Social work: a dissenting profession

Shirley Cooper, MS, is Chief Psychi atric Social Worker, Department of Psychiatry, Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center, San Francisco, California. "In times of change and danger, tion: "Social work is . "Social when there is a quicksand of fear unwork aims . "Social work ad der man's reasoning . we all seek dresses . 2 I stand with Meyer, definition, order, and coherence.1 Yet, who asserts, "It is not possible to offer comforting certainties no longer exist, a single and definitive answer," adding Precisely because those of us in social that social work work have been centrally concerned ■ . , , , , . is an institutionalized expression with the major social and psychology , . , . , . „ . r 1 ° of society s interest in meeting corn eal problems of our times, our profesmon human needs> but the di_ sion has been particularly susceptible lemmas and questions that arise from to scientific and social winds that blow this simple definition have plagued so in all directions at once. Our history cial scientists, social workers and poli is replete with sharp dissension, opposticians for at least 100 years.3 ing and conflicting mandates and ne cessities, short social sanction, inadeRapoport, after attempting a variety of quate budgets, and little control over definitions, finally comments: "What our own turf. In this context we work, we do is what we are. " 4 But Rapoport aware that the limits of our knowledge a superb example of the creative and influence permit us to do little mind at work—never ended her ef more at times than offer Band-Aids for f°rts t0 clarify the concepts, tools, and festering wounds which we alone canvalues central to our common work, not heal. We search for conceptual realizing that only on the run could clarity, a coherent sense of self, and she capture glimpses of our reality, a cohesive sense of purpose. Other Alert to the limits of definition, she professions bind anxiety about their knew that our profession was a living, uncertainties with greater societal auconstantly changing, and developing thority and prestige. Not so for social Idd influenced deeply by our peculiar work. Like some barely balanced "fidrelationship to society, dler on the roof," our profession strugSince definitions often give us gles to retain sense, style, and sanity, merely the illusion of control, perhaps It is hard to maintain intellectual init will be more useful to delineate the tegrity and humanism, and when distinctive stresses and tensions under change blurs focus, harder still to which our work occurs. Using the retain competence and definition. clinical perspective, let us consider We ask ourselves repeatedly: Who where we are, how we have come to are we? How are we? Who values us? our "here and now," the conflicts we Where do we belong? What can we face, the compromise resolutions we contribute that is distinctive? Where have tried, the way we—as we are are we going? How can we shape our now fond of saying—interface with direction? And still the essential nasociety. We may come to no certainty ture of our profession remains elusive, hy this route either, yet we are forced We do not work in the same settings, to act even when we understand only we perform many different tasks, we partially what is possible, proper, and use a vast array of different tools and valued. Nor will this route fully ad interventions, we are seen differently dress the questions we have been asked by others and influenced heavily by to consider. The prophecy of Parme these perceptions, we use many thenides remains timely: ories and not always the same ones, while some among us even resist the But you shall also learn how it was , , . , , that elusive opinion, forcing its way idea that any theory is particularly through all thingS; was destined to pass useful. At times, we question whether for tbe reaj we are a profession at all, let alone one profession. Crazy patchwork quilt or evolving, discernible design. Even the professional labels we attach vary: Social work has always suffered the BS, BSW, MSW, MSSW, DSS, DSW, Janus fate. Janus, the double-faced Ph.D., ACSW, LCSW, RSW. god of gateways, turned one face to We have tried the route of definiward January, while the other looked DUALITIES OF SOCIAL WORK