Hedovah G.

Dagani SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

BSSW-1 C1

History of Social Work in Europe and US

The history of Social work development can be traced back during 17 th centuries ago
in the west, in Europe, specifically in England, and in US. Long before its official
acknowledgement as a profession, it went in quite a lot of stages. Before 1200’s, or what we
call the primitive era, there were no exact solution of social problem, if they were some
unwanted occurrence, people will believe that it is some sort of a curse from God and the
only solution is for them to willingly accept it or to some other societies, they would refer to
some witch crafts.

The dependence on superstitious belief towards social problems and using superstitious
solutions lasted for quite an age, until 1500’s- 1600’s, where people legitimately created a
rule creating the church and the monarch as the center of distribution of medical aid, food
and shelter for the homeless, aid for the widows and for other helpless people. People are
encouraged to do good deeds as for the expected ‘heavenly reward’ or they will be given
the gift of eternal life.

This ended until the rise of modern period in seventieth century. In 1600 AD- 1800, the
Elizabethan Poor Law established by queen Elizabeth, dividing poor people in three
categories namely, the able-bodied poor, impotent poor and the dependent children. The
able-bodied Poor class are those people that are physically well yet do not have decent
jobs. They are forcibly working in house of correction. As they have the job, other people
are forbidden to give alms on them. The Impotent poor on the other hand, are those who
are unable to work due to disability, those mothers with young children. They are given
relief goods such as food, clothes and other basic necessities. Lastly, the Dependent
children. They are the orphans, or abandoned by their parents. They are placed in free
homes.

At the entrance of 19th century there were a lot of developments of social welfare
services in Europe. The revision of the poor law created a centralized administration with a
uniformed pattern of social work services throughout the country. This new poor law was
created since the cost of looking after the poor was getting more expensive. Under this, the
country was divided into districts (poor law unions) that replaced the parishes as units of
administration. Each district had elected salaried officers assigned to facilitate the
administration of relief in the workhouses, where the able-bodied poor work and given the
relief. Alms for the able-bodied poor outside the workhouse was abolished.

As the industrialization and great technological innovation era entered in the 19 th

century, the social services were, as well expanded. The LCO or London Charity
Organizations was founded in the year 1860 and there was a considerable increase in the
number of applicants for aid. They did not only do social welfare for the sake of giving
immediate aid for those who hunger, but they extended their goal to create social
reformation, innovations, and even for the change of society. In this year, Social welfare was
officially being recognized as Octavia Hill and Edward Denson pioneered when they founded
LCO.

USA’s Social welfare beginnings were rooted from Europe, particularly the Elizabethan
Poor Law. After the end of feudalism, those who are living in poverty were seen as a threat
to social order, thus the Poor law of England was adapted and provided an organized care
system to provide to the poor. While industrial revolution was rapidly growing as
technological and scientific innovations were advancing, many were enticed to migrate in
urban areas that later on led to increasing social problems. During this time, societies good-
willed people initiated in resolving poverty-cause social problems such as disease,
prostitution, and other afflictions.

One of the most influential early professionals in social work, Jane Addams, founded the
U.S. Settlement House Movement. She led volunteer middle-class social workers in
alleviating poverty in their low-income neighbors by establishing settlement houses within
poor urban communities. Through research, reform, and living with the poor, they were able
to target the causes of poverty, providing them with education, legal and health services.
There were 413 settlements spread across 32 states in the nation by 1913, improving the
lives of the poor.

As Social reform continued to rise in early 20th century, a lot of social work school were
established. However, the issue of considering Social Work as a profession remained
questionable. It remained controversial especially 1915 when Dr. Abraham Flexner
contended that social work cannot be referred as a profession for it does not have enough
specific application of theoretical knowledge to solving human issues. Because of this, Social
work profession begun concentrating on case work and scientific method.

By 1929, there were ten more courses added in social work to add more scientific basis
in dealing with patients, especially those who are mentally challenged. Social work program
continued to strive and develop itself, despite the continuous rise in popularity of psychiatry
and psychology. As the WWII came close, the Social work foresaw a great need of their
service right after the war, hence, the rise of social workers in numbers. In 1955, the
National Association of Social Workers (NASW) was established to further develop Social
work as a profession. It promotes professional development, advance social policies,
enhance education opportunities in the field, and maintain professional standards of
practice.

