Introduction to Social Casework: Historical Development 1 ...ignou.ac.in/upload/bswe-02-block1-unit-1-small-size.pdf · Individuals in every society right from ancient times were

Introduction to Social Casework: Historical Development 1

1

Introduction to SocialCasework: Historical

Development* Hema Mehta

Introduction

All human beings are part of society and everyone inthe society has different social role and duties. Whileperforming his role and duties, individual faces manyproblems in one or other form, which hinder hisperformance as a social being. Casework is the oldestand the most developed method of solving individual’sproblems and improving his social relations. In this unitwe will discuss the concept of casework and itsusefulness in solving these problems. We will also studythe evolution and historical development of caseworkin the West and in India.

The Nature of Individual

Every individual is unique and his/her needs aredifferent from others in society. Consequently, thetreatment given or approach to one individual cannotbe used for the other individual. To understand humanbehaviour and the individual difference Grace Mathewhas given following proposition.

� An individual’s behaviour is conditioned by his/herenvironment and his/her life experiences.Behaviour refers to reacting, feeling, thinking, etc.Attributes of human being are not visible to others.

* Hema Mehta, Indore School of Social Work, Indore

2 Social Work Intervention with Individuals and Groups

The conditions and influences surrounding thepersons constitute the environment.

� For human growth and development it is essentialthat certain basic needs should be met. The basicneeds may be – physical and mental. Physical needsrefer to needs for food, shelter and clothing. Mentalneeds can be in the form of emotional security,need of parents, child, and spouse.

� Emotional needs are real and they cannot be metor removed through intellectual reasoning.

� Behaviour is purposeful and is in response to theindividual’s physical and emotional needs.

� Other people’s behaviour can be understood only interms of ones own emotional and intellectualcomprehension.

Each individual and every individual has his/her ownimportance. As every human beinghas his/her own setof qualities, he/she cannot be neglected.

Herbert Bisno described the following attributes ofindividual nature:

� Each individual by the very fact of his/her existenceis of worth.

� Human suffering is undesirable and should beprevented or at least alleviated, whenever possible.

� All human behaviour is the result of interactionbetween the biological organism and itsenvironment.

� Man does not naturally act in a rational manner.

� Man is amoral and asocial at birth.


� There are both individual and common humanneeds.

� There are important differences betweenindividuals and they must be recognized and allowedfor.

� Human motivation is complex and frequentlyobscure.

� Family relationships are of primary importance inthe early developments of individual.

� “Experiencing” is essential for learning process.

While these two attributes regarding individuals seemobvious at first glance they are often forgotten. Ourtendency to simplify events and our biases often preventsus from realizing the uniqueness of the individuals withwhom we are dealing. We often observe how individualswith different natures are treated using the commonapproach. For example, we hear people say that beggarshave no self-respect and are lazy. To avoid this mistakecaseworkers have to remind themselves that each clientwho comes to the agency has his own outlook, feelingsand attitudes. Their problems may have somesimilarities but has important differences. Thus thetreatment must be differentiated according to the needsof the individual. The caseworker should attempt tounderstand the client’s need and respond to him in anindividualized way according to his needs. Similarly thecaseworker should recognize the individual as importantsimply because he is human being. Professionalacceptance of clients by putting aside personal bias isan important requirement of the caseworker. Thecaseworker may have to deal with terrorists, criminalsand other deviants who he/she may personally dislike.


According to Maslow’s prioritization, needs can becategorized as follows:

� Physiological needs: This refers to basic needs offood, shelter, cloth, air, and water.

� Safety needs: It is the nature of human being thatit like to be on the safer side and avoid physicaldamage and hazards.

� Need for belongingness and love: Every humanbeing loves to be love and to belong a particulargroup and with the prestige in that group. If a personis deprived from parental love, affection of siblingsand peer group, there are chances of developmentof violent behaviour in him.

� Esteemed needs: It is general psychology of humanbeing that it like to be at the top position, to havestatus in the society and acceptance in his owngroup.

� Need for self-growth and identification: Afterfulfillment of above needs there is need foropportunities available to a person for self-growthand to prove his capabilities for his remarkableidentification in the society.

� Need for cognitive understanding of self and theworld around: When the person recognize himselfand the world around him it is said that all hisneeds are fulfilled. It is the top most need in theneed hierarchy, which governs the person atspirituality and very few persons achieve it.

We can say that each human being has a number ofneeds requiring satisfaction. If these needs are notfulfilled it may result in frustration followed by crisissituation. The caseworker has to understand the client’s


need in order to study, diagnose and to give treatmentaccording to his needs.

Problems Faced By Individual andFamilies

Problems may be caused due to the non-fulfillment ofneeds or inability to perform his social roles. Thesocial roles are connected with being a parent, spouseand wage-earning worker etc.

Causes of Human Problems

Problem of social functioning causes distress to theindividuals. These individuals are not to be consideredas a unit of category but a unique person. Caseworkmethod tries to resolve individual problems throughscientific approach.

According to Encyclopedia of Social Work Vol.1, thereason for human problems may be divided into fivecategories:

1) Lack of material resources

2) Misconception about the situation and relationshipsand lack of appropriate information

3) Illness or health problems related to a disability

4) Emotional distress resulting from stressfulsituations

5) Personality features or deficiencies

Grace Mathew undertook a survey of 200 caseworkrecords, which was based on the reports of caseworkservices rendered for the clients in India. From thesample obtained from Survey of Casework Record; theproblems can be categorized as follows:


1) Problems related to illness and disabilities

2) Problems due to lack of material resources

3) School related problems

4) Problems related to institutionalization

5) Behaviour problems

6) Problems of marital discord

7) Problem situations needing a follow-up service

8) Needs related to rehabilitation of peoplehandicapped by disabilities

9) Predicaments and difficulties of client caught up inproblems that have been regarded as social problemslike gambling, prostitution, alcoholism, drugaddiction and unmarried motherhood.

Types of Problem

In general we can categorize the problems faced byindividual as:

Figure: Problems Faced by IndividualsPsychological


Broadly we can say that in a society many problemsare associated with the individual and the prime aim ofcasework is to resolve individual problems in order tohelp him/her to be independent and effective in socialfunctioning.

Concept of Social Casework

In the words of Gordon and Hamilton “social caseworkwhich is both a tool and area of work consists ofprocesses which develop personality through adjustmentconsciously affect individual by individual between manand his social environment”. Miss Richmond gives thisdefinition of casework. “Social casework is art of doingdifferent things for and with different people bycooperating with them to achieve at one and at thesame time their own and their society’s betterment.”Thus it is both art and science of resolving individualproblems in social area, for individual and society areinterdependent and social forces influence behaviourand attitude of an individual.

The focus of each branch is different but the practice ofthese three branches is not mutually exclusive. Socialcasework is concerned with individual and hisadjustment to life and general social welfare. It doesnot concentrate on individual to the exclusion of socialfactors. In other words the basic objective of socialcasework is to promote social welfare with basic focuson individuals.

Basic Assumptions of Social Casework

The main work of social casework is to enable anindividual in solving a problem through self-efforts. Thesocial worker’s job is to provide adequate help andguidance. According to Hamilton the chief assumptionsof social casework are:


� Individual and society are interdependent andcomplimentary to each other.

� Various factors operative in the society influencehuman behaviour and attitude.

� Some problems are psychological and some areinterpersonal in nature.

� In the process of social casework conscious andcontrolled relations are established for achievingits aims.

� Social casework enables an individual to solve his/her problems by channelising his/her energy andcapacity positively.

� Social casework provides everyone equal right toprogress. It also provides help to every needy anddisabled person.

Philosophical Assumptions

The ultimate goal of social casework is to establishharmonious relationship between individual and thesociety to which he belongs. According to Grace Mathewthere are certain assumptions, which constitute thefundamental structure of social casework. They aregenerated out of the collective thinking and traditionsin casework.

These philosophical assumptions are:

� Every human being has to be considered as a personwith dignity and worth.

� Human beings are interdependent and it governstheir interaction in social groups.

� There are common human needs for growth anddevelopment of individuals. The existence of


common needs does not negate the uniqueness ofindividuals. Every individual is like all otherhuman beings in some aspects and like no otherindividuals in certain aspects.

� Every individual has within him/her, the potentialfor growth and achievement and he/she has a rightto the realization of this potential. From this it followsthat people has capacity to change.

� Society has an obligation to help those who do nothave the means for the realization of theirpotentials.

Historical Development of Casework inWest and India

Individuals in every society right from ancient timeswere helped by others to solve their problems. Allreligions encouraged the helping of the poor andhelpless people. Howeverit took professional shape inthe late 19th and early 20th century. To date the actualbeginning of social casework in west is impossible butsome important landmarks in its growth is given below.

