Social work is the definition of the essence of content. The concept and essence of social work

Annotation.The topic is devoted to the study of the essence and content of social work in modern conditions of political and socio-economic development Russian Federation and its links with state social policy. The features of social work in the context of modernization of modern Russian society are determined.

Purpose:to acquaint students with the peculiarities of social work as a social phenomenon, while social work is conceptually viewed as a system of theoretical and practical activity, which is based on a certain scientific and methodological basis and is an organic unity of theory and practice.

The Russian Federation, being a social state according to the Constitution, implements social policy, focusing on national interests and coordinating its activities with economic, foreign and defense policies. This policy is aimed at meeting the individual needs of citizens for housing, education, medical care, and social protection. For its successful functioning, society also needs to maintain civil accord and public order. Therefore, with the help of social policy, the state creates a system to support the family, making it easier for them to care for children, the elderly and the sick.

Thus, social policy is an integral part of the internal policy of the state aimed at the realization of civil rights, freedoms and needs of citizens and embodied in social programs and the practice of regulating social relations in society.

The subjects of social policy are the state, which carries out its socio-political activities through the functioning of state power, and the authorities of the federal, regional and local levels.

From the point of view of the object of the application of efforts, social policy is focused on solving the problems of various categories of the population in need of social support and state assistance.

The elements of the implementation of social policy are social security, social assistance, social protection, social work. The main one is social work, which directly in practice implements the principles of social policy.

Social policy and social work are closely interconnected. Both are characterized by two interdependent aspects: scientific and cognitive and practical and organizational. Social work is a peculiar form, a way of implementing social policy, and social policy is a pivot, a benchmark social work... Social policy is a broader concept that defines the aspects of social work. In contrast to social work, it is more stable and stable. Social work is more dynamic, mobile, rich in content in comparison with social policy. At the same time, their unity is indissoluble. What is social policy, so is social work. Implementation of the content, forms and methods of social

work is wholly and completely determined by social policy. At the same time, social work - activities for social protection, support and assistance to socially vulnerable groups and groups, individual citizens, the population as a whole - cannot but affect (ultimately) the guidelines of social policy, its goals and objectives.

Usually social work is seen as an activity aimed at providing assistance and support to socially vulnerable groups of the population. However, it can (and should) be considered as an activity to prevent negative consequences in the behavior and life of individuals, groups, and strata of the population.

In the most general form, social work in society is understood as a systemic humanitarian activity aimed at providing social protection, social assistance, self-realization of an individual and a collective.

Social work as an independent type of professional activity, it was recognized in Russia in 1991. The prerequisites for its formation and development are guardianship, charity, various forms of social assistance and support for a person who finds himself in a difficult life situation, which took place in Russia at all stages of its historical development. The official “birth” of the profession “social work”, its registration in the Qualification Handbook of Positions of Managers, Specialists and Employees is a legal formalization of what has been accumulated by theory, practice, and the history of the peoples of Russia.

In practical terms, social work is an activity carried out by a professionally trained specialist to provide assistance to people who need it, who are not able to solve their life problems without outside help (personal, family, group, production, etc.).

The main purpose of social work is to ensure a decent material, social and cultural standard of living for citizens, to restore, if necessary, their ability to function in society.

Professional social work presupposes the protection of needs, interests, human dignity, and individual rights to a decent life.

The main signs and characteristics of social work are: purposefulness, objectivity and transformative character, determinism by social conditions and a preventive character.

Thus, the goals of social work reflect its constructive nature and multifaceted content. Basically, they are aimed at creating the social conditions necessary for the normal functioning of society; activation of clients' own forces to solve difficult social problems; helping those who are not able to cope with their life problems on their own.

Social work is a tool for implementing the political attitudes of the subjects of social policy, a kind of practical area (cut) of social policy. Policy is its organizational basis, performing an important methodological function. This formulation of the problem does not diminish the importance of social work, but, on the contrary, emphasizes its utilitarian nature, practical orientation, without which political attitudes will turn into a declaration.

But at the same time, social work is also an independent area of \u200b\u200bactivity with its own subjects and objects. In this aspect, social work is the means of social policy, a set of tools that allow it to reach a specific person, which is the goal of any socio-political activity.

Social work as a kind of professional activity already has a sufficient history of accumulation of empirical material both in Russia and abroad. Generalization and theoretical understanding of the experience of its organization allow us to conclude that social work has already declared itself as an integral system of scientific knowledge 1.

Scientific and theoretical foundations of social work represent a set of scientific provisions and conclusions of a complex of social and humanitarian scientific disciplines that characterize various aspects of the formation, functioning and development of social work. These primarily include paradigms for researching social work problems, as well as scientifically substantiated information about the patterns and principles, goals and objectives, structures and functions, forms and methods, resources and means, methods and techniques of social work. In addition, the scientific and theoretical foundations include conclusions about the ways of developing the regulatory and material and technical base of social work.

Scientific analysis of events and phenomena of public life, comprehensive consideration of trends in the development of social work practice provide a political approach to solving social and social problems, the content of social work in line with modern requirements. In order to correctly, from a scientific standpoint, organize and conduct social work, in the unity of theory and practice, to solve the problems of social protection of citizens, the leaders of all government bodies must master the theory of social work, which in a concentrated form is a modern concept of its organization and conduct in society.

1 See: Zhukov V.I.Russian transformations: sociology, economics, politics. 1985-2001. - M .: MGSU, 2002.

Social work concept reflects a system of scientific views arising from official guidelines and practical experience of the life of modern Russian society. It determines the understanding of the essence and content, goals and functions of social work, as well as the processes of its implementation, a single concept for its implementation with various categories and groups of citizens. The interdisciplinary nature of social work theory objectively requires systems approach to the study of its content, structure, functions, method of substantiation and construction of an integral system of scientific knowledge.

Conceptually, social work can be viewed as a system of theoretical and practical activity, which is based on a certain scientific and methodological basis and is an organic unity of theory and practice.

The presence of fundamental theoretical provisions is of decisive importance for the knowledge of the laws of social work, the development of its principles, forms and methods.

Methodological framework social work is an integral scientific system of philosophical, economic, socio-political views that make up the worldview of people; the science of cognition and transformation of the world, of the laws of development of society, nature and human thinking. Knowledge of the theory of social work equips cadres of social work with a methodology for analyzing and assessing complex socio-political phenomena and processes, which makes it possible to scientifically predict ways to solve social problems 2.

Knowledge of the main provisions of the modern concept of social work, its theoretical and practical aspects makes it possible to penetrate deeply into the essence of social work itself, to explore its laws and principles.

we should trace the main trends of its development, determine the most appropriate forms, methods and means of social support and protection of people in difficult life situations.

Social work has its own organization,each element of which is necessary, organically connected and interacts with others, performs certain functions. This kind of organization is called an integral system, consisting of several relatively independent, but at the same time dependent on each other elements. These are subjects and their powers, a management subsystem, forms and methods of implementation, objects and their connecting goals, principles, means and functions.

The conceptual vision of social work involves considering it as a system. In this regard, it is necessary to highlight the main components that make up the system of social work in modern conditions in Russia. Let's briefly consider their essence and content.

Objects social work - these are citizens and categories of the population and members of their families who need social support, assistance and protection. In addition, these include negative trends and social processes, as well as acute problems in society that have arisen due to a number of objective unfavorable socio-economic conditions in the country and require permission or settlement from the state.

Subjects social work - these are officials and special structures (bodies and forces), designed to carry out the functions of social work among various categories and groups of citizens who find themselves in difficult life situations.

Methodological base social work includes a set of constitutional and legal norms, bylaws of the state and scientifically based theoretical provisions, principles and methods, categorical apparatus, on the basis of which the theory and practice of social work in society is built.

Goals and objectives social work is the expected intermediate and final results that serve as a system-forming basis for its organization, management and conduct among citizens.

Principles social work are guidelines, norms and rules governing the activities of officials for its management, organization, determination of the content, forms and methods of activities.

Functions social work represent the main types of activities of its subjects, aimed at solving certain social problems citizens who find themselves in a difficult life situation. These include social protection, social support, social assistance, social services, social security, social insurance, etc.

Social needs - is a set of their needs, requests and interests in the social sphere of the life of society, which stimulate people to social activity and require their satisfaction in the process of social work.

Resources social work is a system of legal norms, benefits, financial resources, material benefits and other social privileges that arise from the social status of a citizen and are used by subjects of social work to solve a wide range of tasks and problems in the social sphere.

Technology social work - these are mechanisms for the development and implementation of social programs, as well as complexes of Forms, methods and material and technical means used to achieve goals and solve problems of social work in society.

Social work in the narrow sense of the wordcan be presented as a set of purposeful and strictly regulated actions, operations and procedures carried out by officials and special structures of state authorities in accordance with its goals and objectives.

System management social work is the activity of public administration bodies, which is aimed at developing and making decisions, managing forces and means, planning, organizing and coordinating the efforts of subjects, as well as monitoring the results of social work in order to ensure the optimal functioning of its system.

Organization social work is the structure of bodies, divisions and officials, together with the relationships established between them, rights and obligations (powers), as well as the procedure for the distribution of resources and funds allocated for social work in society.

Conceptually social work systemcan be represented as an integrated set of forces and means of social activity in society, its principles and functions, as well as various organizational forms and methods, united by the common goals and objectives of social support and protection of citizens 1.

The scientific foundations of social work are based on theoretical and socio-political principles and are organized in accordance with its inherent laws and principles.

Social work has its own laws arising from the general laws of state development,

"It is appropriate to note here that the concept of" work "is used as identical to the concept of" activity. "

improving social work in the Russian Federation. These patterns are an expression of essential, stable, recurring connections between phenomena and processes in the field of social work in the army and navy, in the daily activities of commanders and officers of educational structures.

The most important regularity of social work is the conditionality of its goals, objectives and content by state policy.The essence of this pattern is that the goals, objectives and content of social work are determined on the basis of Russian legislation, decrees and orders of the President, decisions and orders of the Government, as well as orders of the heads of social organizations and institutions.

One of the patterns of social work is compliance of its content, forms and methods with the specific conditions of life and activities of citizens.These tasks play a decisive role in relation to the content, the choice of the most appropriate forms, methods and means of social work that correspond to the current situation.

An important pattern of social work is dependence of its condition on the level of preparedness of its organizers, their competence and business quality

Undoubtedly, one of the main regularities should include the relationship between the social policy of the state and the content of social work in society, as well as the relationship between the goals of social development and the level of development of social work. The patterns of social work are objective and manifest themselves regardless of the desire, knowledge and will of people.

