Objectives of Social Work

Objectives, in general, are the statements or formulations of what we are trying to do. Objectives of social work implies the statement expressing what social work is trying to do or what we as professionals are trying to do to accomplish the goal of social work.

For the convenience of the reader’s understanding, the objectives of social work can be classified into the following three groups:

Objectives Prescribed by the Social Work Scientists
Key Objectives of Social Work
Generic Objectives of Social Work

Helen Leland Witmer prescribed two objectives of social work such as;

To give assistance to individuals while removing difficulties which they face in utilizing the basic services of society
To facilitate effective utilization of community resources for their welfare.

Walter Andreas Friedlander gave three objectives of social work such as:

To change the painful situation of individuals
To develop constructive forces both within and around the individual
To enhance the democratic and humanistic behaviour of the individual.

Gordon Brown has given four objectives of social work such as:

To provide physical or material support
To help in social adjustment
To help in solving psychological problems
To make adequate opportunities for individuals with problems to raise their standard of living, which can prevent problems from intruding.

These are generally and universally accepted objectives of social work which basically try:

To solve psycho-social problems
To fulfil humanitarian needs like love, affection, care, etc.
To solve adjustment problems
To create self-sufficiency
To make and strengthen harmonious social relations
To make provision for corrective and recreational services
To develop democratic values among the people
To provide opportunities for development and social progress
To conscientize[1] the community
To change the environment in favour of individual growth and development
To bring change in the defective social system for social development
To provide socio-legal aid to the needy who cannot afford to meet them

Personal Satisfaction

Satisfaction is extremely important and plays a crucial role. It is important to find satisfaction in all areas of life. Finding satisfaction comes from within oneself. Maintaining a balance between our physical and emotional well-being can help us find a sense of satisfaction. For this purpose, society plays a significant role in developing personal satisfaction. Individuals’ needs are addressed to provide personal satisfaction.

Competent social behavior and adaptation to the immediate social context are key factors in social adjustment. Knowing and dealing with social dynamics is crucial in understanding an individual’s psychological profile. Working in the field of social work helps individuals develop the necessary skills to become responsible members of society.

Modification of Environment

Environmental Modifications are physical alteration made both internal and external, which are necessary to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the individuals. The social work helps the individuals in two ways either the problems are resolved to adjust individual in the environment or the individual is taken out from the specific problematic environment.

Personality Development

Personality development refers to the process of unique set of organized thought and behavioral patterns that gradually emerge and evolve over time. Many issues exist in the life of individual due to personality issues. For this purpose, social work tries to improve the personality of individuals through counselling to adjust in the environment.

Self-Determination

Self-determination is a core value in social work. It emphasizes empowering individuals to make their own choices and decisions about their lives. Social workers assist individuals in identifying goals, developing skills, and accessing resources to achieve self-efficiency.

Creating Awareness

Understanding our reactions to environmental cues and how our emotions impact our interactions with others is an important aspect to consider. Developing a strong sense of self-awareness is crucial for the professional growth and development of anyone in the field of social work.

Various social evils exist in society. The goal of social work is to minimize or reduce these social evils. For this purpose, the following measures are taken.

Creating awareness about a fair society
Assisting in social legislation.
Raising voice against social evils.
Mobilization through social media, education, and other means.

Reduce Poverty

Assisting those in need, social workers offer valuable support through advocacy services, whether it be mediating or directly intervening with social services offered by public or private organizations.

Rehabilitation of Offenders

The offenders who have been placed under parole/probationary supervision or released from prison, rehabilitation facilities to provide housing, guidance and vocational training to parolees or ex-convicts, equipping them for independent living.

Behavioural Modification

Social workers involve social workers assisting clients in altering behaviours and habits to improve their quality of life. Although interventions are designed to promote positive changes, clients often face difficulties in adapting to new patterns.

Utilization of Resources

Resource utilization is a key to achieving the desired goals. Social work provides skills to utilize resources in the best manner, either human (material or non-material) or natural. The main goal is to use minimum resources to get maximum benefits.

Eliminate Outdated Customs and Traditions

In the development of any society, its outdated customs and traditions stand in the way because society spends its resources on these rituals, which in reality does not benefit them or their family. Moreover, they have to face various other problems. Therefore, the goal of social work is to eliminate outdated customs and traditions through awareness.

Passion for Self-help

Social work aims to bring about positive changes in the attitudes and mindsets of individuals along with material progress so that a permanent solution to problems can be created. In addition, the individuals are enabled to become active members of society. The social worker creates a sense of self-help by developing problem-solving skills, building support networks, and enabling access to and utilization of community resources.

If we critically synthesize all the objectives given above, we can compress them just into two statements such as:

Enabling the individuals to make them fit to live a self-sufficient and satisfied life.
Modifying individuals’ social environment in their favour so that it becomes conducive for them to live a satisfied life.

[1] Conscientization is a crucial aspect of Paulo Freire’s approach, emphasizing the importance of individuals and communities gaining a critical understanding of their social reality through reflection and action.

Author

Muhammad Javed Talokar

Ph.D in Social Work
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