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History, Philosophy and Fields of social work

Topic: MORAL AND RELIGIOUS VALUES IN THE SOCIAL WORK;

CHRISTIAN, HINDU, MUSLIM, BUDDHIST, AND

GANDHIAN TRADITIONS.

Submitted to, Submitted by,

Mr. Allwin Thomas. Bonsy. M. P

Assistant Professor. 1st MSW

Department of social work. Dept. of Social work

Christ College Irinjalakuda. Christ College IJK.

Submitted On : 18.09.2019
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CONTENT

Sl.No. Title Page No.

1. Introduction 3

2. Moral and religious 4-7

values in social work:

In Christianity

In Hinduism

In Muslim

In Buddhism

In Gandhian traditions

3. CONCLUSION 8

4. Reference 8
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INTRODUCTION

Social work is a profession committed to the pursuit of social justice, to quality of life, and to the
development of the full potential of each individual, group and community in a society. The ethical values of
social work profession have long been given scant attention . Ethical foundation and ethical research is as
important knowledge and the theory in social work practice. Ethical Theory building will strengthen the moral
fibre of the profession and it will contribute to the current knowledge relating to social work practice.

There is need for greater attention to moral values and ethics in the present context of technological and
scientific advancements and the consequent decadence and degradation of the values of life. Social work is not
providing solutions to problems, but it provides an area in which clients can review their concerns, and see how
they can manage them best and live an effective life.

The moral and religious values of social work profession and the values of Christian, Hinduism, Muslim,
Buddhist, and Gandhian traditions have much in common and have much similarities. The basic principles, values
and ethics of social work gives a clear view of how a social worker is expected to carry out his duties. It also
specifies the demands made by social work, and provide important reminders for the social worker.

Historically, social work began as an activity which aimed at bringing relief to individual and sometimes
whole groups, at the level of the basic physical needs of food, clothing and shelter. Later, other needs and problems
were perceived and social work attempted to meet them for those who were not able to do so on their own.

Social work is emerged not as a profession at its beginning stages, it starts as a service which is provided
by the church. So social work was something which aims only at charity and the basic objective of this charity
was the purification of soul. The church became centres for distributing food, medical aid and shelter. Later
welfare becomes the responsibility of the state.

During this time the moral and religious values of different religions and traditions have contributed to
the social work. It is those morals from each traditions that give shape to social work and later these values began
to be form as the social work values. The contributions of each religion has helped the social work, the
Brotherhood of Christianity, Karma of Hinduism, Ahimsa are some among them.
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Moral and religious values in the social work:

Each religion has a social vision. It gets expressed through a variety of social concerns. Unfortunately,
this social vision often gets clouded and religion tends to become a tool in the hands of the powerful. When a
social vision of a religion gets clouded, its inner contents languish. This vision has to be rediscovered from time
to time.

In Christianity

Christianity is arising from the scriptures, its historical development especially in social teachings of the
Catholic Church, the emergence of liberation theology and a glimpse of the Indian Catholic Church moving from
social work to social action. The social concern of Jesus is revealed in a number of healing miracles. Through the
miracles of physical healing Jesus wanted inner healings to take place. By healing Lepers, blind, sick Jesus
showed that they too were human beings and deserved to be treated as such. The indicators of God’s reign in the
world were peace, love, justice, health, harmony, concern, sharing, equality, fraternity and so on.

In the New Testament of Bible, God is declared to be father and all human beings as his children. There
is no inferior, superior or distinctions among people. The key Christian prayer, “The Our Father” taught by Jesus
himself testifies to the equality of all humans. The words, “Thy kingdom come” are interpreted to mean a kingdom
where love, charity, peace, fraternity, sharing, caring and concern exist and not a political kingdom. Christianity
can be cited as an illustration of primitive communism... mine is thine and thine is mine, sharing, Brotherhood
and solidarity.

By the fourth century, the religious orders and monasteries of male and females took care of the poor, the
diseased and the rejects of society. “Social Teaching of the Church” is a teaching which explains the rise if
capitalism and its ills, deterioration of social and economic order, deprivation and marginalization of masses and
disparity between rich and poor. The social teaching was an appeal for the reconstruction of the social order based
on the values of God’s Kingdom or God’s reign of equality, justice, Brotherhood, human dignity and peace.

Pope Pius XI reaffirmed the right and duty of the Church to address social issues. He stressed upon the
social responsibilities of private property and the rights of working people to a just wage and to organize them
to claim their rights. He also points out that government should promote the economic good of all individuals in
a society. Economic undertakings should be governed by justice and charity as the principal laws if social life.

The Second Vatican Council marked a new period in the life of the church. The four distinct aspects are:

1. An assault on political Apathy

2. A Commitment to ‘ Humanization' of the Universe
3. A Commitment to World Justice
4. Preferential Option for the Poor
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Christianity in India

Christianity in India was largely concentrated in Kerala from the first century. The Christians in India are
said largely to be the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Christian missionaries worked in healing, teaching,
and preaching the lower social strata of Indian society. Later it shifts its approach to poverty and then moved from
alms giving, charity, help, service, and poverty alleviation programmes to development, self-help, critical social
awareness, organizing people at the grass roots levels to fight for their right.

In Hinduism
The basic tents of Hinduism and the cardinal values of social work flow from one common premise, e.g.,
upholding the dignity of the human being. The Gita says that one’s varna is to be understood from one’s personal
qualities and one’s karma ( work), not one’s birth.

The Hindu ethics speaks of sadharana dharma, that is the duties that are common to all and varnasrama
dharma, duties that depend on one’s station or position in society. Great importance has been attached to virtues
like truthfulness, straight forwardness, self-control, compassion, forbearance and freedom from envy.

Truthfulness, non-injury, charity, compassion, etc. have been stressed in the Mahabharata. Ramayana,
upholds the highest principle of morality. The Rig Veda and the Atharva Veda command honesty, rectitude,
truthfulness, fellow feeling, charity, non-violence, celibacy, and faith as important virtues.

In Muslim
Islam is thus, contrary to popular belief, a flexible philosophy of life which originally conceived of a
society based on such civilized principles as justice, equality and human rights. Early Islamic rule, put on mantle
of liberty and equality on its shoulders.

The word ‘Islam' means peace, purity, submission and obedience. It is a theology and movement directed
against immortality, excessive materialism, political and ecclesiastical tyrannies. The basic concept of God in
Islam is humanitarian. Man’s well-being is the central concern of Islam; from that it follows that all the laws
originate from God must be good and in the utmost interest of individual and society.
The religion of Islam is based on the cardinal principles of monotheism, equality and brotherhood. In the
classical period, the religio-social order founded by prophet made steady progress and exhibited the finest
elements of its culture and cardinal values. There is harmony, peace and mutual security and there is a constructive
interaction between the individual, society and state. Besides the unity of humanity, mutual responsibility and
concern, the social life in Islamic conception is also characterized by cooperation, goodness and piety.
The Islamic conception of social life is very lofty, sound and comprehensive. The substantial elements of
this structure are: sincere love for one’s own fellow human beings, mercy for the youth, respect for the elders,
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genuine feelings of brotherhood and social solidarity, mutual responsibility between the individual and society,
and respect for the rights of other people to life, property and honour.

In Buddhist
Buddhism as a religion and an order can help us achieve individual and group or collective purposes today.
Buddhism rejects any centralized authority. The values like non-violence, man-making and social harmony needs
to be practised here.

Buddha, the great revolutionary thinker, to him, man is the centre of everything and hence advocated the
cultivation of the moral and spiritual character of man. Impermanence, egolessness, and suffering are the three
fundamental principles of Buddhism. Buddha’s concern is man’s moral life. Thus, the human life is a constant
experiment and experience.
The Buddhist emphasis of the transient character of reality includes not only what man may observe, but
the man himself. This would give a considerable weightage to the dignity of human personality and thinking.
Non-violence regards the life of simplicity, self-restraints, body-labour and service as of more
significance than pompous and luxurious life.

In Gandhian traditions
Gandhi was not a social worker in the strict sense of the term. But Gandhian social work is basically
concerned with the reconstruction of society based on truth and non-violence and welfare of all the last and the
lowliest, the poorest of the poor(Antyodaya). The vulnerable sections of the society are the worst sufferers in the
catastrophic situations such as fires, epidemics, famine, wars, not to speak about the welfare needs of the
disadvantaged sections and the problems relating to social injustice, economic exploitation, social discrimination,
inequality are the outcome of the discrepancies in the social system. The basic objective of Gandhian social work
was to fixed out the basic causes and conditions out of which, the above problems would arise.

Ammu M. Mazumdar says : “In the course of many of his activities of a social welfare nature, Gandhi had
developed certain principles, practices and procedures which harmonize remarkably with the principles and
techniques of pre-professional social work as it has developed in the western world settlement houses, social
group work, social case work, community welfare organisation, social legislation, social action.”

Gandhi wanted to bring about a social order in which, there is greatest good of all, the last and the lowliest.
The society which he contemplated is free from moral degeneration, social injustice and economic exploitation.
Though he has not spelt out a social order of his conception, he had a definite concept of casteless and stateless
society based on truth, non violence, equality and moral and spiritual values. The constructive programme which
he enunciated is intended for eliminating violence, domination, and inequality. Gandhi pleaded for the equality
of women. He believed in it and afforded them that status in his public as well as private life. Gandhi believed
that the accumulation of wealth should be based upon the principles of trusteeship and it is to be done by non-
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violent means for the sake of poor. Gandhi tried to introduce greater equalitarian values. The Harijans were at the
lowest rung of society. Hence the upliftment of Harijans meant radical change in the existing social structure.

Gandhi stress on character formation and basic education represent his concern for taking care of the child
from beginning. Gandhi’s efforts for emancipation of women would help to alter the age-old values of
inequalities, because they are the agents of transmission of the culture to the children. He was opposed to
industrialization and urbanization. He wanted a society free of all types of oppression and exploitation. He
concerned the use of violence. He stressed the need of Ahimsa. Gandhi’s ethical system focused on the greatest
good for the greatest number in society. He meant social justice as fairness to the individual, and priority to
disadvantaged people.

The use of ethical and spiritual values in social work practice is reflected in Gandhian thought and
constructive programme which he endeavoured to implement throughout his life for elimination of the evils in
the society and his bottom-up approach to development of Dalits and weaker sections in the society. Gandhian
values and ideology would contribute a great deal for strengthen the spiritual and moral fibre of social work
profession. Gandhian principles are based on a set of philosophical beliefs – cooperation over competition,
interdependence over rugged individualism, compassion for others over pursuit of self- interest, and social justice
over individual s greed and achievements. Gandhian ethics is well-being of all, justice for all. Gandhian concept
of social development is based on the foundation of truthfulness, love of all, harmonious relations and service to
others.
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CONCLUSION

Social work is made and build upon different morals, principles, ethics and values. It can be understood
that every profession of human behaviour has some value and on the basis of these values it achieves its objectives.
Social values have significant role as they maintain social equilibrium, unity in behaviour, psychological
foundation of life, determination of role and evaluation of social events and problems.

The moral and religious values of social work are those that are contributions of different religions and
those religious morals and values later makes social work easier. Christianity is based upon love, peace, justice,
harmony, human dignity, sharing, charity, equality, fraternity, caring, Brotherhood and solidarity. Islam focused
on liberty, purity, equality, obedience, humanitarian, Brotherhood, mutual security, mutual responsibility,
cooperation, etc. Buddhism contributes values like non-violence and social harmony. Gandhian tradition construct
a society based on truth, non-violence, equality and moral and spiritual values.

The contributions of each of these traditions brought changes in social work practice and enables social
workers to become more professional and build in a social friendly manner.

Reference

 Patel Chhaya(2009). Social work practice- Religio-Philosophical Foundations. Jaipur : Rawat

publications.
 Gore. M. S(2011). Social work and social work education. New Delhi: Rawat publications.
 Mohan Narendra. K(2012). Philosophy of social work. New Delhi: Centrum press.
 Munde Balaji. P(2015). Gandhian approach to social system and social change. New Delhi: R. P.
Publications.
 Gautam. P. R and Singh. R. S(2011). Social work- Administration and Development. New Delhi:
Centrum press.