These are the basic laws of social work. Their reflection and practical refraction are prin-

1 See: Bocharova V.G.Professional social work: a person-centered approach. - M., 2009.

zips -evidence-based and field-proven guidelines. The principles make it possible to correctly determine the content, organization, forms, methods and means of social work, to ensure its high efficiency.

The principles of social work can be defined as the main guidelines reflecting the objective patterns of activities to implement the rights, freedoms and benefits of military personnel and members of their families.

In their activities, social work leaders and managers are guided by the following the basic principles of social work:legality; justice; objectivity; targeting and personification; complex use of legal, organizational and educational means; close interaction with government bodies, local government and public associations; consistency; activity; flexibility, etc.

In addition to these, the researchers distinguish the following group of social work principles.

General philosophical principlesunderlie all sciences about society, man and the mechanisms of their interaction: determinism, reflection, development, unity of consciousness and activity, historicism, the inextricable connection between the individual and his social environment.

Socio-political principlesexpress the requirements due to the dependence of the content and orientation of social work on the social policy of the state: the unity of the state approach in combination with regional characteristics of social work, the democracy of its content and methods, taking into account the specific conditions of life of an individual or a social group when choosing the content, forms and methods of social work with them, the legality and fairness of the social worker.

Organizational principlesreflect the complexity and diversity of organizational, functional and hierarchical ties and relationships: social and technological competence of personnel, unity of rights and responsibilities, etc.

Psychological and pedagogical principlesexpress the requirements for the choice of means of psychological and pedagogical influence and interaction with the client: a comprehensive analysis of the assessment of the living conditions of clients and the choice of forms and methods of working with them, an individual approach, purposefulness and targeting of social work.

Specific principlesdetermine the basic rules of activities in the provision of social services: universality, protection of social rights, social response, preventive focus, client-centrism, self-reliance, maximization of social resources, confidentiality, tolerance.

Along with the theoretical foundations for the practice of social work, the socio-political foundations of its organization and conduct are of great importance.

In the modern theory of social work, there is a broad and narrow interpretation of this activity. Broadly speakingsocial work is the influence of state authorities, state and municipal authorities, officials of organizations and institutions of the social sphere and the public on the social well-being of the population through the formation and implementation of social policy aimed at creating favorable living conditions for each person and his family members.

IN narrow understandingsocial work is a professional activity carried out by professionally trained specialists and aimed at providing individual assistance to a citizen, his family or a group of persons through informing, counseling, direct, in-kind assistance, pedagogical and psychological support, orienting to the manifestation of their own activity in resolving difficult situations and contributing this.

From a practical point of view, this approach to the definition of the concept of "social work" makes it possible to make a number of relevant CONCLUSIONS.

Firstly,social work should be considered as an independent type of activity with a specific goal - to make maximum use of legal, organizational, educational means in the performance by its subjects of the duties assigned to them and the powers granted to them for social protection of the population.

Secondly,there is every reason to raise the question of the competence of leaders at all levels and links and their responsibility for the state of social work among various categories and groups of citizens who find themselves in difficult life situations.

Thirdly,it is advisable to develop criteria for assessing social work and identify opportunities (ways and means) to improve its effectiveness.

Social work as a practical activity is aimed at supporting, developing the personality, and rehabilitating the individual and social subjectivity of a person. Social work is carried out at a professional and non-professional level. Non-professional level of social work- this is voluntary (charitable) assistance; professional social workis realized through the functioning of a number of specializations aimed at solving specific human problems (medical, legal, economic, educational, etc.).

Social work is a kind of social mechanism for regulating the behavior and activities of an individual and a team (social group). The functional processes that reflect the actions of this mechanism are: modelingsocial conditions and the way they are perceived;

adaptationsystems of the subject (living society) to social reality. Social work is an activity to harmonize the social and psychological processes of regulating the behavior and activities of the individual and social groups society.

Social work (a type of activity in society) is manifested in the unity of the subject and technological content.

Subject contentsocial work is determined by the goals in the direction of which efforts are concentrated in social activity, this is the provision of social protection, assistance, self-realization.

Technological content- the functioning of the model of social work as a systemic social phenomenon, this is the process of converting a goal into a result, which is reflected in two interrelated factors:modeling social perspectives; adaptation to the phenomenal social conditions.

The criterion for the consistency of the “image” of social work is its value imperative (requirement): “Social need (the source of the content of social work) is subject to implementation”.

The "image" of the functional paradigm (model) of social work is manifested in the subject content of its functions -consequences that have a socially significant role for society, an individual (any social group). TO main functions of social work can be attributed: ethical, prognostic, preventive and communicative.

Ethical functionsocial work is manifested in the fact that, according to its potential (along with social policy), social work contributes to the establishment of a social life philosophy in society, forms ethical norms of social behavior and activities, creates an educator

a new stimulus of society (army), social group for an individual or collective.

Predictive functionsocial work reflects its diagnostic potential. The practice of social work in society makes it possible to identify priorities in social needs, interests, and motives of the relevant social groups, to diagnose the levels of social expectations of citizens, to foresee the directions of natural social transformations and the emergence of zones of social tension and risk. In this regard, social work acts as a method of social monitoring (continuous observation), the functioning and development of society.

Preventive functionacts as a regulatory facet of social work (as a natural continuation of the predictive function). Based on the results of social forecasting, social work makes it possible to prevent undesirable social phenomena (critical level of social tension, destructive forms of manifestation of social conflicts, etc.). This function makes increased demands on the level of competence and professionalism of social workers.

Communicative functionsocial work contributes to the life of society according to the norms of social harmony. Through the mechanisms of this activity, health improvement, strengthening of social relations between people, collectives, social groups in society is carried out. Social work allows social needs and interests to be mutually integrated into interdependent norms of social behavior and actions of people. In this respect, it acts as a regulator of the formation of social traditions (a kind of "social glue" of society) and a method of state social policy.

The requirements for a highly professional level of social work in modern conditions stem from the severity of social processes at the stage of reforming and modernizing Russian society. The main social issuestoday are:

strengthening of the stratification of society (an increase in the number of the poor and the rich);

the development of population depopulation (aging of the nation);

the growing criminalization of social relations (special dynamics of the growth of child crime);

a surge in the number of socially lonely and rejected people (the phenomenon of the loss of the social meaning of life).

The reality is that socially significant values \u200b\u200bfade into the background. Some young people have a shifted emphasis on antisocial behavior.

A professional approach to social work is predetermined by new content at the present stage.

Firstly,social work is based on the concept of self-realization, human self-help, and the development of his personal resources. In the practice of social work, this is manifested in the approval of a holistic (holistic) approach to the vision of a person in society. The “biopsychosocial” unity of a person is the basis of the functional paradigm of modern social work, which makes it possible to ensure the implementation of the program of orthobiosis (a reasonable way of human life) in the social environment. Ensuring the social health of society provides for the unity of three main areas: Strengthening physical health (recreation); removal of mental stress (relaxation); strengthening of mental health (catharsis).

Secondly,the modern vision of social work makes it possible to single out a number of aspects that reflect the specifics of its content. The main aspects are:

geographical - social activity is carried out within certain boundaries: country, region, institution;

political - taking into account the peculiarities of the political system in the practice of social work;

economic - the basis of a person's interests is formed by the proper conditions of his life;

cultural - recognition and respect in the social practice of the culture of individuals and groups;

spiritual - the acceptance of the value system of a particular society, collective, individual.

Thirdly,social work expands the field of its influence and this requires a large group of highly professional specialists with appropriate qualifications. Such specialties and specialists are in particular demand as:

organizer of social protection of the population (organization of social protection);

social service economist (social and economic support of the population);

lawyer of social service (social and legal support of the population);

psychosocial work with the public (social psychologist).

The requirements for the activities of social workers are set out in the Code of Ethics for Professional Conduct, which was adopted in Athens by the General Assembly of Public Relations in May 1965.

Thus, social work is of high quality the new kind activities in Russian society. A characteristic feature of this activity is its humanitarian, managerial and professional potential. The totality of these properties of social work expresses its fundamental quality - a complex system.

Seminar Topics

Social work theory as a science and academic discipline.

Social work as a special kind of activity.

Goals and objectives of social work.

Social work methods and features of their application.

Subjects and objects of social work.

Social work management system in the country.

Historical experience of social work in Russia.

Modern practice of social work abroad.

Topics for writing reports and abstracts

The relevance of the development of social work as a science at the present stage of development of society.

The relationship of social work with philosophy, history, political science, sociology, psychology, conflict management, pedagogy, medicine, law, economics, cultural studies and other scientific disciplines.

Institutionalization of social work in the modern period.

Objects of social work (elderly people, disabled people, low-income families, unemployed, street children, persons without a fixed place of residence and occupation and other categories of the population).

Experience in training specialists in the field of social work in Russia.

List of references

Zhukov V.I., Tavadov G.T.Big ethnological dictionary. - M .: Publishing house of the RSSU; Omega-L., 2010.

Zhukov V.I.Russia in the Global World: Philosophy and Sociology of Transformations: In 3 volumes - Ed. 2nd, rev. and add. - M .: Publishing house of the Russian State Social University, 2007.

Fundamentals of Social Work / Ed. P.D. Pavlenka. - M .: Infra-M., 2009.

Kholostova E.I.Fundamentals of Social Work. - M .: INFRA-M, 2005.

Firsov M.V., Studenova E.G.Social work theory. - M .: VLA-DOS, 2000.

Topchiy L.V.Fundamentals of Social Work. - M., 2009.

Introduction

Many people need help now when it's so hard.

Difficult for various reasons. As a result of reforms, many found themselves behind the social line when the issue of daily bread became a priority.

Problems of treatment, education of children, and their recreation have arisen with no less urgency. The question of unemployment can be raised separately, since for more than a year now in our country, and throughout the world, the financial crisis continues to grow, no one is immune from unemployment. Hence, criminality, moral decline, permissiveness follow, this causes great concern and fear, for oneself, for the fate of relatives and for the further prosperity of the Motherland.

Not everyone has the strength to fight. Many have lost confidence, hope for better changes. But someone has to help these people.

It is important to know where you can go with your problems. In such situations, "social work" comes to the rescue, here they can support a person in difficult times, both financially - to provide payments, benefits, benefits, and spiritually - "to guide them on the right path."

