About Social Work

Social work is a profession concerned with humanity’s well being. Its practice may range from the prevention of social problems to the alleviation of human pain and/or helping people cope with what cannot be changed. It may be practiced within either religious or secular institutions, public or private. The generalist practitioner applies the knowledge, values, and skills of the social work profession utilizing a problem-solving model to accomplish the planned change process. The worker has multiple skills, which are applied according to the situation. The breadth of skills is helpful for the many professional roles the social work practitioner is expected to fulfill.

Social work is a professional activity which provides assistance in living and linkage with resources to individuals, families, small groups, and communities. The generalist practitioner does this from the perspective of optimizing people’s interactions with their social environment so that the client system defines what is satisfying rather than the surrounding culture.

Social work is also a professional activity which intervenes in society on behalf of client systems. The generalist social worker may be engaged in taking social action to bring about social change for the betterment of society’s disenfranchised people. This may include lobbying at local, state, and national levels, as well as community organization activities.

Although the "definition" of social work does not change, the demands and influences on the profession are continually changing.

In today’s world, responses to problems must be creative. At the same time, scarce resources must be used responsibly while addressing diverse human interests. Social work education seeks to equip students to become professionals who strive for the best solutions with innovative, empowering, and entrepreneurial approaches.

For an in-depth look at the profession of social work, and how Taylor University Fort Wayne can assist you in shaping your calling, peruse the following topics: