that examines how various factors uch as
race, class, gender, sexuality, age, and ability intersect and
mutually shape an individual's identity. It recognizes that people
simultaneously experience and navigate multiple aspects of
identity, and the meanings of these aspects are interconnected.
• Gender Mainstreaming - Strategy for making women's and men's
concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and
programs in all political, economic, societal spheres so that men
and women benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated.
7. Feminist Perspective
➢ Lengermann and Niebrugge (2007) explain the varieties of feminist
theory:
o Feminist theory is a generalized, wide-ranging system of ideas
about social life and numan experience developed from a
woman-centered perspective.
o Gender is understood as the socially constructed patterning of
masculinity and femininity and of the relationships between men
and woman
o One type of feminist theory that focuses on gender difference is
cultural feminism which extols the positive aspects of what is seen
as the female character or feminine personality. Explanatory
theories locate the source of gender differences in biology,
institutional roles, socialization, and social interaction
o Another type of feminist theory focuses On gender inequality.
Associated with this is liberal feminism which argues that woman
may claim equally with men on the basis of an essential human
capacity for reasoned moral agency, that gender inequality is
the result of a sexist patterning of the division of labor, and that
141
gender equality can be produced by transforming the division of
labor through the re-patterning of key institutions such as law,
work, family, education, and media
o Another typeof feminist theory focuses on gender oppression.
Theories of gender oppression describe women's situation as the
consequence of a direct power relationship between men and
women in which men have fundamental and concrete interest
in controlling, using, subjugating, and oppressing women.
Associated with this variety is radical feminism which is based on
the belief that women are of absolute positive value as women,
a belief asserted against what they claim to be the universal
devaluing of women, and that women are everywhere
oppressed by the system of patriarchy.
o Still another type focuses on structural oppression. Structural
oppression recognize that women's experience of difference,
inequality, and oppression varies by their social location within
capitalism, patriarchy, and racism. Oppression results from the
fact that some groups of people derive direct benefits from
controlling, using, subjugating, and oppressing other groups of
peeople. Associated with this type is socialist feminism which
seeks to bring together Marxian and radical feminist thought.
8. Social Movements
➢ Social movements are purposeful, organized groups striving to work
toward a common goal.
➢ These groups might be attempting to create change to resist
change (anti-globalization movement), or to provide
disenfranchised (civil rights movements).
➢ Life cycle/Stages of social movements: Blumer (1969) and Tilly (1978)
a. Emergence - Preliminary stage: people become aware of an
issue and leaders emerge.
b. Coalescence: when people join and organize in awareness.
c. Institutionalization/Bureaucratization: the movement no longer
requires grassroots volunteerism: it is an established organization,
typicaly populated with a paid staff
d. Decline can occur in five ways:
✓ Repression: authorities, or agents acting on behalf of the
authorities, use measure (sometimes violent) to control or
destroy a social movement.
142
✓ Co-optation: highly dependent on centralized authority or on
charismatic leadership, through co-optation
✓ Success
✓ Failure
✓ Establishment within the mainstream.
➢ Types of movements:
a. Reform movements - seek to change something specific about
the social structure
b. Revolutionary movements - seek to completely change every
aspect of society
c. Redemptive movements - "meaning seeking," and their goal are
to provoke inner change or spiritual growth in individuals.
Organizations pushing these movements might include
Alcoholics Anonymous, New Age, or Christian fundamentalist
groups.
d. Alternative movement- are focused on self-improvement and
limited, specific changes to individual beliefs and behaviour.
These include groups like the Slow Food movement, Planned
Parenthood. and barefoot jogging advocates.
e. Resistance movements- seek to prevent or undo change to the
social structure.
143
Social Welfare
Policies,
Programs and
Services
144
SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND SERVICES
145
- Bivariate conveys the relationship or lack of thereof between two
variables. Two variables are related (associated) when the values of
one variable vary, differ, or change according to those of the other.
- Univariate involves three or more variables at a time. It often concerns
whether one variable actually affects (i.e., causes) another. There is
a causal relationship.
❖ Levels of Measurement:
- Nominal Level of Measurement involves data that consist of names,
labels, or categories only. The data cannot be arranged which is
better. Categorical variables. Communicates whether any two
individuals are the same or in different in terms of the variable being
measured. This is for qualitative only.
- Ordinal Level of Measurement is characterized by data that may be
arranged in some order, but difference between data values either
cannot be determined or are meaningless (provides information
about relative comparisons but the degrees of difference are not
available).
- Interval Level of Measurement involves data that may be arranged
in some order and meaningful amounts of differences between data
can be determined (Data may lack an inherent zero starting point,
and differences are meaningful but ratios are not). Precise
magnitude of the difference.
- Ratio Level of Measurement is a modification of the interval level in
which there is an inherent starting point (the starting point makes ratio
meaningful).
• SOCIAL STATISTICS
❖ Definition: Social statistics is a field that utilizes statistical methods to study
various aspects of human behavior, social structures, and societal
trends. It is a crucial tool for researchers and policymakers in
understanding and making decisions about social issues. These
observations can help our understanding of society. Social Statisticians
are concerned with such questions as:
- How are populations growing?
- Are wealthy people happier?
- Is society becoming more tolerant of diversity?
- How do people cope with financial hardship?
- Do people with higher qualifications earn more?
- Does volunteering increase your sense of wellbeing?
❖ Patterns and Relations: Statistical analysis techniques can be used to
explore patterns and underlying relationships in data sets, such as: in
relation to people’s responses to multiple questions in a survey; to take
account of aspects of people's circumstances such as the
146
unemployment rates of where they live; the educational standards of
the class and/or school they are studying in; to measure change through
longitudinal surveys where people are interviewed at different points
during their lives.
❖ Covariance-based Methods:
- Regression Analysis – a set of statistical methods used for the
estimation of relationships between a dependent variable and one
or more independent variables.
o Formula: 𝑌𝑖 = 𝑓(𝑋𝑖 , 𝛽) + 𝑒𝑖 , where 𝑌𝑖 is the dependent
variable, 𝑓 is the function, 𝑋𝑖 is the independent variables, 𝛽
is the unknown parameters, and 𝑒𝑖 is the error terms.
- Canonical Correlation – used to identify and measure the
associations among two sets of variables
o Formula: 𝑋 = (𝑥1 , … , 𝑥𝑛 )𝑇
- Causal Analysis – a process for identifying and addressing the causes
and effects of a challenge or problem.
- Factor Analysis – a sophisticated statistical method aimed at
reducing a large number of variables into a smaller set of factors.
o Formula: 𝑥𝑗 = 𝑎𝑗1 𝐹1 + 𝑎𝑗2 𝐹2 +. … … , 𝑎𝑗𝑚 𝐹𝑚 + 𝑒𝑗
- Linear Discriminant Analysis - an approach used in supervised
machine learning to solve multi-class classification problems.\
o Formula: 𝑍 = 𝛽1 𝑥1 + 𝛽2 𝑥2 +. … + 𝛽𝑑 𝑥𝑑
- Path Analysis – a precursor to and subset of structural equation
modeling, is a method to discern and assess the effects of a set of
variables acting on a specified outcome via multiple causal
pathways.
- Structural Equation Modeling – a statistical model that extends factor
analysis and multiple regression analysis and can be used to
understand and identify the putative causal associations between
latent and observed variables.
147
❖ Histogram – this closely resembles the bar chart with the basic difference
that a bar chart uses the class limits for the horizontal axis while the
histogram employs the class boundaries. Using the class boundaries
eliminates the spaces between rectangles, thus giving it a solid
appearance.
148
❖ Ogives – it represents a cumulative frequency distribution. It is
constructed by plotting class boundaries on the horizontal scale and the
cumulative frequency less than the upper-class boundaries in the
vertical scale.
❖ Pie Chart – a circle divided into pie-shaped sections, which look like slices
of a pizza.
149
• CENTRAL TENDENCY
❖ Mean, often called the average, of a numerical set of data, is simply the
sum of the data values divided by the number of values. This is also
referred to as the arithmetic mean. The mean is the balance point of a
distribution.
𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠
- Formula: 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 =
𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒𝑠
❖ Median is the number that falls in the middle position once the data has
been organized. Organized data means the numbers are arranged from
smallest to largest or from largest to smallest. The median for an odd
number of data values is the value that divides the data into two halves.
- Formula: If n represents the number of data values and n is an odd
𝑛+1
number, then the median will be found in the 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 = 2
❖ Mode of a set of data is simply the value that appears most frequently
in the set.
- Unimodal – if a data set has only one value that occurs most often.
- Bimodal – if a data set that has two values that occur with the same
greatest frequency.
- Multimodal – when a set of data has more than two values that occur
with the same greatest frequency.
150
❖ Interquartile range: The interquartile range is the range covered by the
middle 50% of the distribution.
- Formula: 𝑥 = 𝑄3 − 𝑄1, where 𝑥 is the interquartile range, 𝑄3 is the third
quartile (75%), and 𝑄1 is the first quartile (25%).
❖ Standard deviation: The standard deviation is the average amount of
variability in your dataset. It tells you, on average, how far each value
lies from the mean. A high standard deviation means that values are
generally far from the mean, while a low standard deviation indicates
that values are clustered close to the mean.
∑(𝑋− 𝜇)2
- Formula: 𝜎 = √ , where 𝜎 is the population standard deviation,
𝑁
∑ is the sum of…, 𝑋 is each value, 𝜇 is the population mean, and 𝑁 is
the number of values in the population.
❖ Variance: The variance is a measurement of the spread between
numbers in a data set.
∑(𝑥𝑖 −𝑥̅ )2
- Formula: 𝑠 2 = , where 𝑠 2 is the sample variance, 𝑥𝑖 is the value
𝑛−1
of the one observation, 𝑥̅ is the mean value of all observations, and
𝑛 is the number of observations.
• SAMPLING DISTRIBUTION
❖ Definition: Sampling distribution or finite-sample distribution is the
probability distribution of a given random-sample-based statistic.
𝜎
- Formula: 𝜎𝑥̅ = 𝑛
√
b. STATISTICAL MODELS
• ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA)
❖ Definition: ANOVA is a statistical test used to analyze the difference
between the means of more than two groups. A one-way ANOVA uses
one independent variable, while a two-way ANOVA uses two
independent variables.
𝑀𝑆𝑇
- Formula: = 𝑀𝑆𝐸 , where MST is the mean of the sum of the squares due
to treatment, and MSE is the mean of the sum of the squares due to
errors.
151
• CHI-SQUARED TEST
❖ Definition: Chi-squared test as a statistical hypothesis test used in the
analysis of contingency tables when the sample sizes are large.
(𝑂𝑖 −𝐸𝑖 )2
- Formula: 𝑥 2 = ∑ , where 𝑥 2 is the chi squared, 𝑂𝑖 is the observed
𝐸𝑖
value, and 𝐸𝑖 is the expected value.
• PROBABILITY THEORY
❖ Definitions:
- Probability theory, a branch of mathematics concerned with the
analysis of random phenomena. The outcome of a random event
cannot be determined before it occurs, but it may be any one of
several possible outcomes. The actual outcome is considered to be
determined by chance.
- The word probability has several meanings in ordinary conversation.
Two of these are particularly important for the development and
applications of the mathematical theory of probability. One is the
interpretation of probabilities as relative frequencies, for which simple
games involving coins, cards, dice, and roulette wheels provide
examples. The distinctive feature of games of chance is that the
outcome of a given trial cannot be predicted with certainty,
although the collective results of a large number of trials display some
regularity.
152
- Social work research may be defined as systematic investigation into
the problem in the field of social work. The study of concepts,
principles, theories underlying social work methods and skills are the
major areas of social work research. It involves the study of the
relationship of social workers with their clients; individuals, groups or
communities on various levels of interaction or therapy as well as their
natural relationships and functioning within the organizational
structure of social agencies.
153
statistical analysis techniques calculate the relationship between
them. This type of research requires two different groups.
- Diagnostic research: In diagnostic design, the researcher is looking to
evaluate the underlying cause of a specific topic or phenomenon.
This method helps one learn more about the factors that create
troublesome situations.
- Explanatory research: Explanatory design uses a researcher’s ideas
and thoughts on a subject to further explore their theories. The study
explains unexplored aspects of a subject and details the research
questions’ what, how, and why.
154
2020) and the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education
(GADE) have issued statements on antiracism in social work research
(Lee et al., 2020).
- Respect means that the autonomy, privacy, and self-determination
of those who participate in research must be safeguarded. Anyone
who is part of a study must consent to do so voluntarily and after
being fully informed of what will be required of them, including any
risks they might incur during the conduct of the study or from the
dissemination of its findings. Anonymity and confidentiality are not
the same, and risks to confidentiality must be addressed at all stages
of the research process from recruitment to measures taken to
safeguard research data once collected and the collection,
storage, and sharing of research data. Password-protected storage
and encryption of data are common measures used.
❖ Minimizing Risk
- Informed consent: Informed consent has two vital dimensions: that
research participation is voluntary, and that consent is given in full
knowledge about the nature of the study and of what will be required
of study participants. Models of consent forms can be obtained from
individual IRBs and from the website of the federal Office for Human
Research Protection (OHRP). The nature, probability, and likely
severity of any risks of research participation must be described in a
consent form. However, initial consent to participate leaves
participants free not to answer specific questions or take part in
specific procedures and to withdraw their consent at any point
during the conduct of the study—rights that must also be made clear.
- Confidentiality: Social workers know how to protect the
confidentiality of client information and therefore understand the
need for secure storage of research data. Identifiable data on
research participants, including signed consent forms and lists linking
names to research codes, must be securely stored separately from
the research data itself, which is identified only by a code number or
pseudonym. Data stored electronically must also be secure—that is,
password-protected and preferably encrypted. When and how data
will be destroyed must also be specified. Federally funded research
requires that data be made available to other scholars via research
repositories. De-identification of such data is therefore essential.
❖ Current Issues and Future Trends
- Qualitative methods: Qualitative researchers have been more ready
than others to consider power differentials in the relationships
between researchers and study participants addressing the
principles of justice and respect They also call for researcher
reflexivity, reciprocity, and participant empowerment and for
consideration of the implications of these factors for research ethics.
155
- Participatory action and community-engaged research: Social work
researchers concerned with the social justice aims of research are
embracing an investigational model, most commonly called
participatory action research (PAR) or community-based
participatory research (CBPR), that seeks maximal power-sharing
between researchers and those being studied, individually and
collectively. In these kinds of studies, procedures and findings are
generated collaboratively over the course of a study, making it
difficult to comply with what IRBs require in an application for
approval of a study, since sampling plans, data-gathering
procedures, data-analysis plans, and even the nature of anticipated
findings are not predetermined. IRBs themselves may not be well
prepared to review such studies (Tamariz et al., 2015). Articulating the
risks and benefits of these kinds of research and explicating how
protections can be offered using different procedures is essential
(Khanlou & Peter, 2005).
- Internet-based studies: Research using the World Wide Web is now
more common, and ethical issues in Internet research is an important
area of discussion (Vitak et al., 2016; Association of Internet
Researchers, 2019). Internet research can simply involve recruiting
participants for conventional forms of data gathering such as surveys.
Chat rooms and other Internet sites Williams et al. (2017) can be used
for participant recruitment or as the source of study data. Informed
consent can be compromised without face-to-face interaction, as
when children represent themselves as adults and parental consent
is therefore not obtained. Anonymity or privacy of data collected
may be compromised because IP addresses might be included,
although some software allows data files to be generated without
them. In addition, when there is no face-to-face interaction, it is
difficult to determine if a study has produced distress in a participant.
- Big Data research: Ethics in Big Data research are an area of
controversy (Metcalf & Crawford, 2016; Rothstein, 2015), especially
with regard to consent and the inferred identity of participants
(Froomkin, 2019). Risks to privacy and instances of harm to
participants have occurred in such studies. IRB review of the ethics of
such studies is recommended. Doing Internet-based research,
including Big Data research, requires staying current with emerging
best practices in the ethical conduct of such studies.
- Decolonizing social work research: One dimension of research ethics
involves assessment of the aims and methods of research. The
research methods and ethical standards for the conduct of research
that guides social work research in the United States and elsewhere
derive from Western European concepts of scholarship. These date
back to the Enlightenment period when the development of modern
156
science was deeply entwined with colonialism. Smith (2012) describes
the expropriation of indigenous knowledge and the usual lack of
engagement of indigenous people in the design of the research and
presents models for respectful and constructive engagement with
indigenous people and communities. In Canada, Inuit people have
provided input into national guidelines on research ethics describe
collaborative and nonexploitative ways to conduct research in
Native American communities.
157
premises. Then, by the use of logic, deduces natural laws from these
axiomatic truths.
❖ Scientific Method – empiricism and rationalism are the key cornerstones
of the scientific method. Scientists use reasoning (mostly deductive
reasoning) to provide a theoretical and empirical rationale for the
research, to develop hypotheses, and to determine the validity of the
results. And they make empirical observations under controlled
conditions and provide systematic documentation to reduce biases. This
provides objectivity to validate or refute the hypotheses. Thus, the
modern science stands tall on the two main pillars: rationalism and
empiricism.
158
be conducted to know the problems faced by professional social
workers in social work agencies and communities in its concern with
social work functions. Thus, social work research embraces the entire
gamut of social work profession; concepts, theories, methods, programs,
services and the problems faced by social workers in their practice.
❖ Categories: (1) Studies to establish, identify and measure the need for
services; (2) To measure the services offered as they relate to needs: (3)
To test, gauge and evaluate results of social work intervention; (4) To list
the efficacy of specific techniques of offering services; (5) Studies in
methodology of social work.
❖ Research areas: (1) Community Development and Scope; (2)
Community Health (Including Mental Health); (3) Child Welfare; (4)
Women Welfare; (5) Youth Welfare; (6) Aged Welfare; (7) Welfare of SC
& ST Groups; (8) Poverty Alleviation; (9) Physical and Mental Disabilities:
(10) Juvenile Delinquency; (11) Crime and Correction etc.; (12)
Management of Social Welfare Department and Organization: (13)
Disaster Management; (14) Industrial Social Work; (15) Issues concerning
Advocacy and Networking; and (16) Other social sciences areas where
issues and concerns are significant for the profession.
❖ Goals and Limitations: Social work research offers an opportunity for all
social workers to make differences in their practice. There is no doubt
about the fact that social worker will be more effective practitioner
guided by the findings of social work research. Thus, social work research
seeks to accomplish the same humanistic goals, as does a social work
method. Social work research deals with those methods and issues,
which are useful in evaluating social work programs and practices. It
explains the methodology of social research and illustrates its
applications in social work settings. A substantive part of social work
practice is concerned with the micro-level practice, such as working
with individuals, groups, or a community. Social work research has to
take into consideration the limitations of micro level design of study and
techniques.
159
observation. It can be said that an observation leads to research,
the results obtained from research result in final observations which
can play a crucial part in carrying out further research. Deliberate
and guided observations also play an important part in this
primary stage. This method is very simple and helps a great deal
in framing of the hypothesis as it is very accurate in nature but it
also has some major limitations like some of the occurrences may
not be open to the observation and the occurrences which may
be open for observation may not be studied conveniently.
o Interest - As studied in the above paragraph, research starts with
the observation and it leads to a curiosity to learn and gain more
and more about what has been observed. Hence it can be said
that observation results in the creation of an interest in the mind of
the researcher. The interest can be either academic in nature or
it may be a policy making interest. It may be a self-interest or a
group interest. Group interest is also referred to as the social
interest.
o Crystallization - It can be defined as the process involving the
designing of the definite form of research to be used in the study
of the subject matter that has been observed. During this stage,
the research project gets a concrete shape and structure.
o Formulating a research problem – a research problem can belong
to one of the following two categories – it can belong to the
category in which there can be relationships between various
variables or it may belong to the other category, which is based
on nature. In the beginning, it is important for a researcher to find
out the general interest or the subject matter, which he wants to
study. By this the researcher will be able to state a problem more
broadly and also in a much-generalized form then the ambiguities
linked to the problem can be referred and understood. This really
supports in the formulation of a problem of research. Although this
process is not that simple and requires many fruitful discussions in
order to achieve a proper conclusion or a decision.
o Primary Synopsis – Before starting with the actual study work, it is
very necessary for a researcher to prepare a summary or a plan
about the activities he has to perform in connection with research
operation. This will help him a lot to get a definite idea or an
understanding of what would be written in the final report.
o Conceptual Clarity – It is very much important for a researcher to
have in depth knowledge and understanding of the subject or the
topic he has to study as it helps a lot in achieving one’s goal and
objectives in a much easier and also a comparatively much
simpler way.
160
o Documentation – The documents help in providing important
information to a researcher, document is something in writing it
can be a record, files or diaries etc. may be published or
unpublished in nature. Documents can be extracted and can be
used in the research work.
- Secondary Stage, which includes:
o Research and Project Planning – Involves selection of the future
courses of action for conducting and directing a research project.
A research project plan gives a rational approach to research by
which one is able to decide in advance about what to do, how
to do, when to do, where to do and who is to do a particular task
in a specific activity.
o Research Project Formulation – After the planning of the project
has been done the researcher follows this with a practical
approach in order to carry out the project. This step of the
secondary stage involves the systematic setting forth of the total
research project, with an aim of conducting a systematic study.
o Data Collection – This step involves the in depth meaning for the
concepts that are to be investigated and looks forward to data
analysis, data requirement etc. Sources of understatement or
overstatement should be avoided and the data should be free
from any type of error. The data collection planning should be
done or implemented in a very careful manner, with the help of
specialist researchers. The data should be good and meaningful
in nature should not only be a collection of words but should
provide meaningful information.
o Classification and Tabulation – Classification can be defined as
the arrangement of the data into groups and classes depending
on the resemblance and the similarities. By classification, the data
can be condensed in a very elegant way by which the various
important features can be easily noticed i.e., one can easily
highlight the various salient features of the data at a glance.
Tabulation of the data can be defined as the orderly
arrangement of the data in columns and the rows this step also
helps a great deal in the condensation of the data and also in the
analysis of the relations, trends etc.
o Data Analysis – In this step, the collected data is arranged
according to some pattern or a particular format and this analysis
of the data is done mainly to provide the data with a meaning. It
is actually the computing of the some of the measures supported
by the search for the relationship patterns, existing among the
group of the data.
161
o Testing of Hypothesis – This step of testing acts as the back bone
of the data analysis. Various tests like “t” test, “z” test. Chi square
test are used by the statisticians for the testing of the hypothesis.
o Interpretation of Results – It is very important that the results are
interpreted into action recommendations and the results should
be able to refer to a decision i.e., should help in drawing a
conclusion.
- Final Stage, which includes:
o Conclusions and Recommendations – This act as the crux of the
research project work. Recommendations are based on the
conclusions obtained and further these conclusions are based on
the interpretation of the results of data analysis. But a major point
to be kept in mind here is that all these conclusions and the
recommendations should be linked to the research hypothesis
stated.
o Report Writing – For the researcher as well as the reader, report
writing is very crucial as it acts as the best way for communication
between the two. Report written must be very simple in nature with
easy language, high clarity. Report writing cannot be done by
everyone and requires an especial skilled person for this purpose.
162
o Structured Interview: A formal set of questions posed to each
interviewee and recorded using a standardized procedure.
o Unstructured Interview: A less formal set of questions; the
interviewer modifies the sequence and wording of questions.
o Non-Directive Interview: An unguided interview, including open-
ended questions and use of spontaneous engagement.
o Focus Interview: An emphasis on the interviewees subjective and
personal responses where the interviewer engages to elicit more
information.
o Focus Group Interview: A group of selected participants are asked
about their opinion or perceptions concerning a particular topic.
- Observations (watching what people do) is a type of correlational
(non-experimental) method where researchers observe ongoing
behavior.
o Structured Observations: Research conducted at a specific place,
time, where participants are observed in a standardized
procedure. Rather than writing a detailed description of all
behaviors observed, researchers code observed behaviors
according to a previously agreed upon scale.
o Naturalistic Observation: The study the spontaneous behavior of
participants in natural surroundings. The researcher simply records
what they see in whatever way they see it.
o Participant Observation: A variation on natural observations
where the researcher joins in and becomes part of the group they
are studying to get a deeper insight into their lives.
- Surveys research encompasses any measurement procedures that
involve asking questions of respondents. The types of surveys can vary
on the span of time used to conduct the study. They can be
comprised of cross-sectional surveys and/or longitudinal surveys.
Types of questions asked in surveys include:
o Free-Answer: Also referred to as open-ended questions, these
include unrestricted, essay, or unguided questions.
o Guided Response Type: Recall-type questions asking the
participant to recall a set of categories. Multiple-choice or
multiple response questions.
• DATA COLLECTION
❖ Definition: Data collection is the process of collecting and evaluating
information or data from multiple sources to find answers to research
problems, answer questions, evaluate outcomes, and forecast trends
and probabilities. It is an essential phase in all types of research, analysis,
and decision-making, including that done in the social sciences,
business, and healthcare.
163
- Primary Data Collection. Primary data collection involves the
collection of original data directly from the source or through direct
interaction with the respondents. This method allows researchers to
obtain firsthand information specifically tailored to their research
objectives. There are various techniques for primary data collection,
including:
o Surveys and Questionnaires: Researchers design structured
questionnaires or surveys to collect data from individuals or
groups. These can be conducted through face-to-face interviews,
telephone calls, mail, or online platforms.
o Interviews: Interviews involve direct interaction between the
researcher and the respondent. They can be conducted in
person, over the phone, or through video conferencing. Interviews
can be structured (with predefined questions), semi-structured
(allowing flexibility), or unstructured (more conversational).
o Observations: Researchers observe and record behaviors,
actions, or events in their natural setting. This method is useful for
gathering data on human behavior, interactions, or phenomena
without direct intervention.
o Experiments: Experimental studies involve the manipulation of
variables to observe their impact on the outcome. Researchers
control the conditions and collect data to draw conclusions
about cause-and-effect relationships.
o Focus Groups: Focus groups bring together a small group of
individuals who discuss specific topics in a moderated setting. This
method helps in understanding opinions, perceptions, and
experiences shared by the participants.
- Secondary Data Collection. Secondary data collection involves using
existing data collected by someone else for a purpose different from
the original intent. Researchers analyze and interpret this data to
extract relevant information. Secondary data can be obtained from
various sources, including:
o Published Sources: Researchers refer to books, academic journals,
magazines, newspapers, government reports, and other
published materials that contain relevant data.
o Online Databases: Numerous online databases provide access to
a wide range of secondary data, such as research articles,
statistical information, economic data, and social surveys.
o Government and Institutional Records: Government agencies,
research institutions, and organizations often maintain databases
or records that can be used for research purposes.
o Publicly Available Data: Data shared by individuals, organizations,
or communities on public platforms, websites, or social media can
be accessed and utilized for research.
164
o Past Research Studies: Previous research studies and their findings
can serve as valuable secondary data sources. Researchers can
review and analyze the data to gain insights or build upon existing
knowledge.
- Tools
o Word Association. The researcher gives the respondent a set of
words and asks them what comes to mind when they hear each
word.
o Sentence Completion. Researchers use sentence completion to
understand what kind of ideas the respondent has. This tool
involves giving an incomplete sentence and seeing how the
interviewee finishes it.
o Role-Playing. Respondents are presented with an imaginary
situation and asked how they would act or react if it was real.
o In-Person Surveys. The researcher asks questions in person.
o Online/Web Surveys. These surveys are easy to accomplish, but
some users may be unwilling to answer truthfully, if at all.
o Mobile Surveys. These surveys take advantage of the increasing
proliferation of mobile technology. Mobile collection surveys rely
on mobile devices like tablets or smartphones to conduct surveys
via SMS or mobile apps.
o Phone Surveys. No researcher can call thousands of people at
once, so they need a third party to handle the chore. However,
many people have call screening and won’t answer.
o Observation. Sometimes, the simplest method is the best.
Researchers who make direct observations collect data quickly
and easily, with little intrusion or third-party bias. Naturally, it’s only
effective in small-scale situations.
• DATA TABULATION
❖ Definition: Tabulation passes on to the meticulous arrangement of the
information in to two forms (i.e., Column wise and row wise
preparations). These columns and rows are systematically put in an order
and are horizontally arranged. The records, facts of any data or statistics
are tabulated and are represented in rectangular formation with
appropriate headings to put together clearly all the information into
special columns and rows. The most important intention of the table is to
formulate simpler the figures / numbers and to facilitate comparisons.
❖ Core Objectives: (1) To bring out investigation and for evaluation of
data; (2) To find omissions and errors in the data; (3) To employ space
economically and learn the development trends and make things easier
to understand the statistical figures for future reference; and (4) To
165
facilitate the process of comparison, summarization and detections of
computational errors.
❖ Principles of Tabulation: (1) Tables should be comprehensible, concise
and adequately titled; (2) Each and every table should be distinctly
numbered for easy reference; (3) The heading in each and every
column and rows in a table should be very clear, specific or relevant and
brief; (4) Instructive footnotes should be placed at appropriate places in
a table with a suitable indications; (5) Source of information of data
should be clearly indicated; (6) The columns and rows should be clearly
separated with dark lines; (7) Differentiation should also be made
between data of one class and that of another; (8) Comparable data
should be presented side by side; (9) The figures in percentage should
be approximated before tabulation; (10) The alignment of the figures,
symbols etc. should be properly aligned and adequately spaced to
enhance the readability of the same; and (11) Abbreviations should be
avoided.
❖ Types of Tabulation:
o Simple Tabulation – The statistics are tabulated to one distinctive
format.
o Double Tabulation – Two exclusive or different data are tabulated.
o Complex Tabulation – Complex tabulation of figures includes extra
data than two characteristics.
• DATA ANALYSIS
❖ Definition: Data analysis is a critical step in the social work research
process. It is the process of making sense of the data that has been
collected and using it to answer the research questions that were posed.
❖ Steps in Data Analysis:
o Planning: (1) Determine the type of data analysis that will be used.
Select the appropriate statistical methods; and (2) Prepare the
data for analysis.
o Data exploration: (1) Review the data to get a sense of its overall
characteristics; and (2) Identify any potential problems with the
data.
o Data analysis: (1) Apply the statistical methods to the data; and
(2) Interpret the results of the analysis.
o Reporting: (1) Communicate the results of the analysis to others.
166
data on vulnerable and marginalized groups, and they are essential
to design sampling frames for other population surveys. In many
countries, census data are the only option for indicators that call for
disaggregation by migration status, disability and race/ethnicity, as
many surveys do not cover representative samples of these
population groups. Census data can also be a useful source of
information on specific groups of women and girls, such as older
women, who are often left out in standardized household surveys. As
census data cover nearly every person in a country, they can be
used to generate estimates disaggregated at multiple levels
simultaneously (e.g., estimates for rural women of a certain ethnicity
who live in a specific location and have a disability) without running
into sample size concerns. It is important to keep in mind, however,
that census questions are often only asked to household heads –
typically males – and therefore census data is not suitable for the
calculation of some gender indicators, particularly those pertaining
to issues that males might not be knowledgeable about or willing to
talk about, such as reproductive health, violence, sexual orientation
of household members, etc. Many countries are increasingly
integrating questions on sexual orientation in their census
questionnaires. Although this is very pertinent information, data
collection exercises to date reflect significant underreporting of all
categories besides straight male / straight female. This might be a
result of the stigma associated with such categories in some
countries, as well as the fact that heads of household are the primary
respondents for census questionnaires, and they might not disclose
the sexual orientation of all household members. UNSD recommends
the following for the preparation of census manuals and training of
interviewers:
o Both women and men are selected as training instructors and
appear as trainers presented in the audio-visual materials;
o Gender-related measurement issues are reflected in the manual
through descriptive examples and illustrated sketches
o The language and all the examples given in the manual or during
training exercises are free of gender-based biases or other
stereotypes related to the characteristics measured;
o Training examples need to be reviewed so as not to foster gender-
based or other stereotypes related to the characteristics
measured; and
o Training provides guidelines regarding sex-selective
underreporting or misreporting.
- Administrative Records and Registries: Administrative records make
up the bulk of the data collection activities of many national
governments. These records and related documents contain a wide
167
range of data on demographic, social, economic, cultural and
environmental topics. Administrative records are compiled for
regulatory purposes or to support and document the administration
of various government programs, such as immigration regulations,
social security benefits, education and public health services. For the
generation of gender statistics, the most relevant administrative
records are civil registration and vital statistics. While these can be
cost-effective sources of data collection for variables such as births,
marriages, divorces, adoption, deaths and causes of deaths, the
quality of this data and coverage of population remains low in some
countries. From a gender perspective, women and girls face unique
barriers, including national laws that require the signature of a
husband or father on official registration documents; stigma
associated with registering teen births or single mothers; and barriers
linked to direct and indirect costs associated with registration, such
as fees, travel time and low levels of education/literacy. In addition,
it is important to note that religious or customary marriages, as well as
births from teen and unwed mothers, often remain unregistered. To
respond to the issues of gender bias in administrative records and
registration systems, the Centre of Excellence on Civil Registration
and Vital Statistics has proposed the following measures:
o Consistently registering sociodemographic characteristics of the
individual, including sex, place of residence, ethnicity, etc.
o Once registered, calculating vital registration-based statistics by
breaking down the estimates by sex, wealth, urban/rural, race,
ethnicity and other features that may result in social exclusion.
o Asking about marriage registration and certification in regular
household survey instruments.
o Identifying and combating social or cultural reasons for the
underregistration of women and girls’ deaths, as well as
recognizing and relying on women’s first-hand knowledge to more
accurately report on deaths and probable causes of death within
households.
o Encouraging the uptake of WHO’s verbal autopsy protocol for
asserting causes of death, with a special focus on better capturing
causes of maternal death.
- Household Surveys
o Household surveys are important sources of social statistics. They
provide data for a wide range of indicators, covering areas such
as population, labor, income, health and nutrition, violence and
safety, etc. Often, surveys are the best-suited data-collection
vehicle to generate information on sensitive issues, such as
violence against women, reproductive health, crime statistics and
governance issues. UNSD (2015) recommends a general model for
168
integrating a gender perspective into survey instruments and the
data collection process. Some of the recommendations are
provided below:
▪ Selecting Topics for Surveys: (1) To ensure the survey data is
widely used, it is important that it responds to the needs of
data users, including policymakers. Prior to designing survey
questionnaires, NSOs should assess the data needs in line
with country priorities as set out in National Development
Plans or Strategies. Priority development areas for the
country should help identify priority topics and related
indicators for data generation; (2) With extensive user-
producer dialogues between technical experts, data
analysts, policymakers, journalists, academics and
researchers, priority gender areas can be identified and
related data can eventually be produced and used.
▪ Questionnaire Design and Testing: (1) Two important issues
need to be taken into consideration for questionnaire
design: who will be the survey respondent, and how to
structure the information we wish to find out; (2)
Traditionally, heads of household – typically men – were
automatically designated as survey respondents. Although
this may provide accurate information for some questions,
heads of household may fail to provide accurate
information about intra-household inequalities, intimate
details, use of time, or feelings of different household
members. Therefore, it is important that both men and
women are interviewed to obtain an accurate picture; (3)
As questions about women should be asked to women
themselves directly, it is recommended that survey
questionnaires are split into groups of questions, each
addressed to a different respondent. For instance, questions
about the characteristics of the household may be asked
only to one household member, while questions about
individual income or feelings of safety should be asked to
women and men both, separately. (4) The language used
to formulate the questions and the order in which the
questions are posed will determine the quality of the
answers obtained. Therefore, it is important to ensure that
survey questions do not introduce any gender bias and that
the enumerators are adequately trained to ask the question
exactly as it appears in the questionnaire; (5) Coding
experts, field supervisors, data-processing staff and data
analysts, who may not necessarily have a background in
gender, must consult (and receive training from) subject
169
matter experts to gain knowledge on gender issues; and (6)
Gender bias should be avoided when drafting, posing the
questions and recording respondent’s answers.
▪ Manuals: (1) Manuals should include detailed explanations
of gender-related terms and concepts for interviewers and
supervisors; (2) Manuals should have detailed explanations
on questions that may lead to underreporting or sex-
selective underreporting (for example, domestic violence
or economic activity); (3) The manual’s language should be
free from gender-based bias; (4) The supporting examples
in the manuals should not reinforce gender stereotypes.
▪ Sampling: (1) Samples selected should be able to capture
a wide range of factors known to have distinct gender
patterns. For instance, the samples should cover all groups
and subgroups of population, different types of households,
agricultural holdings and economic units; and (2) Sample
designs should ensure sufficient statistics are produced for
groups of both women and men in sufficient detail. For
instance, sampling methods and size should allow for data
disaggregation at multiple levels.
▪ Selecting and training interviewers and supervisors: (1)
Interviewers need to be trained on how to handle the
interview when sensitive questions need to be asked. This is
especially relevant for violence-related questions,
reproductive health questions or in the case of women’s
earnings. For sensitive questions, the interviewer should
make sure no one else is around besides the respondent; (2)
For violence- and crime-related questions, specialized
training is necessary for enumerators. It is important to
allocate sufficient time to conduct this training (typically
each person trained should undergo training for one to two
months minimum); (3) Interviewers should be trained on how
to proceed in case multiple members of the household
need to be interviewed; and (4) The sex of the interviewer
does play a role in obtaining certain types of information
from the respondents. This is especially true for violence- or
reproductive-health-related questions. For instance,
women are more likely to disclose information on these
topics to women interviewers than men interviewers. Thus, it
is important to keep this in mind prior to hiring enumerators.
▪ Data coding and editing: (1) Pre-coded responses should
be used in questionnaires to facilitate consistency,
comparability and conceptual soundness of data; (2)
Gender specialists must be consulted when data is being
170
coded and edited. Additionally, when data is being
imputed, this consultation can prevent assumptions based
on gender stereotypes.
▪ Research Questions: As a first step, it is important to identify
research questions that specifically refer to inequalities
between women and men in all aspects of life, as well as
issues that pertain specifically to women or to men only.
Such research questions should be in line with information
needs required to design, implement and monitor public
policies. In addition, questions can also arise from
anecdotal or qualitative evidence of existing inequalities
that need to be proven through the production of official
statistics. The use of internationally agreed indicators to
generate estimates that respond to these questions might
facilitate the process of data collection, analysis and
estimation, as international guidance and methodology is
widely available online.
❖ Gender terms and definitions:
- Gender – Social attributes and opportunities associated with being
female and male and to the relationships between women and men
and girls and boys, as well as to the relations between women and
those between men. These attributes, opportunities and relationships
are socially constructed and are learnt through socialization
processes. They are context- and time-specific, and changeable.
Gender determines what is expected, allowed and valued in a
woman or a man in a given context. In most societies, there are
differences and inequalities between women and men in
responsibilities assigned, activities undertaken, access to and control
over resources, and decision-making opportunities. Gender is part of
the broader sociocultural context.
- Gender equality – Equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of
women and men and girls and boys. Equality does not mean that
women and men will become the same, but that women’s and
men’s rights, responsibilities and opportunities will not depend on
whether they are born female or male. Gender equality implies that
the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken
into consideration, thereby recognizing the diversity of different
groups of women and men. Gender equality is not a women’s issue,
but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality
between women and men is seen both as a human rights issue and
as a precondition for, and indicator of, sustainable people-centered
development.
- Gender equity – Provision of fairness and justice in the distribution of
benefits and responsibilities between women and men.
171
- Gender mainstreaming – Systematic consideration of the differences
between the conditions, situations and needs of women and men in
all policies and actions.
- Equal opportunities for men and women – Absence of barriers to
economic, political and social participation on grounds of sex and
gender.
- Equal treatment of men and women – A state of no direct or indirect
discrimination based on sex and gender, including less favorable
treatment for reasons of pregnancy and maternity.
- Diversity – Differences in the values, attitudes, cultural perspectives,
beliefs, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, skills,
knowledge and life experiences of each individual in any group of
people. It is important to consider the lived realities of women and
men in all their diversity. Differences in the values, attitudes, cultural
perspectives, beliefs, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender
identity, skills, knowledge and life experiences of each individual in
any group of people. It is important to consider the lived realities of
women and men in all their diversity.
- Intersectionality – Analytical tool for studying, understanding and
responding to the ways in which sex and gender intersect with other
personal characteristics/identities, and how these intersections
contribute to unique experiences of discrimination. Gender analysis
considers the different experiences of women and men depending
on their different characteristics, such as age, socioeconomic
background, poverty, race, ethnicity, location (rural/urban),
disability, sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
others) or religion. This intersectional analysis of the characteristics
that affect women’s and men’s daily lives is essential to understand
inequality.
- Intersectional discrimination – Discrimination that takes place on the
basis of several personal grounds or characteristics/identities, which
operate and interact with each other at the same time in such a way
as to be inseparable.
- Inclusion – The practice or policy of including and integrating all
people and groups in activities, organizations, political processes,
etc., especially those who are disadvantaged, have suffered
discrimination or are living with disabilities.
- Gender identity – Each person’s deeply felt internal and individual
experience of gender, which may or may not correspond to the sex
assigned at birth, including the personal sense of the body (which
may involve, if freely chosen, modification of bodily appearance or
function by medical, surgical or other means) and other expressions
of gender, including dress, speech and mannerisms.
172
- Institutional and structural change – ‘Institutional change’ was
originally known as ‘structural change’. Furthermore, structural
change has been complemented with the terms ‘structural and
cultural change’ and ‘organizational change’. While the concept of
structural, cultural and organizational change can still be found in
several documents, publications and research papers, it is now
referred to as ‘institutional change’.
173
(1961), a political scientist firmly committed to the American model of
democracy, argues that interests can only be identified by the people
who have them, which tends to identify interests directly with wants.
However, what people want or choose is not always something that is
good for them. People can make the wrong choices; they may be
better off if they are steered in another direction. Barry (1965) links
interests with those things which lead to the satisfaction of wants. It is not
necessarily in a child's interests to stay off school, even if the child wants
to play instead, because ultimately schooling increases one's
opportunities for wants to be satisfied. There is certainly a link between
the satisfaction of wants and a person's welfare. But if people can be
mistaken about where their interests lie, their welfare will not be served
by considering their wants alone. Jordan suggests that a person's
interests are best defined by reference to that person's 'life-plan' (1987b,
pp.18-19) - which covers, not only what people currently want, but what
they are likely to want in the future. Interests may, then, overlap with
expressed desires, but they might not; the two concepts are distinct.
Goodin (1982, ch.3) argues that opinion is shaped by experience, and
that values and perceptions of interests change constantly. If popular
opinion had been the test, it is doubtful whether there would be any
Social Security system in the United States, and if it is taken as the test in
the future there may never be a National Health Service there. He
describes the emphasis on what people want as 'myopic'. (p.42).
❖ Social Welfare: The discussion of 'need' and 'welfare' so far has been
based on people as 'individuals'. One view of 'society' is that it consists
simply of many individuals; 'social welfare', therefore, is nothing but the
sum of individual welfares. Oakeshott (1975, p.340), a conservative
political philosopher, condemns the idea of society as an abstraction; it
implies, he argues, some association between people without specifying
what the association is. There are, however, few measures of social
welfare provision which leave absolutely no-one worse off - if only
because someone, somewhere has to pay for them. The main
exceptions are measures which increase both efficiency and
effectiveness. Efficiency depends on the relationship between aims and
costs; the most efficient measure is the one that yields the best result at
least cost, but the constraint of cost means that something less than the
maximum goal may be achieved. Effectiveness depends on maximising
the achievement of goals. Efficiency and effectiveness are sometimes
elevated to the status of principles, because they are the means to
increase welfare; but in fact they are secondary to other principles,
because their importance derives from the aims they are serving.
❖ The common good: The 'individuals' of moral and political philosophy are
not like real people. Real people live in families, groups and
communities; they learn values and ideas from each other. Opinions,
174
views and preferences may differ, but they are not formed in a vacuum.
There may be a general consensus about certain values. There may be
shared interests. When we consider the idea of 'social welfare' in
practice, we tend to refer not to individual preferences, but to groups of
people who have interests in common. Old people have diverse
problems, but by virtue of their age they share concerns about, for
example, policies for retirement, pensions, and the maintenance of
health. Children require education, material stability and emotional
support. Everyone is first a child, and most of us expect to become old;
these concerns are likely to affect all of us in some way. But pensions,
schooling and medical care are not universal truths of human nature.
The ways in which the problems are defined, and policies are formed to
deal with them, depend on the society in which they occur. People may
differ in their choices, or in their views as to how these issues are best
dealt with, but the interests apply to these groups as a whole, and
through them to every member of a society. There is a common good,
a concept of social welfare distinct from the welfare of individuals.
❖ Welfare in society: When 'social welfare' is discussed, we do not
necessarily begin by talking about 'individuals'; we are just as likely to talk
about 'society', and to think of individuals as members of it. Little argues:
'Most people who consider the welfare of society do not, I am sure, think
of it as a logical construction from the welfares of individuals. They think
rather in terms of social or economic groups, or in terms of average or
representative men.' (1957, p.49). The criticism is a justifiable one. When
we say that a measure will benefit 'old people' in general, we know that
some of them will be dead before any improvement takes place. This
would not be any reason for not undertaking the programme, because
it will still help the representative person. However, there is also the risk
that concentration on the 'average' member of society might lead to
sacrifices on the part of specific individuals or minority interests who are
unrepresentative. An illustration of this in practice has been the use of
slum clearance in urban areas. Many of the houses demolished were
irredeemable; houses, like everything else, wear out. The removal of the
worst slums, and rehousing into better physical conditions, certainly
benefited many individuals - though the social costs of clearance were
great, and the policy was not always unequivocally beneficial.
Clearance commonly took place at the expense of certain individuals
who were content with their house and did not want to move. As a
former housing officer myself, I had to explain to people why their houses
could not be excluded from the programme - for example, because it
was not really feasible to knock down all the houses in a terrace except
for one in the middle; because the environment they wanted to stay in
was being destroyed; because the land their house was on was going
to be used for a new school or road and it was impossible to build it
175
round them. The interests of the group or community, and of the
representative member of society, were served by clearance; but those
interests were directly opposed to the people who wanted to stay.
Welfare, in these cases, totters perilously close to becoming the 'greatest
good of the greatest number'
176
compulsory labor, (c) the elimination of discrimination in
respect of employment and occupation, and (d) the
elimination of child labor.
▪ Safeguards: appropriate steps should be taken to ensure
that procurement of goods and services, contractors,
subcontractors, and consultants, comply with the country’s
labor legislation (e.g., minimum wages, safe working
conditions, social security contributions, etc.) as well as with
the Core Labor Standards.
o Social insurance programs to cushion the risks associated with
unemployment, health, disability, work injury, and old age.
education of their children are not sacrificed in an economic
downturn. Social insurance programs mitigate the risks by
providing income support in the event of illness, disability, work
injury, maternity, unemployment, and old age. Such programs
include:
▪ Unemployment insurance to deal with frictional (sometimes
structural) unemployment;
▪ Work injury insurance to compensate workers for work-
related injuries or diseases;
▪ Disability and invalidity insurance, normally linked to old-
age pensions, to cover for full or partial disability;
▪ Sickness and health insurance to protect workers from
diseases;
▪ Maternity insurance to provide benefits to mothers during
pregnancy and post delivery lactating months;
▪ Old-age insurance to provide income support after
retirement; and
▪ Life and survivors insurance, normally linked to old-age
pension to ensure that dependents are compensated for
the loss of the breadwinner.
o Social assistance and welfare service programs for the most
vulnerable groups with no other means of adequate support.
Social assistance interventions may include:
▪ Welfare and social services, institutionalized or community-
based, to highly vulnerable sections of the population, such
as the physically or mentally disabled, orphans, and
substance abusers;
▪ Cash or in-kind transfers such as food stamps and family
allowances to vulnerable groups;
▪ Temporary subsidies, such as energy life-line tariffs, housing
subsidies, or support of lower prices of staple food in times
of crisis; and
177
▪ Safeguards: attention should be paid to possible short-term
negative impacts of policy reforms: in cases of a rise in
prices and/or loss of entitlements to the poor, adequate
mitigation measures are needed to prevent any adverse
effect on the poor and the vulnerable; in the case of
infrastructure, it should be designed to allow disabled
populations to benefit from public investments.
o Micro and area-based schemes to address vulnerability at the
community level:
▪ Microinsurance. Microinsurance involves voluntary and
contributory schemes for the community, handling small-
scale cash flows to address major community risks. Often
such schemes are of a local character and have a very
small membership.
▪ Agricultural Insurance. This form of protection could be
available for farming communities. It is a financial
mechanism in which the uncertainty of loss in the farms is
minimized by pooling a large number of uncertainties that
impact on agriculture so that the burden of loss can be
distributed. The loss may be due to a number of natural
perils like storms, floods, droughts, hail, frost, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, plant pests, diseases, etc. The risks of loss
can be spread temporally or spatially. With reinsurance, the
risks can be further spread across national boundaries.
▪ Social Funds. Such funds have evolved recently outside the
Asia and Pacific region as mechanisms to channel public
resources to meet particularly pressing social needs.
Community-based social funds are agencies, typically
managed at the local level, empowering communities,
NGOs, and local governments that provide finance for
small-scale projects, such as infrastructure schemes and
livelihood programs to community groups.
▪ Disaster Preparedness and Management. This is essential to
assist communities in risk coping and mitigation. Victims of
catastrophes are usually assisted by public relief programs;
however, given the important economic and human loss
caused by disasters, the critical issue is to invest in disaster
preparedness. Several countries in the Asia and Pacific
region have established disaster management centers for
assessing hazards, planning risk reduction and monitoring
programs, providing emergency assistance, and
strengthening local-level risk reduction capacity.
o Child protection to ensure the healthy and productive
development of the future Asian workforce. High child/adult
178
dependency ratios indicate the need to provide social protection
for the young, such as:
▪ Early child development to ensure the balanced
psychomotive development of the child through basic
nutrition, preventive health, and educational programs;
▪ School feeding programs, scholarships, or school fee
waivers;
▪ Waiving of fees for mothers and children in health services;
▪ Streetchildren initiatives;
▪ Child rights advocacy/awareness programs against child
abuse, child labor etc.;
▪ Youth programs to avoid social anomia in teenagers,
criminality, sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS,
early pregnancies, and drug addiction; and
▪ Family allowances, either means-tested cash transfers or
coupons/ stamps for basic goods and services (i.e., food,
clothing) to assist families with young children to meet part
of their basic needs.
❖ Social Development
- Definition: The term ‘social development came to lime light at a point
where it was felt that development in true sense cannot be attained
only through economic advancement and there is an urgent need
for a holistic and multi-dimensional approach
- Concept: (1) Social development it is generally understood to
comprise of a set of objectives including equity and social justice,
which subsume additional objectives including social inclusion,
sustainable livelihoods, gender equity, increased voice and
participation; (2) Social development is a process of social change,
not merely a set of policies and programs instituted for some specific
results; (3) Social development can be described as the process of
increasing the assets and capabilities of individuals to improve their
wellbeing, the capacity of social groups to exercise agency,
transform their relationships with other groups, and participate in
development processes, and the ability of society to reconcile the
interests of its constituent elements, govern itself peacefully, and
manage change.
- Indicators: (1) Positive change in the levels of living; (2) Elimination of
poverty; (3) Expansion of education; (4) Increasing in the level of
employment; (5) Social justice- that is equal distribution of
development fruits; (6) Upliftment of weaker members of the society;
(7) Well organized and reliable provisions for security against various
contingencies of life; (8) Improvement of social welfare measures; (9)
Reduction of regional and sectoral inequalities; (10) Protection and
improvement of health; (11) Increased popular participation in the
179
developmental programs; (12) Improved mechanisms for
environment protection; and (13) Good governance.
- Objective: (1) A shift in emphasis from the individual to larger
collectivities, encompassing the poor majority or greater emphasis on
collective betterment; (2) To define social goals in terms of the
satisfaction of human needs; (3) To improve the quality of life; (4) To
create a redistributive institutional structure for the attainment of new
social objectives; (5) To evolve a broad strategy for organizational
and value change to ensure speedy attainment of redefined social
goals; (6) To formulate indicators so as to evaluate social progress
and to assess emerging social needs; (7) To set up monitoring
mechanisms to ensure that the growth levels are measurable and
sustainable; (9) To anticipate upcoming growth-related and other
problems and to prepare for handling them quickly and effectively;
and (9) To create an ethos in which it is possible to question and
rethink the appropriateness and adequacy of existing social
formations and to work towards their restructuring.
- Principles of Social Development: (1) We define social development
in its broadest social terms as an upward directional movement of
society from lesser to greater levels of energy, efficiency, quality,
productivity, complexity, comprehension, creativity, choice, mastery,
enjoyment and accomplishment; (2) Growth and development
usually go together, but they are different phenomena subject to
different laws. Growth involves a horizontal or quantitative expansion
and multiplication of existing types and forms of activities.
Development involves a vertical or qualitative enhancement of the
level of organization; (3) Social development is driven by the
subconscious aspirations/will of society for advancement. The social
will seeks progressive fulfillment of a prioritized hierarchy of needs –
security of borders, law and order, self-sufficiency in food and shelter,
organization for peace and prosperity, expression of excess energy
in entertainment, leisure and enjoyment, knowledge, and artistic
creativity; (4) Development of society occurs only in fields where that
collective will is sufficiently strong and seeking expression; (5)
Development of the collective is subconscious. It starts with physical
experience which eventually leads to conscious comprehension of
the process; (6) Society is the field of organized relationships and
interactions between individuals; (7) Every society possesses a huge
reservoir of potential human energy that is absorbed and held static
in its organized foundations—its cultural values, physical security,
social beliefs and political structures. At times of transition, crises and
opportunities, those energies are released and expressed in action;
(8) The act is the basic unit of social organization. The evolution of
more complex and productive activities woven together by people
180
to form systems, organizations, institutions and cultural values
constitute the fabric or web of social organization; (9) The essential
nature of the development process is the progressive development
of social organizations and institutions that harness and direct the
society’s energies for higher levels of accomplishment; (10)
Development requires an enormous investment of energy to break
existing patterns of social behavior and form new ones; (11)
Development is a process, not a program. Development is an activity
of the society as a whole. It can be stimulated, directed or assisted
by government policies, laws and special programs, but it cannot be
compelled or carried out by administrative or external agencies on
behalf of the population; (12) Infinity is a practical concept. Human
potential is unlimited. Development potential is infinite; (13) The same
principles and process govern development in different fields of
social life – political, economic, technological, scientific, cultural,
etc.; and (14) The same principles and process govern development
at the level of the individual, the organization and the society.
❖ Social Welfare
- Definitions:
o A need is something that is necessary for an individual to live a
healthy life. All human beings have needs and wants in their lives.
▪ Felt Need – what people feel they must have.
▪ Expressed Need – a strongly expressed want, demanded
need.
o Social Problem – Any difficulty of misbehavior of a fairly large
number of persons which we wish to remove or correct. There are
three requirements for a given social condition to be regarded as
a social problem: (1) it must be social in origin; (2) it must be
regarded by the society as a problem; and (3) it must require some
form of social intervention.
o Social Welfare – the organized system of social services and
institutions, designed to aid individuals and groups to attain
satisfying standards of life and health and personal and social
relationships which permit them to develop their full capacities
and to promote their well-being in harmony with the needs of their
families and the community.
o Welfare: The older English term ‘welfare’ can be traced back to
the fourteenth century, when it meant to journey well and could
indicate both happiness and prosperity.
- Characteristics:
o The risks to be protected against (What are the problems that
need to be addressed? e.g; disaster, economic hardship);
o The population covered (Who are the recipients of welfare
services?);
181
o Eligibility criteria (Who is more deserving?);
o Levels of benefits (To what extent the services will be provided;
short term or long term); and
o Manner of financing (Who will fund? Either the recipients must
contribute for the services, or by the government will manage
through taxes)
182
- Escape hatches. A term developed by Clay and Schaffer (1984)
describing the way policy makers avoid responsibility for policies they
make. Clay and Schaffer pinpoint the dichotomy between
policymaking and implementation (see section three) as an avenue
which can be used to this end. For example, policy makers who see
implementation as a separate process to policy-making, may blame
a poor policy outcome on inadequate political will or lack of
sufficient resources in the implementation phase, rather than poor
policy-making.
- Force-field analysis. A term from management literature to
conceptualize the forces interacting to oppose and support change.
These forces act in opposition to each other to create a state of
equilibrium in a system. Change happens when the balance point of
the equilibrium shifts. For this to happen there needs to be substantial
alteration to one or more of the restraining or driving forces which
maintain the equilibrium.
- International Regime. A set of principles, norms, rules, and procedures
accepted by states, which help them to realize common interests.
Regimes are institutions with explicit rules, agreed upon by
governments that pertain to sets of issues in international relations. The
concept explains how states, each acting in self-interest, can come
together to work towards some basic common interests in the
absence of a regulating authority, such as a ‘global government’,
which forces them to do so.
- Policy narrative. A ‘story’, having a beginning, middle and end,
outlining a specific course of events which has gained the status of
conventional wisdom within the development arena. The ‘tragedy of
the commons’ is a policy narrative, for example, which outlines the
series of events leading from overgrazing of common land by
pastoralists to eventual desertification. The ‘wood fuel crisis’ in Africa
is another. Despite evidence which calls into question the validity of
many narratives, they persist widely because they simplify complex
development processes. They are an attempt to bring order to the
complex multitude of interactions and processes which characterize
development situations. Policy makers often base policy decisions on
the stories outlined in development narratives. Policy narratives are
distinct from discourses, which refer to a wider set of values and a
way of thinking. A narrative can be part of a discourse if it describes
a specific ‘story’ which is in line with the broader set of values and
priorities of a discourse.
- Policy network/coalition. A group of individuals and organizations
who share similar belief systems, codes of conduct and established
patterns of behavior.
183
- Policy space/ room for maneuver. The room within which a policy
maker has to maneuver relates to the extent to which a policy maker
is restricted in decision making by forces such as the opinions of a
dominant epistemic community or narrative. If there are strong
pressures to adopt a particular strategy a decision maker may not
have much room to consider a wider set of options. There may be
times, on the other hand, when an individual has a substantial
amount of leverage over the process, able to assert his or her own
preferences and mound the way policy choices are considered fairly
considerably.
- Political technology. First introduced by Foucault, this term relates to
the way policy is often ‘depoliticized’, if such depoliticization is in the
interest of dominant group. A political problem is removed from the
realm of political discourse and recast in the neutral language of
science. It is represented as objective, neutral, value-free, and often
termed in legal or scientific language to emphasize this. This reflects
the ‘technology of politics’, the way various means are used to work
within a political agenda. ‘This masking of the political under the
cloak of neutrality is a key feature of modern power’ (Shore and
Wright 1997).
- Street level bureaucracy. A concept developed by Lipsky (1980) to
refer to the role actors who implement policy changes have to play
in the process. He emphasizes that such individuals are not simply
cogs in the process, but rather have substantial ability to mound
policy outcomes. Street level bureaucracies are schools, welfare
departments, lower courts, legal service offices etc. As a result of time
constraints and other practical considerations, as well as political
opinion, those who work in these bureaucracies influence the
practical working out of a policy to produce an outcome which may
be substantially different from that originally intended by a policy
maker.
❖ The Linear Model
- Definition: Variously called the linear, mainstream, common-sense or
rational model, this model is the most widely-held view of the way in
which policy is made. It outlines policy-making as a problem-solving
process which is rational, balanced, objective and analytical. In the
model, decisions are made in a series of sequential phases, starting
with the identification of a problem or issue, and ending with a set of
activities to solve or deal with it.
- Phases: (1) Recognizing and defining the nature of the issue to be
dealt with; (2) Identifying possible courses of action to deal with the
issue; (3) Weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of each
of these alternatives; (4) Choosing the option which offers the best
184
solution; (5) Implementing the policy; and (6) Possibly evaluating the
outcome.
This model assumes that policy makers approach the issues rationally, going
through each logical stage of the process, and carefully considering all
relevant information. If policies do not achieve what they are intended to
achieve, blame is often not laid on the policy itself, but rather on political or
managerial failure in implementing it (Juma and Clarke 1995). Failure can be
blamed on a lack of political will, poor management or shortage of resources,
for example. There is much evidence to suggest that this model is far from
reality. The pages that follow review how political science, sociology,
anthropology, international relations and business management consider
policy-making, and attempt to build a broader picture of the process.
❖ Different Model of Policy Process
- The incrementalist model. Policy makers look at a small number of
alternatives for dealing with a problem and tend to choose options
that differ only marginally from existing policy. For each alternative,
only the most important consequences are considered. There is no
optimal policy decision - a good policy is one that all participants
agree on rather than what is best to solve a problem. Incremental
policy-making is essentially remedial, it focuses on small changes to
existing policies rather than dramatic fundamental changes. What is
feasible politically is only marginally different from the policies that
exist, drastically different policies fall beyond the pale. In this model,
policy-making is also serial, you have to keep coming back to
problems as mistakes become apparent and are corrected, and
new approaches to the issues are developed. The model suggests
that major changes occur through a series of small steps, each of
which does not fundamentally ‘rock the boat’. The ‘policy process is
one of disjointed incrementalism or muddling through’ (Lindblom
1980).
185
-The mixed-scanning model. This covers the middle ground between
the rational (or linear) and incrementalist models (Walt, 1994). It
essentially divides decisions into a macro (fundamental) and micro
(small) classification. It involves the policy maker in taking a broad
view of the field of policy. The rational/ linear model implies an
exhaustive consideration of all possible options in detail, and the
incrementalist approach suggests looking only at options which from
previous experience are known to exist. In contrast, a mixed-scanning
approach suggests taking a broad view of possible options and
looking further into those which require a more in-depth examination.
- Policy as arguments. Juma and Clarke (1995) describe this approach
as one in which policy reforms are presented as reasoned arguments.
Policy is developed through debate between state and societal
actors. Participants present claims and justifications which others
review critically. Language not only depicts reality in such arguments,
but also shapes the issues at hand in these debates. It is a means of
communication of ideas, but also serves to reflect certain political
stances, moulding social reality according to outlook and ideology.
- Policy as social experiment. This sees social change as a process of
trial and error, which involves successive hypotheses being tested
against reality in an experimental manner. It is based in the
experimental approach of the natural sciences.
- Policy as interactive learning. This approach is rooted in a criticism of
development policy as being ‘top-down’, not generated from the
communities in which polices are implemented. It argues for an
‘actor-perspective’, emphasizing the need to take into account the
opinions of individuals, agencies and social groups that have a stake
in how a system evolves. The approach promotes an interaction and
sharing of ideas between those who make policy and those who are
influenced most directly by the outcome. The advocacy of
participatory rural appraisal methods by Chambers (1983) is an
example of this.
❖ Models of Change
- A development model. Linking together the ideas of Blake,
Lievegoed, Greiner and Sadler and Barry, Plant (1995) states that it is
possible to see three phases organizations move through in the
normal course of their development. These are the autocratic,
bureaucratic and democratic phases. The essential difference
between them lies in the use of power and authority. The autocratic
phase is the ‘start-up’ phase, led by one individual with most
control, and entrepreneurial skills. The bureaucratic phase sees
power spread more evenly. The most distinctive feature of this
phase is the way activities have a set of rules by which they should
be carried out, all is spelled out clearly. The final phase is of
186
horizontal organization, where influence is assigned meritocratically,
a structure that promotes collaboration and is highly complex.
- A crisis model. Healthy and successful organizations undergo
change as a natural part of their development, sometimes called
the ‘pioneer phase’, the ‘phase of differentiation’ and the ‘phase of
integration’. The transition between phases is marked by a period of
crisis, a different crisis being the cause in each stage.
❖ Stages of Policy Development
- Identifying the Problem and Agenda-Setting. Identifying the problem
involves addressing what is happening and why it is an issue. In
criminal justice, this might look at the increase in opioid use and
overdoses or acts of youth violence. Once the issue is identified, there
can be a serious debate about the plans of the policy. Once it is
decided what the policy will look like, it is placed on the agenda. This
is perhaps the most politicized part of the process as it involves many
different stakeholders. It involves identifying the legislative, regulatory,
judicial, or other institutions responsible for policy adoption and
formulation.
- Formulation and Adoption. The next stage involved adopting the
policy. Depending on the nature of the policy, this could involve a
new law or an executive order.
- Implementation of the Policy. Implementation is about moving
forward, taking action, and spending money. It involves hiring new
staff or additional police officers. This is where policies often stall
because of the lack of funding. For example, a popular program in
1990, Weed and Seed, involved “weeding” out criminals (targeting
arrest efforts) and “seeding” new programs (instituting after-school
programs, drug treatment facilities, etc.). The weeding portion of the
program was a great success, but the program ultimately failed
because of a lack of funding to adequately seed new community
programming. Funding is a major roadblock for proper
implementation.
- Evaluation. Finally, the evaluation examines the efficacy of the policy.
There are three different types of evaluation: Impact, Process, and
Cost-benefit analysis. Impact (outcome) evaluations focus on what
changes after the introduction of the crime policy. Changes in police
patrol practices aimed at reducing the level of residential burglaries
in an area are evaluated in terms of subsequent burglaries. The
difficulty with impact evaluations is that changes in the crime rate are
rarely, if ever, due to a single intervening variable. For example, after
the implementation of curfew laws for juvenile offenders, juvenile
crime decreased. Can we say that was because of curfew laws? The
entire crime rate in America decreased at the same time. Attributing
a single outcome based on a solitary intervention is problematic.
187
o Process evaluations consider the implementation of a policy or
program and involve determining the procedure used to
implement the policy. These are detailed, descriptive accounts of
the implementation of the policy including the goals of the
program, who is involved, the level of training, the number of
clients served, and changes to the program over time.
Unfortunately, process evaluations do not address the actual
impact policy has on the crime problem, just what was done
about a specific issue or who was involved. While this is indeed a
limitation, it is essential to know the inner workings of a program or
policy if it is to be replicated.
o Cost-benefit evaluations, or analyses, seek to determine if the
costs of a policy are justified by the benefits accrued. A ubiquitous
example of this would be an evaluation of the popular anti-drug
D.A.R.E. program of the 1980s and 1990s. The D.A.R.E. program
was a school-based prevention program aimed at preventing
drug use among elementary school-aged children. Rigorous
evaluations of the program show that it was ineffective and
sometimes actually increased drug use in some youth. The cost of
this program was roughly 1.3 billion dollars a year (about $173 to
$268 per student per year) to implement nationwide (once all
related expenses, such as police officer training and services,
materials, and supplies, school resources, etc., were factored in).
Using a cost-benefit analysis, is that a good use of money to
support an ineffective program?
❖ The Role of Interest Groups in the Policy Process
- Society-centered Models:
o Class analytic models. Based in the Marxist approach, these
argue that the policy process is influenced by opinions that divide
along class lines, with the interests of the bourgeoisie dominating
the process and acting against those of other classes.
o Pluralist models. This approach presents policy as primarily
reflecting the interests of groups within society. The role of
government is to provide a playing field for the expression of social
interests, and to allow these to shape policy. In this model, policy
change simply reflects changes in the balance of power between
interest groups in society. There are concerns over the
applicability of these models, however, to developing countries,
where it is harder for groups to co-ordinate their activities and
positions than it is in the developed world. They are also criticized
for not reflecting the influence politicians have on the process.
‘There is a general recognition that .... images of responsive
politicians and compliant bureaucrats need to be amended’
(Atkinson and Coleman, 1992).
188
- State-centered Models: One group is the bureaucratic politics
models that focus on conflict and negotiation between actors within
the state machinery. The contests are driven by individual career
incentives, and ‘turf wars’ between Ministries trying to maintain
control over policy arenas. A further important area of conflict is
between the bureaucracy and the executive. Grindle and Thomas
(1991) state that ‘players’ compete over preferred options and use
the resources available to them through their positions – hierarchy,
control over information, access to key decision makers, for example
– to achieve their goals’. A second group is the state-interests
approach. This focuses on the specific interests the state has in policy
outcomes, such as the interests of regime authorities to remain in
power and the maintenance of its own hegemony vis-à-vis societal
actors. These interests may or may not correspond to interests of
particular classes or groups in society. ‘The state is considerably more
than an arena for societal conflict or an instrument of domination
employed by the dominant class or class alliance. It is potentially a
powerful actor in its own right’ (Grindle and Thomas 1991). The
criticism of this model is that in some cases states are weak, and are
dominated by societal interests. They would not have the authority to
make decisions that reflected their own interests.
189
Artisanal comprehensive nation toward sound
Fisherfolks agrarian reform rural development
program to and industrialization,
promote social and the establishment
justice and of owner cultivator
industrialization, ship of economic-size
providing the farms as the basis of
mechanism for its Philippine agriculture.
implementation,
and for other
purposes.
Republic Act No. Farmer- Providing training on
8435 – Agriculture Scientist values development
and fisheries Training and farming
modernization act Program (FSTP) technologies.
of 1997. An Act
prescribing urgent
related measure to
modernize the
agriculture and
fisheries.
Republic Act No. Fisheries and Institutionalizing the
8550 – The Aquatic major role of the local
Department of Resource fisherfolks and other
LGUs shall provide Management resource users in the
support to Council community-based
municipal fisherfolk (FARMC) planning and
through program implementation,
appropriate conservation,
technology and development and
research, credit, protection of fisheries
production and and aquatic
marketing resources of the
assistance and municipal waters as
other services such defined by the Local
as, but not limited Government Code.
to training for
additional/supplem
entary livelihood
Urban Poor Republic Act No. Community Providing access to
7279 – An act to Mortgage decent and
provide for a Program (CMP) affordable housing to
comprehensive – is a mortgage every Filipino family
and continuing financing
urban program of the
development and Social Housing
housing program, Finance
190
establish the Corporation
mechanism for its (SHFC) which
implementation, assists the
and for other legally
purposes. organized
associations of
underprivilege
d and
homeless
citizens to
purchase and
develop a
tract of land
under the
concept of
community
ownership
Republic Act No. DSWD’s Livelihood and skills
11310 – An Act Sustainable trainings
Institutionalizing the Livelihood
Pantawid Program (SLP) Cash grants for
Pamilyang Pilipino education and health
Program (4Ps) to the beneficiaries
Indigenous Republic Act No. Paralegal The National
People and 8371 – An act to Training Commission on
Cultural recognize, protect Indigenous Peoples
Communiti and promote the (NCIP), through its
es rights of indigenous lawyers and legal
cultural officers, renders legal
communities/indige assistance to IP clients
nous peoples, as part of the general
creating a national mandate of the
commission on Office to recognize,
indigenous peoples, protect and promote
establishing the rights of our
implementing ICCs/IPs.
mechanisms, Indigenous The IPRA mandates
appropriating funds People Legal the NCIP to protect
therefor, and for Assistance and promote the
other purposes. interest and well-
being of the ICCs/IPs
with due regard to
their beliefs, customs,
traditions and
institutions. The same
law likewise considers
191
the NCIP as the
primary government
agency through
which ICCs/IPs can
seek government
assistance and as the
medium through
which such assistance
may be extended.
Assistance to Provision of technical
Ancestral and/or financial
Domain assistance to the
Sustainable Indigenous Cultural
Development Communities/Indigen
and Protection ous Peoples (ICCs/IPs)
Plan (ADSDPP) in the formulation of
formulation. their Ancestral
Domain Sustainable
Development and
Protection Plan
(ADSDPP).
Ancestral Through the
Domain/Land Indigenous Peoples
Recognition Rights Act (IPRA),
Certificate of
Ancestral Domain
Titles (CADTs) are
issued to formally
recognize the rights of
possession and
ownership of ICCs/Ips
over their ancestral
domains as identified
and delineated in
accordance with this
law, while Certificate
of Ancestral Land
Titles (CALTs) formally
recognize the rights of
ICCs/IPs over their
ancestral lands
Senior Republic Act No. Senior Citizen 20% discount upon
Citizens 7432 – An Act to Discounts and purchase of goods
maximize the Benefit and services
contribution of Senior Citizen Provision of Walker,
senior citizens to Program Canes, Wheelchairs,
192
nation building, Eyeglasses and Health
grant benefits and Kits
special privileges
and for other Provision of Medicines
purposes.
Republic Act No. Health and Provision of service
9257 (Expanded Wellness delivery packages
Senior Citizen Act of Program for and integrated
2003) – An Act Senior Citizen – continuum of quality
granting additional promoting care in various
benefits and quality of life settings
privileges to senior among older
citizens amending persons and Accessibility to all
for the purpose contribute to health facilities
Republic Act 7432 the nation attending Doctors
otherwise known as building
the “An Act to Wellness camp for
maximize the Senior Citizens
contribution of
Senior Citizen to Elderly Filipino Week
Nation-Building (Walk for Life)
grant benefits and Celebration
special privileges
and for other
purposes”
Republic Act No. Social Pension Social pension worth
9994 (Expanded Program P6,000 every year
Senior Citizen Act of from the Department
2010) – An Act of Social Welfare and
granting additional Development
benefits and
privileges to Senior
Citizens, further
amending Republic
Act No. 7432, as
amended,
otherwise known as
“An Act to
maximize the
contribution of
Senior Citizen to
Nation-Building
grant benefits and
special privileges
and for other
purposes”
193
Differently- Republic Act No. Health and 20% discount and
abled 10754 – An act Wellness Value added Tax
Persons expanding the Programs (VAT) Exception
benefits and
privileges of persons Medical and dental
with disability (PWD) services, diagnostic
and Laboratory fees
and Professional Fees
of attending Doctors
Educational
Assistance
Express Lanes
Republic Act No. National Health Construction of
7277 – An act Program Rehabilitation Centers
providing for the Housing Health services
rehabilitation, self- Programs
development and Auxiliary social
self-reliance of services
disabled persons
and their Family care services
integration into the
mainstream of Day care services for
society and for disabled children of
other purposes preschool age Public
Accommodation and
Services
Republic Act 10070 Dissemination Persons with Disability
– Establishing of information Affairs Office [PDAO]
Institutional on programs in every province, city
Mechanism To and activities and municipality with
Ensure The for PWDS, the local chief
Implementation Of training and executive appointing
Programs And employment a PWD affairs officer
Services For Persons opportunities, to manage and
With Disabilities In Education and oversee the
Every Province, City empowerment operations of the
and Municipality, s programs for office.
