Challenges Facing Social Work - Term Paper Example

It makes use of theories of human behavior, as well as social systems. Principles of social justice and human rights are essential to social work. Social workers have a duty to encourage social justice, with regards to the society and people with whom they work. This means that: social workers have a duty to fight negative discrimination on grounds of characteristics like age, ability, culture, sex or gender, marital status, political opinions, socio-economic status, skin color, sexual orientation, racial or other physical characteristics, or even spiritual beliefs.

Social workers have a duty to make sure that resources are distributed fairly and equally according to their need. Social work, however, has its downfalls (Social Work, 1968). This paper will talk about a number of economic, social and political challenges that social work faces. Supporting Point 1 The Unites States Bureau of Labor Statistics set the average income of family, child plus school social workers at $43,000 in 2008 (Sheldon & Macdonald, 2009). This income differed all across states and even cities.

Beginning social workers are also dismayed to find that this average salary is considerably little. For instance, a Child Protection Service professional in the state of Arizona is paid a starting salary that ranges from $33,312 to $38,855. In addition, the higher figure applies only to those professionals with superior degrees or many years of working experience. Poverty is one of the leading issues facing social workers today in the United States. Individuals need funds to help them meet their fundamental needs that are as simple as food, shelter, as well as clothing.

Social workers, due to their low income, lack funds to help them cater for some of these fundamental needs (Sheldon & Macdonald, 2009). These situations can arise from long-term unemployment, lack of medical or dental insurance, lack of job opportunities in an area or being paid low wages that do not mirror the recent cost of living. These workers face the challenge of coping with rising poverty with a diminishing pool of funds as well as resources from federal, as well as state government. Also, social workers are not provided with adequate resources for working.

They, at times, use their own personal funds to carry out their tasks. This is discouraging and can cause the social worker to pull away from his or her occupation. Companies are unable to adapt to the economical challenges that are facing the society today. Hence, they leave the huddles to social workers to perform their tasks with either fewer funds or personal funds (Sheldon & Macdonald, 2009). The number of social workers has dropped due to these huddles. Supporting Point 2 The goals of social work are to assist families, individuals, communities, plus groups of persons who are socially deprived.

They contribute to the formation of circumstances that will improve social functioning, as well as prevent breakdown. Assessment of social work practice has long been renowned by the profession as a complement of its claim to professional competence (Van, 2010). Nevertheless, objective evaluation of the efficiency of social work has faced issues alike to those of other therapeutic and helping professions. The society does not fully recognize these social workers. Most people perceive social workers as people who have nothing better to do but just waste their time assisting people who do not wish to be assisted.

People, however, with social