Discuss the extent to which social work can be considered a profession - Essay Example

Social work also entices creation of favorable societal conditions to their goals (Zastrow, 2009:27). Social work subsists in the society, to supply gentle and effective group, individual, family, community, and societal-social services, to enhance and improve both social functioning and the quality of life. Social work can be, classified as both academic and professional exercise, involving life and health, and environmental development (Segal, Gerdes, and Steiner, 2010:62) Social work as a profession consists of two aspects: the macro practice and the micro practice.

The micro practice involves assisting individuals suit better in own environment. On the other hand, macro practices involve changing of the environment to suit individual who live in it (Segal, Gerdes, and Steiner, 2010:71). Social work is explained as, both professional and academic exercise that hunts to develop and recover the value of life and health of individuals, a group, or community. The social workers target to improve lives of individuals and as well the society as a whole. Social work can be termed a career, though exciting and challenging.

There exist two kinds of social workers. First is direct-service social workers and second type is clinical social workers. The direct-service social workers are those who assist people resolve and survive with problems in their lives while clinical-service social workers diagnose and cure behavioral, mental or psychological and emotional matters. Social work is somewhat of recent origin with first welfare agencies formed by early 1800s mostly in urban areas (Zastrow, 2010:110). Originally, these agencies were founded from religious groups, and were more of private focusing on providing physical basic needs like shelter and food.

These ancient private agencies also made attempts of treating private and sensitive complexities with religious rebukes. The examples of these agencies