The relevance of the topic "the essence of social work, its object and subject" is now very high, and is due to the following circumstances:

- first, an increase in modern conditions of the rate of social movement of assistance to the population. This is due to the growth of such strata of society as the disabled, pensioners, the poor, orphans, etc.

- secondly, the need to identify problems in the social sphere.

Therefore, it is necessary first to understand what the object and subject of social work is, not only as a science, but also as an activity, and as an academic discipline, in order to subsequently identify problems, prevent their aggravation and take measures to stabilize the situation. Many people do not know, or have a vague idea, what is “social work”, who are these social services and workers, what are their goals, whom do they help, and in general what is their help?

Analysis of the problem of social work involves getting answers to the questions: Who is defending? Whom does it protect? That is, it is important to find out what is the subject of social work, and what is its object.

The object of research of the course work is the essence of social work itself, its subject and object.

The aim of the course work is to study and analyze the essence of social work, consideration of social work as a form of practical activity, as an academic discipline and from the point of view of an independent science. It is necessary to reveal the very concept of social work, and its most important components.

Achieving this goal involves setting and solving the following tasks:

- to define the term "social work", to reveal this concept from the point of view of an independent science;

- consider social work as a form of practical activity, clarifying its aspects;

- to reveal what is the strategy, meaning and purpose of social work as an academic discipline;

- to establish which key categories form a meaningful characteristic of social work;

- to answer the question, what are social protection, social support, social services and social security, to identify how they differ;

- give a description of the object of social work, what directions arise in it, and how they can be classified;

- consider the client as an object of social work;

- to characterize the family in terms of the object of social work;

- to give a definition of the subject of social work, to establish how the subject can change, depending on whether social work is viewed as a science, as a discipline or as an activity.

1. The essence of social work

1.1 The concept of social work as an independent science

Social work can be defined as "a kind of social activity, which aims to optimize the implementation of the subjective role of people in all spheres of society in the process of joint satisfaction of needs, maintenance of life support and active existence of the individual."

First of all, social work should be considered as an independent science, which determines its place in the system of sciences. Like any science, social work has its own subject, object, categorical apparatus. The object of the research is the process of connections, interactions, methods and means of regulating the behavior of social groups and individuals in society. The subject of social work as an independent science is the laws that determine the nature and direction of development of social processes in society.

The development of a scientific categorical apparatus is one of the priority tasks in the field of research into the theory of social work. The system of categories should include concepts that reflect: first, the specifics of the organization of social work in various spheres of social practice (for example, social work in education, social work in the army, etc.); with different clients (social work with disabled people, social work with family, social work with risk groups); in different social situations (social work in extreme situations, social work in conditions of ecological trouble, etc.). Secondly, different aspects of the organization of professional and non-professional social work (economics of social work, management, psychosocial technologies, etc.). Undoubtedly, with the development of theory and empirical research in this area, the system of its categories will be enriched and expanded.

Interdisciplinary connections in the study of problems of a person, society and the nature of their interaction are implemented through complex research. The relationship between social work theory and other theories is based on traditional systems approach models. Revealing the interaction of social work with other sciences has shown its interdisciplinary nature, as well as its difference from such related fields of knowledge as sociology, psychology, etc.

The system of social work, in whatever aspect it is considered, is always an open system, closely intertwined with other social systems: economy, politics, law, culture, ethics, ecology, consumer services, etc. Understanding, seeing the connections of the social work system with other systems and the system of society as a whole raises social work by high level social culture, makes society truly humane, puts a person at the center of social life, makes people people in the highest sense of the word.

The concept of social work as a system has conceptual and methodological significance for the day-to-day management of social work. Knowledge of it as a system relieves organizers of a one-sided approach, exaggeration of the role of some of its individual aspects, allows to anticipate and correct possible imbalances, errors in social services in a timely manner, to raise the culture and efficiency of social work.

Social work is a universal social institution: its carriers provide assistance to all individuals, regardless of social status, nationality, religion, race, gender, age and other circumstances. The only criterion in this matter is the need for help and the inability to cope with life's difficulties on their own. Although there are many people involved in social work who belong to one or another confession, the institution of social work itself is of a secular nature, being an attribute of civil society. Due to this, in addition to highly influential moral and ethical imperatives, the activities of a social worker are also regulated by state legislation.

Thus, summing up, we can say that since social work has its own subject, object and categorical apparatus, it should first of all be considered as an independent science.

1.2 Social work as a practical activity

Social work is a professional activity aimed at helping people, social groups to overcome personal and social difficulties through support, protection, correction and rehabilitation.

Unlike other forms of social assistance, social work is a two-way interaction. A social worker, social therapist, a specialist of another profile must necessarily rely on the resources of the client himself, organize and motivate him to solve his own problem.

The term "social work" is closely related to the functioning of the market economy, since the achievement of its effectiveness is accompanied by social stratification. If a social support network is not created, then problems in the social sphere are exacerbated, and social tension arises. In the countries of developed market economies, institutions of social support for people have been created and operate quite successfully for decades. Social worker profession is among the most widespread here, and social structures have both state and private basis. In our country, the most urgent problem in the field of social work is its recognition as the most important activity, confirming the degree of social protection of the individual, observance of the first human rights, the level of humanization of society. Social work is one of many activities. There are economic, political, legal, cultural, technical, scientific and other activities. And there is social work - a special kind of activity.

In this regard, its various aspects should be noted.

1.Social work is an activity carried out by professionally trained specialists and their volunteer assistants, aimed at providing individual assistance to a person, family or group of people who have found themselves in a difficult life situation for them, through information, diagnosis, counseling, direct in-kind and financial assistance, care and service to the sick and the lonely, pedagogical and psychological support, orienting those in need of help to their own activity to overcome difficult situations and contribute to them in this.

2. Social work is a professional activity aimed at enhancing the potential of an individual's own capabilities in solving complex life problems.

3. Social work is a professional activity that is predominantly of a preventive nature.

4. Social work is a professional activity aimed ultimately at harmonizing social relations in society.

Sh. Ramon and T. Shanin, British scientists, define social work as the organization of a personal service to help a person. It is based on altruism and aims to make everyday life easier for people in conditions of personal and family crisis, as well as, if possible, to radically solve their problems. Social work is an important link between people who need help and the state apparatus, as well as legislation.

The main goals of social work include the following:

- increasing the degree of independence of clients, their ability to control their lives and more effectively resolve emerging problems;

- creation of conditions in which clients can demonstrate their capabilities to the maximum and get everything that they are entitled to by law;

- adaptation or re-adaptation of people in society;

- the creation of conditions under which a person, despite physical injury, mental breakdown or life crisis, can live with self-esteem and respect from others;

- and as an ultimate goal - the achievement of such a result when the need for the help of a social worker from the client "disappears".

Any social activity has such components as an end, means, conditions.

The purpose of social work as an activity is to optimize the mechanisms of social functioning of an individual or social group. However, it should be borne in mind that there are different reasons for the emergence of different types and forms of social work. One of such grounds can be the spheres of social practice, and in this case we can talk about social work in education, health care, the sphere of leisure, etc .; another reason can be the social and psychological characteristics of clients - young people, social risk groups, persons prone to suicide, etc .; the third is the nature of the problems facing social workers. Other reasons can be found. In all these cases, the goals of social work will be specified (for example, from prevention to correction). The conditions for each type of social work will also be concretized, including various levels and spheres (from federal to local): political, economic, socio-psychological and ethno-national.

Funds in this case can be considered as social institutions, methods of social work.

In this regard, the typology of social services is of particular importance in order to organize practical social work. The classification of various types and forms of work may be based on different principles (this is to some extent related to the presence of different approaches to understanding the essence and nature of social work as an activity), but they all ultimately boil down to the following: working with a problem client; work with other services, institutions, organizations.

Within these two forms, in turn, there is a classification of different types. So, in the first case, we can talk, on the one hand, about the nature of the client's problem (divorce, job loss, death of a loved one, disability etc.): on the other - about the characteristics of the client, since both an individual and a group, including society as a large social group, can act as a client.

In the second case, on the one hand, we are talking about a field of activity, in the process of which problems of interaction with other services, institutions, associations arise (for example, the field of education, health care, everyday life, etc.); on the other, about the status of these organizations (state, collective, public, charitable, private, etc.). Social work is a mechanism that must translate potentially proclaimed rights into actual ones. The meaning of social work is to compensate for certain social damages, to equalize the possibilities of various individuals, families, groups in the enjoyment of their social rights. The purpose of social work as an activity is to optimize the mechanisms of social functioning of an individual or social group.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that the meaning of social work is an activity to assist individuals, families, groups in the realization of their social rights and in compensation for physical, mental, intellectual, social and other shortcomings that impede full social functioning. Like any professional activity, it is carried out by specialists in social work.

1.3 Social work in the discipline system

In 1991, a fundamentally new profession for our country was introduced in the Russian Federation - a social worker. Specialists in this field are trained in courses, schools, lyceums, secondary specialized educational institutions and universities. The network of higher educational institutions that have begun training and retraining specialists in social work is steadily expanding. The profile of the university determines the specialization of their graduates. Nowadays, most of the universities train specialists-organizers of social work with the population, specialists in working with various groups (unemployed, youth, children, elderly, etc.). Some universities train specialists in the field of social and medical assistance to the population and in other areas. In our country, the training of social workers with a medical profile has already begun: bachelors with a specialization in Social and Medical Services to the Population. It is noteworthy that this profession is chosen by people of a humane disposition, whose compassion and sensitivity are necessary for future work. They study, clearly realizing that this work does not promise them superprofits and wealth. Bachelors of social medicine will provide social and medical assistance to the population, i.e. they are organizers-consultants, managers of social and medical protection of pensioners, unemployed, chronically ill people, lonely, large families, orphans, disabled people, people addicted to alcohol and drugs, as well as all those who are in a crisis situation of economic, social or medical character and whose access to medicine has become limited.

By the decision of the board of the Committee for Family Affairs and Demographic Policy under the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR and the State Committee of the RSFSR for Science and Higher Education (dated 13–05.91), the organization of training specialists in social work in universities of the Russian Federation was introduced.

The goal of training social workers is to foster the development and quality of teaching around the world, to train and instill practical skills in social work, to provide social services and to develop social development policies.

