Unit 3 PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL CASE WORK

UNIT 3 : PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL CASE WORK

UNIT STRUCTURE

3.1 Learning Objectives

3.2 Introduction
3.3 Nature of Social Case Work
3.4 Principles of Social Case Work
i. Principle of Individualization
ii. Principle of Meaningful Relationship
iii. Principle of Acceptance
iv. Principle of Communication
v. Principle of Expression of Feelings
vi. Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement
vii. Principle of Non-Judgmental Attitude
viii. Principle of Client's Self-Determination
ix. Principle of Worker's Self-Awareness
x. Principle of Social Functioning
xi. Principle of Tuning Behaviour
xii. Principle of Social Learning
xiii. Principle of Confidentiality
xiv. Principle of Resource Utilization
3.5 Social Case Work and Indian Social Conditions
3.6 Lets Sum up
3.7 Further Reading
3.8 Answers to "Check your Progress"
3.9 Model Questions

3.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

l Discuss the nature and philosophy of social case work
l Explain the guiding principles of case work method
l Understand the practice of case work in Indian context.

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3.2 INTRODUCTION

As we know Social Work has six basic methods: three primary and
three secondary. Case Work, Group Work and Community Organization
are the primary methods and Social Welfare Administration, Social Research
and Social Action are the secondary methods. Social Casework, a primary
method of social work is concerned with the adjustment and development
of the individual towards attaining more satisfying human relationship. It is
based on a one to one interaction between an individual and a case worker.
The adjustment and development of an individual depends on his use of
available resources. Sometimes due to certain factors, internal or external
he fails to avail existing facilities.

3.3 NATURE OF SOCIAL CASE WORK

Every professional's help has two components: one, the professional

skills and knowledge, and the other the personal characteristics and
experiences of the life professional life. These two components set the
way the professional helper will assist the needy individual to meet his needs
or solve his problems and thereby lead a better life.
For example, a physician will help only with physical problems, a teacher Fourbasiccomponents

with educational problems and a lawyer with the legal problems. But social of case work are

workers help the total individual, i.e., with every aspect of life which, is person, problem,place

detrimental to his living a full life-a life wherein one is not uncomfortable (agency) and process.

with the happenings in and around him.

Pearlman (1957) tries to understand this process of helping individuals
in terms of a person with a problem, who comes to a place (an agency)
where a professional representative (trained person) helps him through a
given process. He/ She thus delineates the four basic components of social
casework, viz., person, problem, place (agency) and process. She explains
that problems basically arise from some needs or obstacles to the fulfillment
of these needs, or accumulation of frustrations, or maladjustment, or
sometimes from all of these put together.
These individually or together threaten or have already attacked the
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person's living arrangement or the effectiveness of his efforts to deal with

it. These problems are tackled through a process which is a progressive
transaction between the professional (trained) helper and clients. It consists
of problem-solving operations carried on within a meaningful relationship
(purposefully established).
These operations aim at developing the client's effectiveness in coping
with his problem and/or so influence the problem as to resolve or alleviate
its effect. The person is the one who is "in need of help in some aspect of
his social-emotional living, whether the need be for tangible provisions or
counsel". As he begins to receive such help, he is called, 'client'. The place
is "a social service agency or a social service department of another kind
or a human welfare agency". Perlman (1957) thus defines social casework
as a "process used by certain human welfare agencies to help individuals
to cope more effectively with their problems in social functioning".
The concept of 'social functioning' has gained quite an important place
in social casework. This concept fully explains the meaning of the adjective,
'social', used with the word 'casework' and helps in differentiating it from
psychotherapy.
Social casework enables an individual to obtain a higher level of social
functioning through an interpersonal transaction or face-to-face or person-
to-person encounter. The caseworker helps the client to act in order to
achieve some personal/social goals by utilizing the available resources in
terms of strength of personality of the client, his social system or material
provisions available in the community and/ or agency. Caseworker's
knowledge and expertise, and material resources are used (as tools) to
inject strength in the person to enable him to move more satisfyingly in the
social situation he finds difficult to deal with.

