intro social work

Barker (2014) describes ______ as a nation's system of programs, benefits, and services that help people meet those social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society

social welfare

The Triple-A approach to critical thinking involves

asking, assessing, and asserting

The ______ conceives of social welfare as focusing on problems and gaps

residual perspective

The ______ of social welfare views people's needs as a normal part of life.

institutional perspective

The ____ specifically seeks to identify social interventions that have a positive impact on economic progress.

developmental perspective

Prior to the Great Depression in the 1930s, the ______ approach to social welfare dominated all other approaches.

residual

The developmental perspective on social welfare programs gained impetus in the United States in the 1970s because

 it justified social programs in terms of the economic efficiency criteria.

involves the development that meets the current needs of the present generations without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. 

sustainability 

All of the following statements would probably be made by a person of conservative ideology except

"There's always a better way to get things done."

is the philosophy that supports government involvement in the social, political, and economic structure so that all people's rights and privileges are protected in the name of social justice.

liberalism 

radicals generally believe that

keeping class of people in poverty enhances the status of upper class

According to a ______ philosophy, poverty exists because having a multitude of poor people as workers enables higher classes to keep wages low.

radical

_____ social work includes dealing with the law, educating lawyers, and serving as expert witnesses

forensic

_____ is a skilled treatment process whereby a therapist works with an individual, couple, family, or group to address a mental disorder or alleviate other problems a client may be having in the social environment.

psychotherapy 

____ emphasizes the study of behavior and cognitive processing.

psychology

In the context of systems theories, families lie somewhere between _____ systems.

micro and mezzo

In the context of systems theories, organizations and communities are considered _____ systems.

macro

A(n) ______ system is the system that social workers need to change or influence in order to accomplish their goals.

target

All of the following are dimensions that make social work unique except:

social workers track people into specific ways of thinking and acting

the medical model

focuses on the individual who is seen as having something wrong.

_____ refers to the idea that in a perfect world all citizens would have identical rights, protection, opportunities, obligations, and social benefits.

social justice

_____ involves the distribution of resources in a fair and equitable manner

economic justice

_____ refers to groups of people with some identified characteristics who have a greater chance of being subjected to social and economic deprivation than those in the mainstream.

populations at risk

_____ is the process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals can take action to improve their life situations.

empowerment

____ involves the nature and extent of client needs and concerns, as well as critical information about client resources and supports and other environment factors so that a helping plan can be devised and implemented.

assessment 

NASW stands for Nurturance and Acceptance in Social Work.

false - national association of social work 

Critical thinking concentrates on the process of reasoning.

true

The Triple Trio approach is used in critical thinking.

false - triple A approach - ask assess assert

The first step of the Triple-A approach to critical thinking is to assess the established facts and issues involved.

false - examine and evaluating, ask

Prior to the Great Depression in the 1930s, the institutional approach to social welfare dominated all other approaches

false

Temporary Assistance to Needy Families is an example of a developmentally oriented program.

false - residually orientated 

Conservatives generally assume what they consider a realistic view of human nature.

true

Conservatives believe that it is the government's job to protect people from impediments and provide a nurturing environment in which they can thrive.

false 

Forensic social work emphasizes work within police, courthouse, and jail settings to provide services to crime victims.

false 

Baccalaureate social workers are required to complete a maximum of 200 hours of field experience supervised by a social work practitioner.

false - 400 hours 

The realm of psychotherapy is generally limited to master's social workers instead of baccalaureate social workers.

true

The foundation of professional social work practice is compassion

false - knowledge skills and values

Advocacy, which is one of the dimensions that make social work unique, involves actively intervening to help clients get what they need

true

The medical model of social work practice combines the system- and environment-oriented approaches.

false - theoretical approach - attention to individual, little attention to outside factors, illness identified by categorizing, individual is target of treatment 

A system is a set of elements that are orderly and interrelated to make a functional whole

true

The Academy of Social Workers is the organization that accredits social work programs throughout the United States.

false - CSWE

An important social work value is empowerment—the process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or political power so that individuals can take action to improve their life situations.

true

The term empirical practice is preferable to the term evidence-based practice.

false - evidence based practice is preferable to the term empirical practice

Social welfare policies regulate what categories of clients are served and who qualifies for a given program.

true

the social environment includes family, friends, work groups, and governments.

true

What are the five themes that permeate social work practice?