Early Beginnings

The Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor(A.I.C.P.) formed in America in 1843 approached theproblem of poverty more individually than had beenpreviously it was. The aims of A.I.C.P. were to visit thepoor at homes, to give counsel, to assist them practicallyin obtaining employment, to instill in them self-respectand self-reliance, to inculcate the habits of economyand whenever absolutely necessary to provide suchrelief as should be suited to their wants.

The first professional School of Social Work was theNew York School established in 1898. The establishment


of this institution indicates that social work hadsufficiently large body of knowledge and skills by thattime. Further the need was felt for better trainedprofessionals as complicated modern problems could notbe handled in traditional ways.

1877s

The earliest organised effort in USA was theestablishment of American Charity Organisation Societyin 1877. One of the aims of the society was to find outthe ways and means of helping the poor and needy andthus to organise individualised service. The society usedvolunteers called “FRIENDLY VISITORS”. We will bestudying in detail about contribution of Friendly Visitorsin coming chapter of the same unit. The main plan ofthis organisation included the investigation of applicantsto assess the need, central registration, recording andrelief giving.

1914-1917

The first training programme for the casework startedat this time. Casework at this time was based more onmedical model. For sometime casework was onlyconfined to sick persons, i.e. a sick person to be treatedwas the priority.

The term “work with case” was used for the first timein national conference in USA. The first professionaltraining programme especially for the casework wasstarted in the form of summer training. The impact ofthis training programme resulted in the need for moresubstantial training and schools of social work attachedto the agencies came into existence. When these schoolsstarted regular training programme, they wererecognized as professionals.


Miss Richmond and Francis McLean, offered specializedservice to thousand of clients. Social casework journalof family service association grew out of efforts of thisgreat pioneer movement. The first book in case work“Social Diagnosis” was published in 1917 by MissRichmond.

Impact of First World War

Prior to First World War, major emphasis was given onthe social factor, which influenced individuals who hadproblems. The causes of these problems were found inthe environment and the larger social economicalpressure under which people lived. The primary basisof social casework was human behaviour.

The impact of Second World War was that social workbecame popular and a large number of people who hadnot been acquainted with it became familiar with it.Medical and psychiatric social workers were especiallyin demand during the war. Many men and women cameto know the meaning of social casework for the firsttime.

The First World War made a wide impact on socialcasework. Psychiatry in this period became important.The contribution of Freud and his follower influencedthe method employed by the caseworker in dealing withthe individuals. Child guidance clinic movement andtreatment, prevention of mental problem anddelinquency strengthened the psychological orientationof this approach.

1920s

At this time caseworker adopted the newpsychoanalytical approach to understand the client andtheir problems. These caseworkers found thepsychoanalytical theory and the concepts in psychology


very useful in casework movement. Thispsychoanalytical theory was given by Freud and knownas Freudian psychology made strong impact on casework.Thus it was the era of psychiatric development of socialwork. Focus of caseworker was on psychic forces withinthe individuals. Professionals also began to move intoother fields like prisons, school, etc.

In late 1920’s it was expected that client and his/herinvolvement in problem solution was essential for thesuccess of casework. At this time caseworker realizedthat more responsibilities should be given to individualsto make decisions of their life. In 1930 psychoanalyticalcontributions became very important and socialcaseworkers accepted the new method of dealing withclients.

Gradually several schools of thought developed withmany points in common and number of differences.These schools were based on the theory of SigmundFreud and Otto Rank.

1930s

It was the era of sudden changes in life-style that leadto economic depression. Casework had to consider theeconomic factors, which were causing distress to theclients. It was realized that economic distress couldlead to emotional disaster and breakdown. The socialand economic need of great differentiation refocusedsociological and reality consideration for social workand compiled action on the part of federal government.At this time many work programmes such as federalemergency relief act, the work progress administration,the public work administration and the civilianconservation corporation emerged. Thus major outcomeof the depression was establishment of governmentalpublic assistant programme. It relieved the voluntary


agencies from the task of providing economic help.Caseworker was able to devote more time in dealingwith clients inter personal problems.

1940s

The 1940s were dominated by the world war. Socialwork approaches emerged in the previous decade weretransformed by the changes in theory and practice.

Impact of Second World War

Social casework was greatly influenced by the eventsof Second World War. During the war there was increasein personal problems on the part of clients due tofinancial crises. Emotional problems also increased. Tomeet these needs and to solve these problems familyagencies were started.

1950s

In this era private practice in the social work began.Professional agencies were started growing in the fieldof case study. Now the caseworker started going tocommunity and the problems of community were takencare indirectly through solving individual problems. Itwas the period of resettlement, revaluation, andupgradation for social worker.

