Last Updated on November 26, 2023 by Team TSW

Social Work as a profession is something which has been debatable from ages. Let’s first talk about what is profession, before we jump to social work as a profession and how it can become career choice. Profession is an occupation for which specialized education, related training, certain skillsets, societal acceptability, code of ethics, values, objective and availability of remunerative works are required. These criteria are basic building block of any profession.

Is social work a profession?

Social workers have always battled to establish social work as a profession. Prime reason for such an confusing position around social work is the nature of profession. Social workers often don professional responsibilities such as individual case workers and community workers to social activists, policy analysts, and program administrators, and other variety of roles. World, on the other hand, view social workers as helpers in need, someone raising problems of poor, and threats to social order where those who are comfortable do not want to change their own lifestyle to make things easier for the deprived class.

These diverse roles and responsibilities puzzle common people. They often think that social workers are not professional but divine souls, out to help poor, deprived and downtrodden. This is partially true but social workers take remuneration, trainings, degree, sharpen required skillsets to perform these responsibilities. World confuse these professional acts with social service, voluntary services, charity and other social work’s allied concepts.

Read difference between social services and social work in detail.

Why Social Work is a profession

Debate around social work as a profession is still alive and we’ll discuss it in length, how social work has evolved as legitimate profession with time. To establish itself as a profession, social work ticks all the boxes.

Let’s discuss each of the characteristics of a profession in detail and find out if social worker is really a profession.

Skillset

The term skill refers to a conscious, disciplined use of one’s abilities which one can be acquired reliably through the disciplined professional training for social work. The roots of the social work skills is to understand the philosophical values and purpose of social work profession. Social work is a dynamic and demanding domain that requires a scores of skills and qualities. Whether these skills are innate or acquired, success in the field of social work depends how you continually develop and improve them throughout your career. While this list is not exhaustive, the following skills are essential for all social workers :-

Read social work skills in detail.

Specialized Education

To practice social work, interested individual has to acquire certain level of education. Courses in social work is available at diploma, certificate, bachelor, master level. One can also obtain doctorate in any discipline of social work. Several universities and colleges all over the world, offer various bachelors and master courses in this field. Following are the some well known courses in the field of Social Work :-

Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

It is a multi-year( In USA duration of bachelor courses varies from 4-5 years and in India duration is 3 years in same way duration vary from country to country.) course. Students after completing their schooling from any recognized institution are eligible to apply. You can pursue this course, as a full-time, distance or through correspondence. After pursuing this course you can opt for master courses like MSW.

Master Courses

Interested candidate can pursue Master of Social Work (MSW) or MA in Social Work. It is a postgraduate academic degree requires two academic years to complete. It consists of four semesters. Students who hold a graduate degree in Social Work can apply for this course. Bachelor’s degree holders in other streams such as in Science, commerce, humanities, social science and management are also eligible to apply. This course is also offered through regular, distance education and correspondence. Aspirants can opt any of following specialization of their choice to get the master degree :-

MSW Specializations

• Human Resource Management
• Personnel Management
• Criminology & Correction Administration
• Family & Child Welfare
• Urban and Rural Community Development
• Industrial Relation & Labor Welfare

Doctoral Courses

Ph.D in social work is a two-year duration course. Candidates with master’s degree in social work are eligible to apply. Its purpose is to enable working professional to make a difference by carrying out applied or action orientated research in a variety of discipline. A Ph.D. student is one who may aspiration to influence the future of social work through research. Ph.D. offers an opportunities to conduct research on real-world issues and make life of tomorrow’s social workers easy and successful. Research can be done to make existing methods more effective or to identify altogether a new method/technique.

Objective

Objectives in general are the statements or formulations, what we seek to achieve in course of our duties. Like other professions social work has its own objective and goals. Social work is the domain where we work for the betterment of people, help them to help themselves. Here aim is not just about helping people but making them self-sufficient, doesn’t aim to provide temporary solutions but always aspire to provide permanent solutions. Following are the few Objectives of social work :-

Objectives of social work appear to be social services, charity, voluntary services other social work’s allied concepts . World often think that social workers are not professional but divine souls, out to help poor, deprived and downtrodden. They co-ordinates with NGOs, wealthy people, persuade governments for beneficial social policies to meet these objectives. Social workers take remuneration, trainings, degree, sharpen required skillsets to perform these responsibilities.

Read Social Work Objectives in detail.

Code of Ethics

Every profession has its own set of code of ethics, which guide professionals on what to do and what not. These are the best practices and are inhibit in every successful professional life. Social work is no different and have its own code of ethics. Following are the code of ethics of social work :-

Read Social Work Code of Ethics in detail.

Social Work Values

Values are beliefs about what is good, bad and desirable. Values guide behavior and are derived from family, culture, and educational experiences. While societies, religions, communities can have different beliefs, it is often difficult to explain values within and across diverse groups. Social work values are no different.

Read Social Work Values in detail

Fields of Social Work/Setting

An organization that utilizes social work principles, methods and techniques for interventions towards betterment of quality of life is known as a social work setting. There are primary and secondary settings.

Primary settings are those settings where social work objectives form the focal objectives of the agency and service delivery is directly aimed at ameliorating the distress of the client population. Social welfare departments, Non-governmental organizations, and Community based organizations working in the area of social welfare would come in the category of primary settings of social work intervention. On the other hand, secondary settings are those wherein realization of social work objectives do not form part of the organization’s main goals. For example, in an industrial setting profit is the main motive with employee welfare as a tool towards achieving it.

Social work is a very vast field with numerous areas, issues and groups to work with. Following are the few areas where social work is practiced :-

Read fields of social work practice in detail.

Career Opportunities

A career in social work is most suitable for a individual who is willing to take care of others and likes to carry responsibilities against the cruelty. Who can guide them to get rid of current disastrous situation. Career in social work, provides ample opportunity to help people suffering due to psycho-social, economic, social, domestic, traumatic or other factors. After completion of a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, students can either apply for jobs or can opt for higher studies, higher degrees provide more job possibilities. Following are some known institutions you can work with :-

• Hospitals,
• Clinics,
• Schools,
• Health Industry,
• Education Sector,
• NGO’s,
• Human Rights Agenices,
• Old Age Homes,
• Disaster Management Departments, etc.

As the social care centres are being opened every year in various places the demand of social workers is also increasing. You can be employed where the need of child and family social worker is needed.

What will be your Job Profile?

Some of the most common job titles in the field of social work are:

• Social Worker
• Labor Welfare Specialist
• Teacher
• Social Security Officer
• Criminology Specialist
• Counsellor

Salary

Salaries expectations as a Social Worker varies from place to place.

In the USA, the average salary of a Social worker is above $50k per annum and it can also be increased if you get more degrees, certificates, experience, working area, etc.

In India, the average starting salary of a Social Worker can be expected between Rs. 2 to 3 lac per annum. With more experience, setting you work in, and responsibilities you can expect a really good salary package.

“More the experience you gain more the salary you get.”

Conclusion

Social Work is one off profession which on one hand help worker earn money to continue life and on other hand gives opportunity to help weaker section, poor, needy and to raise social issue. It also help imbibe in society the feeling of equality, Justice(economic, political, social) along with all democratic and humanitarian right.

Social work has its own principle, philosophy, area of practice, values, objectives, educational courses and trainings. All these together help to practice social work with scientific knowledge and skills.