|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
There was a time when social work was not considered a serious career. Long regarded as a low-paying though soul-satisfying profession concentrating on the under-privileged in society, social work has today broken free from these shackles. With the large-scale participation of NGOs in development programmes in the country, this career has taken off in a big way. Work wise
Social work attempts to improve and rectify economic and infrastructural imbalances in the community both in urban and rural areas. It is the art and the science of bringing various resources to bear on individuals, groups and community needs by the application of scientific methods. The tasks essentially involve:
Identifying community problems such as lack of drinking water, or housing, unemployment, poor or inadequate medical and health care facilities and so on. This could also cover minority, gender or caste group issues. Initiating remedial action by influencing social policy or creating awareness Mobilising resources and monitoring its utilisation The social worker performs several functions as the work is a mixture of liaison, mediating, monitoring and practical problem-solving. A major part of the work involves fieldwork. Much time is spent visiting people and communities, listening to their problems, offering support and encouragement and ensuring and monitoring the optimum use of resources. Preventive work can take the form of individual counselling and support work with whole families or group work, and bringing people with similar problems together for mutual support. Time is also spent on paper work, keeping detailed case notes, and writing reports, or press releases. Liaison with other professionals or organisations is very important. Eligibility
As the work is so varied trained social workers can specialise in different areas of work.. Often specialists in the various fields – teachers, doctors, public health specialists, drinking water experts, sociologists, social workers, psychologists and others opt to work with development NGOs. Students and young people from different youth organisations often volunteer for developmental work and being inspired tend to stay on in this career even without formal training. But to be effective and productive in this field, some specialised training may be necessary. Training talk
More than thirtyfive recognised institutions offer professional degree courses in social work . The Bachelor’s programme is for a period of three years, after plus two from any subject stream and selection is on the basis of a written test and interview. The courses are practical and offer students exposure by means of fieldwork, where they can test their skills in actual situations. The specialisation qualifies students for work in areas such as education, health, natural resources management, gender justice, human rights, and disaster management. Alternatively, graduates in psychology, sociology and related fields, or specialists from different fields can take up the two-year Master’s programme in social work which will provide them the formal training for working in this sector. Prominent institutes such as TISS select students for the MSW on the basis of a written test followed by a group discussion and interview. The Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi, Nirmala Niketan College, Mumbai, the Madras School of Social Work, Madras, and the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management in Calcutta, are among some of the institutions in the country offering a three-year course leading to a Bachelor’s degree in social work. Most universities also offer a degree in Social work. A Master’s degree in Social Work is offered by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Bombay, the Delhi School of Social Work, Delhi, National Institute of Social Sciences, Bangalore, Faculty of Social Work at MS University, Vadodra, in addition to several universities. Placement prospects
There is an urgent need for the professional skills of a social worker as the nature of opportunities for work in this field ranges from handling educational needs of different social groups, organising communities for change, lobbying with local groups, government officials or other specialised groups, organising training programmes, raising ecological awareness, and even AIDS and family planning education. Many graduates with this specialisation are also involved in providing policy inputs at various levels of decision-making within government agencies, advocacy work for the disadvantaged sections and documentation of development activities. Organisations like CRY, Helpage India, UNICEF, Oxfam, CARE are always in need of committed individuals willing to serve the needs of others. Many professional social workers who have had sufficient experience start independent work as counsellors or therapists, providing correctional, educational, and legal support. Many have also set up their own NGOs. Skill set
However, this is one career where educational qualifications and academic criteria are not the only requirements. Since social work is primarily a practical, service-oriented profession, beside theoretical knowledge and practical skills, a bent of mind for service and an attitude of willingness to help is imperative. Those who wish to get into this field must have an intrinsic desire to help people; a firm commitment to the cause, no prejudices about class, culture, religion, and race, as well as the maturity and emotional stability to handle other people’s problems. But before you take the plunge, join a social service organisation, or volunteer with an NGO and help them in their work. It will give you the necessary experience to enable you to decide if this is the right career for you. The writer is a noted
career expert
|