1960s

Here the most promising development increased stresson importance of research. The past overemphasis oneither environment or personality gave away theawareness of interdependence of these two factors. Inthis era social action was more focused to bring aboutchange in the society. Casework method adopted newtechniques and principles.


Current Trends

One of the current trends is shifting of caseworker fromolder and established agencies to newer andexperimental areas of social work. Caseworkers are nowmore aware of their own contribution to human welfare.As a profession it has now gained more popularity. Oneof the current trends is increased stress on theimportance of research. Also there is growing awarenessthat personality and environment are interdependent.

Importance of Casework as a Method: Casework inIndia

Indian culture and religions advocate the need to helpthe poor and needy. There is also a tradition ofknowledgeable individuals providing advice and supportto others, for example Krishna gave advice and supportto Arjun at the beginning of the Mahabharat war. TheHindu Shastras also emphasized on giving which maybe in the form of wealth, knowledge and wisdom. InBuddhism help should be given to relatives and friends.In Islam alms was given by the fortunate to the Stateand used for welfare of needy. Christian missionariesin India also started activities which aimed at helpingthe poor. But these efforts were paternalistic in natureand did not aim at making the individual independent.Further, the relationship in these instances was notprofessional. Thus there exists an important differencebetween modern professional casework and traditionalhelping of needy individuals.

Education of social workers in India started with thetraining of volunteers engaged in charity and reliefactivities. In 1911 N.M. Joshi had established SocialService League in Mumbai. This league conductedtraining programme for volunteers who are at theservice of people suffering from famines, epidemics,


floods and such other disasters and also who conductedwelfare programmes among the poor and the destitute.The first professional social workers who did caseworkin the Indian settings were trained in the AmericanSchool of Social Work. In 1936 Sir Dorabji Tata GraduateSchool of Social Work, now known as Tata Institute ofSocial Science (TISS), was started to impart training tothose who had a University degree in the field of socialservice. Thus, the training for the social work waschanged into a full time career oriented educationalprogramme. Casework as a theoretical course and as amethod of practice in the academic programme startedfrom the year 1946. Initially social casework waspracticed in relatively few agencies and institutions butnowadays social casework is practiced in manyagencies, institutions and organisation such ashospitals, clinics, courts, industry, military organisation,family welfare agency, child welfare agency, institutionfor the aged, destitute, orphans etc.

Major Landmarks in the History ofCasework Development

Contribution of Friendly Visitor

As we discussed earlier the term Friendly Visitors wasfirst used in 1877 by American Charity OrganisationSociety for its volunteers. Citizens of England with theobject of helping poor people founded this society. Thesepeople had funds to help poor and needy. They werekindhearted volunteers who visited poor families toassess their needs and to provide help, guidance andadvice. They made their visits in act of charity and notexpecting any monetary rewards. They collected dataabout the needy individuals and families and helpedthem after assessing their needs.


There were hundreds and hundreds of volunteers whomade their visits to the home of poor and broughtwhatever they could in the way of understanding,sympathy, encouragement and general goodwill. Therole of Friendly Visitor was educational one and goalwas to improve the character through personalinfluence. Living advice and being model were twomethods by which the visitor influenced the client andthere can be no doubt that some of them did exert awholesome personality influence in difficult personaland family situation. However, there was comparativelylittle consciousness or the analysis of factors at workin the relationship. At the same time it was probablythrough the efforts of Friendly Visitors that the conceptof scientific charity evolved and seeds of social caseworkwere sown. The visitor found that the problem of allpoor people is not alike and they should not be treatedin the same manner.

The term Friendly Visitors was subsequentlysupplemented by the term “Paid Agents”. These PaidAgents developed systematic procedures in performingtheir task. They collected data about the needyindividuals and families and helped them after assessingtheir needs. Paid Agents also maintained recordsincluding personal data and the type of help given toclients. The collective experience of Friendly Visitorsand Paid Agents facilitated the understanding of humanbehaviour.

With the development of Schools of Social Work, FriendlyVisitors received training and instructions about themethod of investigation, diagnosis and treatment fromexperienced social worker.

Contributions of Mary Richmond

In the previous chapter we discussed that the beginningof professional casework is associated with publicationof Mary Richmond’s book “Social Diagnosis”.