MCQ:
 A 1. Where did the Social Work Profession originated?

a. United Kingdom

b. US

c. Germany

d. Philippines

b 2. During Primitive era, what was the people’s view towards unfortunate occurrence or
social problems?

a. They believed it was some sort of a bad luck

b. They believed it was a punishment or a curse from gods

c. They believed it was because of the bad governance

d. They believed it was out of the greed of the richer people

a 3. During 1500-1600’s, where was the primary outlet for medical and relief aid for the
poor in England?

a. Churches and Monarch

b. workhouses

c. Merchants

d. Voyagers

c 4. What law was established by the queen of Elizabeth that categorized the poor
members of the society in to three groups, namely the able-bodied, the impotent, and
dependent children?

a. the Ezilabethan Poor Law

b. the Elibazethan Poor Law

c. The Elizabethan Poor Law

d. The Elizatheban Poor Law

 a 5. Which of the three poor groups do the Women with infants and person with
disabilities belong?

a. the Dependent Children

b. the impotent

c. the able-bodied

d. None of the above.

B 6. What does the “able-bodied” in the poor groups mean?

a. they are the people that have perfect, proportionate body and good physique

b. The people that are physically able, yet not able to have jobs, and not noble.

c. People that are physically well, and noble

d. Poor Women that have little children to take care.

A 7. Which of the poor groups are living in free homes because they were abandoned by
their parents or orphans?

a. Dependent Children

b. Able-bodied

c. Musmos

d. The Impotent

b 8. In 1900’s, why did the social welfare system revise the Poor law?

a. Because they got tired of the never-ending charity giving

b. They found out that the cost of taking care of the poor was getting more and more
expensive.

c. The workers were not articulate enough in doing social services, making the welfare give
to the poor ineffective.

d. They were running out of volunteers to do the social services

c 9. In what year was the London Charity Organization founded?

a. 1806

b. 1068

c. 1860

d. 1680

a 10. Who pioneered the LCO?

a. Octavia Hill and Edward Denson

b. Jane Addams and Abraham Fleux

c. Mother Theresa

d. Charles Philantrophe

c 11. Who was one of the most influential early professionals in Social Work that
established an organization where middle-class social work volunteers would live in
settlement houses within a poor community to provide social services??

a. Morticia Addams

b. Wednesday Addmas

c. Jane Addams

d. Pugsley Addams

b 12. What urged people to give, back in 1500’s, when the church and monarch was still
the center outlet for relief aids to the poor?

a. lesser tax to pay

b. blessings from God and eternal life will be granted

c. have political influence

d. they see this as a bribe to poor people for them to become obedient to whatever they
say to them.

B 13. Why was the professionalization of social work was questionable back then?
a. because Social work don’t have that much math, that’s it.

b. because they think social work don’t have enough specific application of theoretical
knowledge to solving human issues

c. because they think social work can be done by literally anyone, without going to school
and getting a formal degree.

d. none of the above

d 14. How many more courses were added to Social Work in 1929?

a. 11

b. 100

c. 12

d. 10

a 15. Where was the early Social welfare system of America rooted from?

a. England, the Elizabethan Poor Law

b. NAWC

c. bayanihan

d. none of the above

b 16.In 1955, what organization was established to further develop Social work as a
profession?

a. National Association of Social Welfare

b. National Association of Social Workers

c. National Association for Social Care

d. National Association for Social Services

a 17. What does the Organization referred by Number 16 promotes?

a. professional development, advance social policies, enhance education opportunities in the

field, and maintain professional standards of practice
b. proving Social work as a profession, out-ranking other professions, being selfless towards
giving, and searching for vulnerable people qualified to be social workers

c. personal development, advanced nepotism, enhance educational contraction, and

maintain professional status image

b 18. Why is it important to include scientific basis in social work methodologies?

a. so that we may not be out-ranked by psychology who deals a lot with science.

b. so that we may be able to identify what are the actual needs of the patients, especially
those mentally challenged.

c. the correct answer is a and b

d. none of the above

d 19. in Settlement House Movement during early 1900’s, what services did they provide
to the people they serve at?

a. education

b. medical service

c. legal service

d. all of the above

a 20. During 1500’s in US, who are the ones who took the initiative to help the poor
members of their community?

a. The “haves” town people

b. church

c. the government

d. all of the above

Follow up Questions:

1. Do you think it was fair for the able-bodied poor group to be forcefully work before
receiving relief? Why?
2. What do you thing of the early social services in England? Was it helpful to the poor or it
just make the situations of the poorer member of community suffer more? Why?

3. if you were a social worker on those olden times, what is the best thing you can give to
the poor people?

Insights:

In my personal view, the early social services were quite too ‘lazy bumming’ and
‘harsh’ at the same time. At years where poor people of England were too pampered by the
donations of the people, people started to feel comfortable in their poorness, until the years
came where the government decided to let those able-bodied (well, most of them are not
physically well anymore) to work their life off before receiving unjustifiable amount of
goods. But the development of social welfare beautifully flourished as it gradually
progresses centuries by centuries. I am glad that I am starting to take part in the world of
social work since there are still a lot of people out there needed to be reached out. The
road ahead may not be as easy but I’ll try my best to become one of the promising social
workers in the near future.