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Essay on Progressive Social Work

Updated September 15, 2022
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Essay on Progressive Social Work essay

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In order to explore the social welfare system and social welfare policy, this paper will focus on progressive social work and its differences from conventional approaches of social work. This paper will give insight into how all social work is political and how different policies and programs such as Medicare and SNAP represent very different social welfare philosophies. I will be discussing important reasons as to why social insurance programs are more popular than public assistance. When discussing the social welfare system, and social welfare policy, it is no surprise that concepts like oppression and social justice will arise.

Social welfare policy is something that is very complex, and I always had a hard time understanding. The words together seem very contradicting, you have the word welfare that is about the well-being of individuals and/or families and then you have the word policy which ordinarily refers to rules or laws put into place to keep things ‘maintained’. Social welfare policies are in some way like equity. These policies are put into place to create a sort of balance for people who may be at a disadvantage in life. Although the fair thing to do would be to give everyone the same resources, the truth is some need those resources more than others. In some instances, there are people who are born into more vulnerable situations than others, this can include people living in poverty or people living with mental illness. Social welfare policy provides needed services and direction to resources to allow for optimal living for the individual or families being helped (Midgley 2009).

Residual and Institutional models are often spoke about when addressing social welfare policies. These two models are viewed differently. The residual model is formed from the idea talked about earlier, equity. The institutional model can be looked at as equality. The residual model is generally for the poor and to help find balance in the world. It is to provide for people who cannot afford the basic necessities that are needed in life. This can include food stamps or public housing. The residual model is generally based on income and has a lot of political stigma attached to it. Programs such as TANF, Food Stamps, SNAP, Medicaid are all given as a charity to the people who are using the service.

These programs are meant to be used as something that is short term to help people who have been failed by institutions. The institutional model is equality. Everyone is given support no matter on their financial situation. This is the idea that you give to everyone even if there is not a request for help. The Institutional model has a lot less stigma attached than the residual model. Some see the institutional model as the least the government can do for us. The Institutional model looks at the idea that there needs to be security for people and the government needs to provide that security (Mullaly, 2006). Free education is an example of the institutional model. Within these models are programs that are either universal or selective.

Universal programs are programs that are for everyone. These programs do not necessarily have anything to do with income, disability, or your living situation. An example of a universal program is social security. At some point every person will need to retire, social security is put into place so as people go through the aging process, there is money available to them to take care of their needs. Unemployment is another example of a universal program. This program was establishing to help people with their financial needs while looking for work. Universal programs have a lot less stigma attached and are viewed as normal and accepted.

Progressive social work and conventional social work, all aim for a greater good yet, both of these approaches aim towards a greater good from different angles. These two approaches to social work go about change differently. Progressive social work views the institutions of today’s society as not meeting the needs of people. Progressive social workers view the inequalities of the world and aim for social change on a greater level. Progressive social workers would be quick to point out that although there are social work interventions these social work interventions are not enough (Mullaly, 2006). In contrast to progressive social work, conventional social work believes that people can create their own problems as well as, become the solutions to their problems (Mullaly, 2006).

Conventional social work focuses on personal change and helping client’s problem solve, as opposed to progressive social workers who opt for change on a larger scale. To me, it seems that conventional social workers, view problems that clients are facing on a micro level. They try to help clients manage their lives with what is going on around them, without necessarily reaching for social change. I feel that as I take this journey into becoming a social worker I would be a progressive social worker. I believe that in order to help a client or a group of clients facing the same issue, you need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

To be a social worker who is conventional or to be a social worker who is progressive, will never alter the fact that all social work is political. To work with children, to work with the mentally ill, or to work with the aging population, no matter what, there will always be policy’s put into place by a politician. (Haynes & Mickleson). Every social worker adheres to guidelines and policies of their agency. Haynes and Mickleson use a great example of a common policy that is used in all social work settings, even in a private practice setting ‘A distraught client who is threatening to kill someone must be reported’. This policy must be followed at all times. Policies all arise from some kind of political debate. Although in today’s political climate many people steer away from politics.

There is no better time than now for social workers to take a side and step up to the plate (Haynes & Mickleson). All social work being political means that all social workers must take a stance when it comes to politics. Social workers need to speak up and advocate for policy changes that they see fit. They need to look out for the greater good of themselves and their clients.

In every profession there are always a set of guidelines for professionals to follow. The NASW code of Ethics are rules that are put into place to help guide social workers in their careers. These guidelines are established to ensure that clients and social workers are working in a manner that is safe for themselves as well as their clients. These guidelines address content such as a social workers ethical responsibility to their clients as well as ethical responsibilities to their colleagues. Having a set list of guidelines allows for social workers to have something to look upon to ensure they are following the mission and ethics of a social worker and doing their due diligence.

In today’s political climate I strongly believe there is no greater time of need for social workers who are voices and who take a stance. NASW Code of Ethics section six addresses the need for social workers being advocates. Social workers are often looked at as clinical, they are often looked at as 50-minute sessions to help people address their personal issues. On a larger scale, social workers are voices to help people who are marginalized. People who suffer from mental illness, people who are discriminated against because of race, sexual orientation, need to know that they have someone on the forefront who is educating, and fighting to eliminate the boundaries that the world creates to keep them out. Social workers are the people who help push policies and bills that can promote change and accessibility to equal resources for everyone.

Like everything else in America, The Universal Declaration of Human rights are just words that are used as a façade to what’s really going on in the world. Our social welfare state and programs do not completely align. The UDHR addresses ideas such as people all having the same freedoms no matter the factors. This is contradicting to what’s going on in the world today. We are living in a country that stops children in the airport because of the country associated to them. We have become a country that is everything, it says it’s not. We are supposed to be a world of equal pay, equal opportunity, yet woman, and people of different races are getting paid less than that of a white male doing the same job.

People are stigmatized for turning to the government for aid in times of crisis, such as homelessness yet, these are basic human rights and needs. I truly believe more can be done to accommodate the world in need. Shelter, food, health care, should be universal and never only given in times of desperation. Programs exist to try and meet the threshold for basic needs. Public housing, food stamps, Medicaid all exists for people who are struggling, but are only given to people who meet the criterion. People shouldn’t have to meet a criterion to have basic rights met. So often you see in the world people who are struck with illnesses and no matter to care for those illnesses. The government needs to meet the needs of its people.

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Essay on Progressive Social Work. (2022, Sep 15). Retrieved from https://sunnypapers.com/essay-on-progressive-social-work/