Historical evolution of social work profession through the ages

Charity:
• Roots in all major religions
• Informal helping system of the Church (4th century)
Poverty relief:
• End of feudalism, Poor law
• The Poor Relief Act 1601, (Elizabethan Poor Law, "43rd Elizabeth"or the Old
Poor
Law)
• Divided poor as:
• The impotent poor (people who can't work) were to be cared for
in almshouse or a poorhouse. The law offered relief to people who
were unable to work: mainly those who were "lame, impotent, old, and
blind".
• The able-bodied poor were to be set to work in a House of Industry.
Materials were to be provided for the poor to be set to work. (Forced to
work in the house of corrections or in the work house, not eligible to
receive alms)
• The idle poor and beggers were to be sent to a House of Correction or
even prison.
• Pauper children would become apprentices.

Formation of Charity Organization Societies

The formation of charity organization society was an important milestone

in the development
of charity programmes. London Charity Organization Society was the first
such organization
formed in the year 1869. They undertook the following strategies to help the
needy
effectively.

• Stopped giving doles.

• Co-ordinated the distribution of relief.
• Verified each application carefully.
• Conducted interviews to assess the genuineness of the applicants.
• Formulated plans for the treatments.

Settlement House Movement

Cannon Samuel Augustus Barnet founded University Settlement House
which was named as
Toynbee Hall.
Its objectives were:
• Educational and cultural development of the poor.
• Imparting information to the poor for their improvement.
• Developing consciousness towards health problems and the need for
• Enacting legislation.
USA
• Colonial period
• Colonized by English
• Elizabethan poor law
• Financial assistance to person in need
• Poor in their own homes
• First alms house in 1662- Massachusetts

• Association for charitable and mutual benefit- Scots Charitable Society

-1657 in Boston.

• Civil war and industrialism

• Rapid growth of poor and the social problems
• Voluntary relief and contributions from rich
• Settlement movement: “Neighbourhood Guild( 1880- in New York) to solve
the maladjustment problems
• Jane Addams –Hull House –in Chicago
• In all cities- relief giving and services centres
• State government establish mental hospitals orphanages and schools
–care of
children and patients.
• Recognition of social need of the people (handicaps)
• Special institutions for children, mentally ill and handicapped
• Child labour legislation was enacted 1813
• Greater responsibility by government
• Juvenile reformatory in New York 1825
• School of deaf -1817
• School of blind-1830
• Organizations and associations were formed
• Welfare for children, handicapped and sick
• Maternity home for the unmarried mothers
• The Charity Organization Society (COS)
• Organize the existing relief and resources for the maximum benefit of
the needy.
• Detailed investigation of the application
• Central system of registration to avoid duplication
• Cooperation between the various relief agencies
• Extensive use of friendly visitors.

• Functions of COS
• The rehabilitation of families who are not self sufficient
• Education of community on the principle of relief
• Aid in the elimination of the causes of poverty.
• End of 19th century COS employed paid workers and training courses for
the
workers
• The New York COS –first school for training social workers in 1898 (the
New
York School of Philanthropy) Now New York School of Social Work,
Columbia University.

• Social work-professionalism (1930 onwards)

• Government started taking responsibilities for welfare
• Federal emergency relief Act was approved in 1933
• Mary Richmond is the first professional social worker in USA
• 1919 the American Association of Schools of Social work was founded (17
schools)

• The Red Cross and the Army requested social workers to apply casework
skills to
treat soldiers for “shell shock” in World War I (1914-1928).
• This marked the first time social workers were called upon to treat social
issues that weren’t limited to poverty.

• In the early 19th century, social workers began to work in conjunction

with
psychiatrists and psychologists.
• These cooperative efforts helped to spark legitimization of the field, and
by
1927 more than 100 child guidance clinics were opened to provide services
primarily to middle-class clients.
• The Great Depression (1929-1939) created a shift in the belief that social
welfare was
a government responsibility versus a private charitable responsibility.
• Government programs began under the Roosevelt administration. The
New
Deal (1933-1936) led to dozens of social welfare acts including the Social
Security Act of 1935.
• Social welfare programs expanded to include housing, recreation, cultural
activities, social insurance, and child welfare programs.

• World War II (1939-1945) was given war-related assignments to Social

workers to
develop services for communities impacted by the war.
• Helped soldiers and their families cope with injuries and other medical
problems.
• A special classification for military social workers was developed.
• The Council on Social Work Education was formed in 1952
• The National Association of Social Workers was created in 1955
• Various social work groups and organizations that had already been
established throughout the country
• President Johnson's proclamation of an "unconditional war on poverty"
in January 1964.
• NASW adopts the current Code of Ethics-1999
• Universities and colleges established the BSW — Bachelor of Social Work—
as an entry-level degree program-1970s

• Many federal programs were reduced or eliminated during the Reagan

administration
in the 1980s.
• Rely on private sector
• Social workers also faced new challenges: the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the
crack
cocaine epidemic, homelessness, and domestic violence.

• Welfare reform bill known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

was passed
in 1996. (Clinton)
• During this decade, schools of social work received increased funding for
research and evaluation activities in areas such as domestic violence, child
welfare, mental health, and aging
• Social Work in the 21st Century:
• By the early 2000s, social workers made up the largest percentage of
professionals working in the mental health and family services fields.
• During Obama
• Universal health care, concerns for the environment, and an
improvement in the country’s response to global warming.
• progressive social policies and programs to help poor and middle-class
citizens
• Trump's policies
• From changes in the health care system to restrictions on immigration
and rollbacks of environmental regulations—will have significant
effects on the vulnerable populations with whom social workers
engage every day.

ENGLAND
• Medieval period:
• Charity was the purification of soul of the alms givers.
• pious duty of the church to help and protect the poor
• Helping and giving alms
• No permanent remedy to improve the conditions of the poor.
• Elizabeth poor law 1601
• Charity Organization Society 1869
• Settlement house Movement
• The poor law commission of 1905
• Faced with unemployment problem
• Coal mines workers- begging
• Royal Commission on the poor Law and Relief of distress was
appointed in 1095 (Lord George Hamilton Chairman)
• Recommendations:
• Country councils should be established to reduce the local
administration
• Public welfare programmes on humanitarian basis
• Mixed orphanage should be stopped
• Mentally retarded and sick to be treated in hospitals
• Children in foster care
• National pension for the aged, free treatment facilities for the
poor in the hospitals, public employment services and
insurance for unemployed and invalids

INDIA
• Ancient India:
• Nature of social services was of charity
• The earlier reference of charity was found in Rig-Veda ‘May the one who
gives shine the most’
• Upanishads prescribe that every household must practice charity.
• Mahabharata describe the essence of eternal religion as non-violence,
truth,
the conquest of anger and charity.
• Social welfare activities were performed by yagna. The intention was the
common welfare of all. The habit of giving alms was common.
• Manusutra says it is the duty to feed his guest, then his servant, he and his
wife
might eat last of all
• Hindu scriptures say that the man who helps other or gives charity does
not
show the sense of superiority.

• Vedic period dana became institutionalized and charity was recognized as

the
religious ideology. Dana was given to acquire punya.
• Buddhism accepted the Karma and served the purpose of explaining the
social
inequality. It emphasis the punya and dana (charity)
• Guilds (important corporate organizations) performed a variety of
economic and
welfare functions. Guilds were giving social security to oppressed class of
society.
• King Bimbsara (father of Ashok) 300 BC paid special attention to
developments of
roads and agriculture. He laid the foundation of an efficient administrative
system.
• Social welfare activities during the reign of king Ashoka
• Superintendents of women were appointed to look after the welfare of
women
including prostitutes.
• High commissioners of charity: to record the charitable donation of royal
family and regulation of charity.
• Commissioners of equity were to look after the welfare of the prisoners.
• Social welfare included women’s welfare, rehabilitation of prisoners, rural
development, free medical care, regulation of prostitutions and provision of
public utilities like roads, rest houses for travelers, wells etc.
• The period of Gupta rule was one of the brightest in the history of India.
• Social welfare during Sultanate
• Sultanate was the Islamic state
• Duties of the king included:
• Maintenance of peace, protection from external attack, charging and
realization of taxes, providing justice to the subjects.

• Social welfare during Mughal rule

• Prohibited sati system.
• Akbar: abolished slavery in 1583, equality among people irrespective of
class
and religion, freedom for religious beliefs and practices, comprehensive
system of poor relief, stipends for students, three houses for the poor to
control
beggary.

• Contributions of Individuals & organizations

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy: abolition of sati, widow remarriage and female
education. Brahmo Samaj
• Iswar Chadra Vidya Sagar: widow remarriage, economic self-reliance,
women’s education and prohibition of polygamy.
• Gandhiji
• Swami Dayanand Saraswati: opposed caste system and child marriage.
Arya
Samaj
• Swami Vivekanand: progrmmes for education, Ramakrishna mission
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale: work of social service, Servants of Indian Society
• Modern social work
• 1936 first school of social work. Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social
Work (Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
• In Kerala, the first school of social work training was started in 1954 at
Sacred
Heart College, Thevara, which later shifted to Rajagiri College of Social
Science, Kalamassery.
• At present a number of universities and institutions are offering graduate,
post
graduate, M. Phil and Ph. D level training in social work.
• The introduction of social work at higher secondary level resulted in many
changes in the field of social work training and practice in Kerala.
• In a developing country like India, social workers have a major role in the
socio-economic, cultural, health and related areas.
• The major associations of social work are NAPSWI (National Association of
Professional Social Workers in India), ASSK (Association of Schools of
Social Work in Kerala), and KAPS (Kerala Association of Professional Social
Work).