Amending Republic PWAs
Act No. 7277,
194
Otherwise Known
As The Magna
Carta For Disabled
Persons, As
Amended, And For
Other Purposes
Republic Act No. National Health o Automatic
11228 – An Act Insurance coverage o Under the
Providing for The Programs law, all persons with
Mandatory (NHIP) of the disability (PWDs) shall
PhilHealth Philippine be automatically
Coverage for All Health covered under
Persons with Insurance PhilHealth‘s National
Disability (PWDs), Corporation Health Insurance
Amending for The (PhilHealth) Program (NHIP).
Purpose Republic
Act No. 7277, As
Amended,
Otherwise Known
As The “Magna
Carta For Persons
With Disability”
Republic Act No. PWD Construction of areas
7277 – An Act Accessibility for PWDs in
providing for the Program wheelchair in the
rehabilitation, self- CCP venues
development and Accessibility ramps
self-reliance of leading to the
disabled person theaters and rest
and their rooms were
integration into the constructed
mainstream of
society and for
other purposes.
Victims of Republic Act No. Emergency Provision of
Disasters 7160 – “An Act Assistance immediate food and
and Providing for a Program water relief Provision
Calamities Local Government of temporary shelters
Code of 1991” and evacuation
centers
Cash-for-Work Temporary
Program Employment and
Income Support to
the victims of disasters
and calamities
195
Republic Act No. Integration of Mandatory Training
10121 – An act Disaster Risk for the Public Sector
strengthening the Reduction Employees
Philippine Disaster Education
Risk Reduction and Disaster risk Disaster risk reduction
Management reduction and and management
System, providing management activities for youth
for the National programs
Disaster Risk Calamity Loan Financial Aid to
Reduction and Assistance affected members in
Management Program calamity-stricken
Framework and areas.
Institutionalizing The Housing Provision of Housing
National Disaster Assistance materials Assistance
Risk Reduction And Programs
Management Plan,
appropriating funds
therefor and for
other purposes
Republic Act No. Comprehensiv Establishment of
10821 – An Act e Emergency evacuation centers
Mandating the Program for Immediate delivery of
Provision of Children basic necessities
Emergency Relief Stronger measures for
and Protection for the safety and
Children Before, security of the
During, and After children Provision of
Disasters and Other health, medical and
Emergency nutrition to the
Situations children
Child- Training on
responsive psychosocial
training interventions for
program children Training on
proper procedures to
assess the situation,
safeguard and
protect the affected
children
Workers in Presidential Decree Barangay Monthly travelling
Formal No. 1569 – Nutrition allowance Entitled to
Labor and “Strengthening the Scholar (BNS) second grade Civil
Migrant Barangay Nutrition Program – a Service Commission
Workers Program by human (CSC) eligibility after
providing for resource completing two years
barangay nutrition development of continuous and
scholar in every strategy of the satisfactory service.
196
barangay, Philippine Plan BNS kit consisting of a
providing funds of Action for bag and other
therefore, and for Nutrition, which materials related to
other purposes.” involves the performing tasks, e.g.,
recruitment, forms; medical
training, assistance and
deployment survivorship
and supervision assistance.
of volunteer
workers or
barangay
nutrition
scholars.
Republic Act No. Legal Victims of illegal
10022 – An Act Assistance recruitment and
amending Republic related cases which
Act No. 8042 are administrative or
otherwise known as criminal in nature in
the Migrant Workers the form of legal
and Overseas advice.
Filipinos Act of 1995,
as amended,
further improving
the standard of
protection and
promotion of the
welfare of migrant
workers their
families and
overseas filipinos in
distress and for
other purposes.
Workers in Republic Act 8425 Philippine Protection by labor
the Informal (Social Reform and Approach to and social laws
Sector Poverty Alleviation Social Reform Security in their
Act) – An act and Poverty workplace, protection
institutionalizing the Alleviation - against discrimination,
social reform and Sector-Specific harassment and
poverty alleviation Flagship abuse. Access to
program, creating Program programs and
for the purpose of Cross Sectoral services catering to
National Anti- Flagship their special needs
Poverty Programs and organization into
Commission, Department of unions, cooperatives
defining its power Trade and and other forms of
Industry (for associations
197
and functions, and micro Institution-building
for other purposes. enterprises) and effective
Programs participation in
governance
Sustainable livelihood
programs Expansion
of
microcredit/microfina
nce services and
capacity-building
Infrastructure build-up
and development
Free briefing sessions -
info and guidance on
government
regulatory processes,
current business
trends, sources of
financing, and
livelihood skills training
(open to the public)
Capacity building
activities bring to the
provinces programs
for micro and small-
sized enterprises
designed to promote
entrepreneurship,
improve access to
credit and markets,
and increase
productivity and
operational
efficiency.
Consultancy and
Counseling Services
(nationwide)
Republic Act No. Promotion of Briefing/orientation
9178 (“Barangay the Barangay that is provided to
Micro Business Micro Business encourage the
Enterprises (BMBEs) Enterprises formation and growth
Act of 2002.”) – An (BMBEs) Law of barangay micro
act to promote the business enterprises
establishment of by granting them
Barangay Micro incentives and other
Business Enterprises benefits. The act
(BMBEs), providing primarily aims to
198
incentives and integrate micro
benefits therefor, enterprises in the
and for other informal sector into
purposes. the mainstream of the
economy.
Republic Act No. Establishment Business Registration
10644 (“Go of Negosyo Assistance - Accept
Negosyo Act”) – An Centers in and facilitate all new
act promoting job every province registration and
generation and city and renewal application
inclusive growth municipality. of MSMEs, including
through the application for
development of Barangay Micro-
micro, small and Business Enterprise
medium enterprises. (BMBE). Facilitate
access to grants and
other forms of
financial assistance,
shared service
facilities and
equipment, and other
support for MSMEs
through national
government agencies
(NGAs)
Provide information
and services in
training, financing,
marketing and other
areas as may be
required by MSMEs
Women Republic Act Women’s Sustainable Livelihood
No.6734 – An Act Welfare Assistance - Increased
Providing for an Program - one options for economic
Organic Act for the of the regular security through
Autonomous programs of technical assistance,
Region in Muslim the Ministry of access to credit and
Mindanao Social Services marketability.
which aims to
promote the Protection and
welfare of Security –
disadvantaged Strengthening of
women giving human rights
special protection systems
attention to and participatory
the prevention, mechanism
199
eradication of
exploitation of
women in any
forms as well as
promotion of
skills for
employment
and self-
actualization.
Republic Act 9262 Women and Establishment of
(This Act shall be Children women and children
known as the Protection protection units
“AntiViolence Program – (WCPUs) in DOH-
Against Women Establishment retained hospitals and
and Their Children of Women and Local Government
Act of 2004”) – An Children Unit (LGU) supported
act defining Protection Unit hospitals.
violence against in all
women and their Department of Provision of medical
children, providing Health (DOH) assistance to victims
for protective hospitals” through a socialized
measures for scheme by the
victims, prescribing Women and Children
penalties therefore, Protection Unit
and for other (WCPUs) in DOH-
purposes. retained hospitals or
in coordination with
LGUs or other
government health
facilities
Republic Act No. Gender and Conducting of free
9710 – An act Development seminars
providing for the Program (GAD)
Magna Carta Of - It seeks to Granting of
Women. achieve scholarship to
Recognizing that gender dependents of solo
the economic, equality as a parents, PWDs, and
political and fundamental IPs
sociocultural value that
realities affect should be
women’s current reflected in
condition, the State development
affirms role of choices and
women in nation contends that
building and women are
ensures the active agents
substantive equality of
200
of women and development,
men. not just passive
recipients of
development.
Republic Act No. Extended 105 days leave with
11210 – An act Maternity full pay for live
increasing the Leave Program childbirth 60 days
maternity leave maternity leave for
period to one female employee
hundred five (105) who experienced
days for female miscarriage or those
workers with an who delivered stillbirth
option to extend for
additional thirty (30)
days without pay ,
and granting an
additional fifteen
(15) days for solo
mothers, and for
other purposes
Republic Act No. National Safe Establishment of
10354 (Responsible Motherhood birthing stations in
Parenthood and Program - urban and rural areas
Reproductive Guided by the in the country to
Health Act of 2012, Department of facilitate the health-
also known as the Health based assistance to
Reproductive FOURmula One birthing mothers
Health Law or RH Plus thrust and Delivery of quality
Law) – Law that the Universal maternal newborn
provided universal Health Care health services
access to methods
on contraception,
sexual education,
and maternal care
in the Philippines
Children, Republic Act No. Program for Basic Education
Youth, and 9155 – An Act Illiterates: Basic Training
Students instituting a Literacy
framework of Program (BLP)
governance for
basic education,
establishing
authority and
accountability,
renaming the
Department of
Education, culture
201
and sports as the
Department of
Education, and for
other purposes.
Republic Act 9231 – Philippine Livelihood Assistance
An Act providing for Program to Parents of Child
elimination of the Against Child Laborers
worst forms of child Labor (PPACL)
labor and affording
stronger protection
for the working
child, amending for
this purpose
Republic Act No.
7610 as amended,
otherwise known as
the “Special
Protection of
Children Against
Child Abuse ,
Exploitation and
Discrimination Act”
Republic Act No. Diversion Typical services
9344 – An Act Program provided for youth
establishing a and families in
comprehensive diversion programs
juvenile justice include one or more
welfare system, of the following:
creating juvenile Screening and
and justice welfare assessment o
council under the Education and tutorial
Department of services Victim
Justice, awareness classes
appropriating funds and activities Service
therefor and for learning programs o
other purposes. Substance use
education and
counseling Job skills
training o Mental
health treatment o
Crisis intervention o
Family counseling o
Parenting skill
development
supports for rebuilding
family relationship
Quality recreation
202
and organized sports
programs
Republic Act No. Special Provision temporary
10917 – An act Program for employment to poor
amending certain Employment of but deserving student
provisions of RA Students (SPES) Providing students
9547, otherwise - is an with experience while
known as an act employmentbri earning income
strengthening and dging
expanding the programme
coverage of the that aims to
special program for provide
employment of temporary
students, amending employment to
for the purpose disadvantaged
provision of RA youth to
7323, Otherwise augment their
known as the family’s
special program for income and
employment of help ensure
students. that
beneficiaries
are able to
pursue their
education.
Republic Act No. Tertiary Subsidy Allowance for books,
10931 (“Universal Program supplies,
Access to Quality transportation, and
Tertiary Education miscellaneous
Act”) – An act personal expenses,
promoting universal including a
access to quality reasonable
tertiary education allowance for the
by providing for documented rental or
free tuition and purchase of personal
other school fees in computer or laptop,
state universities and other education-
and colleges, local related expenses;
universities and Allowance for room
colleges and state- and board costs
run technical- incurred by the
vocational student.
institutions,
establishing the
tertiary education
subsidy and student
loan program,
203
strengthening the
unified student
financial assistance
system for tertiary
education, and
appropriating fund
therefor
NGOs Republic Act No. Microcredit Agricultural
10693 – An Act and financial microfinance
strengthening non- literacy
government programs Housing microfinance
organizations
(NGOs) engaged in
microfinance
operations for the
poor
Cooperativ Republic Act No. Capability Mandatory training
es 9520 – An Act Building for Officers
amending the Program for
cooperative code Cooperatives
of the Philippines to
be known as the
“Philippine
Cooperative Code
of 2008”. It is
declared policy of
the State to foster
the creation and
growth of
cooperatives as a
practical vehicle for
promoting self-
reliance and
harnessing people
power towards the
attainment of
economic
development and
social justice
People Republic Act No. Educations Utilizing information
Living with 8504 – The and regarding on HIV
HIV/AIDS Philippine AIDS Information on /AIDS in public and
Prevention and HIV/AIDS private schools at any
Control Act of 1998 level
- An act Free Testing, Availing free testing or
promulgating Screening and undergo screening
policies and Counselling and counselling
204
prescribing Accreditation Establishing testing
measures for the of HIV Testing centers all around the
prevention and Centers country for
control of HIV/AIDS accessibility
in the Philippines, HIV/AIDS Availability of free
instituting a Prevention voluntary HIV
nationwide Program Counselling Testing
HIV/AIDS services and
information and conducting
educational community
program, assemblies to reduce
establishing a stigma
comprehensive
HIV/AIDS monitoring
system,
strengthening the
Philippine National
Aids Council, and
for other purposes
Republic Act. 11166 Free HIV Packages including
– "Philippine HIV Treatment medication and
and AIDS Policy diagnostics for in-
Act" - An Act patients and
Strengthening the outpatients
Philippine
Comprehensive
Policy on Human
Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) and
Acquired Immune
Deficiency
Syndrome (AIDS)
Prevention,
Treatment, Care,
and Support, and,
Reconstituting the
Philippine National
Aids Council
(PNAC), Repealing
for the Purpose
Republic Act No.
8504, Otherwise
Known as The
"Philippine Aids
Prevention and
Control Act of
1998", and
205
Appropriating
Funds Therefor
c. Policy Analysis
❖ Elements of Good Analysis Framework: (1) Analyze systematically; (2)
Context sensitive; (3) Rational methods of analysis, reliable, evidence-
based; (4) Explicit (others able to reach same conclusion); (5)
Commitment to greatest good at smallest cost; (6) Take into account
unintended consequences; (7) Considers alternative policies, use of
resources; (8) Examine potential impact of policy on public, other
policies; (9) Explicit about value preferences; and (9) Grounded in
practice experience.
❖ 2 Major Ways of Analysis: (1) It is very important to analyze the existing
policy which can be analytical or descriptive which attempts to explain
the policy and its development. This gives the policymaker a better
understanding of why the existing policy is not the best fit for the public
and it is necessary to see what can be improved in that policy so that
an efficient result is expected; (2) It is required to analyze and formulate
new policies to fill the loopholes that were in the existing policy. This kind
of “Policy Research” is done in a prescriptive manner which involves
formulating policies and also putting out proposals that can improve the
social welfare of the people.
❖ Approaches:
- Analysis- centric: This is a micro-level analysis in which individual
problems are studied and the solutions of those individual problems
are given separately. The interpretation of the problem usually
206
involves some technical solutions. However, the main goal of this
policy analysis is to evaluate and identify the most efficient solution
that can be provided for the problem in terms of economics and
technology. For example, if the economy is not doing well, there
might be a problem of asset allocation or a problem in the allocation
of resources. Therefore, this kind of analysis primarily concentrates on
how the resources can be efficiently allocated so that the optimal
output is expected.
- The policy process: The second approach is known as the policy
process. Its main point of discussion is into the political process along
with its involved individuals. The main aim of the policy process is to
determine what process should be used to evaluate the policy, what
kind of means should be used, and what the policy instruments,
namely regulation legislation are and subsidy can be used.
- The meta policy: The third process is known as the meta policy. This
policy is looking into the problems and the solution on a macro scale.
The interpretation of the problem, in this case, is usually structural. The
main aim of meta-policy is to explain the contextual factors affecting
the policy process. For example, we can say that the political,
economic, and sociological factors are there to influence public
policy and consequently the social welfare.
❖ Policy Evaluation: (1) To clarify the policy; (2) To engage the individuals
who are involved with the government; (3) To understand what kind of
resources are available and how they can be used for the optimal
output; (4) To determine what kind of evaluation questions are to be
answered in the policy; (5) To have a clear vision that what kinds of
methods and procedures are to be followed while formulating the
policy; (6) To have a rough idea that how the evaluation plan will look
like; (7) To collect relevant data based on the policy analysis which an
individual is doing; (9) The policy analysis is required to do the data
analysis and also interpret the results to get a clear vision of what kind
of problems are needed to be addressed; (9) To compare the existing
policy analysis with the new policy analysis and to also interpret what
kind of data analysis has been done in the previous policy and what
has failed; (10) Lastly, applying the evaluation findings that are done
from the very beginning of the policy analysis.
207
E. SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCY ADMINISTRATION
• MAJOR DISTINCTION
Social Work Social Welfare
Social Administration
Administration Administration
Definition: Definition: Definition:
Social administration Social work Social welfare
focuses on policies, administration is a administration is a
planning, and method of social work process through which
administration of goods concerned with social policy is
and services in relation provision and transformed into social
to the political, social, distribution of societal services. It involves the
and economic resources so as to administration of public
institutions and to the enable people to meet and private agencies.
determinants of the their needs and fulfill The following definitions
distribution of natural their potential towards are given to elaborate
resources to social their empowerment. the meaning of social
welfare needs. This is welfare administration.
used to refer to
administrations in the
fields of health,
education, and other
social development
field.
• ADMINISTRATION
❖ Various Definition of Administration
- Stein defined administration as “the process of defining and attaining
the objectives of the organization through a system of coordination
and cooperative effort.”
- Ehlers, Austin, & Prothero defined administration as “a process, a
method or a set of relationships between and among people working
toward common objectives in an organization.”
❖ Administration as a Method
- Determination of goals/setting of objectives;
208
- Formulation of policies;
- Creating and maintaining an organization;
- Making plans;
- Securing resources;
- Selecting necessary technologies for operations;
- Designing programs and services;
- Optimizing organizational behavior;
- Evaluating results for the improvement of services; and
- Accounting for resource utilization.
❖ Administration as a Process
- Is a continuous, dynamic process that leads to organizational growth
and development;
- Resources of people & materials are harnessed & coordinated;
- Leadership is implicit in administration;
- Coordination, cooperation & participation are means to achieve
organizational goals; and
- Focuses on the policies, planning and administration of goods and
services in relation to the political, social and economic institutions
and to the determinants of the distribution of national resources to
social welfare needs.
❖ Activities of Administration
- Determination of goals/objectives;
- Formulation of policies;
- Maintenance of organization;
- Formulation of plans;
- Securing of resources;
- Selection of technology;
- Design of programs and services;
- Optimization of organizational behavior;
- Evaluation of results for improvement of services; and
- Accounting for resource.
❖ Characteristics of Administration
• Human enterprise that involves activity of people in the organization;
• Continuous and dynamic process for common goal or purpose;
• Resources of people and materials are harnessed and coordinated;
and
• Leadership is implicit.
❖ Elements of Administration
• Organization: setting up of framework or structure of the different
units of the system to carry out or perform distinct tasks.
209
• Management: activity that allocates and utilizes resources to achieve
organizational goals. Involves establishing and maintaining an
organizational climate or internal environment in which people
working together in groups can perform effectively and efficiently.
210
-Provide and maintain physical plant, equipment, and supplies;
-Develop a plan, establish and maintain effective community
relations and interpret programs;
- Keep complete and accurate records of agency operations and
make regular reports;
- Plan and conduct research on a regular basis; and
- Continuously conduct regular evaluation of program and personnel.
❖ Aspects of Social Work Administration
- Functions: (1) The means by which identified social needs are dealt
with by appropriate social services, whether under public of private
auspices; and (2) The societal action for improved or new services
needed by specific groups of community as a whole. There is
decision-making at every level of administration.
- Structure: (1) Studying it in relation to the organization as an element
of administration; and (2) Knowing that the social welfare agency
represents the organizational structure in social work administration.
- Process: (1) It is continuous, dynamic and total process of bringing
together people, resources and purposes to accomplish the agency
goal of providing social services. It includes dimensions which are:
o Central Dimensions: The task of work assignment within agency
structure. There is a wide distribution of responsibility in the
agency with the allocation of tasks and functions for every
level of work.
o Psychosocial Dimension: This presupposes that people that
people release their feelings and energies and that these
feelings and energies, when properly harnessed by
administrators, constitute the human resources in achieving
agency goals.
211
- Design of organizational structures and processes through which the
goals can be achieved;
- Securing of resources in the form of materials, staff, clients and
societal legitimation necessary for goal attainment and
organizational survival;
- Selection and engineering of the necessary technology;
- Optimizing organizational behavior directed towards increased
effectiveness and efficiency; and
- Evaluation of organizational performance to facilitate systematic
and continuous solution of problems.
212
o Private agencies can pioneer and initiate demonstration projects
which may subsequently be turned over to the government. Their
latter can adopt the program on a larger scale with more
available resources and organizational capacity.
- Semi-Government or quasi-governmental organizations:
organizations that receive some form of subsidy, either in cash or kind,
from the government.
❖ Nature of Social Welfare Agencies
- Administrative bureaucracies: Established to attain specific goals,
and their internal structures, technologies, and procedures are
designed to implement these goals.
- Social system: Adaptively respond to external and internal pressures,
and that they generate informal patterns that may both facilitate
and hamper goal attainment.
❖ Levels in Social Welfare Agencies
- Policy-level: In public agencies, it is a function of the higher officials
based on constitutional mandate, legislative act, executive order, or
presidential decree. In private agencies, it is a function vested in duly
constituted board of directors.
- Administrative or executive level: Functions are (a) Participation in
the formulation and determination of policy; (b) Provision of
guidance and direction in the planning process; (c) Staffing and
organizing; (d) Provision of guidance, direction, supervision,
coordination, and fiscal control; (e) Provision of continuous
interpretation of the agency to the public, including the preparation
of annual report; (f) Provision of continuous evaluation to improve
agency standards; and (g) Representing the agency in councils and
other organizations in the community.
- Supervisory level: Enables the workers to perform their functions more
effectively and provides the means for them to grow their jobs.
- Direct service level: Have direct/field contact with the people or
clients needing agency services or assistance in the context of
professional values and ethics.
• ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS
❖ Policy Formulation
o Policy: a stated course of action adopted and followed by the
agency in doing its work; written statement formally adopted by
the Board or legislative body.
o Areas of policy consideration: policy values & objectives; policy
target group or clientele; methods of implementation and
environmental impact.
213
o Stages in Policy Formulation: (1) Identification of the problem or
issue; (2) Analysis of the problem; (3) Informing the public about
the problem; (4) Development of policy goals; (5) Building of
public support; (6) Legislation or enunciation of policy; (7)
Implementation and administration; and (8) Assessment and
evaluation.
o Principles of Policy Determination: (1) Policy must be based on
agency purpose; (2) Must be based on adequately evaluated
facts & experience; participation of clientele & people affected
by policy; (3) Focus and direction for the attainment of agency
purpose; (4) Unity and consistency between various policies &
between policy & purpose: (5) Participation of agency staff in
policy; (6) Relate agency purpose to realities in community and
agencies facilities and resources; (7) Policy-making, planning and
operations are interrelated; (8) New policies should be based on
evaluation of existing policies and practice; (9) Thorough
knowledge of policy by staff is essential; (10) Policies be expressed
in positive forms; (11) Carrying out of policies in the spirit of their
intent be by administration and staff; and (12) Evaluate any
conflict between policy & practice.
❖ Planning and Programming
- Definitions:
o Planning is a process of mapping out one’s activities towards the
accomplishment of goals and projecting the means or resources
of achieving them.
o Programming is a process of preparing or setting up the program
involving a specific period of time and specific type of services.
o Plan: A course of action for reaching a goal beginning now or at
any predetermined time in the future.
- Reasons for Planning: (1) Efficiency; (2) Effectiveness; (3)
Accountability; and (4) Morale.
- Essential Elements: (a) goal or the what; (b) resources, means,
procedures and methods or the how; (c) people involved in
achieving the goals or the who; (d) method of evaluation and
review; (e) conditions under which the plan will be implemented.
- Principal Types of Plans:
o Substantive plan is designed to achieve program objectives. It
calls for the formulation of broad issues confronting the program.
o Procedural plan is designed for the organizational structure within
which are embodied the various administrative mechanisms such
as rules, guidelines, standard operating procedures, reporting
requirements, and the like.
- Principles of Planning: (a) grow out of the expressed interests and
needs of all persons in the agency; (b) participation of those to be
214
affected; (c) adequate factual basis; (d) combines face-to-face
methods and committee work; (e) individualized/particularized
based on varied situations; (f) use of varied approaches indigenous
to the situation; (g) requires professional leadership; (h) requires the
efforts of volunteers, Non-professionals, community leaders: (i) calls
for documentation and recording; (j) use existing plans and
resources; and (k) dependent upon thinking prior to action.
❖ Organizing
- Definitions:
o Organizing is a process of setting up individuals and functions into
productive relationships towards the accomplishment of certain
common objectives.
o Organization is the structure or the pattern or network of
relationships between the various positions and the individuals
holding such positions; set of formal, planned relationships
between the physical factors and personnel required for the
performance of these functions.
- Organizational Structures:
o Formal, which is established by law, by-laws and activities are
consciously coordinated found in their policies, procedures, etc.
Kinds of this organization are as follows:
▪ Line organization – authority is from top to bottom; work
towards primary service goals;
▪ Functional organization – different staff units have authority
over the same people and are concerned with providing
benefits and services to the organization itself;
▪ Line and staff organization – units have authority over their
own subordinates; staff units assist, advise, etc. for use of line
executives; and
▪ Committee type of organization – group of persons act as a
body and perform functional, staff or line duties.
o Informal, which is established unconsciously by spontaneous
grouping of persons and consists of rules, sentiments, traditions.
- Models of Organization:
o Bureaucratic form – a pre-set system of procedures and rules;
division of labor based on specialization; promotion and selection
of personnel based on technical competence; impersonality in
human relations.
o Democratic form – more informal and employees participate &
share in decision-making; warm, cooperative relationships
encouraged.
o Adhocracy – blending of bureaucratic & democratic forms;
flattening of the pyramid (mixed matrix).
215
o Collegial or professional team model – group of professional
colleagues organized in a collaborative lifestyle with maximum
informal communication.
- Kind of Organizational Chart:
o Vertical chart – shows the position of authority at the top with the
different levels in a horizontal position and the functions running
vertically.
o Horizontal chart – shows the position on the left side and presents
the different levels in a vertical position while the functions are
shown horizontally.
o Circular chart – shows the position of authority from the middle of
the circle and the functions flow from the center.
- Steps in Organizing: (1) Distinguish clearly the various functions
necessary to accomplish the action; (2) Group the functions into
organizational units and eventually into economical and effective
work assignments; (3) Provide in advance of the need for the physical
facilities and resources; and (4) Find the qualified personnel who can
perform the assigned responsibilities.
- Principles of Organization: (1) Work specialization or division of work;
(2) Unity of command; (3) Span of control; (4) Homogenous
assignment; (5) Delegation of authority; (6) Hierarchical or scalar
principle; and (7) Line and staff principle; (8) Division of labor; (9) Short
chain of command; and (10) Balance.
❖ Staffing
- Definition: Staffing is the art of acquiring, developing and maintaining
a competent workforce in such a manner as to accomplish with
maximum efficiency and economy the functions and objectives of
the organization.
- Objectives: To secure and develop adequate and efficient
personnel to aid management in accomplishing the goals; to aid
every personnel to develop and perform to the limit of his capacity
recognizing his interests & competency.
- Elements: (1) Effective recruitment, selection and hiring; (2)
Placement-right person for the right job; (3) Orientation or induction
and training; (4) Promotion; (5) Transfer-horizontal or vertical
movement; (6) Performance appraisal/rating; (7) Wage and salary
administration; (8) Discipline; (9) Employee benefits and services; and
(10) Turn-over, separation, retirement.
❖ Directing
- Definition: Directing is the process of implementing the total plan and
bringing into being all the necessary and available resources to
achieve the objectives of the organization; issuing instructions.
- Steps in Directing: (1) Setting-up the major responsibilities, persons,
units; (2) Placing the jobs, responsibilities and functions properly in an
216
organizational pattern; (3) Issuing directions, special assignments and
orders; (4) Controlling or directing closely by basic policies and plans.
❖ Controlling
- Definition: Controlling is the work of constraining, coordinating and
regulating action in accordance with plans for the achievement of
specified objectives.
- Steps in Controlling: (1) Setting standards at strategic points, checking
& reporting on performance; (2) Getting feedback/information
about the results of performance; and (3) Taking corrective action.
- Methods: (1) Reporting; (2) Setting deadlines; (3) Inspection and prior
approval of projects.
❖ Coordinating
- Definition: Coordinating is the process of interrelating the various parts
of the work of an agency so that it functions as a whole.
- Types of Coordination:
o Coordination of thought – the relationship between mental
activities.
o Coordination of action – the establishment of harmonious
relationship between and among physical activities.
- Forms of Coordination:
o Perpendicular or vertical coordination – the competent
delegation of responsibility and the corresponding authority for
the performance of every act from the largest to smallest.
o Horizontal or cross-coordination – the supervisors or executives on
the same level coordinating and relating their activities or
functions among themselves.
- Ways for Effective Coordination: (1) clear lines of authority &
responsibility; (2) periodic reports; and (3) effective communication
system.
- Five Major Processes in Teamwork:
o Communication – sharing of ideas and feelings and involves
listening as well as interacting and reflecting back ideas and
involve both verbal and non-verbal components.
o Compromise – due to individual differences, it is expected that
when two or more people communicate with each other, the
next process is either to accept the plans or work out a
compromise.
o Cooperation – a process where two or more people are working
together and helping each other. It involves one’s own work
efficiently and effectively and making successful contribution to
the agency as a whole.
o Coordination – requires the involvement of all staff members.
o Consummation – activities and projects started with others must
be completed.
217
❖ Communication
- Definition:
o Communication, according to Davis and Filley, is that phase of the
managerial process that transmits ideas from one person to
another for use in the performance of managerial functions.
- Reasons why Communication is Important: (1) Effectiveness, (2)
Efficiency, and (3) Morale.
- Components of Communication: (1) The source or sender; (2) The
message; and (3) The receiver – unless the receiver gets to
understand the message, effective communication has not taken
place.
- Purposes: (1) Clarify what is to be done, how and by whom; (2)
Reinforce identity with agency purposes; (3) Transmit problems, ideas,
suggestions; (4) Report progress; (5) Promote participation; and (6)
promote social interchange/provide recognition.
- Patterns of Communication:
o Formal Communication – rational, planned system of procedures
and channels by which information flows from the lines of authority
as seen in organizational chart.
o Informal Communication – communication does not follow
channels of authority.
❖ Budgeting and Financing
- Definitions:
o Budget is a financial plan whether for an agency or a program.
o Budgeting is one of the areas of financial administration with
which an administrator must be concerned if he is to run the
organization efficiently.
o Accounting is the art of recording, classifying, and summarizing in
a significant manner and in terms of money transactions or events
which are part of a financial character and analyzing and
interpreting the results thereof.
o Recording includes making entries; classifying includes sorting
mass of transactions in an orderly and systematic manner;
summarizing means bringing together of accounting data in a
form that further enhances this information.
o Auditing is the state of making an audit or an examination of some
or all of the following: documents, records, reports, system of
manual control, accounting procedures, and other evidences.
o Financing may be defined as the allocation of an
organization/agency’s liquid assets to ensure their most
productive use. In other words, the limited supply of capital
available to an organization must, if the agency is going to be
successful, be used in a way in which it can do the most good in
terms of profitability.
218
o Financial record is an ongoing record of what the agency has
spent on what and how well it is staying within the budget.
- Type of Budget:
o Line-item budgeting – based on line-item accounting and
incremental increases in projecting ahead for a year or more.
o Program budgeting – goals and objectives are a significant part
and include services offered by the agency.
o Functional budgeting – encompasses program services but
emphasizes the supporting administrative services that are
needed for operating an agency.
o Zero-based budgeting – the agency starts with no money each
year and describes and justifies all expenditures for the coming
year, whether or not they have existed before.
❖ Recording and Reporting
- Definitions:
o Records has been defined as “an account in written or other
permanent form serving as a memorial or authentic evidence of
a fact or event.”
o Report means “to make or give an account of, often formally.”
These are based on accurate records, research, and
investigation.
o Reporting as a process of management is broadly interpreted as
a process of communication. It is only a two-way flow of
information upward and downward but also outward, across, and
around.
- Record-keeping Approaches:
o Tape recording – used to supplement and not to replace the need
to keep other records.
o Problem-oriented recording – currently used in health and mental
health settings, where the different disciplines collaborate in
collecting information, listing problems, formulating plans and
evaluating results, but record using the same format.
o Time series recording – the documentation of repeated measures
of the specific behaviors, attitudes, or interactions that are the
focus of social work intervention.
- Classification of Reports:
o Subject matter reports – finance, personnel, program, project,
research.
▪ Client service reports – those working with clients in any
capacity must make reports to their supervisors
regarding each client or client group.
▪ Program, project, or research reports – a periodic report
to the head concerning progress towards the goal
should be made.
219
▪ Personnel report – the progress or lack of progress being
made by the personnel should be reported.
▪ Financial report – a periodic budget report by program,
project, or research directors and by the agency’s
finance executive should be made.
o Time interval reports – many subject matter reports are submitted
on a present time interval such as daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly,
semi-annually or annually.
o Interim and miscellaneous reports – memoranda are used within
the agency to inform staff and executive of activities and as a
reminder.
▪ Progress reports – this covers how activities are
progressing.
▪ Improvement reports – this may be made by program
and/or project directors concerning their programs or
employees.
▪ Recommendation reports – this is usually prepared by a
committee formed for a particular purpose or from
conferences.
- Preparing an Agency Report: (1) Stating the problem; (2) Defining the
scope of the problem; (3) Planning the methods for obtaining
relevant information; (4) Collecting the information; (5) Analyzing the
information; (6) Forming the conclusions; (7) Organizing the report; (8)
Preparing the first draft; (9) Editing the first draft; and (10) Publishing
the report.
❖ Public Relations
- Definitions:
o Organized public relations is the continuing effort to affect a
harmonious adjustment between an institution and its public.
o Public relations is a management function which evaluates public
attitudes, identifies the policies and procedures of an individual or
an organization with the public interest and executes a program
of action to earn public understanding and acceptance. It is
ninety percent doing the right thing and ten percent telling about
it.
- Salient Points of Successful Public Relations: (1) Know where and what
your goals are; (2) Know who you want to reach; (3) Evaluate
resources, such as money, facts, manpower, and skills available; (4)
Note how your benefits dovetail with those you reach; (5) Know
specific techniques of public relations in regard to preparation and
participation regarding advertising, publicity, and brochure; (6) Be
absolutely honest; and (7) Thank people.
❖ Evaluation and Research
- Definitions:
220
o Evaluation is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing
data in order to make a decision and to determine whether and
to what degree objectives have been or are being achieved.
o Research is a systematic, controlled, empirical and critical
investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed
relations among natural phenomena.
o Evaluation Research is used to determine the impact of a social
intervention. A social intervention is an action taken within a social
context designed to produce an intended result. Evaluation
research thus analyses the impact of a particular program on a
certain social problem the program is trying to solve.
- Key Reasons for Evaluation: (1) Evaluation is essential to ascertain the
extent to which the objectives of the agency are being achieved; (2)
Evaluation is essential to ascertain the extent to which the objectives
of the agency are being achieved; (3) Evaluation ensures the
flexibility essential to the continuous re-orientation of a service to the
changing needs of persons in changing social settings; and (4)
Evaluation is a form of social accountability required by all funding
sources and the taxpayer or contributor at large.
- Types of Evaluation Research Activities:
o Research for Program Planning. Gathering information to help
create or improve a program, like learning what people need or
want. It responds to the question “Is the program designed in
conformity with its intended goals, and are chances of successful
implementations maximized?”
o Program Monitoring. Keeping an eye on a program to see if it's
going as planned, like checking if activities are happening on
time. It answers the question “Is the program reaching the persons,
households or other target units to which it addressed?”
o Impact Assessment. Figuring out what effect a program has, like
seeing if it's making a difference in people's lives. It answers the
question “Is the program effective in achieving its intended
goals?”
o Research on Project Efficiency. Studying how well a project uses
resources, like time and money, to get things done effectively. It
responds to the question “Is the program an efficient use of
resources compared with alternative uses of resources?”
221
b. Social Work Administration and Supervision and the Evolution of
Management Theories
• MANAGEMENT THEORIES
❖ Scientific Management: Scientific management was based on a
number of assumptions about people and their behavior in the work
place.
- Four Principles of Scientific Management: (1) Replace rule-of-thumb
work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks;
(2) Scientifically select, train, and develop each worker rather than
passively leaving them to train themselves; (3) Cooperate with the
workers to ensure that the scientifically developed methods are
being followed; and (4) Divide work nearly equally between
managers and workers, so that the managers apply scientific
management principles to planning the work and the workers
actually perform the tasks.
❖ Administrative Management: Organizations do not manage themselves.
If policy is to be uniformly followed and resources fairly allocated,
communication and coordination have to be deliberately facilitated.
- Henri Fayol’s 14 Principles of Management: (1) Division of Work; (2)
Authority; (3) Discipline; (4) Unity of Command; (5) Unity of Direction;
(6) Collective Interest over Individual Interest; (7) Remuneration; (8)
Centralization; (9) Scalar Chain; (10) Order; (11) Equity; (12) Stability
of Tenure; (13) Initiative; and (14) Esprit de Corps.
❖ Bureaucratic Management Theory: Bureaucratic organizations, as
developed in later part of the 19th century, were thought to be superior
to other forms of organizations because they derived authority through
legal mandates, based decisions on objective or rational criteria and
were explicitly designed to control the performance and behavior of
staff members.
- Weber’s Five Main Characteristics of a ‘Pure’ Bureaucracy: (1) A clear
cut division of labor, with activities rationally distributed as official
duties; (2) The distribution of duties through a formal administrative
hierarchy, in which each office is supervised by the one above it and
communication is required to pass up and down this supervisory
chain; (3) A prescribed system of rules and procedures, which, if not
followed, can lead to disciplinary action and conversely, should
safeguard the worker if the rules are followed but a case does not
turn well; (4) The exclusion of personal considerations from the
conduct of official business, both by the employee and the
organization; and (5) Salaried employment based on technical
qualifications and constituting a career within the hierarchy –
recruitment and selection against job descriptions and person
specifications, staff development and promotion prospects all relate
to this element of a bureaucratic organization.
