CREATED BY :

JANE PEARL D. MANGAYAN, RSW

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL WORK:

FAMILY, GROUPS, COMMUNITY &
ORGANIZATIONS
SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENT
Can be in terms of physical and social
dimension
Physical environment - climate, land,
and its resources
Social environment
groups, neighborhoods,
workplaces, policies created
The interaction of individuals and
groups of individuals.
 SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENT
Involves conditions, circumstances,
and human interactions
Interaction - family, friends, work,
groups, and governments
Survive & Thrive - individual
functions well in the social
environment

Surviving and thriving means, existing

and flourishing (succeeding).
 Environment
Relationships among
Personality or and Person
family members
Pagkatao
shapes own sense of
self-hood

INDIVIDUAL FAMILY
Group,
Person's needs
Organizations,
(sense of Person and
Commmunity
belongingness)
Environment
 SOCIAL WORK

Social work profession promotes:

social change
problem solving in human relationships
empowerment
enhance well-being
Social work intervenes:
points where people interact with their
environments

 SOCIAL
FUNCTIONING
Expression of the interaction
between MAN & his SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENT

Product of his activity as he relates

to his surroundings
SOCIALLY
FUNCTIONAL
Effective in the
performance of tasks
Responsible to others
Derives social satisfaction
from performing a task
ACTIVITY
THANK
YOU
I hope you can get
helpful knowledge
from this presentation.
Good luck!
 Social Work & Person-in-Environment

Definition (IFSW) and (IASSW), 2014

Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change
and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people

Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are
central to social work.

Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges,
social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance well-being.

Social work is practice-based profession and an academic discipline

Practice and Theory.

That promotes

Social change and development

Social cohesion – unity amidst diversity, there is a power if together.
Empowerment – providing power to those marginalized, minority
Liberation of people – freedom from the binding chains of poverty, that people have the liberty
to do what they want on their own capacity ensuring that they will not affect anything.

Principles that are central to Social Work

Social Justice - equality

Human Rights
Collective Responsibility – emphasizing that everyone of us has the responsibility to each other
for social good
Respect for Diversity – uniqueness in us.

Social work does not just engage with people but also with structures (government, organization,
family, community) to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing (change does not only
happen on the life of the person but also to the systems/things that surrounds them)

Functions of Social Work

Prevention – identify the potential areas of disequilibrium, we prevent the things that will cause
dysfunction to the client – early discovery can help control and elimination of those conditions
Restoration – we help them erase those factors that cause their breakdown, rehabilitate them and
try to put them back to normal
Developmental – maximize strength of the person, groups or community – identify, strengthen
and enhance

Social Functioning

a. William Schwartz (1961) – every profession has a particular function to perform in society, it
receives a certain job assignment for which it is held accountable.
Symbiotic relationship – each needing the other with all the strength it can command at a given
moment.

b. Wernes Boehm (1958) – focused on social relationships and interaction between individuals
and the environment
Restoration – of impaired capacity
Provision – of individual and social resources
Prevention – of social dysfunction

c. William Gordon (1969) – person – in-his-life situation complex (simultaneous focus on man
and his environment) An individual has an immediate life situation
One side focuses on the organism as interpreted by psychological theories (human behavior),
while on the other side of environment is interpreted by sociological and economic theory

d. Harriet Barlett (1970) – relation between the coping activity of people and the demand from
the environment.

e. Louise C. Johnson (1989) – social workers became involved when individuals are having
difficulty in relationship with other people in growing so as to maximize their potential, and
in meeting the demands of the environment.
- Identify the problem on an individual’s social functioning – enhancement of the social
functioning of environment. (too much demand from the environment and the individual
have the difficulty to cope with the demand)

Social work profession mediates the process through which the individual and society reach out
to each other through a mutual need for self-fulfillment.

