Social Work Intervention in Crises

I. The Origins, Rationale, Importance, and Historical and Social Context of the Concept of Social Work as an Applied Social Science 

The NASW Encyclopedia of Social Work, which discusses the history and evolution of the practice of Social Work, states emphatically that Social Work developed as a specialized discipline from the middle of the 18th century to the end of the 19th century, from societies organized to help the poor. The activities were developed by volunteers who acquired their skills and knowledge in a self-learning system. 

In 1765, Baudeau stated, according to his research findings, that out of a total of 18 million Frenchmen, three million were poor. According to the 1791 census, Paris had 118,884 destitute and 650,000 total number of inhabitants. During that year, the commission appointed by the National Assembly to study begging reported that, in normal times, about one-twentieth of the population of France lacked means and needed some assistance, while in times of hardship, this figure was as high as one-tenth to one-ninth of the population. Poverty was so widespread that the simple denomination of “people” was an essential component of the concept of poverty. In attempting to define “people,” in 1775, Necker said that it was impossible to fix the limits of this word or the degree of destitution that characterized the people. He concluded that the people could only be defined as the most numerous and miserable of all social classes (Rosen, 1984:94). 

Social work is rooted in society’s struggle to cope with poverty and its resulting problems. Therefore, social work is intricately linked with the idea of charity work. The concept of charity dates to antiquity, and providing for the poor has religious roots. For example, the Buddhist emperor Ashoka introduced a policy establishing welfare as a right for all citizens. However, the practice and profession of social work have a relatively modern (19th century) scientific origin. 

During the Middle Ages, the Christian church greatly influenced European society, and charity was considered a responsibility and a sign of piety. This charity was in the form of direct relief (e.g., giving money, food, or other material goods to alleviate a particular need) rather than trying to change the root causes of poverty.  

After the end of feudalism, the need arose for an organized system to care for the poor. In England, the Poor Law served this purpose. This system of laws classified the poor into different categories, such as the able, powerless, and idle poor, and developed different remedies. 

The 19th century marked the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. There was a great leap in technological and scientific achievement, but there was also a great migration to urban areas throughout the Western world. This led to many social problems, leading to increased social activism. Also, with the dawn of the 19th century came a