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Subject Name Social Work
Paper Name History and Philosophy of Social Work
Paper Coordinator Dr.Ruchi Sinha
Content Writer/Author (CW) Prof.Murli Desai
Content Reviewer Prof Manish Jha
Module Name/Title Conceptual Framework of History and Ideologies
of Social Work
Module ID 1
Objectives To introduce the concepts of and linkages among:
1) History of social change in ancient, medieval,
modern and the postmodern stages;
2) Religious and secular ideologies that have
influenced social change; and
3) Origin and paradigms of social work
profession.
Keywords Conceptual Framework, History, Ideologies,
Social Change, Social Work Profession
Introduction
Social work practice is based on ideologies and it is impossible to understand the ideologies
of social work of today, without the knowledge of its roots in the historical ideologies of
social work. On the other hand, ideologies of social work, at any point of history, are
influenced by the ideologies of social change of that time. As Katherine Kendall (2000)
noted, social work, more than any other profession, is deeply rooted in the beliefs and social
climate of the times in which it is practised. What seemed right in one period may appear
wrong in another, she states. The conceptual frameworkfor the course on history and
ideologies of social work therefore links the three constructs of historical context,ideology of
social change, and ideology of social work profession. This framework helps to understand
the varying paradigms of social work profession.
All people have beliefs based in some ideologies, due to their socialisation, whether they
know it or not. They see the social issues around them through the ideology or the veil of
ingrained beliefs, opinions and assumptions (Heywood, 2007). The ideological elements of
moral, ethical and metaphysical factors are for the most part intrinsic to every person and
comprise the basic attitudes, beliefs and values - the “self”. These are usually unstructured,
unquestioned and unarticulated. It is necessary that a social work student bring one’s
ideology and that of the profession into cognition. This revelation will lead itself to conscious
deliberation and then resolution (Goldstein, 1973). This course facilitates such revelation.
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Subject Name Social Work
Paper Name History and Philosophy of Social Work
Paper Coordinator Dr.Ruchi Sinha
Content Writer/Author (CW) Prof.Murli Desai
Content Reviewer Prof Manish Jha
Module Name/Title Conceptual Framework of History and Ideologies
of Social Work
Module ID 1
Objectives To introduce the concepts of and linkages among:
1) History of social change in ancient, medieval,
modern and the postmodern stages;
2) Religious and secular ideologies that have
influenced social change; and
3) Origin and paradigms of social work
profession.
Keywords Conceptual Framework, History, Ideologies,
Social Change, Social Work Profession
Introduction
Social work practice is based on ideologies and it is impossible to understand the ideologies
of social work of today, without the knowledge of its roots in the historical ideologies of
social work. On the other hand, ideologies of social work, at any point of history, are
influenced by the ideologies of social change of that time. As Katherine Kendall (2000)
noted, social work, more than any other profession, is deeply rooted in the beliefs and social
climate of the times in which it is practised. What seemed right in one period may appear
wrong in another, she states. The conceptual frameworkfor the course on history and
ideologies of social work therefore links the three constructs of historical context,ideology of
social change, and ideology of social work profession. This framework helps to understand
the varying paradigms of social work profession.
All people have beliefs based in some ideologies, due to their socialisation, whether they
know it or not. They see the social issues around them through the ideology or the veil of
ingrained beliefs, opinions and assumptions (Heywood, 2007). The ideological elements of
moral, ethical and metaphysical factors are for the most part intrinsic to every person and
comprise the basic attitudes, beliefs and values - the “self”. These are usually unstructured,
unquestioned and unarticulated. It is necessary that a social work student bring one’s
ideology and that of the profession into cognition. This revelation will lead itself to conscious
deliberation and then resolution (Goldstein, 1973). This course facilitates such revelation.
, 2
