“Why do you have to study to help people?”
“You could help people on a leisure basis, like voluntary work, why do you need a degree to help people?”
“What are you tested for Social Work finals?
“Should I help the old lady cross the road?”
These are some of the questions that people have asked me about Social Work. The last one was meant to be a joke from an acquaintance, but it was a question that has been stuck in my mind ever since I declared the subject as my major. Most people seem to relate it with helping the underprivileged, which is not wrong, but does not cover the full scope of what we do.
One of the first few questions that my Professor asked our class was, “What is your definition of ‘help’?” I used to think that it meant giving money to charity, or doing charitable work, but my Social Work classes have helped me realize that this definition is too superficial.
Indeed, Social Work is about helping people, but doing so not just by donating money, spending time playing with children or talking to the elderly, but by empowering individuals—helping them develop their potential to the fullest. The academic side to Social Work is often overlooked because people forget that it is a profession, in the same way that being a doctor is a profession. This means that we help not just based on the fleeting desire to do “good” or how helping makes us feel. Ethics, theoretical frameworks, therapy and development of relationship skills are some examples of the things that we learn that give a structure to how we can help individuals develop their potential. It gives us the head knowledge, so that we can apply some of these methods to make our interactions with the people we help smoother.
Part of the academic course is a 10-week field placement at the end of Year 1 where we were trained by competent supervisors out in the field. It was a valuable and insightful learning experience that allowed me to better understand the different aspects of the profession. It reminded me of how our projects in class were real-life cases. Even though I always enjoy my lectures, to the extent that it no longer seems like schoolwork, the experience made me realize how relevant they were to Social Work as a profession as they reflected and dealt with the very reality of our lives. I do hope placement at the end of our Second Year is equally enriching.
Part of being in Social Work is belonging to the department, and I consider it a huge blessing to be a part of this group that exudes the warmth of a family. This is a department that takes great care in nurturing us, with educators that go the extra mile in preparing us for our future work while giving us adequate space for exploration and growth. It is definitely a privilege to have my budding years in social work molded and shaped by the pioneers and change-makers of the field in Singapore, and a pleasure to work hand-in-hand with like-minded course-mates, who are equally passionate and committed to the community.
Part of being in Social Work is belonging to the department, and I consider it a huge blessing to be a part of this group that exudes the warmth of a family.
That said, Social Work is as sobering as it is fun and enriching. I remember several instances where I left the lecture hall frowning, considering the social issues that were mentioned during class. Despite the laughter and the light-hearted moments, it is always a little unnerving to realize that our competency counts for more than personal education achievements but has a direct impact on the lives of the people that we have committed ourselves to help.
Having said all of this, I do wish that acquaintance would read this and learn what Social Work is really about.
——————————-
The writer is a Year 2 Social Work major.