3.4 PRINCIPLES OF CASE WORK

The principles of social casework are applied in establishing a

meaningful and purposeful relationship between social caseworker and the
client. Relationship is the medium through which changes are brought in

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the behaviour and personality of the client. The term relationship in social
casework was used for the first time by Miss Virginia Robinson in her book,
"A Changing Psychology in Social Case Work" in 1939. The social casework
relationship is the dynamic interaction of attitudes and emotions between
the social caseworker and the client with the purpose of helping the client
to achieve a better adjustment between himself and his/her environment.
Thus the purpose of establishing relationship is to help the client with his/
her psycho-social needs and problems. The relationship between
caseworker and client may be more strengthened by using certain principles.
Since case work is an established method of social work, it is guided by
certain principles. These principles are given below:

i. Principle of Individualization

No two persons are alike in all qualities and traits. Their problems may
be the same but the cause of the problem, the perception towards the
problem and ego strength differs in every individual. Therefore, each Individualization is

individual client should be treated as a separate entity and complete the recognition and

information is required to establish an understanding of the client in order understanding of each

to solve his problem. Individualization is the recognition and understanding client's unique qualities

of each client's unique qualities and the differential use of principles and and the differential use

methods in assisting each toward a better adjustment. Individualization is of principles and

based upon the right of human beings to be individuals and to be treated methods in assisting

not just as a human being but as a human being with his own personal each toward a better

differences. adjustment.

ii. Principle of Meaningful Relationship

Relationship is the basis of all help. The relationship should develop

around the act of helping the client. Helping the client is the purpose for
which interaction takes place between the worker and client which is affected
by their experiences of relating with people in the past, their expectations
from each other and anxieties about the situation, values that governing
their lives, norms of behavior , knowledge and experience about the subject

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matter of interaction. Necessary to develop relationship is the worker's

training in and mastery of inter personal skills like active awareness, building
trust, communicating, listening and expression of feelings etc. Relationship
is an emotional bond which works as a transmitting belt between client and
the case worker. The purpose of establishing relationship in social casework
is to change the behaviour of the client or to achieve adjustment in
maladjusted situation. Meaningful relationship is developed in social
casework by demonstrating the interests in client. He/she is convinced of
the caseworker's warmth as an individual and conveys respect and caring
for him/her. In return, the caseworker helps the client to trust in his/her
objectivity and feel secured as worthwhile individual.

iii. Principle of Acceptance

Social caseworker accepts the client as he is and with all his limitations.
He/she believes that acceptance is the crux of all help. It embraces two
basic ideas one negative and one positive. He/she does not condemn or
feel hostile towards a client because his/her behaviour differs from the
approved one. Later on, he/she tries to modify his/her behaviour step by
Acceptance implies
step. Acceptance implies liking the client irrespective of his negative qualities
liking accepting the
and conduct. It is an expression of good will towards the client and criticisms
client irrespective of his
if any are done out of goodwill. It is conveying deep concern and active
negative qualities and
understanding to the client who is liked by the worker in spite of his problem-
conduct.
behavior for which he is hated or punished by the society. No effective
relationship is possible without accepting the client.When the case worker
shows any dislike, or indifference it may keep the client away and and a
positive relationship may not be established. Acceptance involves
observance of common courtesies and respect for his ideas and treating
him as equal to self; for example leaving chair, wishing him, moving forward
to receive, or see him off, respecting appointments, etc.

iv. Principle of Communication

Communication is a two-way process. There must be proper

communication between caseworker and the client, which helps, in proper
understanding of each other. It is the road to the identification of the client's
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problem. The function of social caseworker is primarily to create an

environment in which the client will feel comfortable in giving expression to
his/her feelings which is centred on effective communication between them.

v. Principle of Purposeful Expression of Feelings

Purposeful expression of feelings is the recognition of the client's need

to express his feelings freely, especially his/her negative feelings. The
caseworker listens purposefully, neither discouraging nor condemning the
expression of those feelings. Sometimes he/she even stimulates and
encourages them when the expression is of therapeutic nature. It is to
recognize the client's feeling and express it freely before the case worker,
especially his negative feelings. The case worker listens purposefully, neither
discouraging nor condemning the expression of these feelings sometimes
even actively stimulating and encouraging them when they are therapeutically
useful as a part of the case work service.

