PHILOSOPHICAL BASE OF SOCIAL WORK

According to the latest definition announced by International Association of

School of Social Work and International Federation of Social Work last 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 knowledge, social work engages people
and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.A profession is
expected to be responsible to the public interest and to contribute through its
services to the advancement of social wellbeing and to be accountable to the public
for the manner and standards with which it conducts its activity
A profession should possess a relatively coherent, systematic, and transmissible
body of knowledge rooted in scientific theories which enables the practitioner of
the profession to utilize concepts and principles and to apply them to specific
situations rather than the use as rule of thumb.
The professional practitioner must adhere to an identifiable body of values, and
display attitudes which stem from these values and which determine the
relationship of the professional person with his colleagues, the recipients of his
service, and the community.
A profession must have a body of skills which is the result of the fusion of
attitudes and knowledge. Skills reflect the application of general concepts and
which are characteristics of the method of profession.
The members of the profession must be organ ized and consider themselves as
members of group whose knowledge, skills, attitudes and norms of conduct they
share and to whose advancement they are dedicated.
Foundation of values, knowledge and skills base upon the five main criteria of
Boehm that distinguished profession to occupation, these criteria are the following;
base on the belief that man has worth and dignity. SOCIAL WORK
PHILOSOPHY
Curriculum Study sponsored by the Council on Social Work Education it describe
the following values.
 Each person has the right for self fulfilment, deriving his inherent capacity and
thrust towards that goal.
Each person has the obligation, as a member of society, to seek ways of self-
fulfilment that contribute to the common good.
ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF SOCIAL WORK
During the 21st century, professional organizations such as the National
Association of Social Workers have sanctioned standards for religious competence
in social work practice and education. Social work practitioners and students are
expected to receive training and education in spirituality. While content on Islam
and Muslims is emerging in the professional literature, this is the first article in the
Encyclopedia to explore the relatedness between the teachings of the Islamic faith
and the social work profession. The Muslim population in the world, and in the
United States specifically, is described briefly, along with an overview of intra-
faith diversity. Social work practice with Muslims can be enhanced substantially
when practitioners are aware of the worldview of Muslims and core Islamic values.
In addition, practitioners should be familiar with Islamic teachings within a
historical and professional context. Micro and macro level practice strategies and
approaches are presented with a special emphasis on social work values and ethics.
Lastly, practice principles for religion-sensitive practice with clients who self-
identify as Muslims are delineated.
IMPORTANT FIELD OF SOCIAL WORK MINORITIES
● Begging
● Minorities
MINORITIES
Minority, a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is
subordinate to a more dominant group. As the term is used in the social sciences,
this subordinacy is the chief defining characteristic of a minority group. As such,
minority status does not necessarily correlate to population. In some cases one or
more so-called minority groups may have a population many times the size of the
dominating group, as was the case in South Africa under apartheid (c. 1950–91).
The lack of significant distinguishing characteristics keeps certain groups from
being classified as minorities. For instance, while Freemasons subscribe to some
beliefs that are different from those of other groups, they lack external behaviours
or other features that would distinguish them from the general population and thus
cannot be considered a minority. Likewise, a group that is assembled for primarily
economic reasons, such as a trade union, is seldom considered a minority.
However, some minorities have, by custom or force, come to occupy distinctive
economic niches in a society.
According to Charles Wagley and Marvin Harris (1958), a minority group is
distinguished by five characteristics: (1) unequal treatment and less power over
their lives, (2) distinguishing physical or cultural traits like skin color or language,
(3) involuntary membership in the group, (4) awareness of subordination, and (5)
high rate of in-group marriage. Additional examples of minority groups might
include the LGBTQ community, religious practitioners whose faith is not widely
practiced where they live, and people with disabilities.
BEGGING
Begging (also panhandling) is the practice of imploring others to grant a favor,
often a gift of money, with little or no expectation of reciprocation. A person doing
such is called a beggar or panhandler. Beggars may operate in public places such
as transport routes, urban parks, and markets. Besides money, they may also ask
for food, drinks, cigarettes or other small items.
begging" means:-
Soliciting or receiving alms, in a public place whether or not doing such as signing,
dancing, fortune telling, performing or offering any article for sale;
Entering on any private premises or the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms.
Exposing or exhibiting, with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore,
wound injury, deformity of diseases whether of a human being or animal.
Having no visible means of subsistence and wandering, about or remaining in any
public place in such condition or manner, as makes it likely that the person doing
so exist soliciting or receiving alms.
Begging is a complex social nuisance and in most cases it is not caused by poverty;
rather by human laziness. Even those who are not handicapped or disabled and can
work and have a good living but they prefer to pretend disabled and use disguising
tricks to emotionally exploit the public so that they can get alms from sympathetic
and innocent citizens.
In some countries beggars including men, women and children with culpable faces,
a limb cut off or a scratched out eye or perhaps bandaged head, dressed armed can
be seen everywhere knocking on car windows at traffic lights, in front of the
restaurants, outside religious and holy places.
It is a fact that begging is more common in less developed countries and in case of
Pakistan, there is no restrictions on begging as a result it has turned into a
profession and not owned by the poor, disabled, handicapped people, but also
owned as a profession of choice by many who believe that begging is a booming
and profitable business. In most parts of the country the beggar groups have their
own territories and are not allowed to enter the territories of one another. Any
violation of the code often results in clashes among the beggar groups, which leads
to injuries and even sometimes death.