Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-27
KENNETH L. NJ. PRAY
On Social Work as a Profession


"SOCIAL work is no longer confined to
~ the outpouring Of sympathy, kindness
and neighborly feeling on the part of those
have not. but is rapidly though gradually
being raised to the level of the learned
profession.' says Kenneth l.. NJ. Pray,
director of the Pennsylvania School of So
cial and Health Work.
''There is a growing consciousness on
the part of social workers. both those en-
ployed and paid and those who are in a po.
siton to volunteer their services without
pay" said Mr.. Pray, that, in the work
We are all trying to accomplish something
more Is required than desire to help that
there Is body of principles and methods
which protect the worker against blunders
and protect the client against bad advice.
These principles and methods, now recog-
nized and accepted. indicate at least the
possibility Of developing a profession OF
social work.
DISTINGUISHED From an Occupation
"A profession, as distinguished from an
occupation, is marked chiefly by three
things. The first Is conception OF the
task which makes service to society the
principal objective as contrasted with the
mere making of a living. The second char
acter!stic is the fact that successful work
depends upon the possession OF body OK
knowledge and OF technical ski which can
ysed experience and not merely by casual
observation and by trial and error.
'"The third essential characteristic Of n
profession Is in the fact that 1t requires n
larger degree Of Independence and initiative
and does not consist in merely following out
another's orders or OF routine performances
Of tasks in which the worker has no real
Opportunity to work out his own plans.
Judged by these standards. social work
ia clearly developing professional character.
stics. As for the first test, 1t is clear that
few now enter social work for any other
reason than devotion to social welfare as
an ideal and to social work as n means of
serving society. Equal effort and ability
applied to many other fields would bring
greater financial rewards
knowledge and Technique
"That there is n body of knowledge and
a set Of techniQucs which are deemed essen
tial for effective social work is shown by
the rapid growth in the number and impor-
tance Of training schools for social workers.
scarcely fifteen years ago, 1t was one OF only
two or three In the whole country today
there are thirty or forty firmly established
and rapidly growing institutions OF this KIND,
many of them with academic standing fully
equal TO that of leading colleges and uni
vcrsities, and probably half of them rated
os most graduate schools or departments.
."Tbese schools have arisen to meet a de-
rrond on the part of the social agencies
Themselves for trained workers. This de-
mond is the clearest proof that efficient So
riol work requires learning and skill Of
cxactly the same general character as the
other professions. though not the same kind,
VI Another indication of the same fact is
tho rapid growth of what may he called
tbe technical literature Of social work The
nrocesses methods and techniques Of the
iwar;ous types Of social work are being ana
iw,ed more and more clearly. As result.
,bere is growing up n body Of organized
Lmow,cdrc which soon will be Hs necessary
nort of the equipment Of the social worker
" 10 ' ore the elementary treatises and COM
rnen,aries mn on law and medicine in the equip
ment Of professional workers IN these fields.
Adjusting Human Relationships
"The third test Of social work as a pro-
fsssion is nlso being met and passed by at
least considerable number OF social work
ara in every community. The task OF
admsting human relationships. of dealing
Win and helping to develop personalities Is
ho;np differentiated from other fields Of work
With human beings, and more and more
social workers are required TO accept nde-
nendent responsibility for the results of
their particular work quite apart from the
responsibility OF teacher. physician, LAWYER
or any other professional group.
''social workers realize, Of course, the
necessity Of relying upon specialists In han.
ding special problems, like those Of health,
for example, and they turn constantly to