Summary

Theoretical foundations as well as concepts and methods of social work

are context dependent. Over the course of history, they have
repeatedly adapted to social conditions. They depend on the image of
man and the respective socio-political framework. How much social can
a society or want to afford? This question runs through the history of
social work to this day and has to be negotiated again and again. Only
the core task of the “social”: to support and integrate those people who
are in need has remained the same.

Social work begins with helping the poor as a godly act and has
developed further through welfare to today's modern social work.
These changes were related to social changes, economic crises, wars or
radical changes in living conditions.
 The abolition of serfdom resulted in rural exodus. With the motto "City
air makes you free", many people sought their luck in the cities. Since
not everyone could find a job, many beggars and poor people lived there
alongside the bourgeoisie. The municipalities had to react. Anyone
wishing to receive public services should follow strict rules. Welfare for
the poor had the task of educating the poor to become independent.
Breeding and order were the order of the day. Industrialization with its
recurring economic crises exacerbated the supply problems in cities.
The social living conditions changed fundamentally. The poor relief had
to deal with a hitherto unknown flood of people in need. At the same
time, the bourgeoisie was able to benefit from a previously unknown
level of prosperity. The social differences between the social groups
were so great that there were fears that the social and inner peace of
the whole society was at risk. Since around 1840, the term “social
question” has been used to discuss what measures are necessary to deal
with the problem. The first charities were founded in 1848, and the
social security system was introduced in 1883. During this time, the dual
supply structure of public and private welfare was created, which is still
used today for social work

Is valid. The First World War (1914-1918 / 19), the galloping inflation
(1923) and the one that followed later

The global economic crisis (1929-1931) also led to massive social

problems for large parts of the population.
 Depending on the respective economic situation, social work was
sometimes more and sometimes less promoted. In times of crisis, the
donations were often insufficient to secure the subsistence level: hunger
and death were constant companions. With its racial policy and the gas
chambers in the concentration camps, National Socialism destroyed all
humanistic ideals of social responsibility. According to the motto,
promote the strong and destroy the weak, social work was placed in the
service of the National Socialists: with devastating consequences. In the
post-war years, social work did not recover from this trauma for a long
time.

A fundamental review of their role has only taken place to a limited

extent.

Welfare for the poor initially faded into the background in the post-war
years (from 1945). Reconstruction and the integration of large flows of
displaced people were the focus of social policy. The professional field
of social work was divided into the areas of social education and social
work. Social pedagogy was primarily geared towards educational work
in child and youth welfare, and social work towards adult welfare. There
was an authoritarian style of upbringing. The work was strongly
influenced by official and legal requirements. Although the first
theoretical concepts for individual aid, group work and community work
by predominantly American scientists, some of whom had emigrated,
also became known in Germany in the post-war years, they did not
establish themselves until the 1960s.
 The Federal Republic had become an "economic wonderland" since the
1950s. Social work took on a social significance again. In 1961 the
Federal Social Welfare Act was passed; People who were unable to help
themselves on their own have since then been legally entitled to
financial aid. Since the social security system is geared towards people
who pay contributions because of their employment, people who have
no work are now also covered.

In the Federal Republic of Germany there was a shortage of workers

due to the booming industry. That is why people - mostly from
Mediterranean countries - were recruited as so-called “guest workers”.
Many who only wanted to stay briefly brought their families to join them
and stayed forever. Since then, working with migrants and their
integration has become a social work task.

The student movement at the end of the 1960s questioned traditional

role models and authoritarian parenting styles. Social workers and
social pedagogues suddenly got fields of action that encompassed all
individual and social levels. Individual help, group work and community
work had an emancipatory character. Self-awareness and self-
actualization should follow the trauma of the
 National Socialism bring about a remedy. In addition to the works of
Sigmund Freud, "Das Kapital" by Karl Marx has also been made
compulsory reading for many students. The aim was not only to raise
“better” anti-authoritarian people, but also to change social conditions.
The latter in particular ended with the realization that political and social
changes can only be achieved by “walking through the institutions”.

The upswing of the “social” in the post-war period ended with the
economic crisis of the 1970s. The

The effects of the crisis were: high unemployment, lower tax revenues
and growing social inequality with an increasing proportion of poor
people who were entitled to social assistance. The fields of activity in
social work have become more and more differentiated.

Complex problem situations such as those produced by the “risk

society” require a holistic view that is oriented towards everyday
problems. With the new tasks made the division of social work and
 Social pedagogy makes little sense. Since around 1990 the generic term
“social work” has been established. Linked to this was a new conceptual
orientation. The individual is perceived as part of his or her personal
and social environment. His actions and actions are influenced by his
personal experiences, but also by the socio-economic framework. The
lifeworld orientation is a radical rejection of the deficit orientation that
had prevailed until then. It is based on the assumption that everyone
can decide for themselves what is good for them. People in need
receive support in order to promote their independence. The methods
of individual aid, group work and community work were integrated into
social space-oriented methods.
 With the reunification and the accession of the GDR to the Federal
Republic (1990) two completely different economic and social systems
were merged. Social work was of little importance in the GDR; for social
problems were seen as a feature of capitalism. Nevertheless, there
were welfare state measures in the GDR. They were aimed in particular
at promoting the ability to work and taking measures to reconcile work
and family life. That is why state facilities such as day nurseries, all-day
schools and nursing homes for the elderly were built. Holiday camps for
young people and the working population were promoted. Youth work
was of great importance, the aim being to educate young people to be
“good socialists”. There was a lack of financial resources for other social
problems, such as solving the housing shortage. A passive economic
collapse was associated with the end of the GDR. After joining the
Federal Republic, around three million people in the new federal states
became unemployed. The inclusion of the former GDR citizens in the
social security systems of the Federal Republic led to considerable
additional burdens, since the new members had not paid any
contributions, but received full entitlement to benefits.

