Turning passion into a profession

Do you like interacting with people? Do you have the urge to help the disadvantaged and the underprivileged? If your response to the above questions is in the affirmative, welcome to the challenging and exciting profession of social work.

Social work as a career may appear a misnomer to many who equate social work to charity and philanthropy. Social work is a professional discipline that seeks to facilitate the welfare of individuals, communities and the society at large. Social work has emerged as one of the most demanding professions in India in the last few decades. It has become a body of knowledge, is taught as an academic discipline in institutions, and has a large number of people working in the sector.

As a social worker, you will provide services to people in all walks of life and in all kinds of situations. The range of settings in which you might serve is wide and varied. At some point in your career, you could serve in a child-protection agency, or aid couples whose relationships are faltering or help those addicted to alcohol and drugs. Besides, as a social worker, you can act as an advocate for persons who have experienced discrimination due to racism or sexism. You could also serve in a school system or a university counselling centre. You might counsel individuals suffering from mental illness or provide psychosocial services to persons dealing with physical illness.

You may function in a crisis intervention capacity for a suicide prevention service. You might work in a residential setting for youth offenders, a prison for adults, or a psychiatric institution. Moreover, you might serve in an industry consulting with employers and employees about problems that affect their well-being and productivity. Such diversity is overwhelming.

Academics

To start a career in social work, you can enroll for the three-year Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) programme and then pursue Master’s in Social Work (MSW). In India, you can also directly opt for MSW if you are a graduate in any discipline. You can also opt for distance education programmes of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

Since the establishment of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai in 1936, institutes offering social work have mushroomed in India. As per estimates, there are over 350 institutes or departments offering social work education across the country, with Karnataka having the largest number (over 70).

An essential component of social work training at all levels is fieldwork. While classroom sessions provide theoretical knowledge, fieldwork enables learning-by-doing, a component essential for professional development.

Wide scope

Since the field of social work is broad and varied, it has been categorised into four broad areas: working with communities, medical and psychiatric social work, working with families, women and children, and working with offenders. With regard to employment, the three broad avenues include the government sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international organisations. Professional social workers can be found in administrative, management and policy planning positions in various government departments and NGOs. International organisations also provide a number of opportunities in social work.

Social workers can find employment in various settings. In hospitals and health centres, social workers work in psychiatric wards, child guidance clinics and other areas of medical social work. They also play an important role in alcohol and drug de-addiction centres, remand homes, orphanages, old-age homes, family service agencies and palliative care institutions. In the education sector, social workers get employed as school social workers and counsellors. In community-related organisations, social workers carry out the roles of community organisers and field extension workers. In the corporate sector, human resource(HR) specialisation students get remunerative jobs as HR professionals and management consultants.

Aptitude

Social work calls for maturity in terms of understanding and thinking. You need to be able to rise above your personal preferences and prejudices and be ready to accept people for what they are. Social work is a rewarding career for those who have an interest in working with people, and in addressing social issues. The field depends on your aptitude and attitude and is for those who look for a career that brings greater meaning and satisfaction. A great amount of empathy, patience as well as the ability to participate in adverse situations is essential for this profession.

To sum up, social work is a growing profession today with career opportunities in various fields — from tribal to corporate sectors. The real satisfaction is being able to serve humanity and work for the underprivileged.

(The author is dean, School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru)