Text 4 From the history of social work

The earliest origins of social work (dating back to the Middle Ages) were in church-based ministering to the poor, which evolved into the philanthropic and social justice movements of the 19th century. Today, social workers are still connected to these originating tenets of compassion, fairness and community progress.

The modern social work profession grew from three distinct strands: the social policies of poverty relief that grew from the English Poor Laws of the 17th century;the casework approach developed by the Charity Organisation Society (CSO) in Britain in the mid-19th century; and the notion of social and political action aimed at addressing social injustice that began with the settlement house movement.

The deepest roots of social work stem from a moral obligation to help society’s most vulnerable citizens. As most world religions teach that we each have a duty to help the poor, social work is intrinsically linked with charity work. For example, during the Middle Ages, when the Christian church had wide influence in Europe, charity was considered a social obligation and a sign of piety.

With the emergence of industrialization and urbanization, the work of the church in helping the poor began to be supplanted by more formal social welfare services.

In the mid-19^th century, reform efforts began in response to social injustices, such as the neglect of people with mental illness, the conditions of homeless and poor people, and concern for child laborers in factories and sweatshops.

In the 20^th century and now into the 21st, social workers are champions for those who are living in difficult circumstances and disenfranchised. Social workers continue to work for justice and compassion, as well as equality in civil rights; Social Security, unemployment, disability and worker’s compensation benefits; Medicaid and Medicare benefits; fairer treatment for those with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse disorders; and child welfare.