Social work, having arisen as a social phenomenon and then turning into a certain social institution, becomes an object of cognition, manifested at different levels - from the ordinary to the scientific-theoretical. Currently, two main aspects are most clearly observed in the trend of knowledge development (at different levels of their manifestation) in the field of social work. The first is associated with the emotional and psychological explanation of the behavior of the individual and groups, the development, first of all, of a psychodynamic model of the practice of social work; the second - with the growing influence of social work of sociological theories and the development of socio-oriented models of social work practice.

By the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century, several models of the theoretical substantiation of social work were identified in the scientific literature. They reflected not only the results of scientific searches and studies of major scientists from different schools on the problems of social support for a person in modern society, but also its evolution, changes in the very content and forms of social activity.

Applying the theory of behavior and social systems in practice, social work is carried out in the area where people interact with the factors around them. In social work, human rights and social justice are fundamental principles (as defined by the International Federation of Social Workers in July 2000 in Montreal, Canada).

The strategy of social work is to study a person, his value, world, individuality and universality. In practice, most social work models focus on the technological aspects of care delivery. The effectiveness of social work depends on understanding the essence of human life, its changes under the influence of economic, socio - psychological factors. The formation of the human world is a complex process of cognition, consolidation, creative development of the worldview, ideological, moral attitudes of society, the process of assimilating social qualities, knowledge and skills created by society, on the basis of which one's vision and assessment of things is developed.

The degree of social protection of the population and its individual strata allows one to judge the progressiveness of the social system, the level of economic development of the country and the well-being of the people. That is why social work today is such an important matter, from which no one can stand aside.

That social work can be considered as an independent science, which determines its place in the system of sciences, as a form of practical activity, and finally, it is considered as an academic discipline. Social activities are based on various humanitarian and democratic ideals.

So, we can say that social work as a discipline appeared in our country relatively recently, but, despite this, it is gaining significant pace, aimed at increasing the number of social workers and improving their qualifications.

In everyday consciousness, as well as in a number of normative acts, these concepts are often used as identical. However, the definition of their specificity makes it possible to most accurately identify the content of social work, the goals and objectives of this type of social activity.

1.4.1 Social protection

The phenomenon of social protection can be viewed in broad and narrow senses. In the first case, social protection is the activity of the state and society to protect all citizens from social dangers, prevent disruption of life of various categories of the population, social protection protects those who are in the most vulnerable position. In the second case, social protection is the creation of conditions that prevent the emergence of a difficult life situation or its complications for clients of social services.

The main way of implementing social protection is social guarantees- the obligations of the state in relation to certain categories of the population. The effect of guarantees implies compensation for low social status by increasing the legal status. Social guarantees are built taking into account certain features that give the right to a privileged use of public resources. Thus, obtaining a particular legal status (refugee, unemployed, disabled person, orphan child) provides a number of additional opportunities. In this case, a special legal status arises. A special legal status provides social guarantees from the state in the event that an individual meets certain parameters and undergoes the procedures provided for by law. An example is additional guarantees for orphans and children left without parental care.

According to the Federal Law "On Additional Guarantees for Orphans and Children Left Without Parental Care" (1996), this category of persons has additional guarantees in the spheres of health care, education, housing, etc. For a number of categories, there are guarantees for receiving social assistance. In Russia, the right of citizens to social protection is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and regulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation.

The purpose of the social protection system is to provide support and assistance to groups of the population and individuals in need of this with the help of regulatory, economic, socio-psychological, organizational and technical means and levers. Basic principles of social protection, humanity, social justice, targeting, comprehensiveness, ensuring the rights and freedoms of the individual .

1.4.2 Social support

This is security in cash or in kind, in the form of services or benefits provided taking into account social guarantees legally established by the state; a set of social services, medico-social, socio-economic, social welfare, socio-psychological, socio-pedagogical and other support of a person from state and non-state structures during his crisis, in difficult life situations. It performs the function of poverty assistance to certain groups of the population in extreme conditions, has the character of periodic and one-time cash supplements to pensions and benefits, in-kind payments and services in order to neutralize critical life situations, unfavorable economic conditions. Social support (assistance) is carried out at the expense of local authorities, enterprises (organizations), off-budget and charitable foundations in order to provide targeted, differentiated assistance to those in need.

When specifying the meaning of the category, social support more attention should be paid to the interactive side of the relationship between the subject and the object of assistance. The problem of the object becomes the core on which social support is held as the activity of a specific social worker with a specific client. Social support is aimed at helping the client to see his own meaning in interaction with a social service representative, to build his own line of behavior, which is recognized by the client as significant and necessary for him.

1.4.3 Social services

Social services - the activities of social services and individual specialists in social support, the provision of social, social, medical, psychological, pedagogical, social and legal services, the implementation of social adaptation and rehabilitation of citizens in difficult life situations. In a number of federal laws, social services it is proposed to understand it as an activity to meet the needs of various categories in social services - useful actions. In this case, the subjects of social work use human and organizational (public) resources.

Social services are provided in the form of:

1) the provision of material assistance ( cash, foodstuffs, sanitation and hygiene products, childcare products, clothing, footwear and other essential items, fuel, special vehicles, technical means for the rehabilitation of disabled people and persons in need of permanent or temporary non-stationary services;

3) the provision of social services in inpatient institutions to citizens who have partially or completely lost the ability to self-service and need constant care, and ensure the creation of living conditions appropriate for their age and state of health, carrying out medical, psychological, social, nutrition and care events, as well as organizing feasible work, rest and leisure;

4) providing temporary shelter in a specialized institution for orphans and children left without parental care, neglected minors and those who find themselves in a difficult life situation, citizens without a fixed place of residence and certain occupations, citizens who have suffered from physical or mental violence, natural disasters, as a result of armed and interethnic conflicts;

5) organization of daytime stay in social service institutions for elderly citizens and disabled people who have retained the ability to self-service and active movement, minors in a difficult life situation, with the provision of social, social, medical and other assistance;

6) advisory assistance on social and social and medical support of life, psychological and pedagogical assistance and social and legal protection;

7) rendering assistance in professional, social, psychological rehabilitation to disabled persons, persons mwith disabilities, juvenile offenders.

Social services are free and paid. Free service can be received by: citizens who are not capable of self-service due to old age, illness, disability, who do not have relatives who can provide assistance and care, if the average per capita income of these citizens is below the subsistence level established for the region in which they live ; persons in a difficult life situation and in connection with unemployment, natural disasters, catastrophes affected by armed and interethnic conflicts; minor children in difficult life situations.

Institutions and enterprises of social services, their activities are determined and regulated by the Federal Law "On the Fundamentals of Social Services to the Population in the Russian Federation" dated December 10, 1995 No. 195-FZ . These include various general and specialized centers, shelters, boarding houses and etc.

Social services are carried out on the basis of a citizen's appeal, a legal representative, public authority and local government or public association.

1.4.4 Social security

Social Security should be interpreted as social assistance, involving the direct transfer of material public resources to clients of social services in the form of various kinds of open and hidden payments.

Open payments are: pension- monthly state cash payment, which is provided to citizens in order to compensate them for lost earnings (income), and allowance(for unemployment; temporary disability: in case of illness, injury, when caring for a sick family member, quarantine and in some other cases; for pregnancy and childbirth, mothers with many children and single mothers, for children in low-income families, for children of conscripts, etc.) etc.).

The pension option of compensation for lost earnings arises: in connection with the termination of public service (upon reaching the length of service established by law); when retiring to a retirement pension for old age (disability); in order to compensate for the harm caused to the health of citizens during military service; as a result of radiation or man-made disasters; in the event of disability or loss of a breadwinner, upon reaching the legal age; in order to provide disabled citizens with a livelihood.

A hidden type of social security is privileges - providing vulnerable categories of the population with advantages in paying for certain services provided by the state, municipality, their institutions or other organizations, exemption from obligations for mandatory payments levied by central and local authorities from individuals and legal entities to budgets of various levels.

Thus, we can conclude that the main components of social work are: social protection, social support, social services and social security. All this is a system of principles, methods, social guarantees legally established by the state, measures and institutions that ensure the provision of optimal living conditions, satisfaction of needs, maintenance of life support and the active existence of an individual, various social categories and groups; a set of measures, actions, funds of the state and society, directed against situations of risk in the normal life of citizens; a set of state measures of a socio-economic and legal nature to ensure a minimum level of material support for socially vulnerable groups of the population guaranteed by the state during the period of economic transformations and the associated decrease in their standard of living.

2. Object of social work

2.1 Determination of the object of social work

Social coexistence and interaction should be based on the principles of social equality and partnership, fair distribution of material wealth, reliable guarantees for the creative self-assertion of all subjects of society. This understanding of sociality is the most important criterion for the implementation of social work.

The object of social work, on the one hand, is determined by the goals and objectives of practical social work, and on the other hand, it determines the boundaries and content of the theory and practice of social work. There are many definitions of the object of social work, they are largely similar in that in modern conditions social work goes beyond the boundaries of practical social assistance and is increasingly becoming fundamental theoretical knowledge about a person in the system of social relations and interactions, about ways to improve his social life and social well-being. The object of social work is, first of all, a person in the system of social ties and relations, at whom social action is directed. This is a client of social assistance, social adaptation and rehabilitation, social diagnostics and prevention, social examination and social therapy.

Also, we can say that all people are the object of social work (in a broad sense). This is explained by the fact that the vital activity of all strata and groups of the population depends on those conditions that are largely predetermined by the level of development of society, the state of the social sphere, the content of social policy, and the possibilities for its implementation.

At whatever level - individual or group - human problems arise, the object of help from social workers (or simply the object of social work) are people who set certain goals for themselves, but are unable to realize them themselves, because of this feeling dissatisfaction with life. Every human problem hides many personal ones, i.e. the unmet needs of a whole group of people. No matter how specific, for example, the personal problems of certain unemployed people differing in sex, age, marital status, level of education or specialty, each of them is a manifestation of a social problem called unemployment. Therefore, we can say that the objects of social work are various groups of people experiencing difficulties in solving problems that arise in their lives.

It should be said that the object of study of the theory of social work is social relations, and in connection with its versatility, a number of areas can be distinguished in it:

1. Individual, family, organizational problems. Starting with the individual (loneliness, social isolation) and ending with various organizational problems (the growth of refugees, homeless people).

2. Socio - ecological problems - environmental protection.

3. Socio - economic problems. In the course of the new economic reforms in Russia, 90% of the population fell below the poverty line.

4. Problems of social stratification. Social stratification, inequality in society, leading to the division of society into "higher" and "lower" classes, economic exploitation.