Five themes permeate social work practice in virtually any setting. First, social work concerns helping individuals, groups, or communities. Second, social work entails a solid foundation of values and principles that guide what practitioners should and should not do. Third, a firm basis of techniques and skills provides directions for how social workers should provide treatment and accomplish goals. Fourth, social workers help people get the services they need by linking them to available resources. Fifth, social workers participate in legislative processes to promote positive social change.

Define social welfare, and explain how social welfare is related to social work.

Social welfare is a nation's system of programs, benefits, and services that help people meet those social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society. Social welfare, then, is a broad concept related to the general well- being of all people in a society. Social work serves to improve people's social and economic welfare. It does so in many fields or settings, including health, mental health, and financial assistance, among many others. Populations served include older adults, children and families, people with disabilities, and people involved with the legal system.

List the steps involved in the Triple-A approach to critical thinking.

Critical thinking focuses on not taking a fact at face value. Rather, it entails the Triple-A approach to examining and evaluating the validity of the fact.

The three steps involved in the Triple-A approach are as follows:

1. Ask questions.

2. Assess the established facts and issues involved.

3. Assert a concluding opinion.

Gambrill and Gibbs (2009) listed four ways that critical thinking can be helpful. One was to identify propaganda. What are the other three?

Apart from being helpful in identifying propaganda, critical thinking can help people (1) distinguish intentionally deceptive claims, (2) focus on and choose words carefully, and (3) be wary of emotional ploys and appeals.

Explain the residual, institutional, and developmental perspectives of social welfare.

The residual perspective conceives of social welfare as focusing on problems and gaps. Social welfare benefits and services should be supplied only when people fail to provide adequately for themselves and problems arise. The implication is that it's people's own fault if they require outside help.

The institutional perspective of social welfare views people's needs as a normal part of life. Society has a responsibility to support its members and provide needed benefits and services. It's not people's fault that they require such services, but rather it is an expected part of the human condition. People have a right to receive benefits and services on an ongoing basis.

Another view on social welfare is the developmental perspective. This approach seeks to identify social interventions that have a positive impact on economic development. It presumes that people living today in our complex world may require help and resources in order to function effectively and support themselves.

What are your suggestions for achieving a sustainable global society?

Sustainability involves development that meets the current needs of the present generations without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In view of concerns about overpopulation and overcrowding, insufficient food and fresh water, global warming, and a host of other issues, sustainability involves the need for citizens of the earth to work together to save themselves and their world. People must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Toward this end, it is imperative that the peoples of Earth declare their responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations

Define conservatism, liberalism, and radicalism.

Conservatism is the philosophy that individuals are responsible for themselves, government should provide minimal interference in people's lives, and change does not necessarily mean improvement.Liberalism is the philosophy that government should be involved in the social, political, and economic structure so that all people's rights and privileges are protected in the name of social justice. Radicalism is the philosophy that the social and political system as it stands is not structurally capable of truly providing social justice. Rather, drastic, fundamental changes are necessary in the basic social and political structure to achieve truly fair and equal treatment.

Should public housing be routinely provided to homeless people at public expense? State an opinion and describe whether that opinion is a residual or institutional perspective

The residual perspective conceives of social welfare as focusing on problems and gaps. Social welfare benefits and services should be supplied only when people fail to provide adequately for themselves and problems arise. The implication is that it's people's own fault if they require outside help. Society, then, must aid them until they can once again assume responsibility for meeting their own needs. In compliance with this perspective, homeless people should not be provided housing at public expense. There can be exceptions, for example, if they are victims of natural disasters or some other calamities. In such cases, housing should be provided for a short period of time. The institutional perspective of social welfare views people's needs as a normal part of life. Society has a responsibility to support its members and provide needed benefits and services. People have a right to receive benefits and services on an ongoing basis. According to this perspective, homeless people should be provided housing at public expense. It's not people's fault that they require such services, but rather it is an expected part of the human condition

Should homeless people who have mental illnesses be institutionalized, or should they be allowed to roam at will in the community?

From an institutional perspective of social welfare, homeless people who have mental illnesses should be institutionalized because society has a responsibility to support its members and provide needed benefits and services. People have a right to receive benefits and services on an ongoing basis. From a residual perspective of social welfare, homeless people who have mental illnesses should not be institutionalized because it's people's own fault if they require outside help. Temporary social welfare benefits and services should be supplied only when people fail to provide adequately for themselves and problems arise. Society must aid them until they can once again assume responsibility for meeting their own needs.