222
❖ Human Relations Theory: The human relations theory or model describes
an approach to managing staff that is quite different from Weber’s and
Taylor’s mechanistic models, which assume that all worker behavior can
be strictly controlled through administrative action.
❖ Management by Objectives: Management by objectives (MBO) is a
systematic and organized approach that allows management to focus
on achievable goals and to attain the best possible results from
available resources. It aims to increase organizational performance by
aligning goals and subordinate objectives throughout the organization.
Ideally, employees get strong input to identify their objectives, time lines
for completion, etc. MBO includes ongoing tracking and feedback in
the process to reach objectives.
- MBO Three Basic Strategies: (1) All individuals within an organization
are assigned a special set of objectives that they try to reach during
a normal operating period. These objectives are mutually set and
agreed upon by individuals and their managers; (2) Performance
reviews are conducted periodically to determine how close
individuals are to attaining their objectives; and (3) Rewards are
given to individuals on the basis of how close they come to reaching
their goals.
❖ Theory X and Y: Theory X assume that workers must be forced to do their
jobs. The role of the manager is to control worker behavior and make it
fit the organization9s needs. Theory Y takes the opposite approach. Its
basic assumption is that workers are intrinsically well motivated to work,
but that they may become resistant to organizational demands
because of workplace dynamics.
❖ Motivation-Hygiene Theory: Two primary factors, known as motivating
and hygiene actors, play different roles in relating to job satisfaction and
motivation. Hygiene factors are extrinsic to the job and function only to
reduce levels of job dissatisfaction. Examples of hygiene factors include
salary, job security, and working conditions. Motivating factors are
intrinsic to the job and stimulate employees to perform at higher levels.
Examples include achievement, responsibility, and nature of work.
223
time, in critical situations leaders need to switch to more autocratic and
commanding methods.
❖ Visionary Leadership: With the visionary management style, leaders
have a clear picture of what needs to be done on a strategic level –
and the communication skills to get their team on board with it. By
engaging them early employees feel motivated and inspired to perform
at their best to turn vision into reality. Success requires a great deal of
charisma and strong communication skills, however. Fail to convince
people about the purpose behind your vision and they won’t engage or
help you deliver it.
❖ Coaching Leadership: Coaching leaders are focused on supporting their
people, helping them develop their talents and achieve their potential.
They have the empathy to recognize employee strengths and
weaknesses and the ability to deliver regular, constructive feedback
and opportunities to promote growth. While this undoubtedly delivers
results in most circumstances, employees have to be open to changing
and improving. This style won’t deliver when people just see work as a
job to be done, rather than a career to develop. Coaching also takes
up a large amount of time, preventing leaders from covering other parts
of their role.
❖ Laissez Faire Leadership: As the name suggests, the laissez faire manager
just lets things happen. They don’t micromanage but trust their people
to get on with the job and deliver great performance. Providing
autonomy increases motivation and encourages people to use their
initiative, all good for creatively solving issues. However, the downside is
a lack of control – and it requires your team to be skilled self-starters who
can be trusted to perform without supervision.
❖ Autocratic Leadership: In many ways autocratic (or
authoritarian/commanding) managers fit the stereotype of the old-style,
top-down business leader. Autocrats demonstrate strong authority and
have total power over the decision-making process – they give orders
and their “underlings” defer to them and do what they are told.
Autocratic leaders have the final decision on everything. This may work
if you have a specific vision and strategy that you need to implement
quickly through hard-work or when dealing with a crisis, but doesn’t
engage employees or tap into their creativity. It therefore limits
innovation, drives away your most creative employees and risks
overwhelming your remaining people through constant
micromanagement.
224
• SUPERVISION
❖ Overview of Supervision
- Definition: Supervision is a dynamic enabling process by which
individual workers who have a direct responsibility for carrying out
some of the agency’s program plans are helped by a designated
staff member or to make the best use of their ability so they can do
their job more effectively and with increasing satisfaction to
themselves and to the agency.
- Assumptions: (1) Supervision aims towards the agency’s control over
services and practice; (2) Supervision is essentially a function of
administrative leadership; and (3) The supervisory process as a
learning process.
❖ Role and Functions
- Administrative Functions: (1) Holding the workers to account for a
certain quality and quantity of production; (2) Seeing to it that service
to client is adequately rendered with agency regulations and
procedures properly carried out; and (3) Enabling the worker to
follow procedures and regulations.
- Teaching Functions, also referred as educational: Regularly
scheduled individual or group supervisory conference is the primary
methodology utilized for teaching in supervision. Teaching functions
is carried out through the following:
o Planning – the supervisor has to plan work experience for a
supervisee which will give him the opportunity to learn and to
progress as a worker; and
o Providing a climate for learning – the supervisor teaches sensitivity
to the needs of the worker at both the intellectual and feeling
level which will enable the worker to integrate feeling and
intellectual functioning in the practice.
- Helping Functions, also referred to as supportive: (1) Supporting and
sustaining the worker through stressful situations; (2) Providing a
positive climate for learning; (3) Managing the supervisory
relationship in a helping way; (4) Making sure of what he knows about
people and their behavior in working with others; (5) Helping workers
to identify and modify feelings and other obstacles which are
impeding their progress; (6) Helping the supervisee deal with job-
related stress; and (7) Develop attitudes and feeling in the workers
which are conducive to job performance.
❖ Types of Supervision
- Tutorial Model: consists of a supervisor and supervisee in a one-to-one
relationship.
- Group Supervision: there is a designated supervisor and a group of
supervisees.
225
- Case Consultation: there is a designated consultant and the worker
schedules the contacts as needed.
- Peer Group Supervision: there is no designated supervisor, and all the
members of the group participate as equals.
- Tandem Supervision: two group members decide to function apart
from the group.
- The Team: consists of varied members within the agency structure.
226
Analysis: Boardman et.al. (1996), Gittinger (1982), Irwin (1978), Milward
(1971), Turvey (1971), Peters (1968), etc.
- Distinguishing Features:
o A project is an undertaking an observer can draw a boundary
around – a specific geographic area or area of concentration.
o Projects have a time sequence of investment, production and/or
economic and social benefits.
o Projects will have a special clientele whom the project is intended
to reach and whose economic and social life will be impacted
upon.
o Projects have a starting (inception) and finishing (completion)
time.
o Projects have a partial or wholly independent administrative
structure/set of accounts/monitoring and reporting system.
o Comprised of several distinct stages.
o The idea of a cycle underscores the point that the stages are
closely linked and follow a logical progression, with the later
stages providing the basis for the renewal of the cycle.
o The principal stages of the cycle are: identification, design,
preparation, appraisal, implementation, and evaluation.
▪ SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
• Is the most critical phase of the project cycle.
• A wrong assessment of the project situation will lead
to inappropriate project intervention.
▪ PROJECT PLANNING
• Involves two stages – project design and feasibility
study.
• Project design involves the formulation of project
objectives based on the Situational Analysis.
▪ PROJECT APPRAISAL
• Involves the evaluation of the project of the funding
agency.
• It tries to determine if the project plan meets its
development requirements.
▪ PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
• Is the stage where the contents of the project plan is
undertaken.
▪ PROJECT OPERATION
• Marks the full transfer of the operation of the project
to the beneficiaries.
▪ MONITORING
• Involves measuring the progress, accomplishments,
deviations of the project which serves as a reference
for adjusting and controlling the project.
227
▪ EVALUATION
• Involves the measurement of the effects or impact of
the project.
❖ Project Identification
- Purposes: (1) To establish the basic desirability of a project; and (2) To
identify the high priority projects that fall within the responsibility of the
public.
- Sources: (1) Development plans of the national, regional or local
government, NGAs or GOCCs; (2) Interest groups or beneficiaries; (3)
International funding agencies
- Basic Results: (1) Existing or potential needs are determined; (2) Ideas
for overcoming these existing or potential deficiencies are
established; (3) Initial technical, environmental and economic
considerations of projects are identified; (4) Alternative ways to
accomplish desired objectives are examined; (5) Initial assessment of
costs, timeframe and scope of the project is made; (6) Human and
non-human resources to create and support the facilities/services are
identified; and (7) Initial project design is selected.
228
❖ Project Preparation
- Purposes: (1) To refine the elements described in the project
identification phase; and (2) Make the project ready for the appraisal
stage.
- Elements: These depend on the nature of the project, but in general
the following are considered: (1) Description of the project
objectives; and (2) Setting of timetables for the different phases of
the development cycle.
- Basic Results: (1) Detailed plans required to support the facility are
prepared; (2) Possible technical packages to be considered are
identified; (3) More realistic assessment of costs, time schedule and
operational requirements; (4) Areas where high risk and uncertainty
exists are identified; (5) Human and other resources required for the
project are more firmly identified; (6) Necessary support systems are
determined; and (7) Documents required to support the project are
identified & initially prepared
- Summary of Expected Results: (1) Project preparation must cover the
full range of market, technical, institutional, financial and economic
issues the relevant to achieving the project objectives (e.g.,
government policies and procedures, technical and institutional
alternatives)
o Areas of Viability
▪ Market Aspect
▪ Technical Aspect
▪ Financial Aspect
▪ Operational Aspect
▪ Economic Aspect
❖ Project Approval and Financing Negotiation
- Purposes: (1) To determine if project meets the financial, economic
& social criteria set by government for investment expenditures; (2)
To finalize the project financing; (3) To draft the detailed loan
document.
- Basic Result: Provisional decision to approve or disapprove the
project is made
❖ Project Implementation
- Purpose: (1) Resources are allocated & coordinated to make the
project operational
❖ Project Operation
- Essential Concern: The skills, plans, & controlling organization are
available & ready to avoid excessive start-up costs.
❖ Project Evaluation.
229
- Two types of evaluation:
o On-going evaluation. Conducted within project life as early
warning system that may lead to adjustments in project design.
Evaluation focuses on whether the organization is implementing
right policies, programs and/or projects – i.e. As currently
constituted, are they likely to meet their intended target
beneficiaries needs [outcomes and impacts] when fully
implemented?
o Ex-post evaluation. Done after project life to determine impact.
To what extent have the Policies, Programs and/or Projects are
already met the needs of their intended target beneficiaries;
and what are the prospects for the long term?
- Purpose: (1) Project’s performance is assessed as to its overall
contribution to the country’s development; (2) Elements of success
and of failure are analyzed, so that....; (3) On going projects may be
modified and subsequent projects can be improved.
- Basic Result: (1) New policies, better management practices and
improved procedures are adopted to improve future project
performance; (2) Entity that may be interested to conduct
o Project management
o Sponsoring government department or agency
o Operating agency
o Controlling agency
o Government planning organization
o External aid agency.
230
Social Work
Practice 1 and
Field Instruction
1
(Working w/ Individuals and Families)
231
SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE I WITH FIELD INSTRUCTION I
16th Century
17th Century
1852
ENGLAND
14th Century
● Statute of laborer of 1349 – King Edward III – first law for the poor in
England
232
16th Century
● Poor relief system: (1) house of correction or (2) almshouse
17th Century
● Elizabethan Poor Law (The Poor Relief Act of 1601) - created a national
poor law system for England and Wales. It formalized earlier practices of
poor relief distribution in England and Wales and is generally considered
a refinement of the Act for the Relief of the Poor 1597 that established
Overseers of the Poor.
The "Old Poor Law" was not one law but a collection of laws passed
between the 16th and 18th centuries. The system's administrative unit
was the parish. It was not a centralized government policy but a law
which made individual parishes responsible for Poor Law legislation.
The 1601 act saw a move away from the more obvious forms of
punishing paupers under the Tudor system towards methods of
"correction"
● 1782- Gilbert Act – transfer from indoor relief to outdoor relief which
provided that persons able and willing to work should be maintained in
their own homes until they found employment
● Aug. 14, 1834 - Poor Law Amendment Act (NPLAA) - was an Act of the
Parliament of the UK passed by the Whig government of Earl Grey that
reformed the country's poverty relief system (with the exception of
Scotland, which reformed their poor law in 1845). Based on 3 main
doctrines:
1. Malthus's principle that population increased faster rather than
resources unless checked
2. Ricardo's "iron law of wages" and
3. Bentham's doctrine that people did what was pleasant, and would
tend to claim relief rather than working
233
19th Century
Three main factors:
1. Social Reform Movement
- Chartists Consumer’s Cooperatives by Robert Owen
(1844-1848)
- Christian Socialists
- Housing Reforms: Octavia Hill (1864) with John Ruskin started a project of
rebuilding slums in London. Used/Enlisted Lady volunteers to collect rents, to
give advices to families in home management and sound leisure activities.
20th Century
Problem on unemployment
19th Century
● 1905- Poor Law Commission established a policy of social reform with the
following:
- Abolished the punitive characteristics of poor relief in favor of humane
public assistance program
- Abolished mixed almshouses
234
● 1942- Re-examined the entire British Social Insurance and Welfare
program by a Committee headed by Lord William Beveridge which
devised a comprehensive system of social security based upon 5
program:
1. A unified, comprehensive, and adequate program of social insurance
2. A program of public assistance for people not sufficiently protected thru
social insurance
3. Children’s allowances (family allowance)
4. Comprehensive free health and rehab. Services for the entire population
5. Maintenance of full employment thru public works measures
Public – poor relief was given in the form of outdoor relief in kind (food,
clothes, fuel) or by selling out the pauper to the lowest bidder
Private – poor relief was given by church charities, benevolent societies
or associations of certain nationality and philanthropic associations
● 1773- 1st institution for mentally ill – Eastern State Hospital at Williamsburg,
Virginia
● 1783- Dr. Benjamin Rush introduced a humane treatment of the mentally
ill
● 1790- 1st state penal institution at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
● 1817- 1st asylum for the deaf at Hartford, Connecticut
● 1821- 1st asylum for the blind at Boston, Massachusetts
● 1848- 1st state school for the feeble minded at Boston
● 1879 1st prison for women at Sherborn, Massachusetts
● 1843-1853- Dorothea Dix – exposed thru documentation the suffering of
mentally disturbed patients resulting to the construction of 32 hospitals
for mentally ill
● 1863– Creation of the 1st State Board of Charities in Massachusetts a
central agency for the supervision of all state charitable institutions
● 1871– Charity Organization Society (COS) in Buffalo, NY intended to
avoid waste of funds, competition and duplication of work among the
relief agencies thru a board composed of representatives of these
agencies
- Required the social investigation of every relief applicants by the
“friendly visitors”
- COS functioned as the SW coordination and planning body
235
- United Charities or Association of Charities is concerned with
family and children services
● 1897 Establishment of Training School for Applied Philanthropy by Mary
Richmond which led to the organization of the 1st social work courses in
NY in 1898
19th Century
PHILIPPINES
The Spaniards brought the teaching, “to do good to others for the salvation of
their souls”, and which for many years was the underlying philosophy behind
all social welfare activities.
236
● 1565 1st hospital in Cebu - founded Don Miguel Lopez de Legaspi
● 1565 1st school in Cebu – founded by Augustinians
● 1571 Transferred in Manila and in 1578 named Hospitalito de Santa Ana
renamed during the American: Sternberg General Hospital
● 1578 San Lazaro Hospital was built for Filipino beggars and became a
hospital for lepers (1631) pioneered the organized isolation of the sick by
Fr. Juan Clemente
● 1586 San Juan de Dios
● 1850 Start putting up of public schools
● 1885 Asilo de San Vicente de Paul – asylum for girls
● 1867 593 primary schools with a total of 138,990 enrollees
● 1882 Hospicio de San Jose - to house the aged and orphans, the
mentally defective and young boys requiring reform
● 1899 The National Red Cross Hermanos – a women’s group that gives
medical carE
American Period(1898–1946)
237
- concept of community chest
- between 1919 -1921 the ACM was fused w/ARC
● 1924- The Associated Charities became an independent agency under
the supervision of the Public Welfare Commissioner, and was partly
financed by the government, and partly by private contributions.
This was not legal sanctioned until in 1933 wherein a law (Philippine
Legislative Act No. 3203) was passed requiring “any person, etc. desiring to
solicit or receive contribution for charitable or public welfare purposes to
secure a permit to do so from the Director or Public Welfare.”
● January, 1924 -March, 1925- The first known school social work program
in the
country took the form of an “experiment” at the Zaragoza Elementary School
in Tondo (now the Rosauro Almario Elem. School).
The project resulted from the voluntary act of a social worker in the Public
Welfare Commission, Josefa Jara Martinez
● 1924 Philippine Legislative Act No. 3203 - relating to the care and
custody of neglected and delinquent children and providing probation
officers for them
● 1926 Association de Damas Filipinas founded a Settlement House on
Rizal Ave., Manila patterned after Jones Addams’ Hull House in Chicago
● 1930s The Associated Charities were unable to cope with the number of
applicants for relief and other social services, despite appropriations
made by the Office of the PublicWelfare Commissioner. Public Welfare
Commissioner director at the time is Dr. Jose Fabella
● 1933 Frank Murphy became the Governor-General. Under him the
following were conducted:
1. Scholarship grants for professional training in social work in the United
States
238
2. The Legislature appropriated funds for the operations of government
child and maternal health centers which was established in every town
with at least 2,000 pop.
3. Created First Housing Committee which studied Manila Slums resulted
to 31 model houses in Tondo
4. Unemployment Committee which recommended the creation of
National Emergency Relief Board
The Murphy administration’s social welfare programs marked the first time the
government assumed full responsibility for the relief of the distressed due to any
cause.
Commonwealth (1935-1946)
● 1940 The Office of the Commissioner of Health and Public Welfare was
abolished and replaced by a Department of Health and Public
Assistance Service, which took over the activities that used to be
performed by the Associated Charities which, by then, had ceased to
exist.
● Pres. M. Quezon passage of the anti-usury laws – 8 hours labor law,
minimum wage, et.al.
● November 1, 1939 Commonwealth Act No. 439 created the Department
of Health and Public Welfare
● 1941 - Establishment of the Public Assistance Service
- Bureau of Public Welfare officially became a part of the Department
of Health and Public Welfare. In addition to coordinating services of all
public and private social welfare institutions, the Bureau also managed
all public child-caring institutions and the provision of child welfare
services.
Social Welfare activities during the period consisted mainly of giving medical
care and treatment, as well as food and clothing, to the wounded soldiers,
prisoners and civilians.
239
● Oct. 4, 1947 BPW became the “Social Welfare Commission” under Office
of the President
SWC offered 3 categories:
1. Child Welfare - including probation and parole
2. Public Assistance – relief and case work
3. Coordination & Supervision – War Relief Office was place under
SWC
● 1948 Pres. Quirino created the President Action Committee on Social
Amelioration (PACSA) – It is a comprehensive program of health,
education, welfare, agriculture, public works and financing PACSA was
also tasked with giving relief assistance to the hungry, homeless and sick.
● 1949 Council of Welfare Agencies of the Philippines and the Community
Chest of Greater Manila were organized
● 1950’s Establishment of
- The Philippine Youth Welfare Coordinating Council
- Philippine School of Social Work (MA in Social Admin.) at PWU
With 33 youth serving agencies
Jan. 3, 1951 The Social Welfare Commission and the President’s Action
Committee on Social Amelioration were fused into one agency called the
Social Welfare Administration
3 divisions are:
- Division of Public Assistance
- Child Welfare Division
- Division on Rural Welfare (created by Administrative Order No. 7, on
September 5, 1951)
It deals with the mounting social problems in the rural areas.
240
● Sept. 8, 1976 DSW change to DSSD (Dept. of Social Services and
Development)
- Prioritization of the bottom 30%
● June 2, 1978 Pres. Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1397,
converting departments into ministries thus the Ministry of Social Services
and Development.
The sixties and seventies marked the existence of voluntary organizations and
establishment of even more agencies.
● 1980’s MSSD:
- Launched the Case Management System, Total Family Approach and
Integrated Human Resource Development Program
- Self-Employment Assistance was upgraded.
- Social Welfare Indicators was updated to monitor the
level of well-being of the MSSD service users
● Jan. 30, 1987 Pres. Aquino reorganized MSSD and change it to DSWD
1990’s The DSWD continued the 5 program areas of concern during the early
nineties. It also gave priority attention to Low Income Municipalities (LIMs) and
other socially depressed barangays.
The aftermath of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption was the use of Crisis Incident Stress
Debriefing (CISD), a form of crisis intervention used with victims of disasters and
other crisis situation.
● October 10, 1991 R.A. 7160: Local Government Code
Implementing functions together with its programs and services were
devolved to its local government unit.
● Feb. 1999 NGO Network launched the Philippine Council for NGO
Certification (PCNC)
241
Definition of Social Work in the West and in the Philippines
Social Work – is the profession which is concerned with mans adjustment to his
environment: a person (or groups) in relation to a person’s (or their) social
situation.
Wernes Boehm (1958) – Social work seeks to enhance the social functioning of
individuals, singularly and in groups, by activities focused upon their social
relationships which constitute interaction between the individuals and their
environments.
William Schwartz (1961) – the general assignment for the social work profession
is to mediate the process through which the individual and society reach out
to each other through a mutual need for self fulfillment.
Harriet Bartlett (1970) – social functioning is the relation between the coping
activity of people and the demand from the environment.
242
June 27, 2001 - the International Association of Schools of Social Work and the
International Federation of Social Workers jointly announced this new
International definition of social work which, it is believed, is applicable to social
work practitioners and educators in every region and country of the world:
“The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human
relationships and empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well
being. Utilizing theories of human behavior and social systems, social work
intervenes at the points where people interact with their environment.
Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamentals to social work.”
R.A. 4373 (Social Work Law)- Social Work as a profession that is primarily
concerned with organized social service activities aimed to facilitate and
strengthen basic relationships in the mutual adjustment between individuals
and their social environment for the good of the individual and society and by
the use of social work methods.
1. Systematic Body of Theory – the skills that characterize a profession flow from
and are supported by a fund of knowledge that has been organized into an
internally consistent system called body of theory.
Three types of knowledge:
▪ Tested knowledge –knowledge that has been established through
scientific study (research).
▪ Hypothetical knowledge – still has to undergo transformation into
tested knowledge,
even if tentatively such knowledge may be accepted to explain certain
facts, unapproved theory.
▪ Assumptive knowledge – practice wisdom.
2. Professional Authority – extensive education in the systematic theory of her
discipline provides the professional with a type of knowledge which the
layman does not have.
243
centers, admission into the profession, and standards for professional
performance.
244
● Person/client
It refers to an individual (man, woman, or child), a family, small group or
community who finds himself or themselves is found to be in need of help in
some aspects of his economic, social and emotional living. It also refers to “one
for whom professional services are rendered” or the “one dependent on the
patronage(protection) of other. “Case” is another term refers not only to the
person or persons involved but includes the state of affairs or the situation in
which they are the principal characters.
Types of clients:
Walk-in. This refers to an individual, a couple, or representatives of an
organization or community who, on their own, seek the help of an
agency/social worker about a concern or problem. The client initiates
the contact.
Reach-out. These are the subjects for the “outreach” efforts of the
agencies. They are aware of the existing community agencies and the
services they offer yet are too shy or are not adequately motivated to
seek help, especially on a personal or family problem.
Economic problem:
Lack of economic and social resources
Lack of educational skills, knowledge and experience
Emotional problem:
Lack of love, care and protection
245
Illness and disability
Lack of opportunities or access to resources
Psychosocial problems:
Emotional reaction to stress
Loss of relationship
Internal conflict
Culture conflict
Maladaptive group Functioning
● Helping Process
The last and most important component of social work practice it is the helping
process, it is means through which an agency purpose is achieved. It is the
phase through which treatment is applied to attain a change in behavior or in
the environment, or a problem is alleviated or resolved.
The goals are: (1) to help individuals, families, groups and communities cope
with problems they find difficulty in solving or in meeting their basic needs in
such a way that they will make use of their conscious, efforts, choices, and
competencies; and (2) engage the client in ways of coping that may be of use
to him in dealing with new or other problems that he may encounter now and
then as long as he lives, It has basically three major phases (Hepworth and
Larsen, 1986):
246
PHASE I – Exploration, assessment and planning (Beginning)
PHASE II – Implementation and goal attainment (Middle)
PHASE III – Termination and evaluation (Ending)
The following are the two presentation of the simplified steps in the helping
process:
1. Value
- defined as that worth which man attaches to certain things,
systems,
or persons within the realm of usefulness, truth, goodness or
beauty.
- Is to prefer (William Gordon)
-Our values are the source of our attitudes and determine our
relationships with others.
2. Knowledge
-Refers to what is thought to be, as confirmed by reality.
-Established by the highest standards of objectivity and rationality
of which man is capable.
3. Skill
247
- Ability, expertness, or proficiency gained from practice and
knowledge.
- Concerned with the application, with doing.
- It is an art.
● Based on the belief that man has worth and dignity associated
with a democratic theory which views that man as having worth
because he is capable of reason, of rational analysis, and choice.
● Man is created in the image of God.
248
form groups for their mutual protection and safety: anti-social- men are viewed
as inherently self-seeking, egotistical, out to extend personal gain at the
expense of others.
1. Social Acceptance – being taken by one’s fellow for what one is, or believes
he is, and being treated in accordance with his status.
a) Smooth Interpersonal Relations (SIR) – a facility at getting along with
others in such a way as to avoid outward signs of conflict, either thru
pakikisama, euphemism, and go-between (tulay).
b) Amor Propio – is a term used to refer to the sensitivity to personal
affront and functions to protect the individual loss of social acceptance.
2. Emotional Closeness and Security in a Family
3. The Authority Value – with God is considered the ultimate source of authority
4. Personalism – this value attaches major importance to the personal factor
which guarantees intimacy, warmth, and security of kinship and friends in
getting things done.
5. Utang na Loob – debt of gratitude
6. Patience, Suffering and Endurance – a person must suffer before he she
gains happiness.
Professional Ethics
249
2. It provides the community some protection against abuses by
members of the profession.
3. It sets forth basic principles.
4. It sets guidelines for relationships.
5. It is a useful resource for the enrichment or improvement of the
professional curriculum.
• Ethical Dilemmas:
1. Manipulation
2. Advocacy
3. Conflicting loyalties
4. Cultural and other realities
250
Social Deviation and Social Work
Social Environment and Social Work
Philippine Social Realities
Social Change and Development Perspective
• The Philosophical Foundation of Social Work, the Social Work Practice Theory,
the Helping/Problem-solving process, the Helping/Interventive
Models/Approaches, Selected tools in Problem-solving, Skills in corresponding
to the steps in the problem-solving process.
• Subjects:
Social Work Practice with Individuals and Families
Social Work Practice with Groups
Social Work Practice with Communities
Social Work Counseling
Fields of Social Work
Social Work Communication and Documentation
Seminar on Current Trends in Social Work Practice
251
2. Interrelationship of Social Work and Social Welfare; Social
Services and Planned Change
Social Welfare
Social Services
252
Social services as a partial compensation for the socially generated
disservices or dysfunction. (Richard Titmus)
Planned Change
There are 4 essential elements in social work practice: (1) Client, (2)
Worker (3) Problem, and (4) Process. These elements can be understood in the
context of Planned Change of the works of Lippitt, Watson and Westley.
According to them, “social work is planned change.”
253
3. Generalist Social Work
Dubois & Miley (2002) elucidated Generalist Social Work Practice as follows:
Sheafor and Horejsi (2003), the terms generalist practice and generalist social
worker refer to social work practitioner who has broad knowledge and skill,
who draws in several perspectives, theories and models and who can move
with minimal difficulty from one field practice to another. The generalist is
prepared to assume a variety of social work roles.
B. Social Casework
1.1. Analyze the Social Conditions and Contexts of clients’ situations and
that gave rise to the emergence of casework in the Philippines.
254
In 1941 the Associated Charities was absorbed by the Bureau of Public
Welfare to carry out its public assistance program and it employed social
workers who functioned as caseworkers.
By the 1960s the community organization method became the “in” since
the government was more on pushing community development.
During the 1980s, it was observed that more and more clients were
exhibiting graver emotional and psychological problems found in addicted
youth and adults, child neglect abuse, and exploitation, marital conflict and
broken homes. Psychosocial dysfunctioning was also growing in numbers.
Casework practice was renewed in earnest, enriched and strengthened.
1.2. Define social casework, its nature, scope, purposes and goals
SOCIAL CASEWORK
255
Social Casework is a helping process which consists of variety of activities
that may include the giving of material assistance; referrals to other community
facilities; rendering emotional and psychological support through sensitive
listening; expressions of acceptance and reassurance; making suggestions;
appropriately advising and setting limits, encouraging him to affect his plans;
assisting the individual to narrate and examine his situation; and/or working out
with him a consideration and better understanding of causal connections
between his present attitudes and mode of adjustment with past experiences.
Leonora S. De Guzman
Social Casework is an individualized form of helping people cope with
personal problems especially on a one-to-one basis. These problems usually
involve a deficiency, an impairment or a breakdown in psychosocial
functioning.
One of the strategies in casework is to bring the client through the problem-
solving process so that he will benefit from the experience and will be able to
apply it in the future as he encounters other problems of daily living when
casework is no longer there to help him.
The casework process consists of a series of steps which are interrelated. Each
of these steps constitutes a process by itself each determining and in turn being
determined by the others. The (1) identification of the presenting problem, (2)
data gathering, (3) diagnostic assessment (4) treatment planning, (5)
treatment implementation, (6) evaluation, and (7) continuation or termination
256
are each a process in themselves although intertwined in the whole casework
process.
● Components of Casework
Types of clients:
Reach-out. These are the subjects for the “outreach” efforts of the agencies.
They are aware of the existing community agencies and the services they offer
yet are too shy or are not adequately motivated to seek help, especially on a
personal or family problem.
System implies that the entities are acting like units of one collective entity and
are interacting in an interrelated and interdependent manner with each other.
257
Problem
Economic problem:
Lack of economic and social resources
Lack of educational skills, knowledge and experience
Emotional problem:
Lack of love, care and protection
Illness and disability
Lack of opportunities or access to resources
Psychosocial problems:
Emotional reaction to stress
Loss of relationship
Internal conflict
Culture conflict
Maladaptive group Functioning
Place
258
*Research for the programs of DSWD
Process
The last and most important component of social work practice is the helping
process, it is the means through which an agency's purpose is achieved. It is
the phase through which treatment is applied to attain a change in behavior
or in the environment, or a problem is alleviated or resolved.
The goals are: (1) to help individuals, families, groups and communities cope
with problems they find difficulty in solving or in meeting their basic needs in
such a way that they will make use of their conscious, efforts, choices, and
competencies; and (2) engage the client in ways of coping that may be of
use to him in dealing with new or other problems that he may encounter now
and then as long as he lives,
The following are the two presentation of the simplified steps in the helping
process:
259
● Outside Agent – professional change agent
260
THREE KEY PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE CASE MANAGEMENT (Acc. to NASW):
261
Source:
Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare of Zimbabwe and UNICEF
(2015). National Case Management
System for the Welfare and Protection of Children in Zimbabwe.
262
- Certain parts of the county are in need of this intervention, like the
typhoon-prone provinces of South during the rainy season, or places
where people depend on seasonal jobs for their livelihood.
3. Mobilizing the resources of the client system to change their social reality
- Premised on the belief that problems are not always due to personal
inadequacies but, often, to deficiencies in the social reality, and that if
people are to be helped, the target should be the latter.
- The use of a client's own resources is underscored, in changing aspects
of his/their social reality which can and should be changed.
- This model of intervention can be used to help individual clients, groups,
communities.
- With the awareness of their number, they can be helped to realize that
through group efforts at self-help, they can improve their life situations.
- Groups can also be helped to organize themselves in order to work for
the provision of facilities, services and opportunities that they need.
- All these give meaning to “people empowerment” which is emerging
as a very important trend in social work.
- This model can be used with any client system when the target of
change is clearly the client’s system’s situation.
263
effects of the stressful events and (2) to help mobilize the latent
capacities and capabilities of the person directly affected so that he
can cope more effectively with the effects of the crisis. It is a short-term
treatment.
264
10. The Behavior Model
An approach intended to improve the social functioning of individuals,
families, groups and organizations by helping them learn new behaviors
& eliminating problematic ways of behaving.
265
and understanding how identities interact is an important element of
that.
The main objective of social work is to help people improve the quality
of their lives, to assist them cope more effectively with the problems of living so
that they will gain or regain their equilibrium and achieve growth in coping
capacity. It is the coping capacity that is endangered hence the declared
purpose of social work is to enhance the psychosocial functioning, meaning,
the improvement of the interaction between man and his environment (De
Guzman). The social work helping process aims two things:
2.) Hiya – as painful emotion arising from a relationship with an authority figure
or with a society which inhibits self-assertion when one is in a situation which is
perceived as a dangerous to one’s ego. This trait is associated with the
unpleasant experience of embarrassment that prevents one form wrongdoing.
266
- it is the “come what may” or que sera sera” attitude and at time rests on the
line of least resistance that one need not exert any effort because God will
take care of everything.
4.) Ningas Kugon – “ningas” literally means to catch fire and “kugon “ is a fast
burning kind of grass.
- It is defined as the enthusiasm that is intense only at the start but gradually
fades away.
5.) Utang na Loob – reciprocity or debt of gratitude.
6.) Hospitality – welcoming others to one’s home and offering the best to
visitors while denying the same to members of the family.
7.) Amoral Familism – the tendency to become individualistic and in ward
directed; hence, the inability to look beyond the family circle. While many
Filipinos are captive of these values there are those who are not, so that the
social worker should be sensitive to this and not automatically presume that all
her clients adhere to these.
267
▪ Diagnosis/ Assessment: it is a process (on-going,, throughout the life of the
case and an outcome (assessment) of understanding on which action is
based, it is considered as the crucial part of helping process typically starts
when social worker and client starts the helping relationship
▪ Treatment: decisions must be made
A. ASSESSMENT
❖ A process and a product of understanding on which action is based
(Max Siporin).
❖ To provide understanding necessary for appropriate planning.
❖ Major tasks include data gathering and problem definition.
❖ Information/Data Gathering
268
• Principles:
1. Client is the main source of information
2. Data gathered should relate to problem
3. Inform the client about the source/s of data
4. Data collection is a continuous process
5. The type of client and general nature of the problem can be of guide
Problem
o Intake – is the process by which a potential client achieves the status of a
client. It can be accomplished in just one session.
o End goal: Initial engagement
ALWAYS REMEMBER: “Start where the client is” and “begin with the felt need”
269
Partialization – process of separating from so many problems identified by the
client and/or worker the specific problems or problems which are to be
addressed first.
Characteristics of Assessment
1. It is ongoing
2. It focuses on understanding the client in the situation and in providing a base
for planning and action
3. It is a mutual process
4. There is a movement within the assessment process
5. Both horizontal and vertical explorations are important
6. Assessment identifies needs in life situations, defines problems, and explains
their meanings and patterns
7. It is individualized
8. Judgment is important because many decisions have to be made
9. No assessment is ever complete
B. PLANNING
• Link between Assessment and Intervention
• Translates the content of assessment into a goal statement that describes the
results, and is also concerned with identifying the means to reach the goals
• The end goal is planned change
• Goals:
Goals are ends.
They are the desired or expected outcomes of an endeavor
Characteristics:
➢ Specific, concrete and measurable
➢ Feasible (realistic and attainable)
• Plans: Means or specific actions to achieve goals
• Units of Attention: Systems that are the focus of the change activity
• Strategy: An overall approach to change a situation
270
4. Worker
5. Client
➔ Interventive Roles
271
2. Documenter/Social Critique – we document the need for more adequate
social welfare policies and programs based on her knowledge about the
inadequacies or deficiencies in these existing welfare policies and programs,
and how they ought to be based on our professional values and goals.
3. Policy/Program Change Advocate – the worker involved in efforts to change
policies and programs on behalf of particular sectors of the population based
on the values of the profession.
D. EVALUATION
• Collection of data about outcomes of a program of action relative to goals
and objectives set in advance of the implementation of that program
• Ongoing vs terminal; formative vs summative
• It is important for social workers to be more specific in its approach to
evaluation.
• It provides professional accountability with two aspects: (1) effectiveness and
(2) efficiency
E. TERMINATION
Reasons:
1. When the goals set by worker and the client have been reached
2. When, after a reasonable period of time, there has been very little
movement toward the attainment of the goals formulated
3. When the client thinks that the worker has provided sufficient help so that it
is now possible for the client to pursue problem-solving on his own
4. When an agency does not have the resources needed by the client or the
worker does not get her agency’s approval to provide services needed by the
client
272
5. When the systems outside the client make it difficult for the client to continue
with the helping relationship or when these systems influence the client to
discontinue the relationship
6. When for one reason or another, the worker must leave the agency
2. Roles and functions performed, skills and techniques used by the social
worker in working with individuals and families
General Roles:
➢ Catalyst or Catalyzer. He was expected to enhance the client’s
psychosocial functioning by inducing or facilitating some changes in his
environment or both.
➢ Enabler. He supplies, provides, or links the client with the means, the
knowledge or opportunity to be or to do something.
➢ Change Agent. The worker becomes the instrument of some
transformation that has been planned at a higher or national level.
