Professional Social Worker’s View of Man and Life
The professional social worker views man as a biological, social and mental unit. He thinks that human behaviour can be adequately explained in terms of certain “needs” – natural or acquired – which arise in the physical, social and mental aspects of his personality.
The professional social worker makes no assumptions about the spiritual nature of man. This does not mean that he rejects all such beliefs, but it does mean that notions about human beings being spiritual are not part of the social worker’s frame of reference.
It follows that the social worker does not see his work as a means to “salvation,” either for himself or for others. He assumes, of course, that his client (the person he serves) probably has some spiritual beliefs. It is also likely that in his own personal life the social worker has some belief and conviction in this area. However, as a social worker, he conceives of his role as being limited to physical, social and psychological level functioning.
From the point of view of the worker’s own motivation, the professional social worker does not enter into his work with the idea of accumulating spiritual qualifications. He takes it up because he finds the work satisfying in itself — in some cases even egotistically satisfying — and besides, because it is often the source of his livelihood.
It may be asked whether such a motivation is socially adequate. Would it induce a sufficient number of individuals to undertake such work, and would it motivate them sufficiently to persevere to overcome the many inevitable frustrations of their work?
The social worker views life as a cooperative effort. He believes that man’s goal in life is to attain fulfillment through the maximum development of one’s potential. The social worker is one of the other professionals who help man to attain this goal. As a member of society the social worker is both a giver and a receiver of services. He works in a variety of situations. He works with individuals, groups and communities.
He works with people who are poor and need material support, such as people who suffer with mental problem, people who are ill in hospitals and people who have difficulties in their relationships with others. The communities he works with are equally diverse in the problems they face. What contribution does the social worker make in these diverse situations?