Should children in families suspected of child abuse be placed elsewhere, or should treatment focus on strengthening the family so that children remain in their own homes?

From a residual perspective, children in families suspected of child abuse should be placed elsewhere to save them from any further harm. The residual perspective conceives of social welfare as focusing on problems and gaps. Social welfare benefits and services should be supplied only when people fail to provide adequately for themselves and problems arise. Society, then, must aid them until they can once again assume responsibility for meeting their own needs. The focus is to make sure that children grow up in a safe and nurturing environment, which is free from any kind of abuse. When the welfare program for the family concludes, the children must be placed in their respective homes again. From an institutional perspective, children in families suspected of child abuse should not be placed elsewhere. The institutional perspective of social welfare views people's needs as a normal part of life. People have a right to receive benefits and services on an ongoing basis. The treatment should focus on strengthening the family so that children can remain in their own home. However, in reality, the residual and institutional perspectives are not mutually exclusive. Social workers may use any or both of these methods, depending on the situation.

Give three examples each of conservative and liberal statements.

Three examples of conservative statements are as follows:

1. People will do whatever they can to get things for themselves.

2. People should be independent, take care of themselves, and not rely on the charity ofothers.

3. The old tried-and-true way of getting things done is usually the best way.

Three examples of liberal statements are as follows:

1. I like to see and do new things because it makes life more interesting.

2. It's often the bad things that happen to people that make them go wrong.

3. It's better to try to rehabilitate people who commit crimes than to throw them in jail.

In what capacities do you think you would like to work with people?

amv

One of the five dimensions that make social work unique is that social workers may focus on any problems or clusters of problems that are complex and difficult. List the other four dimensions.

Social workers may focus on any problems or clusters of problems that are complex and difficult. Apart from this, the other four major dimensions of social work are as follows:

1. Targeting the environment for change—Social work often targets the environment encompassing clients, and not the clients themselves, for change.

2. Advocacy involves actively intervening to help clients get what they need. Social workers often find it necessary to advocate for their clients.

3. Professional Values—Another dimension that makes social work unique is its emphasis on and adherence to a core of professional values.

4. Partnership with Clients—Social workers do not track people into specific ways of thinking or acting. Rather, they practice in a partnership with clients, making and implementing plans together.

Define a target system, and cite four examples of possible targets of change.

A target system is the system that social workers need to change or influence in order to accomplish their goals. Targets of change may be individual clients, families, formal groups, administrators, or policymakers.

Some examples of possible targets of change are as follows:

At the micro level, a 5-year-old child with behavioral problems might be the target of change, the goal being to improve behavior.

At the mezzo level, a support group of people with eating disorders might be the target of change in an attempt to control their eating behavior.

At the macro level, an agency director might be the target of change when the social worker's aim is to improve some agency policy and the director is the primary decision maker capable of implementing that change.

In a city facing public transportation problems, public officials responsible for making changes can be targets of change to influence resource allocations for improved transportation. This, again, is at the macro level.

Knowledge about social work research is important for two basic reasons. What are they?

Knowledge of social work research is important for two basic reasons. First, it can help social workers become more effective in their direct practice by choosing interventions that have been proven successful, thereby getting better and clearer results. Framing social work interventions so they can be evaluated through research provides information about which specific techniques work best with which problems. Evaluation of practice throughout the intervention process can help determine whether a worker is really helping a client.

Second, accumulated research helps build a foundation for planning effective interventions. Knowledge of what has worked best in the past provides guidelines for approaches and techniques to be used in the present and in the future. Research establishes the basis for the development of programs and policies that affect many people. Such knowledge can also be used to generate new theories and ideas to further enhance the effectiveness of social work practice.

Discuss quantitative and qualitative research techniques

Research techniques include quantitative and qualitative techniques. Quantitative research methods emphasize the production of precise and generalizable statistical findings. They include experiments, survey research, and investigations that make use of numerical comparisons. Qualitative research methods are more likely to tap the deeper meanings of particular human experiences and generate theoretically richer observations that are not easily reduced to numbers. Frequently used qualitative methods include direct observation and intensive interviewing. One example of qualitative research is a field study where researchers go out into the field and conduct interviews to gather information or make other observations; another example is a study and description of the behavior patterns of specific cultures or groups of people.