In the words of Richmond “Social diagnosis is theattempt to arrive at as exact a definition as possible ofsocial situation and personality of the given client”. Shewas interested in the formation of methodology ofhelping clients. She visualized a diagnostic summarywith following three headings:

� Difficulties defined

� Factors Causal

� Assets and liabilities

Richmond knew that the facts, which were observedand inferred, are not always scientifically reliable.Richmond tried to answer the following questions.‘‘Whoarrives at diagnosis? what are the basis of influence?how reliable is the worker’s judgment and the facts onwhich they are based?”

Richmond found that diagnosis is a process consistingsequence of steps in order to facilitate the worker toarrive finally at his/her definition of social situationand personality of client. The sequence of steps was asunder:

� Interview with client

� Contact with his family and near ones

� Search of inside and outside sources for cooperation

� The interpretation of information collected

Interview with Client

According to Richmond the primary step is to know thepersonality of the individual and to study his/her lifeclosely, which can be done by interviewing him/herabout his/her family background, family doctor, health


agencies, schools, past and present employers,residence and neighbourhood. Interviewer’s aim is tocollect information regarding the sources for furtherinformation. Richmond also described the objectives ofthe worker for the interview, which are to:

� give the client fair and patient hearing.

� establish mutual understanding on good basis.

� secure clues about other source of information.

� begin the slow process of developing self-help andself-reliance.

Contact with his Family and Near Ones

In the critical contact with the family, Richmond sawthe need of an individual not only for assessing thepersonality, diagnosis of problem but also to develop arelationship with other members of the family.Richmond felt that attention should be given to familycohesion, unity of family and the capacity of familymembers toward affection, enjoyment and socialdevelopment, children’s ambitions and aptitude,interference of relatives and difference in role were tobe noted.

Search of Inside and Outside Sources for Collaboration

Outside source of information to make diagnosisincluded social agencies, churches, doctors and healthagencies, present and former neighbours, relatives,friends, present and past employers, school and publicrecord, etc. and inside sources like his/her willpower,confidence, self-reliance, attitude etc.

Miss Richmond recommended that the worker gaininformation from this outside source and he/she goesfirst to those sources which were likely to influence


his/her personality and the most prominent factors inclient’s history.

The Interpretation of Information Collected

The collected data from the above sources wasconsidered as raw material for diagnosis. Suchinterpretation is arrived through the careful weighingof evidence and critical comparison. Social evidence wasdefined Richmond as “all facts as to personal or familyhistory are taken together indicates the nature of agiven clients in social difficulties and means to theirsolutions”. She also recognized that the client’s ownhopes, plans and attitude towards life are moreimportant than any other information.

Richmond made the first exclusive effort to analysecasework process. This was the first truly professionalapproach in casework. The contribution of Richmondhas always been held in respect by modern caseworkerbecause of many reasons. It contains the concept ofself-determination which has become very importantin modern casework philosophy.

Richmond’s interest was dual. On the one hand it wasa social and on the other hand it was psychological. Itwas concluded that forces within the individuals andoutside him/her influence his/her behaviour and his/her nature in the society. Richmond attempted tocombine this dual interest and she suggested that thereought to be a profession called “Sociatry”.

Contribution of Freudian Theory

As mentioned earlier during the First World War muchthe influence of psychiatry became strong. Before theadvent of psychiatry Social Casework was practiced asan active art. The caseworker investigated, diagnosedand administered the social services. After being


influenced by Freudian theory, social caseworker alsoprovided individual therapy. Feelings, emotions,attitudes, repressed conflicts and the dealing with theunconscious became an integral part of Social Caseworkunderstanding and method. Gradually, social workcurriculums in the West include psychiatry.

Freudian Theory

Today, as in the past, many social workers---not onlythose who specialize in psychoanalysis---draw onFreudian theory in their efforts to understand humanbehaviour. In 1918, the first psychoanalytically orientedschool of social work, Smith College School for SocialWork, was founded to teach students about SigmundFreud’s ideas and their application to practice,particularly in the treatment of WWI veterans’ sufferingfrom trauma due to their war experience. Freud’sinfluence is found in many areas of casework. Hisgreatest influence was however on caseworker- clientrelationship. Previously clients were persuaded,convinced or even coerced into accepting the caseworkersuggestions and ideas. But now the caseworker workerwith client by listening and honoring the client’s self-expression.

Informally, a few psychoanalysts did provide trainingand supervision to social workers and in 1948 socialworkers were first accepted at the psychoanalyticinstitutes of the National Psychological Association forPsychoanalysis, and the Postgraduate Centre for MentalHealth, both in New York. Organisations such as theAmerican Psychoanalytic Association, which earlier hadprevented social workers, dropped their prohibitionsagainst admitting social workers.

