SOC301 Assignment 1 Solution and Discussion

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SEMESTER Fall 2019 Introduction to Social Work (SOC301)

Objectives
Assignment No. 01
“Roles of Social Worker”
Assignment marks: 20
Upon completion of this assignment, students will be able to understand the role of Sociology in Social Work and can distinguish between different roles of a Social Worker.
Assignment
Question 1:
Social work can be seen as a rewarding as well as a challenging profession at the same time. As the social workers help individuals, families and communities in difficult times, they have to perform several different roles during their intervention processes.
Identify and justify the roles performed by a professional social worker in the following examples.

1. A social worker tries to speak on behalf of a poor laborer who is unable to raise his voice for himself, as the worker tries to present his case in front of relevant departments/authorities.
2. While working as an agent of change, social worker participating in a local community group to seek input from the people in order to bring about structural changes.
3. A social worker trying to evaluate the outcomes of a particular intervention practice by analyzing the relevant literature in order to improve its effectiveness.
4. When trying to resolve a dispute on property, the social worker intervenes between two families to settle differences while taking a neutral position.
   Marking Scheme: Identification= (14), Justification= (24)

Question 2:
It is said that Social Work strengthens with the use of sociological concepts in its own body of knowledge. Keeping in view the relation of sociology with social work;
a) Identify the significance of sociology for social work discipline.
b) How Social Pathology could be helpful for social workers during intervention process?
Marking Scheme: 4 + 4 = 8
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[zareen]

Q. 1 Solution:

1. A social worker tries to speak on behalf of a poor laborer who is unable to raise his voice for himself, as the worker tries to present his case in front of relevant departments/authorities.
   Identification: Advocate
   Justification: In the role of an advocate, the social worker struggle to obtain the rights of weak and vulnerable people who are unable to raise voice for themselves. Social workers work for obtaining the needed resources for those people.
2. While working as an agent of change, social worker participating in a local community group to seek input from the people in order to bring about structural changes.
   Identification: Community Change Agent
   Justification: In the role of the Community Change Agent, the worker act as a change agent to bring structural or/and provisional changes within the community. He plays a
   significant role in coordinating programs of different agencies to meet the needs of the community.
3. A social worker trying to evaluate the outcomes of a particular intervention practice by analyzing the relevant literature in order to improve its effectiveness.
   Identification: Researcher
   Justification: As a Researcher, the social worker evaluates the present intervention techniques and practices in order to alter their outcomes. He analyzes the literature to propose relevant changes in the outcomes of intervention practice.
4. When trying to resolve a dispute on property, the social worker intervenes between two families to settle differences while taking a neutral position.
   Identification: Mediator
   Justification: In the role of a Mediator, the worker gets involved into the disputes for dispute resolution. He maintains a neutral position in hearing and resolving the problem from both sides.

Q. 2 Solution:

a) Identify the significance of sociology for social work discipline.
Significance for Social work

The subject matter of sociology is significant for the social workers in the following ways:
Sociology studies different patterns of interactions of individuals and groups whereas social work focuses on the solutions of the problems of these individuals and groups of the society.
An individual’s behaviour is mostly affected by culture, traditions, norms and values. All these factors are an important part of Sociological study. Thus in order to solve the problems having roots in traditions, cultures and norms, social workers try to understand the social roles and expectations of individuals with the help of Sociology.
Similarly, with the knowledge of sociology, social work deals with psycho-social problems of individuals and also social processes like cooperation, competition, conflict, accommodation, adaptation, assimilation, adjustment and socialization.

b) How Social Pathology could be helpful for social workers during intervention process?

Social Pathology is the study of crime, delinquency, suicide, corruption, family disorientation and poverty issues etc. It deals with the cause and effect relationship i.e. it is used to understand social evils and there causes in the society. Therefore, Sociologists show interest in the effects of social evils asserted on the people.
Social Work deals with social problems of the people. Social workers tend to solve the issues of individuals mostly been victim of those social evils. In this sense, Social Pathology is closely related to Social Work as both deal with the origins and causes of social evils in the society. Social workers can use the concepts and studies from social pathology in their intervention practice to deal with victims.