vi. The Principle of Controlled Emotional Involvement

The social caseworker tries to understand the client's feelings and

emotions but he/she does not involved emotionally in client’s problems.
The case worker must not be emotionally involved with the client during the
case work process, when the client communicates his feelings or problems
with the case worker. The case worker has to respond to all feelings of the
client with his knowledge and understanding. and tries to understand the
client's feelings and emotions but does not involve emotionally in their
problems.

vii. Principle of Non-Judgmental Attitude

The non-judgmental attitude is a quality of the casework relationship.

The caseworker does not blame the client for his problem nor assigns any
responsibility for their miseries. He/she only evaluates the attitudes,
standards or action of the client.

viii. Principle of Client Self-Determination

The client's self-determination is the practical recognition of the right

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and need of client’s to freedom in making their own choices and decisions.
But this right is limited by the client's capacity for positive and constructive
decision making. Social responsibility, emotional adjustment and personality
development are possible only when the person exercise his freedom of
choice and decision making. Case workers have to give this right to the
Social responsibility,
client so that he can decide and take best possible action in his self interest.
emotional adjustment
This is reasonable also because he knows himself better than others. And
and personality
the case worker is only an enabler who helps him through his expertise to
development are
take the best possible decision and action in the circumstances. The case
possible only when the
worker should understand that these rights are limited and not an absolute
person exercise his
one. There are client who are unable to take proper decisions by themselves.
freedom of choice and
For eg: children, immature adults, mentally retarded or mentally ill people
decision making.
and they should not be given this right to harm themselves.

ix. Principle of Self-Awareness

It means that caseworker should know his/her own strengths and

limitations in dealing with client's problems. If he/she feels that the problems
of the are client is beyond his/her capacity, the client should be transferred
to the appropriate authority.

x. Principle of Social Functioning

Social functioning means the functioning of the individual in his social

roles and relationships, with emphasis on his/her relation to the environment.
The caseworker tries to assess the roles of the client and his/her capacity
to perform these roles.

xi. Principle of Tuning Behaviour

Man has body, mind and intellect as three instruments of experiences

through which life constantly pulsates. These three instruments have their
own distinct characteristics in each person. Hence each person has unique
personality. There is need of tuning three instruments for right perception
and thinking. The social caseworker can do this as per of the case work
process.

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xii. Principle of Social Learning

Social learning is a pre-requisite to the changes that are inevitably

involved in problem- solving. The social learning processes involves (1)
arousing and focusing attention and concern, (2) organizing and evaluating
the problem and planning future action, (3) searching for and acquiring new
information, (4) providing opportunities to the client for new experience. of
the client, his social system or material provisions available in the
community and/ or agency

xiii. Principle of Confidentiality

Confidentiality is the preservation of the secret information concerning

the client, which is disclosed in the professional relationship only.
Confidentiality is based upon the basic right of the client; it is an ethical
obligation of case worker and is necessary for effective case work Practice.
Everyone prefers to keep his things to himself and save it from leaking out
Confidentiality is the
unless disclosing it is more beneficial to the person. Once the worker imbibes
preservation of the
the value of worth and dignity of an individual, he will refrain from encroaching
secret information
upon the client's privacy and maintain the confidence repose in him. Once
concerning the client,
the client loses confidence in him, he will not believe the worker and the
which is disclosed in
while process of communication will break down, it will them become
the professional
impossible to assist the client in his problems or in fulfillment of his needs.
relationship only.
Maintaining confidentiality for all the transactions, that take place between
the case worker and client in correctional settings or other places where
law needs information for justice purpose, is very difficult. In such situations,
the client must be made aware of these limitations.

xiv. Principle of Resource Utilization

Services are provided to the individual in recognition of his contributions

to the society. It is only because of this that the government takes care of
those who are not cared by any one. Example: orphans, destitute,
handicapped etc. Therefore all the personal resources and resources
available within the community or agency and with relatives of the client
should be utilized to help the client. Resources may be in terms of money,

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material, power and influence, capabilities etc.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1: Describe the nature of case work.

...................................................................................................

....................................................................................................
Q 2: Explain the principle of Individualization.

...................................................................................................

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3.5 SOCIAL CASE WORK AND INDIAN SOCIAL

CONDITIONS

Social case work was practiced in India under the cover of religious
and social sermons. Indians had their own ways to achieve and accomplish
the individual purposes. It is not surprising and unnatural to find traces of
social casework in any culture as every culture has its own ways to deal
with and tackle the individual's sufferings and problems.
This is present in the Indian culture too which is evident from the
scriptures where the most common techniques used to help the individual
clients have been following:
(1) Story-telling,
(2) Imparting knowledge,
(3) Prayer,
(4) Yogic exercises,
(5) Fasting,
(6) Learning and practing behaviour in the company of saintly persons,
and
(7) Demonstration or modelling behaviour (setting examples), In the
Gita, Lord Krishna has used techniques of re-educating, informing, imparting
knowledge, clarifying the reality to enable Arjuna perform his roles.
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These techniques of helping individuals could not be popular perhaps

because these were available only in Sanskrit-a language of elite in those
days of India. It remained confined only to certain class of people and certain
areas of nation. And, even during the British rule, only few attempted to
present it into a systematic way for the consumption of common people.
People were encouraged by the policy of education in those days to study
English and import knowledge from the western world.
It so happened that those subjects who had enough to go by, we
wanted to be liketheir rulers to get rid of our inferiority feelings, to please
them and also acquire materials of comforts and fame in the British circles.
It is because of these and many other such reasons that (the educated)
copied British ways of life, their language and various aspects of their culture.
This tendency probably was further accentuated by the work of
missionaries whose converts became 'Madam' and 'Sir' in no time. All these
and many other factors kept people, away from the own cultural treasures.
Social casework of today is not totally different from our traditional (scripture-
described) approach to individual problem. The old system of casework
like the present one has been very rational and based on intellectual and
logical discussions leading to knowledge of reality, self-control and practice
of a constructive and socially useful model of behaviour.
The stress in the scriptural approach was more on the social aspect
of the personality, i.e., the person should conform to the social standards
and derive pleasure by contributing significantly to the growth of and harmony
in the society. Casework as practicsd today by the professional social
workers also emphasises the social aspects of the case. Social casework,
as taught today in Indian schools of social work, has been imported from
the West, specially from USA. Efforts are taken to changing the syllabi of
social work as per the changes occurring in USA and western world. of
late, social work has undergone some changes in the West.
Consequently, in place of social casework, social group work and
community organization, an integrated approach (to be discussed
separately) has been adopted by many of the schools of social work there.
However, in India, the old model of social work teaching and practice is
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continuing and social casework, social group work and community

organisation are being taught as methods of working with people-individual,
group and community-as before.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 3: State the Indian techniques used as case work

method.

...................................................................................................

....................................................................................................

3.6 LET US SUM UP

l Social casework is a method of helping people as it is individualized,

scientific, and artistic. It helps individuals with personal as well as
external and environmental issues that affect them through the
use of definitive tools, techniques and processes.
l Casework as practised today, a purely western (predominantly
USA) model, too owes its history to work by individuals and
organisations with the poor.
l Social casework enables an individual to obtain a higher level of
social functioning through an interpersonal transaction or face-to-
face or person-to-person encounter. The caseworker helps the
client to act in order to achieve some personal/social goals by
utilising the available resources in terms of strength of personality
l Social learning is a pre-requisite to the changes that are inevitably
involved in problem- solving. The social learning processes involves
(1) arousing and focusing attention and concern, (2) organizing
and evaluating the problem and planning future action, (3) searching
for and acquiring new information, (4) providing opportunities to
the client for new experience. of the client, his social system or
material provisions available in the community and/ or agency.
40 Social Case Work