PHILOSOPHY, VALUES,

AND ETHICS
 PHILOSPHICAL BASE OF SOCIAL
WORK
 THE PHILOSOPHICAL BASE of social work is an expression of its concern
with the ultimate nature of the world and man. Man is the object of social
work and it is man in relationship with his environment, how he interacts
with it. The social worker, in reaching out a helping hand to someone in need
or distressed must take into account the rest of that man’s world.
 Social work philosophy rests on the belief that man was created after the
image of his creator, imbued with inherent worth and dignity and endowed
with capacity to reason and the freedom to exercise his will.
 VALUES

Values are beliefs, preferences or assumptions about what is good or bad for man.
SOCIAL WORK VALUES
1. Must be accorded due respect because of his inherent worth and dignity;
2. Is a unique creature depending on other men for the fulfillment of his
uniqueness; and
3. Has the capacity for change, growth, and betterment.
 Some Relevant Filipino Traits

1. Personalism- it has to do with the degree of emphasis Filipino give to the

interpersonal, to face to face encounters.
2. Familism- is a fact of life in the Philippines unlike in the western countries
where the cultural trait of individualism is highly prized.
3. Particularism (or Popularism)- The Filipino is said to be particularistic in
that he tends to belong, to associate with only one group, thing, or category.
 ETHICS

Ethics is the science of moral duty; it is concerned with the science of ideal human character
and deals with moral principles, quality, or practice
The Philippine Code of Ethics for Social Workers
1. We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of all man.
2. We believe that every man has natural and social rights, capacities and responsibilities to
develop his full potentials as a human being.
3. We believe that the government and the people have a joint responsibilities to promote
justice, and to ensure the economic and social well-being of all people.
4. We believe in free men living freely in a free society where poverty is neither
a fate nor a punishment but a condition that can and must be change.
5. We are committed to the development of highly fulfilled human beings in an
atmosphere of social equity and economic prosperity.
6. We are committed to seek a high quality of life for all people.
 The Guiding Principle of Social Work

 Acceptance
 Individualism
 Nonjudgmental Attitude
 Purposeful Expression of feelings
 Controlled Emotional Involvement
 Self-determination
 Confidentiality
 Human Rights

Social workers believe that man possesses basic human rights endowed on him
by God which are natural, inalienable, and universal. Among these rights are the
rights to life, liberty, and the security of the person, the right to freedom of
thought, conscience, and religion, of opinion and expression, of peaceful
assembly and association, and the right to equal protection of the law.
Other rights include the right to own property, to work, to get education, and
the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of
himself and his family. It includes the right to acquire food, clothing, housing,
and medical care and other necessary social services in cases of disability,
widowhood, old age and the lack of livelihood due to circumstances beyond
the persons control. The citizen’s civil rights and civil liberties emanate from
his human rights.
 Social Justice

For social workers, simply stated, social justice means the equitable distribution
of national wealth and income and the equality of access to opportunities for the
development of every citizen as a human being, the humanization of laws and
the equalization of social and economic forces by the state so that justice in its
rational meaning and objective secular conception may at least be
approximated. Social work is in effect an instrument of social justice through
the provision of social services so that man may fulfill himself.
 People’s Participation

People’s participation refers to voluntary involvement in self-determined

change. The key words here are “voluntary involvement” and “self-
determined” change.
 Three levels of participation:

1. Direct participation in policy-making and program development usually at the local level;
2. Participation through representation usually at the national level; and
3. Participation in mutual self-help programs at the neighborhood level.
The direct service worker’s focus is on the third level.
 THE COMPONENTS OF SOCIAL
WORK PRACTICE

1. The Client
2. The Problem
3. The Place
4. The Process (Helping Process)
 THE HELPING RELATIONSHIP

Perlman defines a relationship as a condition in which two persons with some common interest
between them, long term or temporary, interact with feeling.

Characteristics of a good Relationship

 Accepting
 Dynamic
 Emotional
 Purposeful, Time limited, Unequal
 Honest, Realistic, and Responsible
 Exercising Judgement
 Phases of the Helping Relationship

 TheBeginning- In terms of relationship this is the period when the client

and worker start to know, to “size up” each other.
 The Middle- This is the working period when the worker and the client play
their perspective roles and perform their task to solve or alleviate the
problem.
 The Ending- This is the termination phase of the relationship.
 Social Work Roles

 General Roles
• Catalyst or catalyzer
 Specific Roles
 Direct provider of resources
 Mediator
 Facilitator
 Mobilizer
 Advocate
 SOCIAL WORK METHODS OF
INTERVENTION

Primary Methods
Social Casework
Social casework is an individualized form of helping people
Cope with personal problems, essentially on a one-to-one basis.
Secondary Methods
The secondary methods are those applied in “indirect practice” or “macro
practice”. They do not deal directly with clients but they require the
performance of certain tasks and activities which facilitate an agency’s
operation and service and are required to enhance social work practice. These
methods are administration and research.
Administration
Administration is accepted as one of the important methods of social work practice
because what it does, the policies it enunciates, the plans it develops, the projects it
undertakes ultimately affect the client’s welfare.
Research
Research refers to systematic investigation, inquiry, and study of a problem for the
purpose of adding more knowledge to already existing ones in a form that is
communicable and verifiable.
Practice Approaches
Social work practice refers to the activity carried out by social workers in varied
institutional settings communities and private practice.
Generalist approach
A generalist is a social worker who provides services to clients with problems
or in situations where expert or specialized interventions are not needed.
 Specialization

Specialization is social work practice in a certain area or field

which requires expert knowledge and skills.

1. Clinical Social Work - Clinical social work is a direct service to people.

2. Crisis Intervention – is a recognized and accepted form of social work
practice in direct work with individuals, families, and groups in a wide range
of primary and secondary settings.
3. Total Family Approach- refers to the discovery and utilization of strengths
within the family, that is, among its individual members to solve individual
and family problems.
4. Baranganic Approach- refers to the application of the community
organization method using the barangay council or a similar structure as a
point of entry to gain access to or come closer to the community.
5. Community Outreach- refers to the efforts of agency to make available the
social services it has to offer to a community who it believes, can use some
assistance without waiting for the people to come to the agency to ask for
help.
 TOOLS AND SKILLS
Interviewing

Interviewing is the main tool used in social work practice. It is a set of verbal
and nonverbal interactions which is usually conducted between two people
although two or three others may be present and participating now and then.
• Interview
• Worker’s impression of the minor
• Referrals
• Case Recording