5. Problems of behavioral functioning of individuals, groups, communities - aspects of diviant behavior, social relations; drug addiction, alcohol, etc.

6. Problems of symbolization and modeling of the world and people in it. They can be expressed in inadequate images, low self-esteem, lack of honor and morality, and hence in alienation, social prejudice, and antihuman values.

7. Problems of power structures, social tension and stability in society depends on their actions, programs, social activity of the population depends on their regime: totality, democracy or authoritarianism.

There are a lot of objects, and you can classify them, taking into account the priority basis for this classification

- a state of health that does not allow you to independently solve life problems

- service and work in extreme social conditions

– elderly, retirement age of people.

– deviant behavior in its various forms and types

– difficult, unfavorable situation of various categories of families

– special position of children (orphanhood, vagrancy, etc.)

– vagrancy, homelessness.

– prenatal and postnatal condition

– the legal (and in connection with this social) position of persons subjected to political repression and subsequently rehabilitated.

2.2 The client as an object of social work

The formation of professional social work in our country was accompanied by the development of the conceptual apparatus of sciences that study social work and describe its practice. Among other controversial definitions, the question of how to name who is being helped was discussed. In medicine, such a person is called a "patient", that is, one who seeks help. However, this term describes only one, the suffering, side in the position of a person in need of assistance. He, of course, suffered damage, suffering, is in a state of difficulty in life, but to the extent that his intellectual, physical, mental and moral resources allow him, he must take part in solving his problem himself. If an individual retains at least partial self-awareness, then he has the right to cooperate with a social worker, to be an active agent in transforming his own life circumstances. In this regard, it has been argued that persons who are assisted by a social worker should be called clients. The client can be individual or group. More precisely, its characteristics are determined by the level of work organization.

Consideration of a client of a social service as an object of cognition on the part of a social worker presupposes a specially organized reflection in the consciousness of a specialist of the key characteristics of the individual's life situation and its features, which have a significant impact on the process of helping interaction.

Carrying out cognitive activities, a specialist is guided by a number of general requirements. First, cognition of the client is based on the theoretical and methodological concept of social work, which is followed by a professional. The selected concept provides answers to questions about the causes of a difficult life situation, methods of social protection and assistance, determines the key aspects of studying individuals, families, communities experiencing problems in the process of social functioning.

Secondly, the social worker chooses adequate diagnostic methods. The diagnosis used in practical social work differs from the diagnosis of scientific research in its main function. In the first case, the study methods are designed to illuminate the parameters of the client's life situation, while scientific research is aimed at determining the essential relationships between the impact of the subject of social work and the positive dynamics of overcoming the problems that have arisen by the client. In the practice of social work, as well as in scientific research, questionnaire methods, observation, and study of documents are used.

Third, the generalization of the data obtained is aimed at clarifying the source of the client's suffering. At the same time, the problem declared by the individual is consistently checked and a social diagnosis is made. In the social diagnosis, a circle of lost, preserved and potential internal resources is outlined. Lost resources should be considered those properties that cannot be restored quickly enough. Conserved resources are essential, since reliance on them will make it possible to compensate for the partially lost ones. Potential resources are those that can be developed at comparable costs between the client and the social worker.

To assess the possibilities of attracting external official resources, the social worker studies the normative documents (laws, decrees, regulations, etc.). Then the type of difficult life situation is qualified, the amount of assistance and procedures for registering the client's status are determined. For a social worker, it is essential to use unofficial resources - family, relatives, neighborhood, private individuals.

A separate area of \u200b\u200bthe social worker's knowledge of the client is the study of the characteristics of the individual as a participant in the helping interaction. In this sense, of interest is a typology that includes three groups of clients: "aggressors", "polite", "dumb". The former implement the “attacking” style (demand, threaten, actively show dissatisfaction), the latter carry out a “grateful” manner of communication, the third behave with restraint.

2.3 Family as an object of social work

In the family, to a large extent, all healthy preconditions arise and germinate. Who and how will live and work in the future - it depends on what the social well-being of the modern family is, how it raises its children and what qualities it instills in them. Therefore, the family is in the center of attention of the social worker and is one of the most important spheres of his activity.

The family is a complex social system, which is characterized by the features of a social institution and a small social group. As a social institution of society, the family is a set of social norms, patterns of behavior that regulate the relationship between spouses, parents and children, and other relatives. Unemployment, low living wages, non-payment of wages, inflation, growing tension in social relations, deterioration of services, destruction of old and the lack of formation of new value attitudes - these are the social problems of the modern family.

The family as a small group is a community of people based on marriage, consanguinity, satisfaction of individual needs of a person. It is distinguished by a single economic space, an interdependent way of life, emotional and moral ties, relations of care, guardianship, support, protection. In order to get a holistic view of the family, it is necessary to take into account the entire palette of family relationships.

The family as a small social group is characterized by the presence of a number of social goals that change in different life cycles; partial differences in the interests, needs and attitudes of family members; mediation of joint activities. Consequently, the well-being and longevity of the family depend on the extent to which spouses and other family members are able and willing to take care of each other.

Integral characteristics of a family, which largely determine its potentials, are considered: psychological health, functional and role coherence, social and role adequacy, emotional satisfaction, adaptability in microsocial relationships, aspiration for family longevity.

Communication plays an important role in the family; in real life, relationships between people develop in different ways, there may be different types of families. The most common is nuclear a family of parents and dependent children or a married couple. A family like this can be complete or incomplete , formed as a result of divorce, widowhood, the birth of a child out of wedlock. If the family structure includes other relatives in addition to spouses and children, then it is called extended . Families can differ in the presence or absence of children and their number. It is customary to talk about childless, one-child, large or small families.

The analysis of sources containing information about the family allows us to present its inherent functions in the form of table 1.

Table 1: Family functions in different environments

Family activities	Public functions
Reproductive	Biological reproduction of society	Meeting the need for children
Educational	Socialization of the younger generation. Maintaining the cultural continuity of society	Meeting the need for parenting, contacts with children, their upbringing, self-realization in children
Household	Maintaining the physical health of members of the community, caring for children	Receiving household services by some family members from others
Economic	Economic support for minors and disabled members of society	Receiving material resources by some family members from others
Sphere of primary social control	Moral regulation of the behavior of family members in various spheres of life, as well as responsibility and in relations between spouses, parents and children	Formation and maintenance of legal and moral sanctions for inappropriate behavior and violation of moral norms of relationships between family members
Sphere of Spiritual Communication	Personal development of family members	Strengthening the friendship foundations of the marriage union
Social status	Representation of a certain status by family members. Reproduction of social structure	Meeting the needs for social advancement
Leisure	Organization of rational leisure. Social control in the field of leisure	Meeting the needs in modern leisure activities, mutual enrichment of leisure interests
Emotional	Emotional stabilization of individuals and their psychotherapy	Individuals receive psychological protection, emotional support in the family.
Sexy	Sexual control	Satisfaction of sexual needs

Another important characteristic of a family is its life cycle, i.e. sequence of changing stages of its functioning from the beginning to the termination of marriage. Usually, three phases are distinguished: before the birth of a child, before the separation of adult children from their parents, the gradual disintegration of marriage. For a specialist, the main thing is to understand that on the way from the start of family relationships to their finish, illness, separation, quarrels, conflicts, divorces and many other difficulties are possible that family members are not able to solve on their own. The social worker is designed to alleviate tension in the relationship between them, smooth out the difficulties that manifest themselves in a crisis, and help develop self-help and self-regulation skills.

Thus, given that the family is one of the most ancient institutions of socialization of new generations, which performs the function of ensuring the safety and security of any person, but in modern conditions it is experiencing serious problems, we can reasonably believe that the role of a social worker in maintaining and strengthening social potential this phenomenon of society is increasing.

Reforming society has sharply aggravated the problem of families in need of social protection. Among its objects are families of single mothers; conscripts with children; families with disabled children; large families; with young children under the age of three; student families; families of unemployed people with minor children, etc.

Over the past three years, there has been an increase in families of all categories in need of material support. The growth of low-income families among large and single-parent families is especially noticeable. The reasons for the crisis in families can be roughly divided into economic and social. Economic - such as job loss, non-payment of wages and benefits, low wages - are the most common. Among social reasons, such as alcoholism, parasitism, unlawful behavior of one or both spouses are more common. As a rule, this is accompanied by a low cultural level, lack of spirituality, and irresponsibility to children. A child growing up in such a family is often unbalanced and psychologically depressed. Very often, children from such families are difficult children, and young offenders are recruited from among them.

The state seeks to provide possible assistance in the maintenance and upbringing of children. However, centralized funds are not enough and they are not always used rationally. The activity of local authorities is very important, they are looking for the opportunity to provide assistance to families using internal resources.

Family conflicts and domestic violence, emotional discord, drunkenness and many other problems are all concerns of social work.

The task of social work with families is to teach families about self-help and mutual assistance.

Thus, summing up, it can be noted that the object of the study of social work is the process of connections, interactions, methods and means of regulating the behavior of social groups and individuals in society. The most important object of social work is a person, i.e. personality, and family - the primary unit of society. And also, it should be noted that when providing assistance, a social worker should know what this assistance is aimed at, what he wants to achieve in the process of his activity, what is his goal and how he imagines the ideal result of his work.

3. The subject of social work

Any science as an independent field of knowledge (social work in this sense is no exception) has its own subject of study.

Currently, it is generally accepted to understand the subject of any science as a result of choosing an objectively existing process (phenomenon) in order to study it from a certain angle of view. There are known differences between the subject and the object of science. The subject of science is a really existing reality (natural and social). It has many aspects and properties, each of which can become the subject of independent study.

The definition of the subject of science depends on many factors: on the level of knowledge achieved in this area, the development of social practice, etc.

The subject of social work as a science are the patterns and principles of the development of social processes, their dynamics under the influence of various factors in the protection of civil rights and individual freedoms in society.

But you can consider the subject of social work in its practical activities, and in fact, this social situation. Social situation - the specific state of the problem of a specific client of social work, individual or group, with all the wealth of their connections and mediation related to the solution of this problem.

A social worker should make every effort in his work, because the purpose of his activities in a social situation is to improve the client's social situation, prevent its deterioration, or at least facilitate the client's subjective experience of his situation. After all, one can realize that in the conditions of a decline in production and mass unemployment, helping individuals find a new workplace not so easy. But it is quite possible to provide them with social and psychological support, to get rid of negative personal reactions to unemployment.