Specific Roles (those that touch the client directly or those which require the
performance of specific tasks):
➢ Direct Provider of Resources. The worker provides the tangible aid that
may be needed by the client to eliminate or reduce situational
deficiencies.
➢ Case Manager. The worker is responsible for overseeing the delivery of
social services such as linking the client with the provider of the resources
that he needs.
➢ Mediator/Broker/Intercessor. The worker acts on behalf of the client
scouting for the resources that he needs, procuring this for him, and
interceding for him if need be.
273
➢ Facilitator. The worker helps remove the obstacles to exercise rational
thinking or learning by the use of non-formal adult teaching and
methodologies.
➢ Therapist. The worker is concerned with the treatment of client illness,
disability, or some disorders, usually a pathological conditional.
➢ Clinician. The worker is the worker who seeks to restore, maintain, or
enhance the clients’ adaptive capacity and facilitates his optional
adjustment to current social reality.
➢ Mobilizer. The worker assembles and energizes existing groups,
organizations and resources or creates new ones to bring them to bear
on a current or incipient problem.
➢ Advocate. The worker seeks some change in policy or program for the
benefits of his clients.
➢ Role Model. The worker is often overlooked, perhaps not recognized or
taken for granted
Functions
274
5. Monitor/Evaluation: “On-going documentation through short-term goal
attainment extent to which client is following through”.
6. Supportive Counseling: “Affirming, challenging, encouraging, informing, and
exploring options”.
7. Graduated Disengagement: “Seeking to replace the social worker with a
naturally occurring resource”.
2.2. Point out the skills and techniques used by the social worker in specific
phase of the helping process
275
INTERVIEWING is the main tool used in social work practice. It is a face-to-face
meeting between two or more persons, directed towards a purpose, such as
to obtain information, to give instructions and to help. It is both an art and
technique which requires knowledge and skill. It is an art because while
interviewers may follow the same principles, it allows for the expression of one’s
personality.
276
even a small community. The casework pioneers who conceptualized social
work practice divided it into three points: study, diagnosis and treatment.
277
3. Transfer summary. It refers to the summary made when the case is
to be transferred to another worker or is being referred to another
agency. it may contain a brief statement of the problem, the
treatment plan and what has been accomplished so far. Closing
entry or summary. This focuses on the causes and results of the
treatment or intervention. It covers the situation at intake and the
reasons involved the problem that emerged, the treatment given,
services extended, or intervention, made the progress movement
or chance achieved, and the results or status of the case.
3. Interpretative, Diagnostic and Evaluate. This type of recording is directed to
pointing out the meaning of facts. Its significance lies in the social interpretation
of the case by the worker. It carries, in fact, his own opinion.
278
4) Reassurance. It is an indirect support to clients. It involves assuring the client
that the situation with which he is struggling has an attainable solution and that
he has the capacity to deal with his own problem.
5) Installation of hope. It is given when the worker demonstrates interest in a
client's efforts and progress, encouraging his efforts, offering realistic assurance
and expressing hope that things will be better.
6) Exploration. It is used to elicit necessary information; to bring out details
about experiences and relationships as the client perceives them; and to
examine the feelings connected to the relationships and experiences.
7) Clarification. It is to make understandable a point or two. As a technique, it
is often used in connection with exploration.
8) Education and Advice. It was formerly known as advice-giving and
counseling. In social work, it refers to the provision of ideas, opinions and
suggestions based or drawn from the worker’s professional knowledge.
According to Schwartz, one of the major tasks of the social worker is to
contribute data, ideas, facts and value concepts which are not available to
the client and which may prove useful to him in attempting to cope with that
part of social reality which is involved in the problem with which he is working.
9) Universalization. It is the utilization of human experiences and the strengths
of others to cope with situations similar to those which are troubling the client.
To pick up or choose a certain trait or pattern of behavior characteristics of all
members of a particular culture or of all human beings.
10) Reward and Punishment. One gets rewards for good behavior or is
punished for misbehavior. It is used when there is better understanding of the
causes and greater ability to anticipate and control the consequences.
11) Role rehearsal and Demonstration. This may be used extensively when
learning new ways of behavior is required. It is done by discussion or actual
setting up of role play situations or by demonstration.
12) Confrontation. It is to come face to face with the hard facts of the situation
with reality, to bring a person face to face with something.
13) Conflict. Is a type of stress produced when a person is motivated by two or
more needs in such a manner that the situation of one need may mean the
dissatisfaction of another one.
14) Manipulation. It means skillful management of events. The workers as a
manipulator must bear in mind three things:
(1) the client’s right and need to be involved both in deciding and
doing,
(2) the client’s ability to participate;
(3) the distinction between those activities that are appropriate for the
workers and those that are appropriate for the client.
15) Andragogy. According to Malcolm Knowles, andragogy is the art and
science of helping adults to learn.
16) Consciousness – raising. It means the arousing of man’s positive self-
concept in relation to the environment and society through a liberating
education which treats learners as active agents rather than passive recipient
of learning.
279
E. Social Work Counseling
Counseling is a series of direct contacts with the individual which aims to offer
him assistance in changing his attitudes and behaviors. - Carl Rogers
Characteristics of Counseling
Purposes of Counseling
• Improving planning & decision making
• Bring about a meaningful awareness and understanding of
the self and environment;
• Formulating new ways of behaving, feeling, and thinking for problem
resolution and/or development growth.
280
The Goals of Counseling
1. Generic
❑ Developmental Goals
❑ Preventive Goals
❑ Enhancement Goals
❑ Exploratory Goals
❑ Reinforcement Goals
❑ Remedial Goals
281
It is an ice breaking session during which the counsellor & counselee
introduce each other & establish a primary rapport.
Good rapport building provides the respect, trust & sense of psychological
comfort to the counsellor-counselee relationship for progression to the
counselling process. Strategies to establish an effective relationship:
(1) Introduce yourself;
(2) Always address the individual by his or her name;
(3) Ensure physical comfort of the counselee & self;
(4) Do not interrupt the individual when he/she is talking;
(5) Listen attentively;
(6) Observe nonverbal communication.
Phase 2 Assessment
The second phase of counselling is basically a data collection phase, where
the counsellor motivates the counselee to provide complete information
about the problem;
The type of information collected from counselee like general data,
physical data, psychological data, social/environmental data, achievement
data, educational & vocational data;
After the collection of information, diagnosis related to the counselee’s
behavior is made;
Various tools & techniques used for data collection like intelligence tests,
achievement tests, aptitude tests, interest tests, personality tests,
questionnaires, interview, observation, autobiography, anecdotal records,
rating scale, cumulative record & case studies.
Phase 4 Intervention
282
The phase is affected by the counselor's own thoughts about the
counselling process.
The intervention will depend on the approach used by the counsellor, the
problem & the individual;
The choice of intervention is a process of adaptation & the counsellor
should be prepared to change the intervention when the selected intervention
does not work
This is the final stage of the counselling process, where counselling comes
to an end;
Termination must be planned well ahead so that the counselee may feel
comfortable at the departure & gradually able to handle the problem
independently;
Some follow-up sessions may be required to help the counselee further
to handle the problem independently.
COUNSELING APPROACHES
Some of the approaches that Philippine counselor educators emphasized at
one time or another are described below:
1. Clinical or Directive Counseling
2. Client-Centered Counseling
3. Eclectic Counseling
4. Behavior Modification
5. Reality Therapy
6. Rational Cognitive Therapy
7. Gestalt Counseling
8. Transactional Analysis
9. Solution-focused Therapy
10. Cognitive Therapy
Counseling Principles:
1. Acceptance
2. Individualization
3. Confidentiality
4. Self-determination
5. Controlled emotional involvement
6. Non-judgmental attitude
Counseling Skills:
1. Attending skills
2. Reflecting and paraphrasing
3. Clarifying and use of questions
4. Focusing
283
5. Building rapport
6. Summarizing
7. Immediacy
LOCUS OF PRACTICE
1. DIRECT PRACTICE
- sometimes referred to as micro social work
- one-on-one contact with individual, group, or family (micro level)
2. INDIRECT PRACTICE
- sometimes referred to as macro social work
- more of behind the scenes
- involves setting up, organizing, maintaining and improving the
programs and services that enrich clients’ lives
- facilitating change through programs and policies
SETTINGS OF PRACTICE
1. PRIMARY SETTING
- Social agencies whose programs & services are the direct scope of
social work.
284
Example: DSWD, MSSD, NCDA, UNICEF
2. SECONDARY SETTING
- Agencies, institutions and organizations whose primary function is to
provide services other than social welfare but employ social workers to
support, strengthen, or complement their own services.
Example: DOH, REGIONAL TRIAL COURT, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
LEVELS OF SYSTEM
Mezzo events are “the interface where the individual and those most
immediate and important to him/her meet” (Zastrow & Kirst -Ashman, 1990, p.
11)
285
Mezzo intervention is hence designed to change the systems that directly
affect clients, such as the family, peer group, or classroom.
286
• Interface with healthcare insurers to authorize care.
CASE MANAGER
• Involved in all stages of client intervention.
• Provide access, allocate, monitor, and evaluate services and fiscal resources
for clients.
• Reduce fragmentation of services.
• Engages in a range of tasks that support and enhance the systems working
with the client.
• Meet with client on regular basis to assure a continuum of services and to
judge the effectiveness of services.
• Enhance the development, problem solving, and coping capacities of
clients.
• Contribute to the development of social policy.
• Complete all paperwork and accountability reports according to
established deadlines.
• Function as part of a treatment team.
287
SOCIAL WORK IN NURSING HOMES
• Facilitate the admission process.
• Develop an individualized plan of care.
• Facilitate the social and psychological well-being of nursing home residents
and their families.
• Encourage all staff to respect and assist in meeting the needs of residents
and them
families.
• Plan discharges to ensure appropriateness and continuity of care for transfer
within
and discharge from the nursing home.
• Complete all paperwork and accountability reports according to
established
deadlines.
288
• Are change agents, legislative advocates, policymakers and program
administrators for both victims and offenders.
289
• Support the family members of individuals struggling with mental health or
substance abuse problems.
References:
National Association of Social Workers (2004) www.naswdc.org/practice/
Gibelman, M. (1995). What Social Workers Do. Washington, DC: NASW Press
Drug Dependents
Many agencies and institutions implementing drug abuse prevention
and control programs employ social workers in administrative, supervisory,
and/or direct work with dependents, the latter being done almost always with
a team composed of professionals from other disciplines like medicine and
psychology. In addition to community information and education, the
treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents are therefore an immediate
concern of different community agencies. The objective is the maximum
social, psychological, vocation and occupational restoration of the drug
dependent to the extent that his potentials and capacities would allow.
290
and attitudes; therapeutic services to help them cope with personal and other
problems; working with their families; supervising rehabilitation programs like
skills training and pre-employment orientation; job placement, mobilizing
community resources; and community education for the acceptance of
socially disadvantaged women.
Older Persons
The older persons, like all other members of society, should be given the
opportunity to live decently and productively. Social services should be
available to those who, for certain reasons or conditions, are unable to look
after their own needs. For them, this would include help in relation to economic
needs and problems, social problems such as family and community
relationships, personal care, recreational needs and living arrangements. All
these social services are needed by those who have no families or whose
families are not able to provide for their needs.
In this field, social workers will have to perform any of the following
functions: agency administration and management, staff supervision, program
development, community mobilization, collaboration and coordination with
other professionals, and direct services in the form of individual and group
counseling and other helping modes (e.g. support groups, therapy groups, self-
help groups, etc.), placement, referrals, and others.
291
deafmute, the crippled, and those who are victims of other physical
deformities including Hansenites (Hansen’s Disease is leprosy), and the
mentally ill and handicapped.
Regardless of the type of agency, we can say that the social worker’s
contribution in this field lies mainly in the area of rehabilitation. Rehabilitation is
a helping process which aims to restore a handicapped person to the highest
possible degree of physical, social, emotional, vocational and economic well-
being. The process involves provision of a wide array of services to the person
who, understandably, will need outside assistance to be able to adequately
cope with the consequences of his being handicapped or disabled.
Social work activities in relation to the handicapped and the disabled
generally fall under two categories:
a) Administration, which involves formulation or recommendation of
agency policies that would respond to the needs and problems of this special
group, recruitment and training staff, helping plan and develop special
programs and facilities, mobilizing volunteer and community support; and
b) Direct service, including participation in case management along
with other members of the rehabilitation team which, for the social worker,
starts with a social case study that provides information and insights into the
disabled person’s personal, family, as well as community situation, or through
the planning and implementation of certain social work interventions that
would help with his total adjustment.
The social worker is usually also active in the pre-employment process,
and later, in the follow-up services that will be needed
Child Welfare
This field in concerned with the physical, social, and psychological well-being
of children and youth through the provision of different programs and services
designed for the care, protection, and rehabilitation of children and youth in
difficult situations.
Corrections
It is defined as the administration of penalty in such a way that the
offender is corrected, that is, his current behavior is kept within acceptable
292
limits at the same time his general life adjustment is modified. It involves control
and rehabilitation which are carried out by probation institutions and parole
organizations.
• Probation is the process of treatment, prescribed by the court for
persons convicted of offenses against the law, during which the
individual on probation lives in the community and regulates his own life
under conditions imposed by the court (or other constituted authority)
and is subject to supervision by probation officer.
• Parole is the release of prisoner under supervision before the
expiration of his sentence, with the provision that he might be returned
to the correctional institution if he violates the conditions of his parole.
Health
This field centers with the interplay of economic, social, and
psychological forces which directly or indirectly cause, maintain, or aggravate
the patient’s illness. The social workers working in the hospitals are considered
in to be in this field where they are called medical social workers who directly
work with medical personnel and are considered members of the health team.
Moreover, social workers working in mental health, population, and family
planning are also under this field.
293
focused and, as such, much of international social work practice occurs at the
local, state, and provincial levels within individual countries (Estes, Richard).
Schools
This field centers with the social and emotional factors which caused
students’ problems in school and interface with their adjustment and potential
academic achievement. The school social worker’s functions is to add, as a
non-instructional specialist, to the efforts of teachers, administrators, etc. in
assisting individual students in achieving expected educational goals. The
activities focus on particular children and children in general (Lee- Mendoza,
2008).
Military
A Military social work is a specialized field of practice that provides
support and interventions to military personnel, retirees, their spouses and their
dependents through private practice, active service, or work with veterans’
services. Job duties include providing direct services, such as counseling, crisis
intervention and debriefing after critical events.
Farmers
A farmer is someone who works under umbrella of agriculture, producing
a variety of food products for human and animal consumption. There are
several kinds of farmers ranging from farmers who raise animals to farmers who
grow crops (Careerexplorer.com). The Philippines is primarily an agricultural
country. The agricultural sector employs about 30% of the population but only
12% of GDP. Almost 5 million farmers cultivate 9.7 million hectares, or about 30%
of the total land area of the country (New Agriculturist.info). The country’s
agriculture sector is made up of 4 subsectors: farming, fisheries, livestock, and
forestry. Our main agricultural crops are rice, corn, coconut, sugarcane,
bananas, pineapple, coffee, mangoes, tobacco, and abaca. We export
agricultural products around the world including Japan, USA, Europe, and
more. Moreover, our fisheries sector is divided into 3 sub-sectors: commercial,
municipal, and aquaculture for which also contribute to the nation’s GDP.
However, the most of the pressing problems under this sector includes the
rampant conversion of agricultural land, inadequate support from the local
farmers, and environmental damage (NationsEncyclopedia.com).
294
Fishermen
A fisherman is someone who catches fish either for a job or a sport
(Cambridge Dictionary).
Peasants
A person who owns or rents a small piece of land and grows crops, keeps
animals, etc. on it, especially one who has low income, very little education,
and a low social position. This is usually used of someone who lived in the past
or someone in a poor country (Cambridge Dictionary).
Laborers
A laborer is a person (usually a male) who works in one of the
construction trades, traditionally considered unskilled manual labor, as
opposed to skilled labor. Laborers are also employed outside of the
construction industry, in fields such as road paving, shoveling snow, digging
graves, chain gangs, and picking up leaves. In the division of labor, laborers
have all blasting, hand tools, power tools, air tools, and small heavy
equipment, and act as assistants to other trades., operators or cement masons
(DBpedia.org).
Migrant Workers
A migrant worker refers to a person who is to be engaged, is engaged
or has been engaged in a remunerated in a state of which he or she is not a
legal resident to be used interchangeably with overseas Filipino worker (RA
8042).
Urban Poor
They refer to individuals or families in urban areas with incomes below
the poverty line as defined by the National Statistical Coordinating Board
(NSCB). They are the underprivileged or homeless sector of society - the
unemployed, underemployed and the irregularly employed, or who are
incapable of meeting the minimum basic needs, and who live in slums,
squatter and resettlement areas, sidewalks, dumpsites, road right-of-way,
cemeteries, unoccupied government or private lands or along danger zones
like railroad tracks, esteros, riverbanks, high tension wires, or other places in
urban areas (PCUP.gov.ph).
295
Roles subsumed under this category include those in which social workers meet
face to face with clients or consumer groups in providing services.
296
of essential goods and services provided by other resources. Case managers
also work directly with clients and resource networks to ensure that the needed
goods and services are provided in a timely manner. It is noteworthy that in the
case manager role, social workers function at the interface between the client
and the environment more so than in any other role. Because of recent
dramatic increases in the numbers of people needing case management
services, such as homeless individuals, elderly clients, and persons with serious
and persistent mental illness, numerous articles have appeared in the literature
focusing on clients who need such services, issues related to case
management, and various functions of case managers.
297
SYSTEM MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT
298
• Consultant/Consultee- Consultation is a process whereby an expert enables
a consultee to deliver services more effectively to a client by increasing,
developing, modifying, or freeing the consultee’s knowledge, skills, attitudes,
or behavior with respect to the problem at hand (Kadushin, 1977). Although
social workers both provide and receive consultation, there has been a trend
for licensed MSW social workers to serve less as consumers of consultation and
more as providers. MSW trainees must seek regular consultation services until
they are licensed to practice independently. BSW social workers may provide
consultation regarding the availability of specific community resources. More
often, however, they are consumers of consultation when they need
information about how to work effectively in problem solving that
encompasses complex situations and behaviors. Social workers assume the
consultee role when they need expert knowledge from supervisors, doctors
and nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and other social workers who possess
high levels of expertise related to certain types of problems (e.g., substance
abuse, child maltreatment, sexual problems).
Researcher/Research Consumer
299
(i.e., single-system) designs. This type of research design enables practitioners
to obtain measures of the extent (frequency and severity) of problem
behaviors before they implement interventions aimed at eliminating or
reducing the problem behaviors or increasing the frequency of positive but
currently insufficient behaviors (e.g., doing homework, engaging in prosocial
behaviors, setting realistic and consistent limits with children, sending positive
messages, abstaining from drinking). These measures provide a baseline
against which the results of the interventions can be assessed by applying the
same measures periodically during the course of the interventions, at
termination, and at follow-up (Reid, 1994).
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
Direct practitioners sometimes have opportunities to improve or expand
agency services based on assessment of unmet client needs, gaps in service,
needs for preventive services, or research indicating that more promising
results might be achieved by interventions other than those currently
employed.
• Planner- In small communities and rural areas that lack access to community
planners, direct practitioners may need to assume a planning role, usually in
concert with individuals in positions with access to monetary resources and
social power. In this role, the practitioner works both formally and informally
with directors and managers of departments to plan programs that respond to
unmet and emerging needs. Such needs could include child care programs,
transportation for elderly and disabled persons, and recreational and health
care programs, to name just a few. Planners have an inside perspective on
factors such as financial parameters, local and national policies, expressed
community needs and concerns, and agency parameters around the
creation of new services and the maintenance of current services.
300
reasons, social workers should become actively involved in decision-making
processes related to policies and procedures.
• Advocate- Just as social workers may advocate for an individual client, they
may also join client groups, other social workers, and allied professionals in
advocating for legislation and social policies aimed at providing needed
resources and enhancing social justice. Social workers may also be in the role
of advocate within their agencies when a gap in or lack of services is
recognized within an agency.
1. Resource Provider- This role engages the worker in the direct provision of
material aid and other concrete resources that will be useful in eliminating or
reducing situational deficiencies. Concrete resources are mobilized, created,
and directly provided to the client who is assisted in making optimal use of
them. The resources needed are being administered by the social worker’s
agency or organization and all that she has to do is assist the client to avail of
them.
2. Social Broker- This interventive role involves the process of negotiating the
“service jungle” for clients, whether singly or in groups. The worker links or
connects the client to needed services in the community. She often has to
perform a variety of activities – helper, interpreter, facilitator, expediter, escort,
negotiator – to insure rapid service delivery. This role requires a broad
knowledge of community resources as well as knowledge of the operating
procedures of agencies so that effective connections can be made. This role
is very similar to the resource provider role. The distinguishing element of the
social broker role is that the worker has to match client needs with community
resources outside of her agency and assist the client to make use of these
resources.
301
3. Mediator- A mediator is a person who acts as an intermediary or conciliator
between two persons or sides. In her work with individuals, families, groups and
communities, the worker often has to.
4. Advocate- engage in efforts that will resolve disputes between the client
system and other parties. The objective is to find a common ground which will
make it possible to resolve the dispute. Advocate The term advocacy comes
from the legal profession. Like the lawyer, the worker has to take a partisan
interest in the client and his cause. She cannot remain neutral. The objective is
to influence, in the client’s interests, another party, usually possessing same
power or authority over the client. The client will argue, debate, bargain,
negotiate, and manipulate the environment on behalf of the client. She may
even have to utilize non-consensual strategies, such as direct confrontation,
administrative appeal, and the use of judicial and political systems as
appropriate.
5. Enabler- The enabler role involves the social worker in interventive activities
that will help clients find the coping strengths and resources within themselves
to solve problems they are experiencing. The client serves as the primary
resource, and change comes about mainly through the client’s efforts. The
worker’s responsibility is to perform a supporting and empowering function so
as to enable the client’s accomplishment of a defined change. The enabler
role can be used to effect change within the client’s pattern of relating to
others or the environment.
1. Mobilizer of Elite
This intervention involves the worker in activities aimed at informing and
interpreting to certain sectors of the community, welfare programs and
services, as well as needs and problems, with the objective of enlisting their
support and/or involvement in them. This sector of the community called
“elite” is comprised of individuals and groups who are usually in a position to
provide, in one way or another, the resources the worker needs in her work with
clients. The elite would be the professionals who constitute a well-informed
group whose talents and skills can improve or enrich agency work; the
302
politicians whose legislative acts can have far-reaching effects on social
welfare; policy-makers who make decisions that impact on the situations of
clients; the leaders in communities who may not be wealthy or educated but
are respected and have a following in their respective areas; the rich whose
financial support welfare agencies must often depend on for their budgetary
needs; and volunteers who represent an important but largely untapped
human resource that can enhance service to clients. Specific activities in this
role include being an information-giver, interpreter, resource person,
consultant, negotiator, coordinator, lobbyist, organizer and mobilizer.
2. Documenter/Social Critique
In this interventive role, the social worker documents the need for more
adequate social welfare policies and programs based on her knowledge
(gained from actual experience) about the inadequacies or deficiencies in
these existing welfare policies and programs, as well as on her beliefs as to how
they ought to be, in the light of professional values and goals. As a documenter
or critique, the worker should have a good understanding of existing agency
policies, programs, and services; have accurate knowledge of data about
their actual implementation; and have the skill to analyze these data.
Furthermore, it is expected that she has knowledge about how these policies,
programs, and/or services ought to be.
303
The Community Resiliency Model (CRM) trains community members to not
only help themselves but to help others within their wider social network. The
primary focus of this skills based; stabilization program is to re-set the natural
balance of the nervous system. CRM’s goal is to help to create “trauma-
informed” and “resiliency-focused” communities that share a common
understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous
system and how resiliency can be restored or increased using this skills-based
approach. (Trauma Resource institute)
Cyber Crimes
304
bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social
Services (KALAHI-CIDSS), the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid
Pamilya), and the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP)
Human trafficking
305
International social work is a discrete field of practice within social work
that seeks to improve the social and material well-being of people
everywhere. It is practiced across geopolitical borders and at all levels of
social and economic organization. International social work also is
development-focused and, as such, much of international social work
practice occurs at the local, state, and provincial levels within individual
countries (Estes, Richard).
The major causes of war and conflict in societies are many, but they include
inequalities, injustice, and deterioration of human relations. Most often,
societies are vulnerable to conflicts and insecurity when local institutions are
unable to provide equitable access to justice and economic opportunities. It
can be argued that, poverty and lack of access to basic requirements of life
are amongst the top drivers of conflict. This means, societies that are affected
by violent conflicts are most likely to fail to meet the basic requirements of life
of their population. (World Bank, 2011). In the world of violent conflicts, various
professions may be involved in promoting peace in different ways. Being a
human service oriented profession; peace-building and development agenda
is inherent in values and goals of social work profession. Like other professionals,
social workers can play a pivotal role in promoting peace, human rights and
development by advocating the value, dignity and worthy of man. (Kafula,
2016)
Self-care
While psychology and social work tend to focus on support of ego (our
particular self) spiritual attention enriches the perspectives of social work by
inviting us to see the soul (in transpersonal psychology “Self” is an alternative
term) - a deeper, more connected dimension of human experiences of clients.
306
H. Social Work Communication and Documentation
Communication is a term derived from the Latin word communis which means
to make common, and the word “communi-care”, which means to share or
to impart. It is the sharing or the exchange of thoughts between two or more
persons. It is a two-way process (which start with the source initiating the
communication and the receiver responding) and method (a way of helping
people learn, through varied forms) by which a source purposively shares
messages with a receiver directly or via a channel and both learn from each
other. it is the basic ingredient in helping people.
307
materials such as leaflets, pamphlets, posters, flip charts, comics, magazines,
newspaper etc. and electronics like radio, television and films; or both.
308
are listening to the person seated beside you and that you are conveying
interest.
O – Open Posture
It is important for a practitioner to have an open posture. This means not
sitting or standing with your arms folded across your chest as this can
sometimes signal that you are defensive or that you are anxious. If a
practitioner has an open posture the person may be more inclined to
elaborate on their concerns.
L – Lean Forward
It important that practitioners lean forward towards the person using the
service. This shows that you are interested in what the person is talking about.
It is also possible that the person may be talking about personal issues and so
may speak in a lower or quieter tone of voice. In addition, you may want to
convey a message in a lower or quieter tone of voice if you are seated in a
public environment.
E – Eye Contact
Eye contact is important as this demonstrates that practitioners are
interested and focused on the message that the person using the service is
conveying. You can also develop a sense of the person’s emotional state by
making eye contact, therefore, enabling you to judge the extent to which the
person may be experiencing difficulty.
R – Relaxed Body Language
It is important to have a relaxed body language as this conveys to the
person using the service that you are not in a rush. This will enable the person
to develop their responses to questions in their own time.
Communication Skills
• Process of “giving and receiving a message”
• 2–way exchange between sender and receiver
• Necessitates that the receiver gets the intended message as intended
by the sender
• Involves many skills (or sub skills)
Interviewing
Interview is a face-to-face meeting between two or more persons,
directly towards a purpose, such as to obtain information, to give instructions,
and to help. Interview is conducted throughout the helping process. It Involves
verbal and non-verbal communication. Interview for community is called
conference.
• Objectives of Interview:
o To obtain information.
o To help the individual arrive at the right solution of the problem.
o To give help to individual on his immediate needs.
o To know the goal for particular interview.
309
• General Purposes of Interview Kadushin, 1983:
o Informational (to make a case study)
o Diagnostic (to make at an appraisal)
o Therapeutic (to effect change)
• Interviewing Skills:
Skills for an effective interview:
1. Skill in relating with the interviewee – professional principles
2. Skill in observing the interviewee
3. Skill in listening
310
noteworthy. Often a client’s last remark indicates he/she is summing up what
the interview has meant to him/her.
4. Recurring references - Observe when a client repeatedly mentions a certain
subject, either in general terms or in specifics such as a job, need for money,
difficulties with spouse, etc.
5. Inconsistencies and gaps – Note when the client’s story is not unified such as
when she/he often contradicts himself/herself or the real meaning of what is
being said is not clear. Such behavior may indicate the operation of an internal
pressure, confusion or ambivalence.
6. Concealed Meaning - It is essential for the interviewer to be accustomed to
listening to what the client could really mean behind what he/she is actually
saying.
Active Listening
• Responsive listening
• Combines talking and listening
• Indicates that worker heard and understood the client, and is
responding to his/her message
• Involves six separate skills
o Attending - communicating interest in what the client is saying
or doing
o Using Silence - meaningfully pausing to give clients time to think
and respond o Paraphrasing - restating the client’s thoughts in
own words
o Summarizing - condensing the content and identifying essential
themes and ideas
o Questioning - probing for information, confirming understanding
the client’s emotional perspective and communicating this
understanding
311
Questioning Skills - questions provide a systematic way of understanding and
accepting feelings
Paraphrasing
• Worker restates client’s words and ideas in own words (not the same as
repeating or parroting what the client says)
• Defining feature of accurate paraphrasing is its interchangeability with
the client’s ideas
• Focuses on immediate statements without adding to or altering the
meaning of the client’s statement
RECORDINGS
• Serve as tools that guide the worker and client proceed with the task
of problem-solving
312
• Useful in evaluation-success or failure in achieving objectives
• For improvement of worker’s knowledge and skill in helping people
• Provides an account of what have taken place which is needed
when one worker must replace another, or when emergency, one
worker must take for another.
• Provides important information to make decisions on expanding,
changing or terminating programs and services and for reporting to
the community on how funds have been used.
• Supervisory tools.
• Basis for learning and serve an important educational purpose
• Source of statistical information about agency operations and
provide data for various research projects.
Types of Records
313
Source: Nelmeda, M. (2022). Communicating with Gender Fair Language in
the Workplace. https://smgreenmovement.com/communicating-with-gender-fair-
language-in-the-workplace/
Under the Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 12, Series of
2005 entitled “Use of Non-sexist Language in all Official Documents,
Communications and Issuances,” here are some suggestions on how we can
use inclusive language in the workplace:
Eliminate the generic use of HE, HIS, HIM, SHE, or HER, unless the antecedent is
obviously male or female
• Substituting articles (a, an, the) for his; using who instead of he
Traditional: The architect uses his blueprint to guide him.
Suggested: The architect uses the blueprint as a guide.
Eliminate the generic use of Man, instead use People, Person(s), Human(s),
Human Being(s), Humankind, Humanity, The Human Race
• Taking the context of the word, analyzing its meaning, and eliminating
sexism in the concept
314
Traditional: the founding father
• Finding precise words to delineate the thing itself from supposedly sex-
linked characteristics:
Traditional: Titanic was a great ship, but she rests at the bottom of the sea.
Suggested: Titanic was a great ship, but it now rests at the bottom of the sea.
315
Eliminate sexism when addressing persons formally by:
• Using Ms. instead of Mrs.
Traditional: Mrs. Dela Cruz
Suggested: Ms. dela Cruz
• Using a married woman’s first name instead of her husband’s
Traditional: Mrs. Juan dela Cruz
Suggested: Ms. Maria Santos-dela Cruz
• Using the corresponding titles for females
Traditional: Dra. Concepcion Reyes
Suggested: Dr. Concepcion Reyes
• Using the title of the job or group in letters to unknown persons
Traditional: Dear Sir
Suggested: Dear Editor, Dear Credit Manager, Dear Colleagues
316
that the worker is often not conscious that she is judging other people’s
behavior along these values.
Naomi I. Brill - recognizing the worker’s value system defines her behavior and
relationships with other people, believes that the effective worker must:
1. Be aware that she is a walking system of values.
2. Be conscious of what these biases are.
3. Strive to evaluate herself and her values objectively and rationally.
4. Strive to change those values that, on the basis of this evaluation, need
changing.
AUTHORITY (and the power that accompanies it) - there are 2 sources of a
worker’s authority – her position and corresponding functions in the agency,
and her possession
of knowledge and experience.
GODSTEIN points out that in SW relationships, when one seeks something from
another person “that cannot be obtained elsewhere – the relationship cannot
be equalized.
ASSESSMENT
• Also termed as diagnosis and social study
• A process and a product of understanding on which action is based
(Max Siporin)
• Involves the collection of necessary information and its analysis and
interpretation
• The ultimate purpose is to provide understanding necessary for
appropriate planning.
• The major tasks involved during this stage are data gathering, and
problem definition based on the agreement between the client and the
worker as to the problem-for-work.
• These tasks culminate in the worker’s writing of an Assessment Statement
or a Problem Definition.
317
INFORMATION/DATA GATHERING
o Can be Primary or Secondary source
Existing data
Worker’s own observations
o the collection, testing and analysis of data obtained usually occur
simultaneously.
o It must be stressed that there is no substitute for the worker’s
crystallization of her own assessment of the client’s problem.
318
a. the client system feels is most important or a good beginning place;
b. in the worker’s judgment is mort critical;
c. in the worker’s judgment can most readily yield to help;
d. falls within the action parameters of the helping system.
Characteristics of Assessment
1. On-going
2. Focuses on understanding the client in situation and providing a base
of planning and action
3. A mutual process between client and worker.
4. There is movement within the assessment process.
5. Both horizontal and vertical explorations are important.
6. Assessment identifies needs in life situations, defines problems, and
explains their meanings and patterns.
7. Assessment is individualized
8. Judgment is important in assessment because many decisions have
to be made.
9. No assessment is ever complete.
PLANNING
o the link between Assessment and Intervention.
o Planning process translates the content of assessment into a goal statement
that describes the desired results and is also concerned with identifying the
means to reach the goals.
319
necessary to achieve the goals.
GOALS
- The desired or expected outcomes of an endeavor.
- The term interim goals, intermediate goals and objectives - refers to specific,
short-term goals which facilitate the achievement of the long term or overall
goals.
- Characteristics of goals - SMART
PLANS
• Means to achieve goals.
• Consist of the specific actions/steps to be undertaken in order to reach
the goals.
• Jointly made by the worker and the client: Helping Plan,
• Action Plan or Intervention Plan.
• Systematic review of client strengths when preparing an intervention
plan is one way to avoid offering an intervention plan without
considering alternatives with the client.
UNITS OF ATTENTION
INTERVENTION or ACTION/HELPING PLAN calls for an identification of other
persons who, in addition to client, have to be given attention because they
are involved in the situation, and work with them is essential to goal attainment.
o Systems that are the focus of the change activity.
320
2. Middle Phase (Intervention or Plan Intervention)
INTERVENTION
▪ This phase in the helping process is concerned with the action that would
solve the client’s problem.
▪ Involves the rendering of all the specific and interrelated services
appropriate to the given problem and situation in the light of the
assessment and planning.
▪ Includes all the goal related activities that the worker will undertake
following the agreement forged with the client based on the problem to
be worked on and the plan of action to be pursued.
Compton and Galaway have very apt words for the two phases of the helping
process: Deciding what to do (assessment and planning) and doing the
decided (intervention)
EVALUATION
2 Aspects of Accountability:
321
EVALUATION MODEL
Evaluation in social work is done in two levels:
1. On the level of direct practice with clients
2. On the level of program implementation
TERMINATION
The following are the most common reasons for terminating the client- worker
relationship:
1.When the goals set by worker and the client have been reached.
2.When, after a reasonable period of time, there has been very little movement
toward the attainment of the goals formulated, and the prospect for any
change in the situation is held unlikely.
3.When the client thinks that the worker has provided sufficient help so that it is
now possible for the client to pursue problem-solving on his own.
4.When an agency does not have the resources needed by the client or the
worker does not get her agency’s approval to provide the services needed by
the client.
5.When the systems outside the client make it difficult for the client to continue
with the helping relationship or when these systems influence the client to
discontinuethe relationship.
6.When for one reason or another, the worker must leave the agency.
Transfer – the process by which a client is referred by his social worker to
another worker, usually in the same agency, because the former will no longer
be able to continue working with the client, or because she thinks another
worker is in a better position to work with her client’s problem.
Referral – the act of directing a client to another worker/agency
because the service that the client needs is beyond the present agency
worker’s competence, or the client needs the additional service which the
present agency cannot provide.
322
1. Disengagement - while termination is supposed to have been discussed from
the beginning of the client-worker helping relationship, the reality often evokes
certain feelings and reactions from both workers and clients, which must be
faced. Common reaction:
1. Denial
2. Emotional reactions
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance
The following are some of the factors which influence client reactions:
1. Length of service
2. Attainment of client goals
3. Client-worker relationship
4. Modality of intervention
3. Terminal Evaluation - Periodic evaluation allows the worker and the client to
review and, if necessary, revise the goals and objectives, assess gains and/or
failures,
negotiate conflicts, and so on.
• The evaluation of goal accomplishment in relation to the client’s need
or problem may reveal her limitations and mistakes.
323
Social Work
Practice II and
Field Instruction
II
324
(Working w/ Groups)
It is often believed that group work is considerably younger than casework, but
group work agencies actually started only a few years after casework
agencies. There were courses for group workers in schools of social work in the
early 1900s (Maloney, 1963), and both casework and group work were used
by social workers in the early twentieth century.
In the United States, casework soon became identified with the social work
profession, but group work did not become formally linked with social work until
the National Conference of Social Work in 1935. The identification of group
work with the social work profession increased during the 1940s (American
Association of Group Workers, 1947), although group workers continued to
maintain loose ties with recreation, adult education, and mental hygiene until
1955, when group workers joined with six other professional groups to form the
National Association of Social Workers.