Because of these new problems, many social reforms have taken place,
which have led to a paradigm shift in social policy. Under the motto
“Promote and Demand”, those entitled to benefit from state transfer
payments must meet a variety of requirements. The labor market was
re-regulated with the Hartz laws.

By the end of the 1980s, the number of temporary workers and low-
wage earners - in other words, the number of people in precarious
situations - was already rising
 Employment relationships - has risen sharply and with it the number of
people who are poor or at risk of poverty. For social work, this has given
rise to new problems that can only be solved with a life-world-oriented
approach. From a holistic point of view of emergencies, social welfare
offices and employment agencies of the employment agencies have
each been merged into a “job center”. Its task is not only to find work
for people, but also to work on their social or personal problems so that
they meet the requirements for the job market. Associated with this are
the case management method and tailor-made help.

For a long time, social work borrowed theory from other professions
such as psychology, pedagogy or educational science. With a holistic
approach, she has developed more and more theories and concepts that
are specifically geared to the fields of action of social work.

Social work is action-oriented. She accompanies people in need, in all

of them

Life situations. This means that in contrast to many other professions,

social work has an all-round responsibility as a unique selling point.

Social workers are their clients' advocates. At the same time, however,
they are also representatives of institutions that perform state tasks.
Social work has had a “double mandate” since industrialization.
 Social workers help individuals. But it is also their function to
compensate for the social deficiencies that triggered these problems.
This dual role can lead to significant conflict, especially when social
workers have to enforce measures, such as deprivation of custody or
placement, “on behalf of the state”.

Particularly vulnerable people who have repeatedly - from their point of

view bad - experiences with the rule of law find it difficult to build a
trusting relationship. Social work requires an open and empathic
attitude on the part of the carer, that is, the ability to empathize with
the client's situation. Appreciation of their person and not a judgmental
attitude on the part of the caregiver can create trust and encourage
clients to take a new look at their problems. For their work, social
workers need methods that provide them with the “tools” for their
work. “Engaging” and “empowerment” are important tools for dealing
with particularly helpless people so that they can learn to take control of
their lives again.
 Social work is subject-oriented in that it recognizes the uniqueness of its
counterpart. It is also environmentally oriented in that it identifies and
analyzes resource-strengthening and resource-inhibiting factors without
assigning blame. The methods of social work can be client-centered or
social space-oriented. Both methods are not mutually exclusive. Client-
centered work is related to the individual case. There is a "helping
relationship" between clients and social workers. On the basis of an
accepting attitude, the client is given the opportunity in the form of
consultations to recognize his own problem situation and to develop
solutions himself from it. The client-centered approach is also aimed at
the social space, as this significantly influences the living conditions of
those affected and thus also their possible resources and opportunities
for realization.

The social space orientation is related to a district or a quarter. The

point is to design living environments in such a way that people can
cope with precarious life situations. Social space orientation is related
to both individuals and groups. But it is also based on the structural
conditions of the respective social space. If necessary, changes require
socio-political interventions.
 Social space orientation is both a person-related and a socio-ecological
approach that aims to change living conditions. In order for the
interventions to have lasting effects, the offers should be low-threshold
so that people can also be reached who would shy away from going to
an authority. The offers are therefore outreach, accompanying and
following. Those affected must be involved in the planning and the
course of the measures and “direct” themselves. The projects are
resource-promoting or supportive. The resources of various actors must
be networked and bundled so that no undesirable developments occur.

Social work is based on ethical principles that apply to all levels of

action. It is oriented towards working with individual people whose
peculiarities and independence are to be recognized. But it is also their
task to work for the improvement of social and living conditions,
especially for those people who are socially excluded. The basic idea of
inclusion is based on the human rights charter of the United Nations.
No person may be discriminated against or excluded from society on the
basis of their age, gender, skin color, origin or their physical condition
and intelligence. Social work is therefore a human rights profession,
ethical principles are part of the basic attitude of social work.

In order to implement their requirements, social workers need theories,

concepts and methods that they

Impart competence to act. For example, you need instruments for

controlling and coordinating complex ones
 Care needs, such as case management. You also need advisory skills
and legal knowledge. Everyday orientation in a changing world also
always means that there can be no static, i.e. unchangeable concepts
and methods of social work. Social work requires interdisciplinary
knowledge in order to learn “social work skills”. By this it is meant that
they are flexible to different

Can react to situations. Every person is "different" and therefore needs

to pay attention to their individual characteristics. Social workers have a
great responsibility, they have to be able to self-critically reflect on their
actions and behavior so that they can continue to develop.

The differentiation of the fields of activity and tasks of social work with
their orientation towards the

The living environments and the social space of those affected are
related to administrative reforms. Under the
 Keyword "New Public Management" is an economization of the social,
in which efficiency and effectiveness criteria play an increasingly
important role. In times of tight budgets, distributive justice has a high
ethical value, which is generally to be welcomed. However, it also
harbors the risk that the quality of social work, which is oriented
towards the subject and the living environment, is threatened due to
cost reasons. It therefore remains the task of social work to make its
professional actions and the effects of its methods visible in order to
clarify its status as a social state task.