For example, members of the voluntary association "Wives of Alcoholics", admitting that they cannot save their husbands from harmful alcohol addiction, consider the goal of their participation in the work of the association to learn to be happy under the conditions of their spouse's drunkenness.

The concept of a social situation serves as a methodological tool for identifying those connections and interactions that are directly related to the social problem of a given client and the impact on which may affect its resolution. The easiest way would be to immediately declare that humanity could not cope with alcoholism throughout its long history of development, and on this basis, abandon the search for ways to help a particular drinking client and his family. It is possible, inadequately exploiting the dialectical principle of the universal connection of phenomena, to begin the analysis of the vital activity of this particular alcoholic with global problems and to expect such a level of resources for their solution, which, of course, is not available today. The concept of the social situation, without denying the general, global connections of the individual with the world, allows us to isolate in his specific conditions, first of all, what directly affects the solution of his problem, what is within the influence and scope of social work. An analysis of these closest connections will reveal psychological, family, group, medical and other reasons that push the individual to drunkenness, help to find support in his personality to create a stable motivation for healing.

It should be recognized that not only the social worker, the entire institution of social work, the entire social system of a given state, and even all of humanity as a whole, cannot influence a number of reasons, conditions and circumstances that complicate the client's position. For example, it is impossible today to completely eliminate the causes of congenital or acquired disability or to compensate for those defects that cause the limitation of the capabilities of individuals. Achievements of civilization such as the development of health care, the emergence of new types of genetic prognostics and prenatal diagnostics, the improvement of medical care, the improvement of working and living conditions eliminate some causes of disability, but they are replaced by others, largely caused by the same successes of civilization, therefore the total number disabled people is growing. Unable to eliminate the cause, the social worker can only help the individual to achieve the maximum level of integration into society that is possible under his real life circumstances and health.

Poverty is probably an inevitable companion modern society, since its causes are caused not only by deficiencies in the health of the individual, character, intellect and psyche, but also by a general shortage of resources on a global scale. A social worker cannot eliminate poverty; he can act to eliminate the most egregious consequences of poverty, so that it does not become hereditary for the client's family: to provide assistance in providing adequate nutrition; help to get an education and, at the same time, the chances of a successful social start for children of poor people, whose parents cannot provide them with such opportunities as are provided to children from wealthy or wealthy families; guarantee medical care, especially for women and children. There are many such social problems that social workers must constantly solve in their work, but cannot solve them completely and completely.

It is impossible to finally resolve the social problems of disability, poverty, racial or ethnic intolerance, but it is necessary to solve them again and again for each subsequent individual or family who find themselves in difficulty because of these problems. Therefore, when providing social assistance to a client, a social worker deals primarily with his social situation.

As we deepen into the social situation, the subject of science and its new sides are being revealed more and more, there is a change in ideas about the content of the most important sections of social work as a science.

Categories are an irreplaceable means of research and systematization of scientific knowledge. Revealing the main elements of the categorical apparatus allows us to reveal the logic of the development of social work, the natural transformation of the system of its concepts.

The experience of research and practical activity in social work is condensed in a categorical form, the fundamental levels of understanding and comprehension of its features, interconnections, and mutual influences are expressed.

Structuring the concepts and categories of social work, they can be divided into groups:

1) categories that are not specific to the theory of social work, since the phenomena and processes they designate are also studied by other sciences through the prism of their subject and methods (“social relations”, “social activity”, “socialization”, etc.);

2) categories related to the theory of social work for the most part, but used by other branches of knowledge (“psychosocial work”, “social rehabilitation”, “family conflict”, etc.);

3) categories that are specific, actually categories of social work ("social worker", "social services", "targeted social assistance, etc.).

Summing up, it can be noted that the subject of social work as a science is the laws of social work, which determine the nature and direction of development of social processes in society. And from the point of view of practical activity, the subject of social work is a social situation.

Conclusion

Social activity in Russia, as in other countries, serves noble goals - to ensure the satisfaction of the needs of the population, especially its socially vulnerable strata, to create a more favorable atmosphere for worthy support of their capabilities. Social work plays a huge role in helping an individual, family or group of people. Despite the fact that social work in our country is a very young branch of a state institution, more and more people are involved in this type of professional activity, which is also a specialty in the system higher education... Because social work is an integral part of a democratic state.

The aim of the course work was to research and analyze the essence of social work, consider social work as a form of practical activity, as an academic discipline and from the point of view of an independent science. The study also studied the object and subject of social work. Analysis of the results allows us to draw the following conclusions:

1) The study showed that social work is a specific type of professional activity, the provision of state and non-state assistance to a person in order to ensure the cultural, social and material standard of his life. Social work can be viewed from several sides: as an independent science, as an activity and as an academic discipline. Depending on this, its object and subject differ.

2) Social work as a science has its own subject, object, and also categorical apparatus. From the point of view of professional activity, social work has several aspects that predetermine by whom the actions should be performed, what kind of character they should be and who they are aimed at. About social work as a discipline, we can say that it appeared in our country relatively recently, but, despite this, it is gaining significant momentum, aimed at increasing the number of social workers and improving their qualifications.

3) In the course of the work, it was revealed that the main key categories of social work are: social protection, social support, social services, social security. Social protection is a system of principles, methods, social guarantees legally established by the state, activities and institutions that ensure the provision of optimal living conditions. Social support - provision in cash or in kind, in the form of services or benefits provided taking into account social guarantees legally established by the state. Social services - the activities of social services and individual specialists in social support, the provision of social, social and medical, psychological and pedagogical, social and legal services. Social Security should be interpreted as social assistance, involving the direct transfer of material resources to clients of social services in the form of various kinds of open and hidden payments.

4) It has been established that the object of social work is, first of all, a person in the system of social ties and relations, at whom social action is directed, who experiences difficulties that arise in life. The most important object of social work is a person, i.e. personality, and family - the primary unit of society.

5) The subject of the same social work as a science are the patterns and principles of the development of social processes, their dynamics under the influence of various factors in the protection of civil rights and individual freedoms in society. And also, the subject of social work, as an activity, is the social situation . It was found that the social situation is the specific state of the problem of a specific client of social work, individual or group, with all the wealth of their connections and mediation related to the solution of this problem.

The theoretical significance of the study lies in the fact that its results, main conclusions and generalizations contribute to a deeper understanding of the content of the essence of social work, its subject and object.

List of sources used

2 Social work: Dictionary - reference book / Ed. IN AND. Filonenko. Compiled by: E.A. Agapov, V.I. Akopov, V.D. Alperovich. - M .: "Kontur", 1998. - 480 s

3 Dictionary - a guide to social work / Ed. Dr. East. sciences prof. E.I. Single. - M .: Jurist, 1997 .-- 424 p.

4 Social work / Under total. ed. prof. IN AND. Kurbatov. Tutorial. 4th ed. - Rostov n / a: "Phoenix", 2005. - 480 p.

5 Technology of social work: Textbook under the general. ed. prof. E.I. Single. - M .: INFRA-M, 2002 .-- 400 p.

6 Fundamentals of Social Work: Textbook for students. higher. study. institutions / N.F. Basov, M.V. Basova, O. N. Bessonova; ed. N.F. Basov. 3rd ed., Rev. - M .: "Academy", 2007. - 288 p.

7 Social work / ed. Prof. IN AND. Kurbatov. Series "Textbooks, tutorials". - Rostov n / a: "Phoenix", 1999. - 576 p.

8 Social work: theory and practice: textbook / Otv. ed. Doctor of History, prof. A.S. Sorvin. - M .: INFRA-M, 2002 .-- 427 p.

INTRODUCTION
Today in the literature there are many interpretations and formulations of the concept of "social work". But the main thing is that social work as one of the types of activity is aimed at providing assistance, support, protection to all people, especially the so-called weak strata and groups. It is clear that such activity took place from the very beginning of the emergence of human society, taking different forms at different stages of its development.Many people need help now when it's so hard. Difficult for various reasons.Not everyone has the strength to fight. Many have lost confidence, hope for better changes. But someone has to help these people.
It is important to know where you can go with your problems. In such situations, "social work" comes to the rescue, here they can support a person in difficult times, both financially - to provide payments, benefits, benefits, and spiritually - "to guide them on the right path."Relevance the topic "the essence of social work, its object and subject" is now very high, and is due to the following circumstances:
– first, an increase in modern conditions of the rate of social movement of assistance to the population. This is due to the growth of such strata of society as the disabled, pensioners, the poor, orphans, etc.
– secondly, the need to identify problems in the social sphere.
Therefore, it is necessary first to understand what the object and subject of social work is, not only as a science, but also as an activity, and as an academic discipline, in order to subsequently identify problems, prevent their aggravation and take measures to stabilize the situation. Many people do not know, or have a vague idea, what is “social work”, who are these social services and workers, what are their goals, whom do they help, and in general what is their help?
Analysis of the problem of social work involves getting answers to the questions: Who is defending? Whom does it protect? That is, it is important to find out what is the subject of social work, and what is its object.It is important to note that social work as a type of activity is aimed not only at the implementation of measures of social support for "weak" social groups, but also at the implementation of measures for the social protection of the entire population. In this broad sense, social work concerns every person, the entire population. That is why it is so important for absolutely every person to know what social work is, its essence and goals.

1. The essence of social work

The definition of the essence of social work is associated with the following key categories: social protection, social assistance, social support, social security, social services. The meanings of these terms form a meaningful, characteristic of social work.
Social support, social protection of people, and social work in general are determined by the social policy of the state as a certain orientation and a system of measures to optimize the social development of society, relations between social and other groups, and create certain conditions to meet the vital needs of their representatives.
In everyday consciousness, as well as in a number of normative acts, these concepts are often used as identical. However, the definition of their specificity makes it possible to most accurately identify the content of social work, the goals and objectives of this type of social activity.
The phenomenon of social protection can be viewed in broad and narrow senses. In the first case social protection is the activity of the state and society to protect all citizens from social dangers, to prevent disruption of the life of various categories of the population, social protection protects those who are in the most vulnerable position. In the second case social protection- this is the creation of conditions that do not allow the emergence of a difficult life situation or its complication among clients of social services.
The main way of implementing social protection is social guarantees - the obligations of the state in relation to certain categories of the population. The effect of guarantees implies compensation for low social status by increasing the legal status. Social guarantees are built taking into account certain features that give the right to a privileged use of public resources. Thus, obtaining a particular legal status (refugee, unemployed, disabled person, orphan child) provides a number of additional opportunities. In this case, a special legal status arises. A special legal status provides social guarantees from the state in the event that an individual meets certain parameters and undergoes the procedures provided for by law. An example is additional guarantees for orphans and children left without parental care, this category of persons has additional guarantees in the spheres of health care, education, housing, etc. For a number of categories, there are guarantees for receiving social assistance.
Unlike social protection social help can be provided only in moments of immediate need for it (medical assistance, legal assistance, psychological assistance).
Thus, social work includes both social protection and social assistance, which depend on the real difficulties in the life of a person, group or community. Social security and social services show the main ways of managing the process of using internal, external and related resources of individuals and families who find themselves in difficult life situations.

The concept of social work as an independent science

For several years now, a new type of professional activity, which is at the same time a specialty in the higher education system, has been dynamically developing in the Russian Federation - social work. The emergence of social work as a special institution and a special profession is caused not only by the increased demands of the population for social support, but also by a change in the content of these requests, their individualization, conditioned by deeper personal needs, more indirect conditions for their satisfaction. This activity can be both professional and volunteer, but for all the importance of the volunteer movement, as the institution of social work develops, both the degree of staff training and the depth of specialization of its institutions will inevitably increase.
Define social work can be as, "a kind of social activity, which has as its purpose to optimize the implementation of the subjective role of people in all spheres of society in the process of joint satisfaction of needs, maintenance of life support and active existence of the individual."
First of all, social work should be considered as an independent science, which determines its place in the system of sciences. Like any science, social work has its own subject, object, categorical apparatus. The object of the research is the process of connections, interactions, methods and means of regulating the behavior of social groups and individuals in society. The subject of social work as an independent science, there are laws that determine the nature and direction of development of social processes in society.
Social work system, in whatever aspect it is not considered, it is always an open system, closely intertwined with other social systems: economy, politics, law, culture, ethics, ecology, consumer services, etc. Understanding and seeing the connections of the social work system with other systems and the system of society as a whole raises social work to a high level of social culture, makes society truly humane, puts a person at the center of social life, makes people people in the highest sense of the word.
The concept of social work as a system has conceptual and methodological significance for the day-to-day management of social work. Knowledge of it as a system relieves organizers of a one-sided approach, exaggeration of the role of some of its individual aspects, allows to anticipate and correct possible imbalances, errors in social services in a timely manner, to raise the culture and efficiency of social work.
Social work - a universal social institution: its carriers provide assistance to all individuals, regardless of social status, nationality, religion, race, gender, age and other circumstances. The only criterion in this matter is the need for help and the inability to cope with life's difficulties on their own. Although there are many people involved in social work who belong to one or another confession, the institution of social work itself is of a secular nature, being an attribute of civil society. Due to this, in addition to highly influential moral and ethical imperatives, the activities of a social worker are also regulated by state legislation. [ eleven]
Thus, summing up, we can say that since social work has its own subject, object and categorical apparatus, it should first of all be considered as an independent science.

1.2. Hierarchy of goals and objectives of social work
The purpose of social work is achievement by the object of a state characterized by the optimal use of personal and social resources in accordance with social standards and individual ideas about the norms of social functioning.
A goal refracted in a given situation becomes a specific task. The set of tasks of social work can also be used to characterize social work as a special type of social practice. The following formulas can be included in the list of social work tasks.
1. Humanization social and state norms of attitudes towards the life of the individual, family and community. Social work is designed to solve the problem of promoting the values \u200b\u200bof compassion in the public consciousness to categories of the population in difficult life situations. Social workers should be the initiators of the timely adoption of laws aimed at social protection, both of the entire population of the country and the most vulnerable groups. The solution to this problem is also associated with the popularization in society of models of tolerance, altruism, philanthropy, and mutual assistance. Humanity and ensuring freedom of choice does not exempt from conflicts of interest and leads to the construction of a constructive attitude - taking into account the interests of all parties involved in interaction.
2. Development of capacities public institutions in the field of helping those in need. This means that it is necessary to involve non-state, informal institutions in helping individuals and groups, to create and replenish the financial and material reserves of social institutions through sponsorship and international cooperation. The effectiveness of social services for clients of social services is due to the technical equipment of institutions and enterprises, therefore, social work is difficult to imagine without the widespread use of the achievements of scientific and technological progress, innovative and experimental activities. [ 6, c. 52]
3. Correlation of social standards existence in a society with the resource potential of society. The implementation of this task requires compliance with the principle of justice at all levels of social policy and social work (development of legislation, distribution of budgetary funds, direct distribution of all types of assistance). Ensuring social justice initiates the introduction of a flexible system of payment for social services, which allows for targeted assistance, a differentiated approach to supporting categories of the population and individuals.
4. Harmonization of social normsand ideas about the norm of the needy of help can occur only in the mode of negotiations, culminating in the conclusion of a contract. The contract may or may not be legally enforceable, but it needs to stipulate mutual expectations and the “rules of the game” in providing assistance. The duration of the establishment of contractual (contractual) relations may be different, the specialist should be calm about the regular changes in the terms of the contract. The process of reconciliation of ideas about the norm of the client and a specialist representing the state, society, organization itself is sensitive to the use by the subject of authoritarian pressure and manipulation.
5. Updating internal resources object of social work. Activating the capabilities of the clients of social services themselves, on the one hand, makes it possible to rationally use the available public resources both at the present moment and in the future. On the other hand, only the development in persons in difficult life situations of independence and responsibility for the circumstances of their own life will ensure to the greatest extent the full value of social functioning, a sense of their own relevance and usefulness. As a result, social workers should formulate the task of maintaining an active life position of a social service client, helping him develop abilities, social experience of self-help, self-sufficiency and organization of his life at a personally and socially acceptable level.
6. Ease of use (ensuring the availability of) public resources for the object of social work is due to the willingness to manage the resources of both sides of the helping interaction. The client must have information about what services and payments, where, when and under what circumstances he can receive. In addition, social support for the needy consists in teaching the optimal ways of interacting with resource sources.
For the helping party, the willingness to provide public resources presupposes the physical accessibility of buildings, structures, transport and ends with the emotional mood of specific specialists interacting with clients of social services, etc. Coordination of social organizations and institutions plays an important role in ensuring the availability of public resources, since the activities of each of them are limited by departmental tasks, stereotypes and misconceptions.

Social work object

2.1. Determination of the object of social work
Social coexistence and interaction should be based on the principles of social equality and partnership, fair distribution of material wealth, reliable guarantees for the creative self-assertion of all subjects of society. This understanding of sociality is the most important criterion for the implementation of social work.
Social work object, on the one hand, is determined by the goals and objectives of practical social work, and on the other hand, it determines the boundaries and content of the theory and practice of social work. There are many definitions of the object of social work, they are largely similar in that in modern conditions social work goes beyond the boundaries of practical social assistance and is increasingly becoming fundamental theoretical knowledge about a person in the system of social relations and interactions, about ways to improve his social life and social well-being. The object of social work is, first of all, a person in the system of social ties and relations, at whom social action is directed. This is a client of social assistance, social adaptation and rehabilitation, social diagnostics and prevention, social examination and social therapy.
Also, we can say that object of social work (broadly understood) are all people. This is explained by the fact that the vital activity of all strata and groups of the population depends on those conditions that are largely predetermined by the level of development of society, the state of the social sphere, the content of social policy, and the possibilities for its implementation.
It should be said that the object of study of the theory of social work is social relations, and in connection with its versatility, a number of areas can be distinguished in it:
etc.................

Question 3. The essence, goals and principles of social work: modern approaches to understanding the essence and goals of social work, the principles of social work: general, general philosophical, specific

The essence of social work in Russia

Let us begin to consider the essence of social work with the basic word "work", which expresses the fact that it is organized, initiated by the state, society, body, institution, specialist. In accordance with the meaning of the word "work", a specialist in social work becomes the initiator and organizer, the conductor. But the client should not only play a passive role, he should cooperate with a specialist to the best of his ability. In other words, social work is built according to the "subject-subject relations" formula.

The substantive essence of social work is embodied in the most complex phenomenon "social", which expresses the various ways and forms of existence and interaction in society as a system of integral social subjects (personality, family, work collective, community, group, classes). In a civilized society, such existence and interaction should be based on the principles of equality and partnership, fair distribution of material benefits, reliable guarantees of ensuring the self-affirmation of social subjects entering society. All these conditions, which constitute the essence of the concept of "social", are the most important guideline for social work.

As for the definition of the concept and essence of social work as a type of activity, then in the published literature there are various interpretations of social work. The essence of social work can be summarized in several definitions:

A type of social assistance to individuals and (or) groups of the population in difficult life situations in order to achieve harmony between a person and the environment.

Providing assistance to individuals and various groups in the exercise of social rights. Since social rights are very multifaceted and ensure the social functioning of the individual, the problems that social work seeks to solve are very broad and varied;

A kind of human activity, the purpose of which is to optimize (i.e. choose the best possible option) the implementation of the subjective role of people in all spheres of society in the process of life support and active existence of an individual, family, social and other groups and strata in society.

A type of professional activity aimed at meeting socially guaranteed and personal interests and needs of various groups of the population, at creating conditions that contribute to the restoration or improvement of people's ability to social functioning.

A means and form of social control in the interests of society or the state, in the name of noble or hostile goals on the one hand. On the other hand, human life is an organic unity of various processes, parties and phenomena, which at different times under different circumstances may come to the fore or give priority to other processes.

It is dynamic, developing professionbased on the achievements of the social sciences and the results of practice. It is a special social mechanism capable of responding flexibly and competently solving social problems at all levels of the social structure, up to a specific member of society.

Social work is not charity, on the part of society, the state in relation to individuals, groups, communities - it is an obligatory mechanism for the functioning of a modern welfare state.

In the works of Professor E.I. Single, the following definition is used: "Social work is a specific type of professional activity, the provision of state and non-state assistance to a person in order to ensure the cultural, social and material standard of his life, the provision of individual assistance to a person, family or group of persons." This definition has its dignity a wide coverage of the phenomenon, emphasizing both state and non-state principles of such activities.

Also, social work is an interdisciplinary direction of scientific knowledge that studies the content and patterns of this activity. In addition, we can talk about a complex of academic disciplines, the development of which is necessary to train a specialist in social work. In addition, the role of social work as a social phenomenon can be noted.

Probably, at this stage of development of the theory of social work, it is impossible to formulate a definition that would exhaust the entire content of the concept. But the meaning (essence) of social work is clear - it is an activity to assist individuals, families, groups in the realization of their social rights and in compensation for physical, mental, intellectual, social and other deficiencies that impede full social functioning.

Social work is designed to assist in access to available social resources, in their creation or in their replenishment.

Social work allows you to inform your clients about their certain rights and the possibilities for their implementation, diagnose their violation or incomplete implementation, and finally, help to make potential rights become relevant. In this regard, social work is necessary for all individuals and groups - for active, educated, prosperous clients this need is less or generally curtailed at the moment, for those less capable of independence, less informed, socially weak by some indicators - it is more pronounced.

Social work wears:

♦ preventive nature - provides for the implementation of preventive measures to prevent deviant behavior.

♦ active character - focused on preserving the conditions that make it possible to include in the work of the clients themselves as subjects of action;

♦ targeted character - is expressed in the development of regulations and legal norms that ensure social protection of different groups of the population, in the implementation of measures to support decent living conditions, taking into account the individual needs of people, in accordance with the established criteria);

2. When setting goals social work, it is not enough to formulate them only as "adaptation to society" or "promotion of social functioning".

The goal of social work is the result of correlating value ideas about the duty of society (state) to a citizen with the situation in which he finds himself. Article 7 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation states: “Russia is a social state”. Of course, any state is social, therefore the term "social state" only emphasizes the state's ability to implement social policy: take care of the labor system of the population, human rights, create health care systems, social security, support the poor, fight crime and negative conflicts, etc. etc. One of the most important principles of the welfare state is this: you should only help those who at the moment cannot cope with their problems themselves, and helps in such a way that in the future a person can cope with problems on their own. Thus, the goal of social work is the achievement by the object of a state characterized by the optimal use of personal and social resources in accordance with social standards and individual ideas about the norms of social functioning.

A goal refracted in a given situation becomes a specific task. The set of tasks of social work can also be used to characterize social work as a special type of social practice.

In general terms, the essence is understood as the inner basis, meaning, essence of something. In some cases, the essence is expressed through the definition of a phenomenon, a process, in this case - social work.

The term "social work" has many definitions. For example, social work - this is:

- specific practical actions to provide economic, psychological, informational and advisory or other assistance to sick, infirm, socially unprotected or socially maladjusted people who need support and protection from the outside, as well as corrective or rehabilitative work with persons of antisocial or deviant behavior;
- activities aimed at harmonizing personal and social relations by providing assistance to individuals, groups of people and communities experiencing difficulties in social functioning, through protection, support, provision and maintenance, correction and rehabilitation, as well as by changing or reforming certain elements of the social system ;
- a specific form of state and non-state influence on a person in order to ensure the cultural, social and material standard of his life, to provide individual assistance to a person, family or group of persons;
- a special type of activity, the purpose of which is to satisfy the socially guaranteed and personal interests and needs of various groups of the population, to create conditions conducive to the restoration or improvement of people's abilities for social functioning;
- activities to assist individuals, families, groups in the realization of their social rights and in compensation for physical, mental, intellectual, social and other deficiencies that impede full social functioning;
- purposeful activity in society to provide assistance and support to various categories of the population who have found themselves in a difficult life situation;
- management of the use of resources of a person (family, community) in a difficult life situation;
- professional activities aimed at helping people, social groups in overcoming personal and social difficulties through support, protection, assistance, provision and service;
- one of the varieties of human activity aimed at providing assistance, support, protection of both all members of society and socially unprotected groups (disabled people, children, etc.).

These definitions emphasize mainly the practical aspect. However, one must remember that social work is not only practical activity, but also scientific and educational activity.

To better understand the essence, functions, structure and levels of social work, it is necessary to define the concept of "activity". So, activity - it is a purposeful transformation of natural and social reality by man. Social activities - it is a set of socially significant actions carried out by a subject (group, person) in various spheres and at various levels of the social organization of society, pursuing certain social goals and interests and using various means - economic, social, political and ideological in order to achieve these goals and satisfy interests ...

Let us consider social work as a type of activity, which is understood as an interdisciplinary type of practical work aimed at satisfying socially guaranteed and personal interests and needs of various, primarily socially vulnerable, population groups, to create conditions conducive to the restoration or improvement of people's ability to social functioning.

As a type of practical activity, social work is distinguished by the specifics of its object and subject. Depending on the object to which this activity is directed, social work is interpreted in a narrow sense (the object is individuals, groups and segments of the population who find themselves in a difficult life situation) and wide (the object is the entire population, various spheres of life).

In general, social work is an integrated type of activity, conditioned by its main object - a person as an organic unity of his biological, psychological and social components.

If we consider social work as a science, then it is a sphere of human activity, the function of which is to develop and theoretically systematize objective knowledge about a certain reality - the social sphere and specific social activity. In this case, social activity can be concretized as professional and social activity of state, public and private organizations, specialists and activists, aimed at solving the social problems of individuals, families, groups and strata in society, changing their environment. Analysis of existing forms and methods of social work, development of optimal methods and technologies for solving social problems of these objects is one of the most important tasks of social work as a science.

Being fundamentally a social science, social work is associated with both technical and natural sciences. Research conducted within its framework is often interdisciplinary in terms of its relationship with the natural sciences (in particular, medicine) and other humanities (social) sciences (with philosophy, sociology, psychology, pedagogy, jurisprudence, etc.).

Currently, the country's universities have many "social" departments. For example, at the Russian State Social University there are: the Department of Theory and Methodology of Social Work and the Department of Social Work and Social Law; the Russian State University of Tourism and Service has a Department of Psychology and Social Work; the Department of Psychological and Social Technologies operates at the Moscow City Pedagogical University; the Institute of International Social and Humanitarian Relations has a department of sociology, social work and youth policy, etc. The following magazines are also published: since 1921 (since 1926 - on a permanent basis) - "Questions of social security"; since 1990 - "Social protection"; since 1995 - "Russian Journal of Social Work" (since 2001 it is called "Domestic Journal of Social Work"); since 2003 - Social Technologies Research (Sotis) and Journal of Social Policy Research; since 2004 - "Social service"; since 2009 - "Social policy and social partnership”Etc. Many textbooks and teaching aids have been prepared and published for the comprehensive training of social workers.

But the process of the formation of social work as a science has not yet been completed. Perhaps this is related to the fact that social work is not officially recognized as a scientific discipline. Therefore, the training of graduate and doctoral students is carried out within the framework of postgraduate and doctoral studies in such specialties as philosophy, sociology, political science, pedagogy and psychology.

The peculiarity of social work is the unity of knowledge and skills. Without this unity there is no science; without this unity, a social worker cannot become a professional.

Another type of social work is social work as an educational activity.

This is a type of activity, the purpose of which is to give students (listeners) a holistic understanding of the content of social work, its main directions, tools, technologies (methods) and organization, to teach them the methods of this work.

The capitalist foundations of the modern economy put forward in the category of priority the regulating and guaranteeing function of the state in the implementation of social protection of citizens from the negative manifestations of spontaneity and uncertainty inherent in the market mechanism. These functions can be fully realized only on condition of targeted professional training of personnel for the social sphere. That is why, in many countries, the active development of scientific problems related to applied sociology, social ecology, social engineering, and social work is accompanied by the wide spread of the prestigious profession of a social worker.

The study of a number of special disciplines makes it possible to equip future social workers with the methodology of scientific analysis of social processes and the optimal choice of the most appropriate organizational structures, forms and methods of activities of services that provide social assistance to the population.

Science and academic discipline may have the same name, but this does not mean that the concepts are identical. The main task of social work as a science is to cognize that area of \u200b\u200bthe subject space that has not been studied or insufficiently studied. The main task of the academic discipline is to convey the knowledge gained by science to the students in the most acceptable and accessible form of their training.

Science is always broader and richer in content than an academic discipline. And science is developing in relation to the academic discipline ahead of schedule. This circumstance obliges students to constantly monitor scientific innovations and research in the field of social work. An indispensable condition for the creative use of scientific achievements in educational activities is the direct participation of students in research work. Only under this condition will the task of training cadres of social workers be solved at the level of modern requirements for professionalism.

Educational activity in different universities solves not entirely identical problems. The general goal of training social workers is specified in relation to the profile in which training is carried out. So, at the Russian State University of Tourism and Service, more attention is paid to the service aspects of social activities, psychosocial work in tourism and sports (for example, social and psychological support of extreme tourism, social work with Olympic sports veterans, tourism and rehabilitation services, Paralympic sports, pilgrimage and etc.). At the Institute of Psychology, Sociology and Social Relations of the Moscow City Pedagogical University, serious attention is paid to the psychological and socio-pedagogical training of future social workers. In the curricula of the Military University of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, attention is drawn to the features of social work with military personnel, citizens dismissed from military service, and members of their families, and the study of the rules of warfare. In the work of the departments of the Institute of International Social and Humanitarian Relations, a significant place is occupied by the study of foreign experience in social work.

A modern social worker is a person who is deeply versed in the legal, moral and psychological features of the life of a modern person, who is able to help people. And this means that the graduate of the call, who received the specialty "Social work", must know the theoretical and practical foundations of social work, its historical roots and traditions, domestic and foreign experience in organizing social protection of the population; have the skills of socio-psychological and situational analysis and organizational diagnosis of the living conditions of various population groups; be able to conduct specific research, predict the development of social processes and take into account their results in planning social work, in choosing the means and methods of influencing the development of social processes; have a high general culture, organizational skills, pedagogical inclinations, be cordial and sociable, etc.

During the period of study, the future social worker faces difficult tasks: to develop creative thinking, the ability to analyze and evaluate social phenomena from a civil, humanistic standpoint and conflict situations, competently determine the ways and means of optimal solution of social problems; to cultivate in oneself the high moral qualities of a citizen - a carrier of humanistic ideals, capable of actively implementing the social policy of the state and harmonizing human relations; to develop skills of complex managerial and psychological-pedagogical influence on the state and behavior of social groups and individuals in extreme and conflict situations while protecting their social rights and freedoms, etc.

Thus, social work includes practical, scientific and educational activities. Social work as a type of practical activity is understood as an interdisciplinary type of practical work aimed at satisfying socially guaranteed and personal interests and needs of various population groups. Social work as a science deals with the development and systematization of objective knowledge about the social sphere and specific social activities. Social work as an educational activity consists in equipping students with a holistic understanding of the content of social work, its main directions, tools, technologies and organization.