The roots of group social work began in the settlement houses, the Young
Men’s and Young Women’s Christian Associations (YMCAs and YWCAs), Boy
Scouts and Girl Scouts, and Jewish centers of the 1800s. These agencies
focused on providing group programs for people considered “normal.”
Recipients of early group services came for recreation, informal education,
friendship, and social action.
Unlike the charity organizations that focused on the diagnosis and treatment
of the problems of the poor, settlement houses offered groups as an
opportunity for citizens to gather to share their views, gain mutual support, and
exercise the power derived from their association for social change. The focus
was on promoting the well-being of individual members through acceptance,
companionship, and solidarity, while at the same time promoting democratic
participation, social justice, and social action in civic, industrial, and social
institutions.
Jane Addams founded the first settlement house in Chicago in 1889 to address
issues of assimilation (Singh & Salazar, 2010). Most of the life and self-advocacy
skills were taught in groups. Other early pioneers were Joseph Pratt, who
325
worked in asylums for tuberculosis patients, and Jessie Davis who worked in the
schools. Both pioneered social justice through group work using empowerment
and advocacy skills (Singh & Salazar, 2010).
Contributions to social group work also have been made by many other
disciplines.
1. Settlement Houses
The first settlement house, Toynbee Hall, was established in London in 1884;
many others were soon formed in large U.S. cities.
Using the missionary approach of teaching residents how to live moral lives and
improve their circumstances, early settlement workers sought to improve
housing, health, and living conditions; find jobs for workers; teach English,
hygiene, and occupational skills; and improve living conditions through
neighborhood cooperative efforts. The techniques settlement houses used to
effect change are now called social group work, social action, and
community organization.
The most noted leader in the settlement-house movement was Jane Addams
of Hull House in Chicago.
With a few friends, Addams initiated a variety of group and individual activities
for the community. Group activities included a literature reading group for
young women; a kindergarten; and groups that focused on social
relationships, sports, music, painting, art, and discussion of current affairs. Hull
House also provided services to individuals who needed immediate help, such
as food, shelter, and information on and referral for other services. A Hull House
326
Social Science Club studied social problems in a scientific manner and then
became involved in social action efforts to improve living conditions. This group
worked successfully for passage of Illinois legislation to prevent the
employment of children in sweatshops.
U.S. YMCA - the first organization to aid troops during wartime in the field and
in prison camps. It pioneered community sports and athletics, invented
volleyball and basketball, and taught water safety and swimming. It devised
an international program of social service similar to that of the Peace Corps. It
originated group recreational camping, developed night schools and adult
education, initiated widespread nondenominational Christian work for college
students, and reached out to assist foreign students.
1855 – General Female Training Institute (social activist Lady Mary Jane
Kinnaird)
327
In the 1920s, socio-civic organizations like the Young Men’s Christian
Association (YMCA) and the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA)
were already starting leisure-time activities for personality development and
character-building purposes. These agencies were in introduced during the
period of colonial rule in the Philippines. Their purposes relate to what was
termed in the United States as the “socialization function” of group-serving
agencies. They were the first group-serving agencies in the country and the first
teachers of group work were mostly recruited from these agencies.
The YMCA (1911), YWCA (1926), & Boy Scouts of the Philippines/BSP (1936) are
the noted organizations from which the group work in the Philippines started.
These paved way for group-serving agencies using groups for personality
development & character building through wholesome leisure-time or
recreational activities.
Leadership in these groups were initially carried out by volunteers until these
movements moved into the training of workers along the different agencies’
specific programs.
These workers were later required by their agencies to take formal courses in
group work.
The first teachers of group work in the Philippines were formerly employed in
these socio-civic agencies using groups for the development of the individual
through training in social skills and inculcating social values.
Social Workers in family welfare agencies like the Foster Parents Plan, Inc.
began organizing mothers’ groups to promote responsible parenthood,
vocational efficiency, and citizenship training.
From 1958 to 1959, the Philippine Mental Health Association already had a
community outreach program for the prevention of juvenile delinquency in
selected communities in the city of Manila. There were also parent-education
programs that utilized skits and drama presentations focused on themes
related to the problems of delinquency.
328
Mendoza is a member) conducted group therapy sessions including the use of
psycho-drama with emotionally disturbed patients in its Day Care Center.
UNITED NATIONS - declared 1960 as the First Developmental Decade & 1970 as
the Second Developmental Decade
329
➢ “Barangay approach” facilitated the abovementioned activities
utilizing the existing political structure, the barangay (as the worker’s
point of entry & basis for problem identification and prioritizing) –
➢ The group was used as the main instrument of service.
Juvenile and domestic relations courts - Social workers used groups to help
provide legal offenders with group experiences aimed at their socialization
and/or re-socialization
Orphanages - Social workers provided their wards with group experiences for
socialization
1972-1981
PRESENT SCENE
1) Developmental
Emphasizes human and community resource mobilization
Day care centers whose social work staff organize mothers into groups which
are used to help them acquire knowledge and skills in effective parenting,
household, management, personal enhancement and the like.
2) Socialization/Re-Socialization
330
Intended primarily to help the members of the group acquire the values,
attitudes and norms of the society of which they are a part.
e.g., programs for street children and runaways focusing on values formation
using group mode of service
3) Treatment/Rehabilitation
Focuses on the use of small group to help individuals who already have a
problem or breakdown in their social functioning.
e.g., organizing groups of victims of natural disasters, child abuse, adult sexual
abuse, drug abuse
1. self-awareness;
2. interpersonal relations;
331
3. communications;
4. group maintenance; and
5. leadership
Rizal Youth Development Foundation (RYDF)
RYDF’s varied development programs are focused on the physical, economic,
and social development of Rizal’s out-of-school youth. The youth are involved
in sports activities to engender fellowship, develop their physical wellbeing and
sense of sportsmanship. They are also made to participate in camping, picnics,
cleanliness, and beautification drives to meet their socialization needs and to
enhance their capacity to relate positively with their peers. They also imbibe
positive values in the process of group participation.
The main focus of the Salvation Army’s work with groups is the Golden Agers
Club which has for its objective the fostering and maintenance of a sense of
usefulness and dignity for the elderly who are past 60 years old.
332
reciprocal models. Although these three models have been expanded to
include many others in recent years, they still form the basis for group work
practice with treatment groups.
The social goals model has also been used by community organization and
development agencies to change societal norms and structures and improve
the social welfare of all citizens.
The worker acts as an enabler who uses program activities, such as camping,
discussions, and instructions about democratic processes, to socialize
members. The worker also acts to empower members by helping them make
collective decisions and use their collective strength to make society more
responsive to their needs.
2. Remedial Model
The remedial model focuses on restoring or rehabilitating individuals by helping
them change their behavior. The worker acts as a change agent and
intervenes in the group to achieve specific purposes determined by group
members, the group worker, and society. The remedial model uses a leader-
centered approach to group work, with the worker actively intervening in the
group’s process, often using systematic problem solving and task-centered or
behavioral methods.
Time-limited, highly structured remedial groups are also being used with
increasing frequency in managed care settings as cost-effective alternatives
to long-term individual and group psychotherapy (Conyne, 2010; Delucia-
Waak, et al, 2014; LeCroy, 2008).
333
Garvin (1997), Rose (1998), and Vinter (1967) are often associated with this
approach to group work. With the increased attention to time-limited, goal-
directed practice and measurable treatment outcomes, this model has
received increasing attention in the group work literature in recent years
(Conyne, 2010; Delucia-Waack, Kalodner, & Riva, 2014; Kleinberg, 2012;
LeCroy, 2008).
3. Reciprocal Model
The reciprocal model, is sometimes referred to as the interactional model or
the mutual aid model (Reid, 1997; Gitterman & Shulman, 2005; Shulman, 2016).
The model derives its name from the emphasis on the reciprocal relationship
that exists between group members and society. Members both influence and
are influenced by the environment. The worker acts as a mediator, helping
group members find the common ground between their needs and societal
demands. The worker also acts as a resource person who facilitates the
functioning of the group and helps members form a mutual-aid system and
explore new ways of coping with and adapting to environmental demands.
Gitterman and Shulman (2005), Schwartz (1976), and Shulman (2016) are best
known for the group-centered, process-oriented approach to group work
practice, but other authors such as Brown (1991), Glassman and Kates (1990),
Steinberg (2014), and Wasserman and Danforth (1988) have made important
contributions to this model of group work practice.
334
Agency Settlement houses Formal agency Compatible with
and setting, clinical
clinical inpatient
neighborhood outpatient or
and outpatient
center settings inpatient settingssettings and
neighborhood
and community
centers
Focus of Work Larger society, Alleviating Creating a self-
individuals within problems or help, mutual aid
the context of the concerns system among all
neighborhood Improving coping group members
and the social skills
environment
Role of the group Role model and Change agent Mediator
worker enabler for who engages in between needs
responsible study, diagnosis, of members and
citizenship and treatment to needs of the
help group group and the
members attain larger society
individual Enabler
treatment goals contributing data
not available to
the members
Type of group Citizens, Clients who are Partners who work
neighborhood, not functioning together sharing
and community adequately and common
residents need help coping concerns
with life’s tasks
Methods used in Discussion, Structured Shared authority
the group participation, exercises, direct where members
consensus, and indirect discuss concerns,
developing and influence, both support one
carrying out a within and outside another, and form
group task, of the group, to a cohesive social
community help members system to benefit
organizing, and change behavior one another
other program patterns
and action skills to
help group
members acquire
instrumental skills
335
about social
action and
communal living
and change
Figure 1
B. TYPES OF GROUPS
336
➢ Successful to the extent that they help members meet their
individual treatment goals.
Task group is used to signify any group in which the overriding purpose is to
accomplish a goal that is neither intrinsically nor immediately linked to the
needs of the members of the group. The primary purpose of task groups is to
accomplish a goal that will affect a broader constituency, not just the
members of the group.
337
3. Primary Groups
A primary group is typically a small social group whose members share close,
personal, enduring relationships. These groups are marked by members’
concern for one another, in shared activities and culture. Examples include
family, childhood friends, and highly influential social groups. Primary groups
play an important role in the development of personal identity. A primary
group is a group in which one exchanges implicit items, such as love, caring,
concern, animosity, support, etc.
4. Social Groups
It is a collectivity of two or more individuals who are in state of interaction with
one another. The state of social interaction refers to the reciprocal influence
individuals exert on one another through inter-stimulation and response
(“Social Group”, n.d.).
a. In-group
A group, to which we directly belong, is called in-group. It can be our own
family, tribe, sex, occupation, games or interest groups. The term “in-group” is
used when an individual wants to identify himself with a group or show an
association with his group.
b. Out-group
A group, to which we do not belong, is called out-group. It can be any group
of others (not ours). It is used to distinguish one’s identify from that of others or
to compare one’s identity to that of others.
338
Developing social values—helping members develop a humanistic approach
to living
Treatment Groups
Six primary purposes for treatment groups are (1) support, (2) education, (3)
growth, (4) therapy, (5) socialization, and (6) self-help. In practice settings,
there are innumerable variations of treatment groups that combine these six
primary purposes.
1. Support Group
Support groups can be distinguished from other groups using supportive
intervention strategies by their primary goals: to foster mutual aid, to help
members cope with stressful life events, and to revitalize and enhance
members’ coping abilities so they can effectively adapt to and cope with
future stressful life events.
Major role of the worker is to facilitate hope in the future and motivate
members to improve coping skills through self-help and mutual aid (Hyde, 2013;
Kurtz, 2014; Steinberg, 2014). The worker fosters group norms that encourage
members to share information and suggestions for more effective coping and
to try out new coping strategies.
Emotional bonding may also occur because members are stigmatized by the
larger community and find comfort and power in their association with each
other. Frequently, there is a high level of self-disclosure of emotionally charged
material in support groups.
339
meeting place, or offer other support, such as help with printing a newsletter
or distributing publicity.
Examples:
A group of people diagnosed with cancer, and their families, discussing the
effects of the disease and how to cope with it
2. Educational Groups
The primary purpose of educational groups is to help members learn new
information and skills. Educational groups are used in a variety of settings,
including treatment agencies, schools, nursing homes, correctional institutions,
and hospitals.
Examples:
An adolescent sexuality group sponsored by a family planning agency
340
A group sponsored by a community planning agency to help board members
become more effective
3. Growth Groups
Growth-oriented groups offer opportunities for members to become aware of,
expand, and change their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding
themselves and others. The group is used as a vehicle to develop members’
capabilities to the fullest. Growth groups focus on promoting socio-emotional
health rather than remediating socio-emotional illness.
Workers often select members who have diverse backgrounds and the
potential to enrich and broaden each other’s experiences. However, some
growth groups are composed of members with similar characteristics to
enhance empathy and support within the group. In most growth-oriented
groups, self-disclosure is moderate to high. Communication in growth groups is
member-centered and highly interactive.
Examples:
4. Therapy Groups
Therapy groups help members change their behavior, cope with and
ameliorate personal problems, or rehabilitate themselves after physical,
psychological, or social trauma. Although there is often an emphasis on
support, therapy groups are distinguished from support groups by their focus
on remediation and rehabilitation.
Members come together to solve their problems. The group leader is often
viewed as an expert, an authority figure, and a change agent. Members’
problems are assessed and treatment goals are developed with the help of
341
the worker. In addition, the etiology and development of each member’s
problem is unique. Therefore, to achieve individual goals, the worker often
focuses on one member at a time. Depending on the approach or stance of
the worker, the members of a therapy group may be expected to help each
other work on problems. The level of member self-disclosure is usually quite high
but can depend somewhat on the types of problems experienced by group
members.
Members of therapy groups have much to gain: relief from symptoms, loss of
emotional pain, or resolution of a problem.
Examples:
5. Socialization Groups
Socialization groups help members learn social skills and socially accepted
behavior patterns so they can function effectively in the community.
Socialization groups frequently use program activities, such as games, role
plays, or outings, to help members accomplish individual goals (Cheung, 2014;
Drews & Schaefer, 2010; Harpine, 2008; Miller, 2012; Misurell & Springer, 2013;
Nash, 2011; Springer, Misrell, & Hiller, 2012).
The personal needs of members and the goals of the group are often met
through program activities rather than exclusively through group discussion.
Thus, socialization groups feature a learning-through-doing approach in which
members improve their interpersonal skills by participating in program
activities.
There are at least three common forms of socialization groups: (1) social skills
groups, (2) governance groups, and (3) recreation groups. Some social skills
342
groups, such as assertiveness training groups, are formed for adults who wish
to improve their existing skills. Unlike the other types of groups in our typology,
social skills groups can be particularly useful for individuals who are unable or
unwilling to communicate effectively and for those who have difficulty
engaging in satisfying social relationships. Young children, shy adolescents,
and adults with mild autistic spectrum disorders are examples of client
populations that can benefit from social skills groups.
Examples:
A Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) activity group
A monthly Vietnam veteran evening social at a rural Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
post
A Parents Without Partners group that includes picnics, dances, and other social
activities
A singles group
343
6. Self-help Groups
Self-help groups are led by members who share the problem experienced by
the other members of the group.
Task Groups
Task groups are common in most agencies and organizations. They are used
to find solutions to organizational problems, to generate new ideas, and to
make decisions. Task groups can have three primary purposes: (1) meeting
client needs, (2) meeting organizational needs, and (3) meeting community
needs.
Task groups with the primary purpose of serving client needs include teams,
treatment conferences, and staff-development groups. Task groups with the
344
primary purpose of serving organizational needs include committees,
cabinets, and boards of directors. Task groups with a primary purpose of
serving community needs include social action groups, coalitions, and
delegate councils.
1. Teams
A team can be defined as a group of staff members with varied backgrounds
who work collaboratively, and, on a regular basis, develop and implement
care plans for a designated group of clients. Team members coordinate their
efforts and work together on behalf of a particular client group.
The functioning of the team is the responsibility of the team leader. Team
leaders are often appointed by an administrator from the agency employing
the worker, but in some settings, they are elected or nominated by team
members. The team leader is a facilitator and coordinator for the group and is
accountable to the agency for the actions of the team. The team leader is
responsible for conducting meetings, motivating team members, coordinating
individual efforts, and ensuring effective team functioning.
Members are bonded by a team spirit that assists them in their work as a group
rather than being a collection of individuals representing disparate concerns
and professional agendas. When building and maintaining an effective team,
the worker must foster the organization’s support of teamwork, encourage
members’ personal and professional orientations toward collaboration and
help members to develop skills to clarify roles and negotiate conflicts (Levi,
2014).
345
2. Treatment Conferences
Treatment conferences meet for the purpose of developing, monitoring, and
coordinating treatment plans for a particular client or client system. Members
consider the client’s situation and decide on a plan for working with the client.
Participants may not have the same close working relationship and shared
sense of purpose that is essential in teamwork. Members may not work together
from day to day. In fact, they may never have met before the treatment
conference.
Treatment conference groups often meet less frequently than teams; they
gather as the need arises in particular situations.
The plan of action might be carried out by only one member who is entirely
responsible for the client’s care. For example, during a treatment conference
in a family service agency, a worker gets advice from colleagues about how
to help a group member with a particularly difficult issue. The other members
of the treatment conference have no direct contact with the client. In
contrast, all members of a team usually have some contact with clients served
by the team.
346
3. Staff Development Groups
The purpose of staff development groups is to improve services to clients by
developing, updating, and refreshing workers’ skills. Staff development groups
provide workers with an opportunity to learn about new treatment
approaches, resources, and community services; to practice new skills; and to
review and learn from their previous work with clients.
Some staff development groups, the leader takes primary responsibility for the
content of each session. The leader may make presentations, arrange for
guest speakers, or prepare and conduct simulations and other staff
development exercises. In other groups, members are responsible for
structuring the group by taking turns presenting their work with particular
clients.
Members are expected to risk opening their work to the scrutiny and critique
of the rest of the group and to participate in staff development exercises and
discussions. They are also expected to learn from their own mistakes and the
mistakes of others in the group. Honest, frank, constructive communication
and feedback among members is valued, as is a high level of self-disclosure.
1. Committees
A committee is made up of people who are appointed or elected to the
group. Their task is to accomplish a charge or mandate that is delegated to
the committee from a higher authority, such as a sponsoring organization or
an administrator. Committees may be temporary creations (ad hoc
committees) or more permanent parts of the structure of an organization
(standing committees).
347
other cases, committees develop their own rules and regulations that control
how members introduce and discuss issues and how decisions are reached.
Committees frequently deal with complex issues, requiring the group to divide
large tasks into a series of smaller subtasks. To deal with these subtasks, a
committee often authorizes the formation of one or more subcommittees from
its membership. Subcommittees report to the larger committee periodically or
when their work is completed. The composition of subcommittees is sometimes
the responsibility of the chairperson, who considers the qualifications and
abilities of each committee member and selects subcommittee members
based on their ability to complete a particular task. The chairperson may also
ask for volunteers rather than appoint members.
2. Cabinets
Cabinets are designed to provide advice and expertise about policy issues to
chief executive officers or other high-level administrators. Policies, procedures,
and practices that affect the entire organization are discussed, developed, or
modified in cabinets before being announced by a senior administrative
officer. Cabinets enable formal communications among senior administrators
in an organization and help garner support for particular policies and
procedures among senior and midlevel administrators.
Cabinets focus their efforts on administrative and policy issues that may have
important implications for the entire organization or subdivisions within it.
Cabinet members are often appointed by the chief executive officer. Cabinet
members are typically supervisors, department heads, or senior managers with
powerful positions within the organization. Occasionally, the executive might
ask an outside consultant to join the group because of that person’s
background and knowledge.
Authority and power are particularly important in cabinets. Members often vie
for the chief executive’s attention and for the chance to influence policy
decisions.
348
3. Boards of Directors
There are two primary types of boards: the governing board and the advisory
board (Conrad & Glenn, 1976). Under the articles of incorporation and the
bylaws of not-for-profit organizations, governing boards—sometimes referred
to as boards of trustees— are legally and financially responsible for the
conduct of the organization.
The members of governing boards are stewards of the public trust and are
accountable to the state government that granted the organization its
charter; to the federal government that granted their tax-exempt status; and,
ultimately, to the public whom the organization serves (Jaskyte, 2012; Tropman
& Harvey, 2009). Members of advisory boards provide counsel and guidance
to the management of an organization. However, they have no official power
to make policy or fiscal decisions.
Board members are bonded by their commitment to the mission and goals of
the organization and by their commitment to community service. They are
often a diverse group of individuals who are selected because of their power,
status, and influence in the community; their expertise; and their representation
of particular interest groups and constituencies.
Boards often have several standing and ad hoc committees that report at
board meetings and recommend actions in the form of motions.
349
Groups to Meet Community Needs
A worker involved in a social action group can assume one of many leadership
roles, depending on the nature of the change effort and the needs of the
group. A worker assumes an enabler role to help the group acquire information
or resources, determine priorities and procedures, and plan a strategy for
action. Workers might take a directive role because of their expertise regarding
the change effort.
The worker should be guided by the purpose of the group and the preferences
of group members. The worker should make sure that a directive approach
does not inhibit indigenous leadership from developing among members. The
ultimate goal of the worker should be to help social action groups function
effectively and independently (McKnight & Plummer, 2015; Pyles, 2013).
The bond that holds members of action groups together is a shared perception
of injustice, inequity, and a need for a change in the current social structure.
2. Coalitions
Coalitions—or alliances, as they are sometimes called—are groups of
organizations, social action groups, or individuals that come together to exert
influence by sharing resources and expertise. Coalition members agree to
pursue common goals, which they believe cannot be achieved by any of the
members acting alone.
Coalitions can take many forms. Freewheeling interaction often occurs during
caucuses and in subgroup and one-to-one discussions between coalition
meetings. Informal procedures are also frequently used in ad hoc, single-issue
350
coalitions that do not have a long history of operation. Frequently, coalitions
are loose, temporary confederations of organizations or social action groups
that coalesce to share resources and gain strength in numbers. In such informal
coalitions, the autonomy of the individual members is strictly protected.
3. Delegate Councils
Delegate Councils Delegate councils are composed for the purposes of
facilitating interagency communication and cooperation, studying
community-wide social issues or social problems, engaging in collective social
action, and governing large organizations. Members of delegate councils are
appointed or elected by a sponsoring unit. The members’ primary function is
to represent the interests of their sponsoring unit during council meetings. A
variation of the delegate council is the delegate assembly, which is usually
larger.
Delegate councils are usually concerned with broad issues that affect several
agencies, a large segment of a population, or a group of people in a wide
geographic area.
Delegate councils are formed in a number of ways. Some councils are the
product of ad hoc task forces or coalitions that have been meeting informally
for some time. Other councils begin with the support and sponsorship of a
particular agency and gradually establish their own identities, rules and
procedures, and sources of funding. Representatives to delegate councils are
either elected or appointed, and leadership is usually determined through an
election.
351
C. DEFINITION, PURPOSES, USES OF SOCIAL GROUPWORK
GENERALIST SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
Social work has been defined by the National Association of Social Workers
(NASW) as follows:
352
individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations and furthering
the goals of social justice.”
Grace Coyle sees social group work “as a basic aspect of social work practice
that uses relationships within group experience as a means to individual growth
and development, and that the group worker is concerned in developing
social responsibility and active citizenship for the improvement of democratic
society.”
Wilson and Ryland regard social group work as “a process and a method
through which group life is affected by a worker who consciously directs the
interacting process towards the accomplishment of goals which are
conceived in a democratic frame of reference.”
Social work practice involves providing humane and effective social services
to individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities. Social work
with groups has considerable overlap in providing social services to individuals,
families, organizations, and communities. The skills, knowledge, and values
needed for effective social work practice with groups are similar to the skills,
knowledge, and values needed for effective social work practice with
individuals, families, organizations, and communities.
353
ADVANTAGES OF GROUPS IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE
(Social Work with Groups by Thelma Lee Mendoza)
For social workers, the group approach offers the following advantages:
354
Uses of Groups
(Social Work with Groups by Thelma Lee Mendoza)
The target of the influence is the individual member, and the source of that
influence is the group (e.g., the members’ interaction with each other, the
worker and the interactions with the members). The group serves as a small
social system whose influence can be guided by the social worker so as to
induce desired changes among individual participants.
355
achieve desired affects on the individual members as defined by their
treatment or helping goals.
1. Ecological Model
In the past several years, social work has focused on using an ecological
approach. This approach integrates both treatment and reform by
conceptualizing and emphasizing the dysfunctional transactions between
people and their physical and social environments. Human beings are known
to develop and adapt through transactions with all elements of their
environments. An ecological model gives attention to both internal and
external factors. It does not view people as passive reactors to their
environments, but rather as active participants in dynamic and reciprocal
interactions.
The ecological model views individuals, families, and small groups as having
transitional problems and needs as they move from one life stage to another.
Individuals face many transitional changes as they grow older, such as learning
to walk, entering first grade, adjusting to puberty, graduating from school,
finding a job, getting married, having children, children leaving home, and
retiring.
356
An ecological model can also focus on the maladaptive interpersonal
problems and needs in families and groups. It can seek to articulate the
maladaptive communication processes and dysfunctional relationship
patterns of families and small groups.
2. Systems Theory
Systems theory attempts to understand the group as a system of interacting
elements. It is probably the most widely used and broadly applied theory of
group functioning (Anderson, 1979; Olsen, 1968).
According to Parsons, Bales, and Shils (1953), there are four major functional
tasks for systems such as a group: (1) integration—ensuring that members of
groups fit together; (2) adaptation—ensuring that groups change to cope with
the demands of their environment; (3) pattern maintenance—ensuring that
groups define and sustain their basic purposes, identities, and procedures; and
(4) goal attainment—ensuring that groups pursue and accomplish their tasks.
Like Bales, Homans notes that the relative dominance of the internal system or
the external system depends on the demands of the external and the internal
environment of the group. Homans, however, denies the homeostatic idea of
357
equilibrium proposed by Parsons and Bales, preferring to conceive of groups
as ever-changing entities. Change and the constant struggle for equilibrium
are always present.
Concepts derived from these differing views of systems theory that are
particularly relevant for group workers include the following:
Knowledge about two major group phenomena --- group structure and group
process are essential to the social worker who is concerned with the
improvement of the functioning of groups and helping them attain socially
desirable goals.
Group structure refers to “patterns that develop and maintain themselves over
time in interpersonal relations.” The following are often called the structural
properties of groups:
1. Size
2. Communication structure
3. Affectional structure
358
4. Power structure
5. Leadership
6. Role structure
7. Group norms
8. Status
Group process is viewed by others as a change in the conditions of the group
as a whole. The definition of group as an interaction process or what goes on
between members is very essential to social workers. The forces generated by
the relationships between people and their interactions in the group, have
important implications for the individual members and the group as a whole.
The following are the forces:
1. Group bond
2. Conformity
3. Conflict
4. Group cohesiveness
5. Decision-making
4. Psychodynamic Theory
According to psychodynamic theory, group members act out in the group
unresolved conflicts from early life experiences. In many ways, the group
becomes a reenactment of the family situation.
5. Learning Theory
The primary focus of learning theory is on the behavior of individuals rather than
on the behavior of groups. Thus, learning theory has generally ignored the
importance of group dynamics.
359
The emphasis on clear and specific goal setting, contracting, the influence of
the environment on the group and its members, step-by-step treatment
planning, measurable treatment outcomes, and evaluation can be traced, at
least in part, to the influence of learning theory.
6. Field Theory
Kurt Lewin, more than any other social scientist, has come to be associated
with the study of group dynamics. The unique contribution of field theory is that
it views the group as a gestalt, that is, an evolving entity of opposing forces
that act to hold members in the group and to move the group along in its quest
for goal achievement. According to Lewin (1947), groups are constantly
changing to cope with their social situation, although there are times in which
a “quasi-stationary equilibrium” exists for all groups. In all cases, however, the
behavior of individual group members and the group itself must be seen as a
function of the total situation (Lewin, 1946).
360
another; (4) cohesion, which is the amount of attraction the members of the
group feel for one another and for the group; (5) consensus, which is the
degree of agreement regarding goals and other group phenomena; and (6)
valence, which is the potency of goals and objects in the life space of the
group.
Relying on a principle in Lewin’s field theory that suggests individuals will not
change their own behavior unless they see their behavior and their attitudes
as others see them, the t-group experience attempts to provide participants
with extensive feedback about their own behavior. Members are confronted
with the effects of their behavior on other group members and on the group’s
facilitator. Role plays, simulations, and other experiential program activities are
often used to illustrate how group processes develop and how they affect
members.
Guided Group Interaction (Empey & Erikson, 1972; McCorkle, Elias, & Bixby,
1958) and Positive Peer Culture (Vorrath & Brendtro, 1985) are two specialized
group work methods that rely heavily on principles from social exchange
361
theory. They are frequently used with delinquent adolescents in residential and
institutional settings.
362
practice individualization to meet the differential needs of the group members.
Worker must also consciously understand and accept that sub-groups and
individuals within the group develop and change in varying levels and must
therefore know how to use the group work process in meeting the varying
needs of the members.
363
PHILOSOPHICAL OR VALUE BASE OF SOCIAL GROUPWORK PRACTICE
Some of the key values of group work have been stated by Gisela Konopka
(1983). She suggests that all group workers should agree on the importance of
the following values.
Core Values
• Respect for persons and their autonomy. In view of the equality of persons,
people are to be treated with respect and dignity. In group deliberations,
no one person should be more privileged in a group than another, not a
worker, a group member, or the agency director. In a group, this occurs
when a worker helps each member to appreciate the contributions of the
other members so that everyone’s ideas are heard and considered. This
principle is stated while recognizing that the worker, by virtue of his or her
position in the agency and his or her expertise, is likely to have a great deal
of influence. This requires the worker to use his or her influence prudently. A
major implication of this principle is a respect for, and a high value placed
on diversity in all of its dimensions such as culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation, physical and mental abilities, and age.
• The creation of a socially just society. The group offers an opportunity to live
and practice the democratic principles of equality and autonomy and the
worker should use his or her knowledge and skills to further this. The worker
should be mindful of the quest for a society that is just and democratically
organized one that ensures that the basic human needs of all its members
364
are met. This value is presented to the group whenever it is appropriate and
reinforced when members articulate it.
Practice Ethics
• Informed consent
• Leader competence and training
• The appropriate conduct of group meetings
Informed consent encompasses being clear with members about the purpose
and goals of the group; giving them information about screening and
termination procedures; the potential risks of participation; the cost, timing,
and duration of sessions; whether participation is voluntary; what is expected
of them during meetings; and procedures to ensure confidentiality.
Workers should inform members that they cannot guarantee that group
members will not share confidential material outside the group (Fallon, 2006;
Lasky & Riva, 2006).
The second area of ethics includes ensuring that workers have the proper
education, training, and experience to lead a particular group. Practitioners
should not offer a group, or use a procedure or technique within a group,
without sufficient education, experience, and supervision to ensure that it is
implemented properly. Practitioners should seek out additional supervision
when they anticipate or encounter difficulties with a particular group.
The third broad area in both codes of ethics focuses on ethical principles for
the conduct of group meetings.
Ethical Principles
365
• Workers help members develop and pursue therapeutic goals
• Workers discuss whether the proceedings of the group are confidential and
make provisions so that they are kept confidential
• Members are protected from physical threats, intimidation, the imposition
of worker and member values, and other forms of coercion and peer
pressure that are not therapeutic
• Members are treated fairly and equitably
• Workers avoid exploiting members for their own gain
• Appropriate referrals are made when the needs of a particular member
cannot be met in the group
• The worker engages in ongoing assessment, evaluation, and follow-up of
members to ensure that the group meets their needs
366
feeling Decline in
group feeling
Sarri & Galinsky Origin phase Intermediate Termination
(1985) Formative phase phase I Revision
phase
Intermediate
phase II
Maturation
phase
Garland, Jones, Preaffiliation Intimacy Separation
& Kolodny (1976) Power and Differentiation
control
Henry (1992) Initiating Conflict Termination
Convening Maintenance
Wheelan (1994) Dependency Counter Termination
Delusion dependency
and flight
Trust and
structure Work
Schiller (1995) Preaffiliation Establishing a Separation
relational base
Mutuality and
interpersonal
empathy
Mutuality and
change
Figure 2
367
Stages of Groups
(Social Work with Groups Comprehensive Practice and Self-Care 10th edition by Charles H. Zastrow and
Sarah L. Hessenauer)
Intake
During intake, the presenting concerns and needs of prospective members are
identified. Judgments that some or all of these people could benefit from a
group approach are made. An agreement is often formulated between the
members of the group and the group leader about tentative group goals. This
stage may also be referred to as the contract stage.
Age, sex, and level of education are descriptive factors that may create
homogeneity or foster diversity within the group.
The behavioral attributes expected of a group member will also have a major
effect on the attainment of group objectives.
A more in-depth assessment and statement of goals and plans for action occur
during this phase. In reality, this step is completed only when the group ends
because the dynamic nature of most groups requires an ongoing adjustment
of goals and intervention plans. Goals should be time limited with a reasonable
chance for attainment, and the leader should ensure that all goals are clearly
stated to aid in later evaluations. Clarification of goals also eliminates hidden
agendas.
368
group leader must be aware of these potential feelings and help group
members terminate with a minimum of difficulty.
• Groups generally begin with members exploring the purpose of the group
and the roles of the worker and each member. The worker should provide
a safe and positive group environment so that members can fully explore
the group’s purpose and the resources available to accomplish the group’s
goals.
• After the initial stage of development, groups often experience a period of
norm development, role testing, and status awareness that results in
expressions of difference among members and the leader. The worker
should help members understand that these expressions of difference are
a normal part of group development.
• Structure has been demonstrated to increase member satisfaction,
increase feelings of safety, and reduce conflict in early group meetings. A
lack of structure can lead to feelings of anxiety and insecurity, and can lead
to acting out and projection. Therefore, the worker should provide sufficient
structure for group interaction, particularly in early group meetings.
• Tension or conflict sometimes develops from differences among members.
The worker should help the group resolve the conflict by helping the group
develop norms emphasizing the importance of respect and tolerance and
by mediating the differences and finding a common ground for productive
work together.
• Groups enter a middle stage characterized by increased group cohesion
and a focus on work and task accomplishment. To encourage movement
toward this stage, the worker should help members stay focused on the
purpose of the group, challenge members to develop an appropriate
culture for work, and help the group overcome obstacles to goal
achievement.
• In the ending stage, the group finishes its work. The worker should help
members review and evaluate their work together by highlighting
accomplishments and pointing out areas that need further work. Groups
sometimes experience strong feelings about endings. The worker should
help members recognize these feelings, review what they accomplished in
the group, and help members plan for termination.
369
PHASES OF SOCIAL GROUPWORK
Emotional closeness among members is the central focus of the model and is
reflected in struggles that occur at five stages of group growth: preaffiliation,
power and control, intimacy, differentiation, and separation.
During this first stage, the leader tries to make the group appear as attractive
as possible “by allowing and supporting distance, gently inviting trust,
facilitating exploration of the physical and psychological milieu, and by
providing activities if necessary and initiating group structure.”30 This stage
ends gradually as members begin to feel safe and comfortable within the
group and to view its rewards as worth a tentative emotional commitment.
Power and Control. The character of the group begins to emerge. Patterns of
communication, alliances, and subgroups begin to develop. Individuals
assume certain roles and responsibilities, establish norms and methods for
handling group tasks, and begin to ask questions. At this point, members realize
that the group is becoming important to them. This second stage is transitional,
with certain basic issues requiring resolution: Does the group or the leader have
primary control? What are the limits of the power of the group and of the
leader, and to what extent will the leader use his or her power?
The leader should (1) help the members understand the nature of the power
struggle, (2) give emotional support to help members weather the discomfort
of uncertainty, and (3) help establish norms to resolve the uncertainty. Group
members must trust the leader to maintain a safe balance of shared power
and control. When that trust is achieved, group members make a major
commitment to become involved.
Intimacy. The likes and dislikes of intimate relationships are expressed. The
group becomes more like a family, with sibling rivalry exhibited and with the
leader sometimes referred to as a parent. Feelings are more openly expressed
and discussed, and the group is viewed as a place where growth and change
take place. Individuals feel free to examine and make efforts to change
personal attitudes, concerns, and problems, and there is a feeling of “oneness”
370
or cohesiveness. Members struggle to explore and make changes in their
personal lives and to examine “what this group is all about.
Tuckman Model
Storming. Conflicts begin to arise as members resist the influence of the group
and rebel against accomplishing their tasks. Members confront their various
differences, and the management of conflict often becomes the focus of
attention.
Adjourning. The group disbands. The feelings that members experience are
similar to those in the “separation stage” of the Garland, Jones, and Kolodny
Model.
371
Hartford’s Model
(Social Work with Groups by Thelma Lee Mendoza)
Pre-Group Phase. What happens and what the worker (group organizer) does
before the group is actually organized.
372
neutrality (such as in responding to the ideas of members representing different
economic or educational backgrounds).
The struggle or conflict may be serious and if not resolved, can lead to the
group’s total disintegration. If the conflict is minor, the consequence may be a
state of disequilibrium which the group may be able to overcome. The process
of handling conflicts requires the worker to be prepared to bring such conflicts
into the open for discussion and resolution. The group, with the help of the
worker, may have to restate its goals, modify its structure, establish new rules
for operating, define/modify norms, and redefine tasks. The efforts can make
the group move forward to a reintegration phase, a higher level of integration.
