International Social Work

Susan Varghese, Ph.D., CRC

Profession of Social Work

• Own Experience• People are not really aware about social work as a

profession- still focus on professions of medicine, engineering and MBA.

• Lack of licensure and unified code of ethics, social workers themselves are not able to present a unified front, advocacy for the profession is not easy

• The salaries are extremely low • No Benefits, often overworked and underpaid• Want this to be interactive so please ask questions

Social Work in India• First university with a course in Social Work started in 1930s in

Bombay (now known as Mumbai). The Tata Institute of Social Sciences started the post-graduate degree in Social Work - offers specializations

• However in India the law does not limit the use of the term social worker to a professional social worker - confused with volunteering

• No licensing procedures yet - limited number of professional organizations

• There is not much autonomy for social workers to make radical changes. The degree of autonomy is determined by the larger bureaucratic setting - (Work in vadala). Slum Dog Millionaire - same slum. Many cultural and social factors.

Culture and Social Work

• India is a diverse country-– Population - 1 billion– Religion- 80 percent are Hindus, 2 percent are Sikhs, 14

percent Muslims, 2.4 percent Christians – Languages- 22 major languages, and 22,000 local dialects.

• Urban-Rural Divide- 80 percent in rural areas, 20% in urban areas.

• Caste system is still prevalent in the rural areas• Women are at a lower position in society though that

is constantly evolving especially in urban areas.

Culture and Social Work• Role of family in India - Counseling more with group/family

than individual counseling – KRIPA - family counseling• Both culture and religion dictate the importance of family• Aging is not seen as a problem. Elderly often are given the

most respect in a family and are authority figures- Joint family system

• Interventions are often influenced by stereotypes, beliefs about cause of illnesses, religious beliefs- Doctor patient relationship study

• Hindu religion- karma (cause of their problems is often determined by fate)

Challenges faced by a Social Worker

• Position of authority thereby making self-determination very difficult. Clients expect to be told what to do. They do not question social workers’ suggestions.

• Stigma and stereotypes are widely attached to accessing social services.

• Issues like alcohol/drug abuse, child abuse, domestic violence are often underreported.

Challenges Faced by Social Workers

• Clients are not always comfortable talking about relationships especially family

• Lack of resources makes a social worker’s role very difficult. One needs to find solutions within the limited resources (Earthquake in Gujarat).

• Politics which is closely tied to religion has a big influence on what goals can be achieved.

Differences in Counseling Between India and USA

• Client-Centered approach in the USA versus Counselor-Directed approach in India

• Differences in family involvement

• Penn State experience - campus town, diversity