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Social Work : An Ordeal
Social work is a philantropic activity for which certain
individuals always have a special flair. Such individuals work tirelessly to serve the
persons who need sympathy, attention and remedy for their problems which have surrounded
them. Such persons are called Social Workers. A social worker is always eager to help
persons in difficulties. The humanitarian consideration motivates an individual to help
his fellow human beings who are facing some problems in their lives. The impulses serving
the humanity have been prevailing in the human civilization through the ages. However,
during the middle of the 20th Century, particularly after the Second World War, many
agencies came with programmes for rendering social services in more organised way. Hence
many such organizations, institutions and agencies developed throughout the world. After
the Second World War which witnessed the destruction of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the
world's political leaders came to their proper senses and realised that they must serve
the humanity before it was too late.
Hence, they added some additional branches for doing welfare services
on international levels e.g. ILO (International Labour
Organisations), UNESCO (United Nations Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organisation) UNICEF (United Nations Children
Fund) and other such agencies which are meant for human welfare at the
international level. But then inspite of all these agencies, the spirit of individual
social worker, who wants to work on his own, remains the same and is faded out. He works
day in and day out to relieve a person who is in trouble, or to work for the upliftment of
the whole society by providing medical, educational, financial and other services.
He works selflessly and expects no return. He joins no institution nor
aspires for any higher rank or file in the hierarchy of a social welfare organizations. He
is a sincere, selfless and honest social worker. However, in the present days a true
social worker has to go through a great ordeal. The politiking of social work has made the
task of sincere worker more difficult. A political man finds an entry into politics
through social work. He generously donates to public welfare institutions like orphanages
and hospitals, schools, etc. His motive is to make his image in the society and create the
public opinion in support of his political aims. Such trend in the social work has left a
real social worker all alone.
He cannot take his independent decision or use his own initiative. But
somehow, he wants to work and therefore, he works and sooner or later he is exploited by
the selfish individuals aspiring for political and other key and selfish positions. He is
used for their ends and thus he has no satisfaction in doing the social work. People
criticise him for every thing he does for the society. A tru social worker is always a
controversial person.
People expect too much from him. He is considered "ALL
IN ONE" and he is referred for every little work including even
visiting the doctor or hospital for bargaining the fees on behalf of patient's relatives.
A social worker many a times has to remain within the structure of the organization, where
his survival is a challenge. Therefore, in order to survive in an organization he is
obliged to contest for representation and fight elections. His attitude is thus
politicised. His social work is now polluted with political or self motivations. he feels
pressurised under the obligation of his voters. The very spirit pf social work is now seen
absent in him. The voters think that they have obliged him by bringing him on the hot
seat; therefore, they expect him to be a perfect man without any flaws. He is answerable
to voters who assess him and review his performance.
Now again, this assessment is not very scientific. It is politically
incited which results into hot arguments, criticism and a lot of misgivings. The whole
system of social work today is based on local group politics. A real social work is an
ordeal. The dilema is that a sincere worker alone cannot serve the society; for every
authority - government or non governmental - reponds only to organised social workers
working under a banner of some organization, and by joining an organization he cannot save
himself from group politics, ujust criticism, false findings, false accusations and
various such factors which are the depressing evils that he has to carry on with as his
share of award for his sincere emotions and feelings to serve the people.
Thus is the ordeal of a social worker. The remedy for such negativism
and demorlization of sincere workers lies in the reverse process and that is the social
work should enter in the politics instead politics entering into social work. But then
reversing the process in the present order is not an easy affair. It needs the challenge
of attitude which seems very difficult. It is for us to change our attitude towards social
work and the social workers.
Let us encourage the honorary services that the social workers are
offering to the society. Let there be no unjust criticism to them and let us highlight
their services which would ultimately result in upliftment of the society and the
community.
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