This might mean more stable relationships, more stable group structure, greater
influence of the group upon the members, clearer norms, higher levels of
interdependence and cooperation among members, more awareness of the
significance of the group experience, and a state of equilibrium.
Group Functioning and Maintenance Phase. Bales states that the social
emotional qualities of giving support and helping appear during this phase.
Berne and Coyle cite the emergence of group culture. The group pursues the
fulfillment of purposes even though the work may lead to change in structure
and activity. Schutz says that this is a period of affection, of emotional
integration of members with each other, and of a lowering of defenses and an
increase in sharing.
373
Termination Phase. In the case of a closed group, termination is a collective
experience for which adequate preparation can be made. In the case of an
open group, termination is not a collective but an individual experience for the
group itself can exist indefinitely.
Usually, an agency social worker would take the initiative of suggesting that
the agency start a group program. Sometimes, however, it is somebody
outside of the social agency who makes a program proposal. Regardless of
the source of the idea, what is important is that there is a clarity of purpose
behind the program as this will serve as the basic guide for both the agency
worker and the group.
374
3. Preparing Logistics
Logistical support for a group program would include personnel, facilities, and
materials.
375
Developmental Approach
Emanuel Tropp’s Developmental Approach seems to be the most relevant at
this time and can be adapted to fit a variety of client situations. Social Work
literature traces the roots of the “Developmental Approach” to Grace Coyle’s
writing which underscore collective self-help as the theme of groupwork,
emanating from the settlement house movement. It is from this principle, that
group self-direction toward a common goal is the most effective vehicle for
the social growth of its members.
People are not seen as being sick or healthy, but on a scale ranging from
socially functional (adequate), to dysfunctional (inadequate), to eufunctional
(optimum)…continually able to move up this scale in a life-long
developmental process of self-realization. The practitioner who tries to help
people who are striving for self-realization is concerned with tapping “the vast
unused potential that resides within all people and which is generally used only
fractionally – in the spheres of physical, intellectual, aesthetic, and
interpersonal development, of which the last is the direct concern of social
work.” This view holds what we consider to be two essentials feature of
developmental social work with groups: recognition of the human being as the
main resource to be utilized, and interpersonal relations, more specifically
social role performance as the focus of concern.
Major Themes
1. It is humanistic. “What are the worker’s functioning and relations with the
group?”
➢ The worker takes a humanistic perspective.
➢ The worker respects the member-to-member helping phenomenon
as the key principle to their growth, and that they do not have to be
dependent to the worker, the role is one of an enabler for the group
to be more effective.
➢ The group’s existence means that the members cope with the
expectations relating to their common task, and the worker shows
belief in and expectations in their ability to cope.
376
➢ The worker values the experience in free human communication
which the group offers its members.
➢ The worker is real and understandable with openness, authenticity,
mutuality, humility, respect, empathy, compassion, involvement,
support, expectation, and assistance, and acts in a spontaneous yet
planful way.
Interactionist Approach
The basic premise of the Interactionist Approach which was developed by
William Schwartz is that there is a symbiotic relationship between people and
their environment, and therefore the function of social work is to “mediate the
process through which the individual and society reach out to each other
through a mutual need for self-fulfillment.”
377
Schwartz contends that social work’s function in society is most powerfully
expressed when it directs itself not to the individual or the social, but to the
relationship between the two. According to Schwartz, the function of social
work is to mediate the transactions between people and the various systems
through which they carry on their relationships with society – the family, the
peer group, the social agency, the neighborhood, the school, the job, and
others.
In working with groups in this approach, the social worker has a two-client
responsibility. i.e., the worker addresses each member, whose relationship to
the group this member needs to negotiate, and the group as a whole, that has
to negotiate the larger systems of which it is a part – the agency, the
neighborhood, etc. The group is described as an alliance of moving,
interdependent beings with the worker being one of them. The worker’s moves
are directed toward specific purposes, limited in scope and time, and
touching only those within her immediate reach.
378
This approach is associated with the writings of Erich Lindemann, Gerald
Jacobson, Gerald Caplan, Howard Parad, Naomi Golan, and Lydia Rapoport.
Task-Centered Model
A model of practice is developed through research at the University of
Chicago in the 1970s under the collaboration of Laura Epstein, Professor
Emeritus in this school, and William J. Reid, Professor of the State of the University
of New York at Albany.
Psycho-social approach
This used to be associated with the Freudian theory of personality and was
often referred to as the “organismic approach” and the “diagnostic school of
thought”. It is essentially a systems theory approach in social work which can
be applied to individuals and groups with actual or potential problems in their
psychosocial functioning.
379
approach. It requires the worker to the understand the client’s needs and to
respond accordingly.
The help provided in this approach is a process which will enable change to
occur in the person or in the situation, or both. This process involves
communication among the client (or clients), the worker, and significant
others, and the provision of certain concrete services that may be needed.
380
emotions. The cognitive movement chose to embrace many of the tenets of
the behavioral movement. The goal of the cognitive movement was to
integrate mental events (thoughts and feelings) into the empirical behavioral
framework. Cognitive behavioral theories (sometimes called cognitive
theories) are considered to be cognitive because they concern subjective
psychological events such as thinking and feeling. They are called cognitive
behavioral because they address those mental events in the broad context of
learning theory that was the basis for the pure behavioral theory both
respondent and operant schools. The influence of cognitive behaviorism
seems to be growing today; it forms the basis of some of the most effective,
best documented of the therapeutic approaches. There are a number of
notable contributors to this movement, which began with Albert Ellis.
381
used when working with individuals but can also be used when working with
large systems.
2. Summary Recording
It is an entirely different style of writing and is preferred for intake, transfer
closing and other special aspects of official agency records. Summary
recording is the preferred method for ongoing social work practice because it
is much briefer than process recording, hence much less time consuming to
write and to record. However, summary recording requires more thought and
planning on the worker’s part because he must decide what to record and
what to omit. Regular progress notes, periodic summaries (i.e., intake or transfer
report) and special reports are usually written in summary style.
3. Diagnostic Summary
It is a special analytical statement that assesses what is known about a client
and sets forth a specific treatment plan. The diagnostic summary provides an
opportunity for the worker to set down his/her professional impressions,
reactions and concerns about his/her client. Put into writing, these ideas can
be helpful to other staff who work with that individual at a later date as well as
to the person making the entry. A diagnostic summary enables a supervisor to
learn quickly about the needs of the clients his/her staff are serving.
382
PART II. SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE WITH GROUPS (FIELD INSTRUCTION II) (50%)
I. PHASES IN GROUP DEVELOPMENT
1. PRE-GROUP FORMATION
The Pre-Group Phase is what happens and what the worker (or group
organizer) does before a group is actually organized. Hartford describes this as
actually consisting of three phases the Private Pre-Group Phase, the Public Pre-
Group Phase, and the Convening Phase.
i. The Private Pre-group Phase
Is the period when an idea occurs to one or more persons to organize a group
for some purpose. This can be agency volunteers or officers who think that
group service is relevant to the agency's mission, a social worker who thinks a
particular purpose can be best served through the group approach, or
prospective participants who see the agency as having the capacity to offer
a group program that can respond to their needs or concerns. The group does
not yet exist and ideas or plans pertaining to any it are still in the mind of the
organizer.
ii. The Public Pre-group Phase
Announcements are made, verbally or in writing. Fliers are sometimes sent to
parties perceived as likely to be interested in the endeavor, including possible
sources of referral. This follows the Private Pre-group Phase which made
decisions to have a group and this decision is shared with others.
On the part of the social agency, the purpose and time frame of the group
program and the criteria for group composition are usually already defined at
this time. The agency practitioner now also has in mind what helping
approaches or techniques will be utilized. All these are communicated to the
prospective group members when pre-group and/or intake interviews are
conducted. Sue Henry, who refers to these two phases as the "Initial Stage"
contends that while there may be no group dynamics yet at this time, "the
embryonic group will be by the workers actions in identifying the potential cast
of characters and in projecting what the group will be like and how it can be
moved toward attainment of its goals."
Hufford submits that the original orientation that is given to the potential
member during the Public Pregroup Phase will affect his expectations and the
procedures that follow. These expectations may be in relation to the member-
ship, the goals and the content or activities of the group. The importance of
clarifying the individual member’s expectations cannot be overemphasized.
The reality of many agency groups disintegrating after a few sessions can often
be traced to the group's loss of interest owing to their expectations not being
met.
383
iii. The Convening Phase
Is when the prospective members, or some of them, meet for the first time.
Hartford contends that they are still just an aggregate but the potential for
becoming a group begins to materialize. The members at this time are sizing
up the situation in terms of whether or not their expectations are going to be
met. They engage in social rituals and amenities and varied behaviors may be
observed such as restlessness, talkativeness, tension, and withdrawal as the
participants judge each other.
Feelings of resistance and ambivalence about committing themselves are
natural during this phase, and these feelings can recur at other periods of their
membership.
The worker usually assumes a leading role during this phase. She uses
appropriate activities to get the participants to connect with and be oriented
to each other in order to facilitate the group's passage toward group
formation. The worker also answers questions and clarifies expectations, and
while honoring their struggle about joining or not joining, points out what
positive consequences or gains can result from group, membership.
2. THE GROUP FORMATION PHASE
Unless the pre-group events lead to non-formation, this, second phase is the
period when the group gets organized. The formation process may be
achieved during one session or many sessions depending on the members,
their capacities, and the purpose of the group, among other things.
Group goals and norms evolve and the group's role system begins to develop
during this phase. Interpersonal ties begin to be evident and members start to
be influenced or attempt to influence each other. While membership may not
yet be stabilized, communication interaction patterns are observable and
indicators of cohesion may already be evident.
Sue, Henry states that the key dynamic of the formation stage is choosing to
unite with others or, simply "union". This phase is the first of two periods of strong
attachment to other members, to the group, and to the worker (the second
period is the maintenance phase).
In social work with groups, the practitioner continues to take a lead role in
promoting communication and interaction between herself and the members
and among the members of the group. She uses program media appropriate
for this phase and responsive to the needs and interests of the group. A major
aim at this time is to establish a pattern of member participation that will help
the members to develop a beginning sense of belonging to the group.
There may be indications of some members "testing" the worker, i.e., her
firmness (such as in the group's observance of agency rules), her patience
(such as in dealing with members' negative or aggressive behavior), and her
384
neutrality (such as in responding to the ideas of members representing different
economic or educational backgrounds). Members are usually sensitive to the
way the worker responds to their behavior. This can motivate them to remain
in or withdraw from the group.
385
The struggle or conflict may be serious and if not resolved can lead to the
group's total disintegration. On the other hand, if the conflict is minor, the
consequence may be a state of disequilibrium which the group may be able
to overcome. In social agency context, this depends on both the group and
the worker. If both sides act in ways appropriate to the conflict situation, the
group can turn out to be stronger and more cohesive because of the
experience.
The process of handling conflicts that occur in a group requires the worker to
be prepared to bring such conflicts into the open for discussion and resolution.
The group, with the help of the worker, may have to restate its goals, modify its
structure, establish new rules for operating, define/modify norms, and redefine
tasks (remember the "group as target of change?"). The efforts can make the
group move forward to a reintegration phase. This usually means a higher level
of integration, which may mean more stable relationships, a more stable group
structure, a greater influence of the group upon the members, clearer norms,
and higher levels of interdependence and cooperation among members,
more awareness of the significance of the group experience, and a state of
equilibrium.
Sometimes, in order to save a group from total disintegration, certain
individuals may have to be terminated from the group. They may be blocking
the group’s development, cannot relate with other members or, for some
reason or another, do not fit in the group. Mistakes in group composition or
selection of members do happen, and the worker should carefully assess
individual members' fitness and make the decision to terminate membership if
necessary. The reason for the decision should be explained to them as well as
to the group
4. GROUP FUNCTIONING AND MAINTENANCE PHASE
The terms used by other writers to describe this phase, give us an idea about
the dynamics occurring at this time. Sarri and Galinsky refer to this phase as
"Maturation," Garland, Jones and Kolodny, "Differentiation," and Norther,
"Problem-solving and Stabilization."
Bales states that the social emotional qualities of giving support and helping
appear during this phase. Berne and Coyle cite the emergence of group
culture the establishment of an ethical system, artifacts, etiquette, and social
con- tract. Berne states that in this phase, the group pursues the fulfillment of
purposes even though the work may lead to change in structure and activity.
Schutz says that this is a period of affection, of emotional integration of
members with each other, and of a lowering of defenses and an increase in
sharing. Thelen describes this period as one of consolidation and harmony,
which Tuckman refers to as "norming" and "performing," Hartford submits that
emergent structure or the stabilization of leader-follower patterns and the
firming of the status hierarchy based on skills appropriate for the purpose of the
386
group is one of the observable aspects of this phase. She, therefore, believes
that the worker's activity during this phase in encouraging the emergent
leadership may well move into a less central role and thus, maximize the
group's functioning in its own behalf.
In the social work context, this is the period when the group, with the guidance
or help of the worker, works at implementing its plans in order to achieve the
defined goals. The worker also deliberately applies her knowledge of group
dynamics in order to deal effectively with the forces occurring in the group.
A sense of "groupness" is developed during this phase. This is manifested in the
members' concern for the group and their engagement in activities which,
along with the relation- ship patterns, promote the functioning and
maintenance of the group. In place of conflict, there is more group harmony,
and when unavoidable conflicts arise, the group is now able to deal with them
in a more mature and acceptable way.
Because the group has matured, it is now able to res- pond not only to
intragroup processes but also to extragroup (eg, family, agency) and
intergroup (e, other groups in the community) pressures or threats when these
occur. Group attractiveness or cohesion is apparent and the group
confronted by problems of withdrawal, poor attendance, or habitual tardiness
by members. The motivation to help each other through the group is strong. In
short, the group is on a relatively high level of functioning and, having reached
this far, may be expected to achieve its goals.
5. THE TERMINATION PHASE
Most groups end although some groups last longer than others. In the case of
a closed group (ie. the members begin and end their membership at the same
time), termination is a collective experience for which adequate preparation
can be made. In the case of an open group (ie. the members enter and leave
at different times, for different reasons), termination is not a collective but, an
individual experience for the group itself can exist indefinitely. Regardless of
whether one is dealing with a closed or an open group, termination has to be
prepared for and undertaken with the same care as the previous phases.
Hartfod sees the termination phase as consisting of three phases. In the pre-
termination phase, the group is prepared for its imminent ending. Termination
is the actual ending, which means the last group meeting. Post-termination
refers to the period after the group ceases to function and involves plans to
continue to meet as a group if this is desired. In the social agency context this
includes any follow-up work the practitioner plans to do based on her
perception of the need or desirability of the effort, or in response to the
members' request. These three phases are also applicable to cases of
individual membership termination.
387
Preparation for termination involves helping the group or the individual
member get used to the idea that the end to the group's life or his/her
membership in it is forthcoming. My own experience is that this task is made
easier when the worker made it a point to discuss the reality of termination
during the initial or formation phases in the group's development. As
termination approaches there should be an opportunity to review the
experiences in the group and to evaluate the gains made on both individual
and group levels. Group members should be given the chance to talk about
the ending of their group experience. Their feelings about it may be positive
and they want to express their appreciation for whatever benefits they have
gained from their membership. Others may have had negative experiences
that they want to finally be able to express or resolve. For some others, negative
feelings may relate to the impending separation of the group or from the
group. Whatever it is, Sue Henry points out that the central theme of this phase
is that of mourning and time has to be made available to allow the handling
of people's feelings. Her words seem most appropriate for closing this discussion
on termination."
The focus of effort ceases to be in connection with the group as a whole;
it turns to a deeper connection with the self, a deeper rootedness within one’s
own resources, and a greater reliance upon one's own capacities. This is
possible, in most cases, when the psychological connectedness with others has
been made and strengthened, has been supportive and productive of the
security to be one's own person, and has promoted risk-taking Separating
oneself from a group experience wit be more successful when the prior stages
have been fruitfully negotiated and the final stage skillfully facilitated.
388
presence in the group as it goes through the different phases of its own
development -will make a difference. This unit will provide a discussion of the
social worker's tasks and activities in the helping process with social work
groups. However, only the basics will be presented; more detail will be
provided in the last chapter.
I. PRE-GROUP FORMATION ACTIVITIES OF THE SOCIAL WORKER
389
clear especially to those implementing it. It should also be recognized that
while all social work efforts are preventive in nature, very seldom would one
come across a social group work program that pursues treatment and
development goals equally. There is usually a need to have a major thrust, eg,
"treatment," or "development," to guide the worker's helping efforts.
The agency purpose for a group program serves as its guide in identifying the
client sector to be served, (children, adolescents, mothers, etc.) and what
unmet need or problem should be addressed. Once these are known, the next
step, defining membership criteria, becomes an easy task. The following
illustrate this process:
390
and characteristics (this aspect of social work with groups is called group
composition). Thus, based on the way Agency C's membership criteria are
presented, it can form different small groups, such as a group for parenting
effectiveness, a group for acquiring assertiveness skills, a family planning
discussion group, a community problem-solving group, t. On the other hand, if
Agency C, from the start wants to organize only one group at a time, with one
specified thrust, 2, to help the members become more assertive so as to
prevent their exploitation by those who take advantage of their perceived
"weak natur," then it can have something like the following for its guide:
391
service applicants to choose from. Otherwise, if only one small group will be
serviced, the worker, by himself, or with some help from others, should identify
the possible members based on the membership criteria and invite them to
join the group. A good example of this is found in an institutional setting, ie, the
worker can simply ask the houseparent (who knows what the program is all
about) to refer to him, for example, the 15 residents with the most problematic
behavior manifestations whom he will interview for the purpose of choosing
maybe seven members for the group being formed.
3. Preparing Logistics
Logistical support for a group program would include personnel (eg, the
assignment of a regular worker to the group, and of administrative staff who
are "on call" should their help be needed, facilities (eg, the agency should
provide a regular venue for group meetings, allow the use of other agency
facilities when needed), and materials (eg, play therapy materials, audiovisual
aids, reporting forms).
4. Enlisting Community Support
Pre-group planning should include identification of those sectors in the
community whose support is essential to program success. For example, a
street-based program for street children has to be understood and provided
support by the residents, storeowners, and policemen in the area for otherwise,
these sectors might resist or block the program. There are hardly any agency
programs in the country today that can be maintained without having to tap
existing community resources. Therefore, it will be wise to cultivate and know
how to use a network of resources that respond to one's agency program
demands. Other questions may also have to be answered, during the pre-
group formation stage. Will the focus of the helping efforts be only on the
members of the group, or can it extend to their families? If group problem
solving calls for action that will involve addressing other community issues, will
the worker's agency provide support? For example, will the worker go all the
way in helping a parent effectiveness group whose members trace part of their
problem to the existence of gambling dens in their community which is illegal
but tolerated by the local officials? These and other similar questions are best
thought about and answered before program implementation.
392
In social work with groups, Assessment and Action- Planning are generally
undertaken first with the prospective group members, individually, and then
with the group as a whole
Pre-Group Interviews/Intake
Prospective members of a group are usually interviewed by the social worker
prior to group formation. The interview may be a private, one-on-one type of
meeting, or with a group of other prospective participants. Treatment-oriented
group programs generally involve individual interviews be- cause more
comprehensive information is necessary for the worker to be able to prepare
individual case assessments (how much information is needed about each
group member will be discussed further in the last chapter).
In some cases, such as when a new group program is being organized in an
institution that has been housing clients, information may already be available
on the prospective members. The worker may have access to admission or
intake and other records and only have to obtain whatever supplementary
information is needed through pre-group interviews. When no such records
exist, such as in the case of an agency that is organizing a group whose
members have yet to be recruited or referred by certain parties, intake
interviews group: will have to be conducted.
Whether intake is being done or just additional interviews individual or to
supplement previous intake work, the following are usually discussed during
these pre-group formation interviews:
a) the agency and its services;
b) the agency's purpose for the group program;
c) agency expectations in terms of attendance and participation;
d) activities that are likely to be undertaken (especially when prospective
members have had experiences with club-type groups and may have
expectations of mainly fun and entertainment-oriented activities from the
group to be since discussion of this helps to increase, motivation and
discourage those who are not really serious about membership;
e) the duration of the group program; a ; and
f) the basis for termination of membership.
The subject of termination has to be explained during the intake interview. For
task groups, termination seldom presents a problem as the members expect
the group to cease to function when its task has been accomplished, unless
the group wants to address another concern and the worker is able to
continue working with it. With treatment-oriented groups, however, termination
is sometimes perceived as rejection or punishment and so it can become a
393
difficult process for both the individual and/or the group, and sometimes, for
the worker. Thus, during pre-group interviews, the worker should explain that
group membership is not permanent, that members may be leaving the group
at different times (in the case of open groups) such as when goals for a
member have been achieved and another member can replace him and
therefore also benefit from the experience, or when it is clear that membership
is not helping a person and he can be helped through some other way, or in
another group. If these are made clear in the beginning, then termination will
become less of a problem for both the worker and the group members.
Individual Client Profile
As a minimum requirement even for groups that are not treatment-oriented,
individual profiles should be written up. These should contain the following
information:
1) Name and other basic identifying information program
2) Need(s)/concem(s)/problem(s) relevant to the group
3) Strengths/resources and limitations, if any (eg, client is employed and can
attend meetings only during weekends)
4) Worker's observations/comments
The social worker has to decide whether to do individual or group intake. In
social work practice with groups, the primary purpose for doing intake
interviews is to be able to establish the person's eligibility for the group service
and to obtain information that will help the worker with the task of group
formation. Given this, the matter of whether to conduct group or individual
intake is usually for the worker to decide.
Group intake is resorted to for several reasons: a) it is effort and time-saving
since a large number can go through the procedure at the same time, in an
open-forum style; b) seeing other prospective members and hearing them
raise and clarify questions can reinforce the desire to join the group program;
and c) those present can motivate others to join and also help interpret the
agency program in the community.
Case Assessment/Problem Definition
The information have been during pre-group interviews (including individual
and/or group intake) should now be studied and analyzed with care in order
to arrive at an adequate understanding of the individual client's concern or
problem. This is referred to as "social study," "social diagnosis," "problem
definition," and "assessment" in the social work literature a process and a
product of understanding on - which action is based.
394
In the case of treatment-oriented groups, additional client interviews and, if
necessary, additional collateral interviews will have to be done in order to have
an adequate understanding of the psychosocial factors that help explain the
client's social functioning problem, and which factors may still be operating
and are maintaining the problem. With non-therapeutic groups, the process is
less demanding in the sense that not as much background information about
the client is needed. However, an accurate definition of the client's concern
or problem is important because this is the basis of goal-formulation and
intervention planning for the prospective group member, and is an essential
guide to deciding the group that is appropriate for him/her to join.
Action Planning
Action-planning is based on assessment and is the out- come of assessment.
The task involves a consideration of the most appropriate ends and means that
should be pursued that directly respond to the client's concern or problem. The
worker is often called upon to make rational choices and judgments about a
wide range of possibilities for helping, especially in the case of multi-problem
clients. Action-planning that is focused on the individual client at this stage will
require the following tasks from the worker:
a) Formulating Goals. While all social work practice has one ultimate goal the
enhancement or improvement of the client's social functioning we have to be
very clear about the specific ends, outcomes, or results desired and expected
from every professional helping relationship. The simplest way to formulate
goals is for the worker to answer the question: where do I want the client to be
at the end of the helping relationship, or, what is it that I expect to have been
accomplished as a result of the helping relationship?
Goals should be clear, specific, and realistic. When goals are clear and
specific, it is not likely for the worker and his client to be at cross-purposes, or to
be confused about the direction in which the helping relationship is moving.
Realistic goals enhance motivation because they are perceived as attainable.
Goals should be formulated with great care because they have at least two
very important uses: a) to provide direction to the helping process and b) to
serve as basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the helping relationship.
Every client should be given the opportunity to participate in goal-setting
although this may not always be advisable given some factors in a client's
situation. Age, mental capacity and emotional state are among these factors.
However, each of these still has to be carefully considered and should not be
used as a "blanket rule." Very young children can tell us what they want, and
many emotional states are of a temporary nature. The ethical social worker
observes the principle of client participation whenever, it is appropriate.
b) Establishing specific helping plans. If there are ends, then there are also
means to achieve them. In social work, these are called intermediate goals
395
objectives, interventive plans or action plans. These are specific statements of
what will be done to achieve the defined goals. What will be done may be
limited or comprehensive, depending on what is agreed on between the
worker and the client. In work with groups, it is helpful to separate the helping
plans which are to be pursued through appropriate group experiences, from
the helping plan which the worker will attend to outside the group, like working
with the client's family. The, client may have limitations of time, have personal
preferences, etc., and may request that the help to be pro- vided be
concentrated only on a particular concern that would involve only certain
people and/or resources and exclude others. On the worker's part, he may be
con- strained by agency program policies and logistics (eg. shortage of staff)
which may prevent him from doing extensive outside-the-group tasks for
individual members.
III. GROUP-FOCUSED ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING
Group-level assessment and action-planning may be said to start even before
the group is convened. This is because as the worker does pre-group interviews
with each prospective group member, he is "processing" in his mind the
information he has been getting, thinking about who will be in which group (if
more than one group is going to be formed), what concern or problem the
group will likely address, and what activities may have to be undertaken. The
tasks relating to two important aspects of work with groups group composition
and formation-will now be discussed.
1. Group Composition
Group composition refers to the selection of group members and deciding the
size of the group, two important group-related tasks that have to be attended
to by the group's worker.
The selection of members is very important because the members of the
group, their behaviors and interactions create the social processes that will
later happen in the group. There is no magic formula for creating the perfect
group. The agency's purpose for the group service serves as the general guide
for the selection of members, that is, why it has been established and what the
agency expects to achieve. Client attributes are also used as basis for group
composition. Among these attributes are age, interest, interaction style,
maturity, and personality characteristics. Great incompatibilities in these
attributes, according to Robert D. Vinter, make it very difficult for group
members to form cohesive groups. He states, however, that the guideline is
"compatibility or complementarity and not identity." In addition, Sue Henry
submits that group composition will be determined by the worker's predictions
as to compatibility of needs and behaviors, similarity of problems, range of
tolerance for deviance from behavioral norms, cultural and other
characteristics, and skills related to the purpose of the group. The aim,
396
according to her, is "to assemble a configuration of persons with the potential
to coalesce and function as an entity."
The composition of the group is based on the worker's assessment of his clients'
individual situations and his professional judgment as to the most appropriate
group for each of them. The worker, after all, wants to gather individuals whose
concerns or problems can be served, in the same group. However, this does
not necessarily mean that he has to always assign individual clients to a
particular group. Sometimes group composition is pre-determined, such as in
the case of a group to be composed of all the residents of a reception cottage
for battered women, or a number of residents in a neighborhood may request
the worker's assistance in getting them organized in order to avail themselves
of his agency's services. In these situations, the worker can still observe a few
guidelines for group composition which should be discussed with the
prospective members, eg, that the members will attend the sessions regularly,
and observe agency rules.
The size of the group is the other aspect of group com position that should be
given careful attention by the worker. There is no hard-and-fast rule about
what will be a "right size" group. The purpose of the group is a good general
guide for deciding on the number of members appropriate for a group For
example, a treatment-oriented group that uses mainly discussion for its activity
should probably not go beyond seven so as to allow for a more intensive but
confidential sharing of personal matters, while a task group of 15 members who
have a variety of talents and skills will greatly facilitate task completion. Note,
the use of odd numbers seven and fifteen. This is a common practice in work
with groups, usually because it is helpful when there is a need to break the tie
when the group is divided on an issue and must take a vote to resolve it. Sue,
Henry contends that a group that becomes too large (eg 20 persons) cannot
accomplish its task effectively because of the sheer burden of trying to keep
all the other members in mind, and a group that is too small (fewer than four
persons) may not have enough resources within it to be able to carry out its
work. She therefore suggests keeping the group size between these two
numbers, guided by the purpose of the group?
2. Group Formation
Group formation is the process of getting a group organized so that it can start
to function and move toward the attainment of its planned goals. Generally,
group composition precedes group formation, except in the case of when the
line between the two is not very clear because group open groups members
"come and go" at different times. However, even in the case of closed groups
when the membership is the same from the start until the termination of the
helping relationship, the worker may find that some changes in the
composition of the group may still have to be done for certain reasons. A
member may decide to discontinue after a few sessions and his replacement
397
joins the group, or, after observing a particular member's behavior or actions
the worker is convinced that the member is more suited for another group, and
another person should be given the opportunity to take his/her place.
Whatever is the reason, the worker should avoid changing the composition of
a closed group especially after the group goal-setting process has taken place
and certain interactional processes have not only been initiated but have
started to stabilize.
A common practice during the organizational or group formation meeting is
to conduct one or two appropriate "unfreezing" or getting to-know-you
exercises which the worker should prepare before coming to the meeting. This
may be followed by a review of the agency's overall goal or mission, its purpose
for the group program, and the worker's role in relation to it. The worker should
encourage, questions from the members and, if questions are not asked, he
should move into a discussion of the other matters that are in his written or
mental agenda for the meeting.
During group formation, the group should discuss and agree on the following
important matters:
a. Common group concern/problem. From the pre-group formation activities
it is presumed that the worker has obtained information about the individual
member's backgrounds, as well as their interests, concerns and problems.
Therefore, he already has at least some idea as to what common concerns(s)
or problem(s) will need to be addressed through the guided group experience.
In groups that are being used as means for effecting change in individual
members, the latter are made aware that they are together because it is
believed that they can be served through the same group. During the group
formation stage, therefore, the worker has to engage the members in a
discussion of their individual concerns and problems, using his best judgment
as to how far the sharing should go, and using his skill in setting limits, when
appropriate. In addition, he has to provide the group with the needed focus,
that is, for the members to identify common or related problems of social
functioning which will be worked on through the group, This also means helping
the members discuss the factors which relate to their role performance
problems, the resources they have, and those that they still need in relation to
their problems. Clarity about these things facilitate group formation.
b. Norms and rules. During the period of group formation, the worker is
expected to guide the group towards an agreement on rules and standards
of behavior in the group. If the members do not raise the matter then the
worker should be the one to initiate discussion on the subject. The discussion
should, include rules about con- duct during group sessions (eg, no verbal or
physical violence, allowing every member to freely express his opinions,
listening to whoever is talking), and outside of the sessions but relating to the
group (eg, not sharing confidential information with non-members). Rules
398
regarding attendance, punctuality, and tasks assigned are usually also taken
up. The group members realize the importance of abiding by these
expectations if the worker tells them that he will himself observe them.
c. Schedule and venue of group sessions. The worker should discuss and agree
with the group on the schedule of the group sessions. Most social work groups
meet for one-and-a-half or two hours on a weekly basis, usually on the same
designated day of the week for easy recall. However, there are very short-term
groups or groups whose concerns are of such a nature that more frequent
meetings are necessary. However, more than twice-a-week sessions may
already pose some difficulty for the worker as he will need time for preparation,
recordings, marginal interviews, etc. or for the members who may be working,
schooling, have transportation problems, etc. If the holding of sessions in the
agency premises is optional, the group should agree on a place that is most
convenient for the members. The worker should also give the group some idea
as to how long group life will last for the entire group (if it is a closed group), or
how long group membership will be for individual members (if it is an open
group). This is important as it prepares the members for the reality of termination
and minimizes resistance or problems that may develop in relation to this phase
in the helping process.
d. Group Goals. Goals are crucial to all social work practice. Goals provide
direction to all activities, including worker interventions, decisions and actions.
Assessments of success are made on the basis of goals that have been
mutually agreed on. Without clearly specified goals, the group can drift
aimlessly and soon lose their attraction to their members. One common source
of frustration among social workers engaged in group work is that of dwindling
or poor member attendance in group sessions, often due to inadequate goal-
formulation. Social work practice literature reveals the use of different
terminologies goals, ends, purposes, objectives and foci, but all affirm the
importance of goal-formulation. Apparently, goal-setting depends on each
author's theoretical approach to group work. Vinter, for example, conceives
of the worker as an expert who uses the group as a means and context for
change in order to achieve her goals for the individual members. Whichever
approach the practitioner follows, however, it is important to re- cognize that
the individual members as well as the worker have their own goals. These may
not necessarily be the same as what the group as a system defines as its goals,
but there should be no contradiction among these different goal perspectives.
Schopler and Galinsky analyze goal formulation from the interrelations among
client perspectives, worker perspectives, and group system goals. I agree with
their formulation for I believe that goal-setting is a process that should involve
both clients and worker who have their respective motivations for their
involvement in the group. Let me now present these three perspectives:
399
1) Members' perspective. The members of a group have their own views
about the group. These relate to their perceptions of why the group exists, as
well as their reasons and motivations for membership. The members'
perspective about the group can be analyzed in terms of the following:
a. the members' understanding of the purpose of the group, ie, why the
agency is providing the service;
b. the members' individual needs, motivations or purposes for membership;
and
c. the composite of the members' individual purposes for membership, the
"common ground" that the group defines as the reason for their coming
together, ie, the purposes of the group.
2) Worker's perspective. The worker's own reasons for the group's existence can
be analyzed in terms of the following: the agency's societal purpose and its
purpose for initiating a group program; b. the worker's goals for the individual
members based on his assessment of their individual needs or concerns that
400
can be met through group membership; and c. the worker's goals for the
group as a whole (which consist of the general goal he has for all the groups
he works with, i.e., the enhancement of the group's social functioning, and his
specific goals for a particular group, ie, the composite of goals based on his
goals for the individual members of the group, which goals he expects will be
served simultaneously through the group experience). The following is an
illustration of goals from the two preceding perspectives, the Clients' (Individual
purposes and Group purposes), and the Worker's (Agency purpose for the
group program, Worker's individual goals and Worker's goals for the group, ie,
general goals and spe- cific goals).
The first, second, and third columns do not really have to be written down
(although the worker may want to note them down to serve as her
reference/reminder). However, these should be discussed/reviewed during
the group formation stage so that the members are clear about why they are
in the group. The fourth column is important for this is part of individual-focused
planning. For treatment or therapy groups, this should be a de- tailed
statement, but for non-treatment groups there should also be at least
brief/simple statements of what the worker hopes to achieve for each
member. The last two columns should be made known to the group. Note that
the second and the last column are in harmony. If these are discussed carefully
during group formation, the group and the worker can agree on the group
(system) goals, which they can all commit to pursue. Such group goals will be
like a compass that will guide all their efforts and activities in and outside the
group.
Group-goal setting is not difficult. It is even enjoy- able once the worker
develops the habit of doing it. It is of crucial importance in group work practice
and there- fore deserves time and attention from the group's social worker.
3) Group System perspective. Group Goals
While the worker and the group members usually enter a group with different
goal perspectives, they both need to have an initial common ground to guide
the group system. This common ground is their shared goal. Schopler and
Galinsky refer to these as "group system goals." I shall henceforth refer to these
as group goals which are the product of a worker-group interaction process,
ie, those goals which the worker and the group have agreed to accomplish.
Group goals are conceived as desirable or preferred end states for the group
as an entity. They serve as basis for all worker and group action planning. The
initial goal set by the group is usually sufficient to guide its direction. However,
these goals may be refined because of processes and events that occur within
the group and maybe outside of it.
The group goals serve not only to guide the group's direction but also, which is
just as important, as basis for assessing the accomplishments of the group.
401
Therefore, group goals should be put in writing. They should not be left to the
worker's gift of memory and consequently, the risk of its loss. Like other aspects
of his work with the group, proper documentation of group goals also facilitate
the group's transfer to another worker should this become necessary.
Furthermore, like all other social work recordings, such documentation serve
social work teaching and research purposes.
The determination of group goals is not an event, but a process that involves
two phases- exploration and bargaining.
Exploration is when the worker and the group members discuss areas of mutual
concern, consider different means to pursue these concerns, sort out their
differences, and incorporate individual interests into common group-oriented
goals. The worker performs a key role in facilitating the exploration process. He
has to provide an opportunity for members to present their views relating to
the group goals and to help the group accept and commit itself to these goals.
Bargaining involves agreeing on concerns or issues confronting the group.
Even if the worker had given much care to group composition and the
members' needs and concerns are compatible, disagreements among the
members as well as between him and the group may still occur. There can be
disagreements about what goals to select, the priorities that should be
pursued, and the most appropriate means for doing this. This is where
bargaining comes in. The process involves agreeing on concerns or issues
confronting the group.
Schopler and Galinsky underscore the importance of an open discussion in the
group so that decisions made are acceptable to a large number, possibly, to
a majority of the group members. The exchange that takes place leads some
of the members to re-think and with- draw certain goals that may not be
important.
It is also understandable for members to differ in their commitment to group
goals. One member may see clearly that the group goals will benefit him, while
another may have some reservations about this. A member may be confident
that the group can achieve the goals while another may have doubts.
However, even if members differ in their commitment to group goals, it is
important for the worker to ask all the members to express openly some degree
of commitment to work toward these goals.15 The other members can later
provide some pressure on the uncommitted member to go along with the
majority, or the worker can use certain group processes to influence this
member. The continuing process of evaluating and re-evaluating group goals
will allow for an accommodation of other goals that were not included earlier.
The worker can also make use of his own professional self to facilitate the
selection of group goals. He has, after all, certain powers within his command
which can be used to group’s advantage.
402
Just like individual goals, group goals must be formulated in clear, specific and
realistic terms. In the Philippines, many social agencies use the acronym
“SMART” as a guide to goal-setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic,
and Time-bound. This can also be applied in work with groups.
PROGRAM MEDIA
Refers to the activities, verbal or non-verbal, which the group engages
for the purpose of achieving its goals. It is very important aspect of planning
and is usually chosen with the guidance of the worker. An outline of the
program media to be used for a group is a desirable output of planning stage
of the helping process with allowance for revisions later. Program media are
utilized in order to influence the behavior of individual members and the group
as a whole. In the Philippines, social group workers are known to have first used
program media in their work in what were then primarily leisure-time,
recreational agencies like the YWCA and YMCA. Unfortunately, their use of
games, arts and crafts, camping, music and dramatic has created the
perception that these activities are used as ends in themselves. This perception
often results in the thinking that group work is "lightweight and lacking
intellectual content."
Today, our social workers are utilizing a great variety of program media
appropriate for a particular group. Group discussions, role-play, group
dynamics exercises, play activities, film showing, resource persons, field trips,
creative literature, values exercises, etc. are used in addition to those that
have been mentioned earlier. These are being used in the social agencies that
offer the group mode of service delivery. Program media is an essential tool
which can be used to serve a social worker's different objectives. The social
worker who wants to assess the needs and interests of the group members can
introduce media that will help him understand them better. The social worker
who wants to "treat" members suffering from feelings of rejection and poor self-
esteem can utilize program activities that will promote feelings of acceptance
and belonging as well as provide support and recognition.
USES OF PROGRAM MEDIA
There are more specific uses of program media. When selected with care to
match the characteristics, needs, interests and capacities of the members,
program media can:
1) Modify or change attitudes and behavior
2) Promote individual values such as emotional and intellectual growth
3) Influence group climate
4) Promote group interaction
403
5) Enhance/enrich group content
6) Promote desired group values, and
7) Facilitate the beginning, middle and ending stages of group life.
SELECTION OF PROGRAM MEDIA
The choice of program media is not made only on the basis of the group's
favorite activities or the worker's previous positive experiences with a particular
medium. The following factors are taken into consideration in the selection of
program media:
1. Goals for the group
2. Members' objectives for joining the group
3. Appropriateness in terms of time and space requirements
4. Age of group members
5. Emotional and social characteristics of the members
6. Cultural and ethnic background of the members
7. Physical characteristics of the members
8. Mood of the group
9. Availability of materials or resources
10. Worker's skills and capacities
It seems appropriate to say something about the use of group dynamics
exercises in social work with groups. Many social workers in the field refer to this
simply as "G.D." "G.D." exercises are usually structured group learning activities
that are used for specific objectives like developing self-understanding,
sensitivity to the feelings of others, There are limits to their use, and while social
workers can use them, they are just one kind of program media. Social workers
need not use "G.D." exercises at all if they have no relevance to a particular
group's goals. The selection and use of appropriate program media is one of
the social worker's most important skills when working with groups, a skill that
involves imagination and resourcefulness, among other things.
In the Philippines, many social agencies that offer group programs also offer a
"program package" consisting of agency pre-planned and usually pre-
structured activities perceived as responsive to common group concerns or
problems. This is practiced usually by agencies with a developmental thrust
and which have a "program package" that targets mainly poverty-stricken
clients. These clients' needs and problems are usually established through
scientific studies. While there is nothing wrong with such a practice, it is
404
important to remember that social workers are not supposed to impose even
their best ideas or plans on people. The principle of participation should always
be a guide in the planning of a group's program of activities.
OTHER GOAL-RELATED ACTIVITIES
Besides the activities that are planned for the group meetings, there are
usually other activities relating to goals that have to be undertaken. Recall that
in the discussion of individual focused assessment and planning, it was pointed
out that there has to be an agreement between the worker and the
prospective group member as to what concern or problem of the latter will be
addressed and, in relation to this, what goals and plans will be pursued through
group membership. However, even though a group is composed of members
with very similar problems on the basis of which group goals are defined, some
of the goal- related plans for individual members may have to be attended to
outside of the group sessions. This would include plans that require intervention
involving other agency staff, family members, the school, or certain sectors of
the community like the police or town officials. The extent of extragroup
activities that the worker will undertake may be dictated by the particular
theoretical approach being applied (eg, the Remedial Approach requires it
as a means of influence while in the Developmental Approach it is not
considered necessary (see Chapter VI). Agency realities in our country like
heavy workloads and shortage of staff are usually cited as the reasons for
group practitioners' inability to implement extragroup action plans even when
these are deemed necessary.
Extragroup activities and interventions that have to performed by the
whether for the whole group, or for individual members should be clearly
specified and presented separately from the activities that will be under- taken
with the group-in-session.
IV. PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Plan implementation refers to all activities, worker intervention and group
action which the group system directs toward the achievement of individual
and group goals.
Werner Boehm states that the concern at this stage is to render all the specific
and interrelated services appropriate to the problem situation in the light of the
assessment and planning that have taken place. The worker is therefore faced
with the challenge of putting into operation his professional capability of not
only 'deciding what to do" but also of "doing the decided." If assessment and
action planning were done on an individual as well as on a group level, then
plan implementation will also have to be undertaken on these two levels. This
means that the worker's tasks and activities are not limited to those which are
group-oriented, ie, those which you do with or for the group. They would also
include tasks and activities that relate to particular group members. The
405
individual assessments or diagnostic statements should provide the worker with
the direction he needs in this regard.
ASPECTS OF PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
The following are the three aspects of plan implementation, regardless of
whether the action the worker is taking is on at group or on an individual
member level;
1. Interventive roles of the worker. The fact that there are different helping
approaches or models which the worker can choose from in his work with
groups means that he has to be prepared to perform different roles as
necessary therapist or counselor, crisis intervenor, mobilizer, educator,
mediator, resource person, enabler, and advocate. In fact, even if the worker's
agency addresses only a particular clientele (eg, normal/able-bodied but
economically disadvantaged) and he finds that his work with such clientele
engages him mainly in one theoretical or helping approach (g, see
Developmental Approach in the last chapter) he will still find himself having to
employ different interventive roles. In our setting, especially, hardly will one find
a client or group of clients whose concern or problem requires only one
interventive role from the practitioner. Gitterman and Germain caution social
workers about the need to take into account the consequences and
implication of their action on clients, regardless of the interventive strategies
being used, as "clients can be hurt by professionals with benign intentions but
dysfunctional intervention." They therefore support the concept of full client
involvement in the helping process, because it is by this means that greater
competence is developed in negotiating the environment and in exerting
control over his life tasks.
2. Resources and services to be used. The need to utilize concrete community
resources and services will always be an important aspect of social work case
management especially in our country where a large majority of the social
work clientele are poor. Social workers therefore should know these resources
what and where they are, and how they can be effectively utilized when they
are needed. Skillful but ethical use of one's social networks (n, key figures in the
environment that can assist with problem-solving, including one's friends and
peers) is called for, whether in tapping existing resources or creating non-
existing ones.
3. Problems and constraints. Our agency social workers are usually faced with
many different problems and constraints which affect their work with clients.
Among these are heavy workloads, lack of funds, inadequate facilities and
equipment, shortage of trained staff, and inadequate supervision. This situation
is not likely to change much in the foreseeable future given the country's socio-
economic realities. However, these problems are not beyond solution.
406
Initiative, resourcefulness, creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication can make a
big difference.
WORKER STANCES DURING THE HELPING PROCESS
In relation to worker intervention roles, Margaret Hartford presents
different stances which the worker may take when working with groups from
the time of group formation and onwards. They can be analyzed separately,
although they also, in fact, "blend on the edges." Hartford contends that the
worker may shift from one stance to another during one session, or in different
sessions, my own experience as well as observation of the conduct of group
sessions by other practitioners confirms this contention. The group's practitioner
stances can be the following:
1. The Direct Stance. The worker assumes the major responsibility for
organizing and convening the group, as well as in guiding the members, the
group process, the discussion, and the flow of ideas and emotion. He plays a
directive role in interventions or activities to enhance problem-solving,
including one's friends and peers) is called for, whether in tapping existing
resources or creating non-existing ones.
2. The Facilitating Stance. In this stance, the worker sees himself as a
member of the group, although one with special expertise and different roles
and functions from the group members. He takes this stance when the
membership has experience in group participation, has social capability, and
some independent strength. Other considerations that may call for facilitative
stance are the members’ ages and state of health, and the level of group
development.
In taking this stance in relation to the group, the worker uses his
professional skills to encourage individual members to assume responsibility in
the group, and with the group and each other. Other specific requirements
from him are that he:
a) promotes the exchange of ideas, affect, and interpretation among
members;
b) participates with the group members so that his contribution may be
considered along with others, and which he knows carries different weight
because he is in a professional role;
c) provides reinforcement of and support to leadership and patterns of
relationships;
d) clarifies and focuses problems;
e) assesses group processes and content, and encourages members to
do likewise.
407
3. The Permissive Stance. This stance assumes that if correct group
composition has been made, and the purpose and focus of the group is clear,
the will group emerge because the participants have come together. It is
indicated for the highly socially competent, strongly motivated group
members who know why they have convened, and are experienced in group
participation. It may be used with task-achievement-oriented groups which
need only minimum guidance from the worker. He does not totally abdicate
his responsibility for his social work function, but uses his expertise in human
relations and group behavior, and link with the agency to help the group
appropriate. He also uses non-verbal interventions, and is alert to internal
struggles that may be taking place in the group.
4. The Flexible Stance. This stance simply means that the worker will
change his stance in the course of a session or over a series of sessions, in
response to the following: his assessment of the progress of the group toward
its objective; the needs, capacities, and behavior of members; the level of
group functioning; and the problems of content or affect being considered in
the group. Each of the stances earlier described may be appropriate in
specific situations so that the worker should be prepared to "shift gears."
Hartford's conception of these different stances should be of great help
in guiding practitioners who are usually required to perform different roles when
working with groups. The term "facilitator" has become a very popular one, on
many occasions even used in place of "social worker" when the latter is
engaged in work with groups. That "facilitator" is just a role - one of many that
a social worker may assume in response to specific situations should be clear,
and we should be careful not to use the term as an all-embracing title for all
persons (including social workers) engaged in work with groups because they
may not actually be doing "facilitator" work.
V. EVALUATION, TERMINATION, GROUP WORK RECORDINGS AND
SUPERVISION
EVALUATION
In relation to social work with groups can mean any of the following. 1)
regular or periodic evaluation which means the on-going evaluation of actions
taken during the period of plan implementation which provides feedback and
enables the worker and client to consider the progress in their efforts and to
modify these efforts if necessary; and 2) terminal evaluation which follows
implementation and is done primarily to assess the outcome of the helping
efforts (on the basis of goals that were defined earlier) so that the next step,
the termination of the helping relationship can be effected.
The systematic evaluation of the outcome(s) of the helping efforts is very
important because the worker has a responsibility to the client system whom
he engaged in a helping transaction. He is also accountable to the agency
408
that employs him and to the public that provides the sanctions for the practice
of social work.
In social work with groups, evaluation is done on two levels on the level of the
individual member, and on the level of the group as a whole. Separate
statements of the expected ends or outcomes of the helping transaction for
the individual and for the group are expected to have been formulated to
make this possible. It was pointed out earlier that the worker has to write at
least a short case assessment (how comprehensive this is will depend on the
type of group service being provided) on each group member. This statement,
which contains the definition of the client's concern or problem-to-be solved
and the goals and action plans to be pursued is the essential guide to plan
implementation, as well as the periodic and terminal evaluation the worker
must do in relation to the individual member. The need for clearly stated group
(system) goals during the group formation phase was also emphasized. These
group goals guide not only plan implementation but also the group-level
periodic and terminal evaluation that have to be done.
When doing periodic evaluations of the individual members and the group,
the worker's concern is to assess or monitor their progress or movement based
on the goals that had been formulated and to modify, these goals when
necessary. When doing terminal evaluations because the group's life is coming
to an end the worker's main concern is to assess actual goal achievement.
409
The following are the records that group workers usually write/keep. If
done, these records will facilitate the evaluation of one’s social work practice
with groups.
1. Pre-group/intake interview records
2. Individual case assessments (identifying data, problem definition,
goals and actions/interventive plans)
3. Statements of group concerns/problems, group goals and plans (for
group-in-session and extragroup including environmental interventions, if any)
4. Attendance records
5. Process or summary recordings of group sessions
6. Records of marginal interviews (i.e. interviews with members outside
group sessions)
7. Records of collateral interviews/interviews with "significant others"
8. Evaluation records (ie., individuals, group)
9. Transfer/closing summaries
While the long list might provoke a negative initial reaction, more careful
consideration of what these records involve will likely dispel resistance to them.
#1 involves the entry of information on agency intake record forms, an easy
enough task for most practitioners; #2 and #3 are done at the beginning stage
of one's helping relationship and #4 is just checking attendance which should
be easy if one devises a system. #5 is very important in all social work practice
so that one must have the right attitude about it. The worker owes it to his
clients, his agency, the public and to himself for all his efforts, to have some
account of what is happening in the course of the helping relationship. Without
such records, the worker will not be able to assess whether he and the group
are on the right course and if not, why and what ought to be done; without
such records it will be difficult to explain any individual or group goal-related
gains or failures especially at the time of terminal evaluation. #6 and #7 can
be just one paragraph entries on the main points taken up in these inter- views
as long as they are adequate for the worker's purposes. #8 are needed in order
to show the effectiveness of one's interventive efforts, and/or to explain why
certain helping efforts failed. #9 involves the preparation of a brief but clear
statement describing what has happened or what have been achieved as to
warrant group termination, or, in case of a change in the group's worker, a
statement describing what have been achieved, and what else need to be
done in order to guide the new worker.
410
TERMINATION
Termination in the Helping Process
Termination is the final step in the helping process. It should be
undertaken with the same care given to the earlier stages.
Termination is done when the goals for the client have been substantially
achieved and there is no reason to expect that any more significant gains can
be achieved by extending the helping relationship.
The helping relationship may also be discontinued if after a reasonable period
of time there has been very little progress or movement toward the
achievement of the agreed-on goals for the individual and/or the group and
the prospect of change in the situation is not held likely. After having done his
best and it is clear that he is not getting there, then the worker has to end the
helping relationship.
When the mode of helping is through a group, termination may be effected in
different ways, depending on the type of group one is working with. For
example, in the case of a leadership or a skills-training group that has clearly
defined to be accomplished a set time frame, members are usually admitted
into the group and are terminated at the same time. These are usually "closed
groups" because once started, new members are not allowed to join. You must
be familiar with numerous "modular" group programs that abound in the
country today which pursue what popularly called a "developmental
orientation. Group membership in these programs are frequently terminated
smoothly with the members some- times receiving certificates of participation.
In the case of a group program that has a treatment orientation and has a
longer time frame, the picture would be different. Generally, membership in
such a group is terminated when the goals for the individual members have
been achieved. Since goal-achievement is seldom effected simultaneously for
all group members, what happens is that membership is terminated sooner for
some, and later for others. This is easy to understand if we think of a hospital
where people go for medical treatment. Patients may get admitted on the
same day, but do not all get discharged at the same time. As some patients
get discharged, new patients are also admitted for treatment. In the case of
a treatment-oriented group program, new clients may replace those who are
terminated, with the social worker using his "waiting list" (if he has one ready)
to choose the replacements, or recruiting new members. This happens when
one is working with an open group (ie, one that permits additional members to
join after the group has started).
It is possible to have a treatment-group that is "closed," i.e., no new members
are allowed to join after the group has been started. However, the worker
should recognize the possible adverse effects of a dwindling group size on
411
account of the termination of individual members as goals for them are
achieved. One way to avoid this situation is to exercise care so that there is
some homogeneity in group composition. This means that the worker should
select members whose problems are of such a nature that they are not likely
to progress at a markedly different pace from each other, and termination will
therefore take place at more or less the same time.
Termination of group membership, whether done simultaneously for all
members at one time, or individually, one at a time, calls for the exercise of
professional judgment, as do all other activities in the helping process.
Hartford describes the following parts of the termination phase:
1. Pretermination
This is the period of preparation for the actual ending which can include the
acknowledgment that the group is about to end. In the case of long-term
groups, particularly treatment-oriented groups, a period of one to two months
of preparation would be ideal. This helps the group or the individual member
to get used to the idea that the end to the group's life or membership in it is
about to come (resistance is minimized if the worker discusses the reality of
termination during the initial or group formation stage).
When it is only one member that is being terminated, the worker's preparation
of that member will involve not just informing the group about it (and briefly
sharing the reason especially if it is a positive one) but also discussing it with the
member outside of the group session.
In the case of a whole group that is being terminated, this is the best time for
working through the difficulties some members may feel about ending,
reviewing accomplishments and failures, and planning some closing activity.
The worker can also mention some post-termination plans and elicit ideas from
the group.
Group members should be given the chance to talk about the ending of their
group experience. Their feelings about it may be positive. They may feel proud
about the tasks they have accomplished, happy about the friendships they
have made and joyful about the pleasant memories of activities they have
participated in, relieved about concerns or problems that have been resolved,
or confident about life after the group. Some members may resist or have
negative feelings that they may want to express or resolve in relation to other
members, the group itself, or even the worker. Some negative feelings may
relate to the impending separation of the group or from the group. These may
include feelings of rejection, anxiety, insecurity, sadness, and abandonment.
Whatever it is that the members feel about termination, Sue Henry points out
that the central theme of this stage is that of mourning and time has to be
provided to allow the handling of people's feelings.
412
2. Termination
This is the recognized ending which means the last actual session of the group
or of the individual whose membership is being terminated. Whatever closing
activity or program has been planned is implemented at this time. If we are to
adhere to the principle of participation, then the planning and
implementation of the group's closing activity should be a joint effort between
the worker and the group. However, one frequently finds social group workers
who make the group assume the full responsibility for planning, preparing and
conducting the group's closing activity. The worker is present but stays in the
background and gets up only to give his closing remarks. He acts like a guest
instead of a key person who must now facilitate the concluding activity and
bring it to a satisfying end.
3. Post-termination
This consists of the plan for follow-up which can be done on either an individual
or on a group basis.
After a group has been terminated, some members continue to hang around
the agency which is an indication of a number of things. Members may have
developed an attachment to the worker and/or the group, and are unable to
accept that group life has ended. Also, there might be a felt need to continue
membership. The worker can respond in different ways whichever she deems
appropriate. Periodic follow-up meetings could be arranged for as long as
these meetings are necessary. The group could continue as a friendship group
and the worker could be available for consultations. Arrangements could be
made, too, to connect them to someone in the community who can act as
their adviser. In community work, social workers often make it a point to
develop indigenous group leaders who can be depended on to see to the
group's continuing even after the worker has terminated their helping
relationship. Treatment groups, for their part, can be helped not only through
periodic follow-up, usually on an individual basis, but sometimes by being
assisted to continue as a "self-help" group that will still meet regularly so that
the members can provide support to each other. The worker can share with
them his knowledge of how self-help groups operate and guide them in
adapting some of the procedures and techniques used by these groups.
Finally, in our setting, former clients are increasingly being utilized as a resource.
Group members can be motivated to act as agency volunteers if they meet
the requirements.
A group that is being terminated because its goals have been achieved may
be assisted or guided to move on to helping others in their community. When
this happens such as in the case of a treatment-oriented group, then the group
shall have stopped being a medium and target for change and is now about
to become an agent of change.
413
It is possible for the worker and the group to continue to have a helping
relationship after the goals for the group have been achieved. However, this
will be because there is another or new concern or problem and the helping
process will have to start all over again. However, sometimes the group only
needs some initial guidance but can rely on itself such as in terms of helping
others or in effecting change in its larger environment. If this is the case, the
worker should know when he should leave, and happily so, because the group
can now be on its own.
414
Social Work
Practice III and
Field Instruction
III
(Working w/ Communities)
415
I. HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WORK IN WORKING WITH
COMMUNITIES
A. Western Beginnings
➢ Elizabethan Poor Law of 1991
- Formalized the practice of relief for the poor in England and Wales
which refined the country’s Old Poor Law of 1597.
- Could be described as “parochial” since the administrative unit of
the law system were parishes.
416
- It housed immigrants and provided community for women.
- The study focused on how to engage the residents and citizens of
the neighborhood in problem-solving in the community.
417
- United Services Organization (USO) is the union of many forces
that serves the needs of the military personnel and the
communities in defense.
- “Community Organization for Social Welfare” was published by
Wayne McMillen
- National Conference of Social Work organized the Association of
the study of Community Organization to improve the professional
practice of CO in the Social Welfare area.
- ASCO merged with other organizations to form National
Association of Social Workers in 1945.
- Community Organization has been treated and acknowledged
as a vital and integral aspect of social work education in the
American Association of Schools of Social Work Education.
➢ UK Historical Development
The First Phase (1880-1920)
- Community work was entirely seen as a process of heling the
individuals to enhance their social adjustments (Joseph & Dash,
2013).
The Second Phase (1920-1950)
- Emergence of new ways of dealing with social issues and social
problems. The community organization was closely associated
with central and state government programs for urban
development.
- The important development in this period was its association with
community association movement (Joseph & Dash, 2013).
The Third Phase (1950-onwards)
- A period of professional development of social work.
- Paved the way for finding in the analysis of the social problems are
shortcomings of the systems (Joseph & Dash, 2013).
The Fourth Phase
418
- Period of radical social movement
- Increased involvement of community action and conflicts
between community and authority.
419
➢ American Occupation and Japanese Invasion
- General Malvar mobilized the peasants and workers by relating
national issues with their daily lives.
- Focal point of the struggle was the heavy unfair system of sharing
between landlords and tenants.
- When Japanese occupation occurred, the People of Central
Luzon met the Japanese with greater unity.
420
- There was a resurgence of nationalism and student activism and
the groundswell of public outrage that resulted to a series of
protests and demonstrations against the government.
- This culminated the First Quarter Storm and paved the way for
grassroots organizing.
421
different walks of life in support of the coup led by Fidel V. Ramos
and Juan Ponce Enrile.
422
which results to improved capacity in community problem-solving
process and community integration.”
423
“Acceptance of the right of the community to decide what it wants
rather than having the organizer’s views imposed upon it, belief on the
capacity of the people to find richer and more satisfying ways of living if
they are helped to use the resources within themselves and their
environment which are and could be made available to them.”
B. STEPS OF CO PROCESS
1. Social Preparation/Pre-Entry
a. Area Selection
✓ Depressed areas and presence of low-income groups
✓ Presence of development agencies and other support
institutions providing assistance to the area
✓ Willingness of local groups to link up with organizing
programs
✓ Stable peace and order situation
✓ Accessibility
424
✓ Geographical location
b. Group Selection
✓ Dialect
✓ Population: Number of target individuals, families,
households
✓ Level of organization (organized vs. unorganized)
✓ Sectoral groupings: women, youth, farmers, etc.
✓ Heterogeneous vs. homogeneous membership
✓ Basis for organizing: common problems and expressed
needs
425
5. Initial Problem-Solving Planning with Ad Hoc Committees
6. Core Group Formation
7. Training, Ground Working, Mobilization including Project
Development and Management
8. Formalization of the Community-Based Organization
9. Consolidation and Expansion
✓ Join alliances and networks
✓ Keep growing as an organization
✓ Level-off expectations and targets within the organization and
among partner agencies
10. Evaluation
11. Turnover/Phase Out
426
called entropy, i.e., over time, they tend toward less differentiation of
their parts and toward loss of organization and function.
• Boundaries. Barriers that define a system and distinguish it from other
systems in the environment.
• Homeostasis. The tendency of a system to resist change and maintain
status quo.
• Adaptation. The tendency of a system to make the changes needed to
protect itself and grow to accomplish its goal.
• Reciprocal Transactions. Circular interactions that systems engage in
such that they influence one another.
• Feedback Loop. The process by which systems self-correct based on
reactions from other systems in the environment.
• Equifinality. It suggests a system can take multiple paths as it adapts over
time. A system’s ability to adapt effectively can depend on the
goodness of fit of that system within its environment (Gitterman &
Germain, 2008).
• Microsystem. It is closest to the client. This would include parents, siblings,
peers, and teachers. Understanding the systems that exert the most
influence on a client is essential to social work practice when taking an
ecological systems approach
• Mesosystem. According to Bronfenbrenner (1979), refers to the
relationships or direct interactions among systems in the microsystem.
The mesosystem demonstrates the importance of the interactional
nature of systems.
• Exosystem. Bronfenbrenner (1979) defines the exosystem as occurring
when an interaction between two systems exerts an indirect influence
on another system. Imagine that a supervisor at a social service
organization is being reprimanded by the agency director for not
meeting the agency’s goal regarding how many hours his program
would bill for that month. The supervisor might put pressure on his
supervisees to increase the number of billable hours because of the
427
pressure exerted by his superior. Although the effect is coming from a
higher level, the social workers never had communication with the
agency director about the need to increase billable hours.
• Macrosystem. It is a larger system that influences a client’s life.
• Chronosystem. Bronfenbrenner (1979) refers to the chronosystem as the
events that affect the client. Events such as 911 can affect an entire
society, bringing fear across a larger group of people. Ultimately, the
reactions to such events can lead to policy decisions that are grounded
in fear.
B. Strengths Perspective
The essential idea in taking a strengths-based approach to practice
is that all clients, families, and communities have strengths. Strengths are
internal and external capabilities and resources unique to each person
or group (Mandleco & Perry, 2000). Internal strengths are personal
qualities such as a sense of humor, insight, and flexibility that help people
cope with the challenges they face. External strengths are the resources
outside of each person that also lend support. External strengths may
include extended family, connection to a faith community, or services
available in a client’s local geographic area.
428
C. Task-Centered Model
The task-centered model, the focus of this chapter, emerged from
the problem-solving process. The task-centered model brings with it a
sharper focus on specific assignments or tasks that clients can undertake
and that, when accomplished, lead to problem resolution. This model is
adaptable to social work in a great number of practice settings.
Because it is not a product of any particular theoretical orientation, it is
amenable to use with numerous theoretical frameworks, such as
behaviorism or family systems theory.
D. Conflict Theory
Conflict theory can guide social work on all levels of practice. Social
work macro practice involves recognizing structural barriers that hinder
the opportunities for a group of people. Conflict theory offers an
explanation for this inequity, suggesting people are competing for
scarce resources, which explains why some policies favor certain groups
over others. In addition, this theory acknowledges that those in power
are more likely to support policies that are friendly to their group. Groups
that have been less successful at having political representation are
therefore less likely to have their concerns heard. Social work macro
practice seeks to advocate for groups that are left out of the political
process.
E. Role Theory
The term role refers to the socially expected behavior prescribed for
a person occupying a particular status or position in a social system.
Social norms for a particular position provide guides for attitudes,
feelings, and behavior that are permitted, expected, or prohibited for
the individual in the given role.
429
F. Culture Theory
Culture is defined as “that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and other capabilities and
habits acquired by a man as a member of his society.”
G. Learning Theory
A basic assumption is that because behavior can be acquired or
learned in the course of an individual’s development, structured
learning situations can be used to develop healthy and eliminate
unhealthy behaviors.
KEY CONCEPTS OF LEARNING THEORY
430
V. MODELS OF SOCIAL WORK IN WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES
1. Community Development
According to Kramer and Specht – this model refers to mobilizing
the people, the victims, the unaffiliated, the unorganized and the
non-participating who are affected by a community condition into
groups and enable them to take action on these social problems and
issues which affect them.
431
2. Social Planning
According to Kramer and Specht, this refers to “efforts direct
towards integrating the different action systems of the community
with other systems in the local community and/or with extra
community action systems, efforts aimed at bringing about reforms in
attitudes, policies, and practice of large private and public agencies
including legal, functional, and operating system.
• Societal goals – selecting social goals and setting targets for their
achievement.
• Testing consequences – the application of social values and action
criteria to the assessment of programs undertaken in pursuit of
economic and political goals and the consequences in terms of inter-
group or interpersonal relations of everything from broad economic
development projects to specific redevelopment projects.
• Social programming – planning the more traditional welfare activities
of public and private agencies and the coordination by many
groups.
3. Social Action
It refers to individual or group activity designed to influence a
change in social policy or to lobby for the formulation of needed
policies or social legislations for the benefit and welfare of the people.
1. Social Brokerage
2. Integrative Mechanisms to Strengthen Organizations
3. Social protests to support social movements
432
VI. TOOLS OF ANALYSIS IN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION
• Stakeholders Analysis – It is an approach for understanding a system
by identifying the key actors or stakeholders and their mutual
relationships in the system and assessing their respective interests and
involvements in that system. Among others, it serves to provide a
foundation and strategy for participation and mobilization of key
stakeholders.
• Gender Analysis – Focuses on understanding and documenting the
differences in gender roles, activities, needs, and opportunities in a
given context.
• Force Field Analysis (Kurt Lewin) – It is a process of identifying the
dimensions (driving forces and restraining forces) of a problem and
determining the strategies for solving it.
• SWOT Analysis – This is a tool for Social Analysis that focuses on the
identification from the dynamic interrelationships between and
among the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment of
the organization as well as the opportunities and threats posed by
external environment.
• Appreciative planning and action – This is an organizational
development methodology based on Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and
built on searching for the positive, for successes, for what works, as
opposed to problem-oriented focus of most other planning and
development strategies.
• Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) – It is also known as Participatory
Learning and Action (PLA). PRA uses (a) visualization that enables
participation regardless of literacy level; and (b) group animation
and exercises to facilitate information sharing analysis and action
among stakeholders.
• Writeshops – It is a method of producing information materials or
publications where the different stakeholders come together and
engage themselves in a process of pooling their resources and
433
knowledge to document a subject of common significance to them
and to the larger society. The subject of documentation may pertain
to field-tested best practices and strategies in the development.
• Participatory Training – This is training that releases energy and
creativity from the people.
A. Roles of a CO Worker
1. Enabler – enabling the community to engage in establishing
goals, objectives, and setting priorities.
2. Helper – helping the community groups identify their
problems/needs and take effective action on their planned goals
and objectives.
3. Guide – guiding the community groups in the process through
difficulties encountered
4. Initiator – initiating action through education, demonstration, and
other techniques and strategies.
5. Broker – acting as broker between groups, the client community
and outside resources.
6. Advocate – advocating the just cause of any disadvantaged
groups, sector, or community as a whole.
7. Consultant – providing expert knowledge and information to
achieve planned goals and objectives.
8. Intervenor – intervening for and on behalf of the people for their
participation and involvement in the formulation of social welfare
programs, services, and projects intended to benefit or affect
them or when their interest and welfare are in jeopardy.
434
9. Planner – sits as planner for the social welfare/social services sector
in planning bodies as the barangay, municipal, provincial,
regional. and national development councils
10. Researcher – makes research on current problems, needs, and
issues as basis for action-planning.
B. Functions of a CO Worker
1. Fact finding – to secure and maintain adequate factual basis for
sound planning.
2. Program development – to initiate, develop new programs &
services and modify or terminate social welfare programs and
services that had become irrelevant.
3. Establishment of standards – to establish, maintain, and improve
social welfare standards, and to increase the effectiveness,
efficiency, and economy of operation of social welfare agencies.
4. Coordination – to improve & facilitate inter-relationships and to
promote coordination between organizations, groups and
individuals concerned with social welfare programs and services.
5. Education – to develop better public understanding of social
welfare needs, problems, resources, objectives, services,
methods, and standards.
6. Support & Participation – to develop adequate public support of
and public participation in social welfare activities.
C. Techniques of a CO Worker
The Philippine Social Work Encyclopedia described technique as “the
manner by which certain activities are executed based on the
mechanical or formal aspects.”
435
etc. Each committee is to analyze each problem, get additional
facts when necessary, and formulate a plan to solve said
problem/need with the participation and involvement of the
people.
436
6. Demonstration – It uses the organization of demonstration projects
to illustrate ways of dealing with certain social problems which can
be subsequently adopted for similar uses by the community and
other communities and organizations.
D. Strategies of a CO Worker
Strategy is a “tactic or careful plan or method devised to achieve a
desired goal.” The Philippine Social Work Encyclopedia alludes
437
strategy as “a procedure adopted by social workers to achieve a
goal.”
3. Organizing People for Specific Tasks, Roles & Functions – Goals and
objectives can only be realized if there are groups of persons who
plan for these goals and objectives, then implement and monitor
and evaluate their implementation. People are organized to do
specific tasks is a strategy that facilitates the attainment of goals
and objectives since the job is done in a more organized manner
which uses at the same time the pooled thinking, expertise and
resources of those involved in the different organized operational
units.
438
6. Campaign Strategy – This is applicable when the people are not
in agreement on how an issue should be resolved. This strategy
employs educating, persuading, and pressuring the recalcitrant
into agreeing with a group’s proposed solution/approach to a
major issue or problem in the community.
439
Social protests are mass action activities where people march in
the streets with placards conveying the cause of their action or
what the group is protesting about. The mass action is sometimes
in the form of mass delegation of protesters presenting their
petition with media coverage to legislators, a government office,
private organization, a business establishment, a landlord or even
foreign embassies.
12. Use of Field Trips – People learn faster through visual aids and
actual experience.
440
SOCIAL WORK COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING
441
C. Framework of Community Education
442
b.) Adults have accumulated a foundation of life experiences and
knowledge
c.) Adults are goal oriented
d.) Adults are relevancy oriented
e.) Adults are practical
f.) Adults need to be shown respect
443
➢ Field Trips/’Lakbay Aral’- People learn best about the
environment when they experience it directly.
➢ Action Projects – It help participants learn more about their
environment/community while they participate in a
stewardship activity.
➢ Drama and Festivals – Theatre is particularly useful because
the environmental action that is required can be role-
played, and participants can easily see what is expected of
them. Drama presentations can also be aimed at target
groups that have low-levels of literacy and are an effective
way of integrating humor into very serious subjects.
Puppetry or any form of creative storytelling is ideal for
gaining the attention of all ages in the community.
444
knowledge, commitment, and understanding about
environment, but also enhance critical thinking skills.
➢ The use of Meta Cards (Visualization in Participatory Program) – It
is highly useful for issues and learning related to environment and
related social concerns. It relies on facilitating interactions
between and among participants so that there is creative
reflection and activity.
➢ Environmental Games – Games and action activities are highly
appropriate for teaching adults about the environment because
they are active, have fun, and reinforce learning concepts by
doing and acting rather than listening.
➢ Use of Creative Arts – Visual arts, poetry, and music can be
eloquent methods for expressing the need for environmental
action and can provide a great deal motivation to the
community. Messages in artistic expression are especially
important in the awareness phase of environmental education.
➢ Small Group Discussion or Study Circles – adult educators know
that adults like to learn by talking to each other. Very often, one’s
person experience will help educate others. When adults sit
together and try to solve a problem, they are often more
successful than if they attempt to solve a problem individually.
➢ Slide and Video Presentation – It can be a very effective format
for community/environmental education especially in areas of
literacy. Make sure that the visual material you select is relevant to
the appropriate for your area and content.
445
7. Evaluating the Activity – During this phase, you evaluate
whether or not you have been successful in reaching your
goals.
Evaluation Methods
446
3. SWOT Analysis – Strengths and Weaknesses focus on internal factors,
while opportunities and threats reflect the influences of the external
environment affecting the organization, community, or activity.
4. Stakeholder Analysis – It is a method by which people generate insights
into the characteristics of individuals and/or groups, and their respective
relationship to a particular resource or a project.
5. Identification of Key Informants – Key informants are purposely selected
community members who are able to provide information on a
particular research topic based on their knowledge, skills or experience
with that subject.
6. Problem Trees and Webs – They are the diagrammatic presentations of
a problem, its causes and effects. These are done after a community
has identified and prioritized its problems.
7. Seasonal Calendar – It is a tool for documenting regular cyclical periods
and significant events. It provides a general picture of important
environmental, cultural, and socio-economic periods throughout the
year.
8. Historical Lines – This tool documents significant events and changing
conditions in the community in written format, symbols, or both. Ideal
participants should include elders, long-time residents, and younger
groups.
9. Daily Activity – a tool that provides information on various activities
performed daily in the reproductive and productive sphere, as well as in
community leadership and management.
10. Historical Transect – Pictorial representation of an area through time. It is
used to show trends in both bio-physical and socio-cultural conditions.
11. Trend Line – It graphically illustrates the community’s perception of
certain event and changes
12. Using transects to build a community profile – a transect is a series of
observations performed while walking across an area.
447
13. Resource Mapping – a method of collating and plotting information on
the occurrence, distribution, access and use of resources within the
economic and cultural domain of a specific community.
14. Participatory Gender Analysis and Responsive Planning – The
analysis focuses on the reproductive and productive roles of
women and men and how these affect their access to and
participation in the management of coastal resources.
448
➢ Paraphrasing – Indicates that you are listening and lets you check
for understanding.
➢ Questioning – To gather information, to focus discussion, and to
expand understanding.
➢ Summarizing – To bring important point out, to review progress,
and to bring closure to move on.
➢ Validating – To show what people say is important
➢ Encouraging – To show interest and to encourage discussion.
➢ Clarifying – To ensure you understand and to clear confusion.
449