Is Social Work a Profession?
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The article \u201cIs Social Work a Profession?\u201d written by Abraham Flexner, examines the profession of social work. The articles address the difference between a profession and a professional. A profession is when an individual only engages with others when it is necessary (Flexner, 1915). The idea of a profession is that the individual only concentrates when they need to (Flexner, 1915). A professional spends time devoted to the activity (Flexner, 1915). As a professional they concentrate only on the task at hand over time (Flexner, 1915).
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One thing that caught my eye while reading this article. Was that the author said that social workers cannot be a profession because they give of themselves like a philanthropist (Flexner, 1915). That made me look at how I see a social worker by my definition of what a social worker is. When choosing social work as a profession, I understand that social work deals with the treatment, prevention, and recovery of individuals, groups, and families. Social work to me is the ability to help others through their trauma. Trauma is the effect of an individual experiencing life changing events that may affect their perception on reality. Trauma can be social and environmental.\u00a0 The social factor is developed through the interactions with others. The environmental factor can be traumatic as well because of the surroundings that an individual is placed in. There are many social issues that affect society on a micro and macro levels. Social issues range from poverty, child abuse, child welfare, and homelessness.
The difference between a profession and professional is the time a person puts in (Flexner, 1915). The second issue is if there are so many professions then are their any professional. Social workers are viewed as a profession but should be addressed as professionals. Social workers should be professionals because of the continuous work that comes with the job. As a social worker, I am obligated to investigate, research, and provide evidence to prove my findings. During the investigation and research, I will be able see how things affect the people involved. As a social worker, the results of the investigation will cause me to do research. The research will be the foundation to prove what was found during the investigation. The research is when I find theories and evidence to prove my hypothesis. These methods are what social worker follow to determine the seriousness of the cases they have.
The author mad sure that he addressed the differences between profession and professional when it comes to everyday jobs. The author is elaborate in the why he defines the roles of a profession and a professional. The author refers the action that are different between the profession and the professional. The profession is more of a mental obligation (Flexner, 1915). Professional is more physical action (Flexner, 1915). The intelligent nature of professional activity involves the ideas that goes into practicing (Flexner, 1915). While the profession is based mainly on the knowledge obtained by the individual (Flexner, 1915). Professional is a status that you work for (Flexner, 1915). However, a profession is a learned skilled (Flexner, 1915). The author used question and answers to evaluate the differences between a profession and a professional.
While I was reading this article, I learned that the way you look at a social worker determines where it is a profession or a professional. To me a social worker is both a profession and a professional. A social worker is a profession because you must be knowledgeable in your job and the way to help your client. What also makes social work a profession is that you must know when to be empathic to your clients and when to be realistic with your clients. Social workers are professionals because they put an unlimited amount of time into their job. A social workers job is not done just because they clock out at the office. A social worker had to use the practices and skills they learned in school to establish the documentation for their case load. To me a social worker can be both a professional and a profession. It is up to the individual on how much effort and how much time they use to make sure that their job is complete. Social work is the application of knowledge and experience while working in and out the office.
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ReferencesFlexner, A. (1915). Is Social Work a Profession? General Education Board,.
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