Individual Social Work Society

• Role to function in • Process (Helps • Perform the

the society society and responsibility to
(ambag) individual achieve an individual
fulfillment) • Organized efforts of
• Impetus towards
health, growth • We will identify society to integrate its
and belonging the gap, the parts into a productive
problem and dynamic hole
• Psychological • Economic and sociological
Theories
theories
• Coping
• Demand

Triangle of Social Functioning

Satisfaction of roles in life

Positive relationship with others
Feelings of self-worth
Person – in – environment – spearheaded by Mary Richmond
Key concept of the field of social work – states that a person’s behavior can largely be understood
by looking at their environment, including their past environment.
E.g., CICL – they are not criminals; hence, they are just victims of the circumstances of their life.
Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are

Person-in-environment

Major
Larger Societal Generalized
System other

Family Immediate
community
Goods
Services

Nurturing Environment Educational

Political Power
Resources

Sustaining Environment

People can be heavily influenced by their environment

Highlights the importance of understanding an individual and their behavior through their
environment
- Will help us understand how a person views the world, how they think, and why they
respond that way

3 concepts of PIE

1. Social Functioning
Human needs
1. Physical Aspect (food, safety, shelter, health care and protection)
2. Personal fulfillment (education, recreation, values, esthetics, religion, and
accomplishment)
3. Emotional Needs (sense of mutual caring and companionship
4. Adequate self-concept (Self-confidence and identity)
 2. Social Environment
3. Social Situation

Approaches in PIE
Micro, mezzo, macro
Micro – interactions of an individual (knowledge, educational, self-image, self-esteem, beliefs,
values, personality, gender, attitudes)
Mezzo – Friends, school, resources, relationships, social activities, family, social support)
Macro – social attitudes and norms, culture, ethnicity, social disadvantage, availability, religion,
media)

George L. Engel – Bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach

Biological Dimension – health, physical abilities, weight, diet, lifestyle, medications, genetic
connection, vulnerabilities, history of mental health problems, genetics
Psychological Dimension – beliefs, attitude, personality, behavior, cognition, personality,
perception
Social Dimension – culture, conditions, circumstances, human interactions
Spiritual dimension – faith, spiritual experiences, higher level of consciousness (how does it
affect you as a person)
 SOCIETAL FORCES INFLUENCING FAMILY, GROUP AND COMMUNITY

Forces – Driving and Restraining (Pull and Push Factors) – Influences an individual

FAMILY – DOMINANT FILIPINO FAMILY VALUES

• SIR – Smooth Interpersonal Relationship – The ability to get along with others in such a way
that any signs of conflicts are avoided.
Pakikisama – “to go along”
“We” identification that encourages mutual assistance in times of need or sympathy in times of
sorrow
Go-between – the need for a mediator or a facilitator
Euphemism – stating an unpleasant truth, opinion or request with beautiful language and fine
manner

• Hiya – 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.
• Bahala na – expression derived from a Filipino word Bathala. Resistance that one need not
exert any effort cause God will take care of everything
- Come what may or Que sera sera
• Ningas Kugon – Literallly means to catch fire and kugon is a fast-burning kind of grass
- Enthusiasm that is only intense at the start but gradually fades away
• Utang na Loob – reciprocity or debt of gratitude
- Obligation to repay a person who has done one a favor.
• Hospitality – welcoming others to one’s home and offering the best to visitors
• Amoral Familialism – tendency to become individualistic and inward directed; hence the
inability to look beyond the family circle

POWER AND INFLUENCES IN GROUPS

Pressure to uniformity – exerted by means of social interaction where members attempt to

modify the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of one another
Societal Influence
1. Agent exerting influence – has power over another where he can perform and act that will
result a change in the other person
Interpersonal power: Resources of power + motive bases of power

B Resources of power (O) – the ability to gratify the ego needs that people have for such
intangibles as recognition, affection, respect and accomplishment

Determines a person that will make an influence attempt

Resources of power 4 considerations
a. net advantage to the individual performing the act
b. consequences of the act
c. subjective probability that the act will be successful
d. prospect of being rewarded for fulfilling role expectations

Motive base of power (P) – a person with few resources is likely to realize that there is little
point in attempting to influence others
2. Person/s subjected to influence
Reward Power – desire to receive reward (or avoid punishments) – conceive power
E.g., Employers giving staff their bonus
Referent Power – desire to be like an admired person
E.g., Haircut and dressing style
Legitimate Power – desire to abide by one’s values to establish social order
E.g., Dress code in CCE
E.g., Values like fairness, generosity, honesty, morality, acceptance of authority structure
Expert Power – desire to correct – have an accurate view of reality
P views O as having special knowledge o expertness due to O’s experience, training,
intelligence, reputation for credibility or special access to relevant information
E.g., Refer client to a physician for a proper diagnosis of the health condition or psychological
evaluation
Information Power – power from merely possessing valuable information that others do not
have access to
Coercive Power – the power to influence thru social or physical intimidation.

3. By-products of power – effects on the person having power

If the person is able to initiate activities, set the pace, and “call the changes” in the interaction,
there is an increase of one’s sense of personal security.
Ingratiation – induce powerful person to use his power in a benevolent way (use his power for
the greater good of others)
Powerless people, if unsatisfied, takes actions to change the power relation itself – revolution or
rebellion

Ways to improve situation of little people

1. Restrict the range of legitimate power
2. Avoid social situations
3. Redistribute power
Long Term effects to person consistently subjected to power
Apathetic, submissive, pessimistic, hostile, angry, aggressive, rebellious against authority

COMMUNITY FORCES
1. Physical Environment –
a. Great global systems (Air, Water, Soil)
- Within each of these three live many thousands of different species of living things, each
species affects the physical and chemical properties of immediate environment
- E.g., Philippines is reach on agricultural resources or properties, and 25% of the country’s
population are employed in the agricultural sector
b. Ecosystem – a system composes of living and non-living things (Terrestrial and
Aquatic)
- Physical environment that is rich in the specific community.
- E.g., In Libertad, they are known community that is mostly along the side of the sea, then
the living conditions of most of the people there are fishing or occupations related to
fishing.
2. Technology – industrial science, particularly its application to replacement of skilled
labor by modern machinery
- Manual works are being replaced with modern machineries
- Internet changed our social behavior. Before we use to write letters, traditional way of
interacting (communication, interaction, mindset, beliefs)
- Social bond that humans share has been affected by the technological advancement
- Interactive and collaborative
3. Urbanization – increasing appearance in rural and small-town areas of behavior patterns
and cultural values characteristically associated with big city life.
- If there is a true urbanization, permits the unit costs of welfare services to decrease (favors
spread of innovation, generates external economics, facilitates modernization, progressive
 regional equalization as economy reaches maturity) – but the more that there’s a booming
city, mas daghan sad pod ang galisod
4. Industrialization – stage of social-technological development or movement toward such
a stage characterized particularly by assembly-line, mass production – large factories
(employing extensive power-driven machinery
5. Social Problems – pollutions, congestion, resource depletion, land speculation,
subsistence levels of living, over-unemployment, agricultural stagnation
- Congestion – hinders economic growth by decreasing labor productivity, increasing labor
costs, requiring larger inputs of fuel and hastening depreciation
6. Socio-economic Forces – complementary roles of social and economic forces in
reinforcing group behavior are reflected in the following statement of Guthrie: money is
found to be a superb reinforce. One of the reasons why there are so many people who do
wrong deeds because of money. Or others will leave their family for the sake of looking
for a greener pasture.
- Make sure that reinforcement mechanism is operating reliably.
- Most of the people were influenced with the works of money
-
7. Political Forces
- Politics is the art and practice of exercising influence over people.
- There are many and diverse political parties in the Philippines. Most party membership
consists primarily of political figures and leaders with little or no grassroots
membership.
- Most of the political parties have the rise-and-fall-and-rise character.

Activity
What do you think is the dominant values in your family?
In Your circle of friends, who mostly exert influence and how do we get influenced? Identify
what kind of social power is present in your family, group of friends and even in any group
affiliation.