The basic concepts of Freudian theory is as mentionedbelow:


Unconscious Mind

Through his experience with hypnosis and study ofdreams, Freud found a word of hidden mentality, whichhe called the “Unconscious”. Many of the social workersthat came into contact with Freud’s concept ofunconsciousness, and psychiatry began to introducethese concepts into social work.

Ambivalence

Thinking of men is divided into two parts and Freudnoted that these two parts were often in conflict witheach other. To understand the ambivalence heexplained that, onecould love and hate simultaneously,one could have fear and courage at the same time etc.

The Past

Freud observed that there were many conflicts betweenpast experience and present attitude of a person. Thatis why to treat the conflict one should know the historyof conflict.

Transference

Transference refers to any distortion of a presentrelationship because of unresolved (and mostlyunconscious) issues left over from early relationship.

Resistance

Resistance refers to the resistance to interpretation oftransference.

The Chief Conception of Freud are:

1) Unconscious mind is the determinant behaviour.

2) Ambivalence in feeling and attitude.


3) Past experience determines the present behaviourof the person.

4) The recognitions of the phenomenon of transferencein psycho-therapy

5) Resistance to interpretation of transference to bedealt in all helping process.

Freud’s three disciples Alfred Adler, Carl Jung and OttoRank have developed schools of their own. Adler wasinstrumental in establishing the first child guidanceclinic in Vienna. Adler introduced the system of“individual psychology”. Jung has given analyticalpsychology and emphasized a relationship with thetherapist and therapeutic factor. Otto Rank practicedas a therapist and wrote extensively on technical aswell as on cultural aspects of psychoanalysis and givesemphasis on psychotherapeutic philosophy.

Value of Social Casework within theSphere of Social Work

We know that Social Casework as method of social workaims at helping individual to solve his/her problem inthe society to perform in better way and to enhancehis/her own capabilities. The basic unit of society isindividual. If individuals are satisfied in their life andefforts are made to minimize maladjustment then itleads to formation of peaceful society. Society isconsisting of individual.

Every profession has a tested body of knowledge for it’sown growth and development. This body of knowledgeshould be easily understandable and communicable andshould include principles, techniques, method,procedure, tools and terminology of its own. The socialwork as profession has developed a body of knowledge,


which include method and tools, and terminology of itsown. In the sphere of social work, casework as a methoddemands a dual orientation. Firstly orientation inhuman psychology, secondly orientation in knowingcultural force of the society in which it works.

Initially Social Casework was practiced in a fewagencies and institutions but it has been increasinglyutilized in newer settings. Today there are manyagencies, institutions and organisations, whichfrequently use social casework. It is practiced inhospitals, clinics, courts, industries, militaryorganisations, family welfare agencies both governmentand voluntary, immigrant agencies, day nurseries andschools, adoption agencies, child guidance clinics,hygiene organisation, health organisation and others.

Conclusion

In this chapter, we have studied the concept of caseworki.e. casework for individual and general welfare, basicand philosophical assumptions of casework, itsfunctioning in the society etc. We further studied thehistorical development of casework in West, its roots inthe form of concept of charity, then its journey fromfriendly visitors to modern professional caseworkers.Then we studied the development of casework in India.Contribution of “Buddhism”, “Maurya”, “Islam”, Britishperiod in historical development of casework andstarting of professional social work with establishmentof schools of social work in India. We also studied theimpact of World Wars, Friendly visitors, contributionsof Mary Richmond and Freud in the history of caseworkdevelopment.

Apart from the above topics we also studied about theindividual needs i.e. his/her basic needs, physical


needs, psychological needs etc. and about the distresscaused by non-fulfillment of needs. Then we discussedabout the problems faced by individuals and families intheir day-to-day life and the role of caseworker inresolving the problem, then the scope of casework insocial work. Casework as a tool of dealing with individualhas become an important method of social work.

References

Hamilton, Gordon (1940), “Theory and Practice of SocialCase Work, Columbia University Press, New York.

Mathew, Grace (1991), An Introduction to Social Work, TataInstitute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Richmond Mary (1917), Social Diagnosis, Russell SageFoundation, New York.

Scope & Methods of the Family Service Agency (1953),Family Service Association of America, New York.

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Introduction to Social Casework: Historical Development 1 ...ignou.ac.in/upload/bswe-02-block1-unit-1-small-size.pdf · Individuals in every society right from ancient times were