Title: Social Work: A Helping Process
Headings: Social Work: A Helping Process
Social Work: A Helping Process
The nature of social work, now a full-fledged profession, has been explained by Boehm (1958) in the following words:
The basic functions of a helping process are:
Provision of resources too, according to them, has two aspects:
Social work, thus, seeks to:
Accordingly, the functions of social work have been outlined by Pincus and Minahan (1973) as follows:
Community organisation is practised for providing:
Community organisation adopts three modes to fulfill its objectives:
The group worker needs skills in:

Content: It finds a specific mention in the Vedic (Rig-Veda) word, ‘danam’, which reflects the social philosophy of those days to help the needy members of the society. The helping process through dan seems to have found due recognition during that period when Rig-Veda (VIII 6.5 & X 117.6) declares that “the riches of one who gives do not diminish… The solitary eater is also a solitary sinner”. In the Bhagwad Gita, danam, i.e., charity is described in terms of material aid, knowledge (vidya) and protection against fear, i.e., ‘abhaydan’. The helping process got further support in Gita’s principle of aparigrah and the concept of loksangrah which mean that materials and money should not be collected for self, and that one should work for the welfare of the community, respectively. Lord Buddha also talked of welfare of the masses. ADVERTISEMENTS: The concept of helping contained in the concept of dan got further boost in the Kautilya’s Arthashastra which holds the king responsible for care and protection of the helpless, the weak, the aged, and also the members of the families of the decreased soldiers and workers. During Ashoka’s times, helping process got institutionalised in the appointment of ‘Gopas’ (social workers) who kept records of castes, births, marriages and looked after people when sick. Officers-in-charge of liquor and prostitutes were responsible for helping the victims of these social evils too. One of the edicts on pillars by King Ashoka that “…I consider the promotion of the people’s welfare my highest duty…” gives a clear picture of welfare activities during his time.