Foundations of Social Work

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the Foundations of Social Work lecture notes.

Social Minimum

A community should seek to ensure that its members enjoy a minimally decent standard of living.

Scientific Philanthropy

An approach to social work that encourages a more scientific assessment of human behaviour and systematic solutions.

Modern Casework

Refers to the use of systematic methods of investigation, assessment, and decision-making in social work.

Generalist Social Work Practice

The basic goal is to facilitate social well-being and functioning of the person in their environment.

Empowerment

The process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power for individuals, families, and communities.

Systems Theory

Focuses on the working or lack of wider social systems or structures and how they influence each other.

Ecomaps

A visual assessment tool that maps a client’s or family’s relationships with their social environment.

Anti-Oppressive Practice

Emphasizes social justice, social change, and empowerment through analysis and advocacy.

Intersectionality

Understanding how multiple social divisions, such as race, gender, and class, interact and shape experiences.

Progressive Social Work

An activist-oriented, anti-oppressive practice that connects personal issues to political and economic structures.

Capacity Building

Strengthens skills, resources, and infrastructure of individuals and communities to address social issues.

Group Process

Stages in group development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.

Collaborative Practices

Teaming up with grassroots organizations to respond to oppressive political, economic, and social contexts.

Assessment Tools

Instruments used in the assessment phase of social work to collect and analyze pertinent information.

Discrimination

Action based on prejudice towards social others, including ignoring or excluding them.

Prejudice

Learned prejudgment about members of social groups based on limited knowledge or experience.

Warmth

Communicates to clients that the practitioner is approachable and genuinely cares about them.

Empathy

The ability to relate to but not diminish a client's pain.

Genuineness

Behaving in a real and authentic way in the relationship with clients.

Active Listening

A foundational skill that involves fully engaging with and understanding the client's communication.

Power

The ability or capacity to influence the behavior of others or the course of events.

Opression

A set of policies, practices, and norms that systematically exploit one social group for the benefit of another.

Social Theory

A set of ideas aimed at explaining a phenomenon and making predictions.

Foundational Theories

Comprised general understandings of the underlying makeup and workings of society.