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Тема 5: Social Education in the USA
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Тема 1: Our University
Russian State Social University is one of the popular educational establishments in Moscow. Every year a lot of applicants come to the University seeking for admission. Early in September those who were lucky to pass entrance exams and to be admitted to the first year get together to be initiated into students.
I was lucky to enter the branch of Russian State Social University which is situated in the Moscow region in Naro-Fominsk. It is a four-storied building with plenty of classrooms, a library and a canteen.
There are five faculties in the University: the faculty of Social Work, Economics, Psychology, Computer Science and Management. They train specialists in different professions. There are two departments in our University: the full-time department and the external department for those who work. The attendance at the full-time department is compulsory.
The curriculum consists of special subjects, social subjects and physical training. All students learn foreign languages during the first two years of study. Students are to attend lectures and seminars on different subjects. Students’ practice is given much attention too.
The course runs for five years. Every academic year is divided into two terms each ending in a set of credits and exams. Those who pass exams and credits successfully have a holiday. On graduating students receive diplomas which give them the right to work.
Our university has an official teaching staff. Among them there are Doctors and Masters of Sciences. Many of them come from Moscow to give us lectures. They are very friendly to all the students and always ready to help them with research work. The rector of our University is Zhukov Vassily Ivanovich.
The University has a good library and well-equipped classrooms. They are light and comfortable to work in. They are well-stocked with books on many subjects, computers and visual aids.
Students’ life is a very full one both academically and culturally. Students’ amateur concerts, traditional parties and sports competitions are often arranged in our University. A lot of talented students take part in the activities.
Words and word combinations
full-time department – дневное отделение
external department – заочное отделение
attendance - посещение
compulsory - обязательный
term - семестр
set of credits and exams - сессия
official teaching staff – официальный преподавательский состав
visual aids – наглядные пособия
Тема 2: Social Work Profession
Social work is emerging as an important profession in the modern world. It is committed to the enhancement of human well-being and to the alleviation of poverty and oppression.
The basic functions of social work are restoration, provision of resources, and prevention. Restoration of impaired social functioning may be subdivided into curative and rehabilitative aspects. Its curative aspects are to eliminate factors that have caused breakdown of functioning, and its rehabilitative aspects, to recognize and rebuild interactional patterns.
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Provision of resources, social and individual, for morе effective social functioning may be subdivided into developmental and educational. The developmental aspects аrе designed to further the effectiveness of existing social resources оr to bring to full flower реrsonal capacity for more effective social interaction. The educational spectrum is designed to acquaint the public with specific conditions and needs for new оr changing social resources.
The third function, prevention of social dysfunction, involves early discovery, соntrol, and elimination of conditions and situations that potentially could hamper effective social functioning. The two main divisions аrе: prevention of problems in the аrea of interaction between individuals and groups, and the second, the prevention of social ills. Prevention of social ills ordinarily falls within the аrea of community organization.
Тема 3: Social Work as a Science
Social work is "the applied science of helping people achieve аn effective level of psychosocial functioning and effecting societal changes to enhance the well-being of аll people."
Social work knowledge has been largely borrowed from the social sciences, particularly psychology and sociology, though anthropology, political science, economics, and history as well as the natural sciences of biology and physiology contribute as well.
Social work knowledge is what is known about people and their social systems. It is relative to the situation in which it was developed. It is descriptive of the phenomena of persons in situations, and it explains the functioning of individuals and their social systems. It is used to gain understanding of persons in situations and of larger social systems and to guide the actions of social workers as they seek to enhance individuals' social functioning. It includes knowledge of human development, human diversity, and social systems theory. It is knowledge that directs the response to need and includes knowledge about assessment, relationships, the social work process, and intervention.
Thus, the knowledge base developed for social work is eclectic, interdisciplinary, and tentative at best, complex, and often subjective. Social work continues to search for the acceptance of common concepts and common frames of reference and to test hypotheses about the nature of practice in the effort to become more scientific. By its very nature, this knowledge base is problematic.
Words and word combinations
science - наука
behaviour - поведение
human - человеческий
Тема 4: Mary Richmond
The first major statement of social work practice theory was Mary Richmond's Social Diagnosis. She developed the original framework for the assessment construct. The term “diagnosis” was borrowed from medical terminology and became known as the medical model.
Richmond's work reflects a period when social sciences were highly influential on social work practice. Emphasis was on a broad study. It was assumed that a cause-effect relationship existed. The social worker was to look for the cause of the problem. The cause was generally assumed to be either moral inadequacy or lack of appropriate use of social resources.
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The heart of the social work was the process of careful, thorough, systematic investigation of the evidence surrounding those in need of service. Then, putting that evidence together, the social worker gained an accurate picture of the situation. This was scientific philanthropy, a study of the social situation.
The description of the information to be gathered was comprehensive and specific. The sources to be used included not only the client but the family, other relatives, schools, medical sources, employers, neighbors, and pertinent documents.
The guiding principles were sociological in nature. Richmond defined diagnosis as the attempt to make a definition of the situation and the personality as exact as possible, that is, in relation to other human beings upon whom the client in any way depends or who depends on him, and in relation also to the social institutions of his community.
Тема 5: Social Education in the USA
The profession of social work is committed to enhance human well-being and to minimize poverty and oppression. It has four main purposes: 1) the maintenance of the functioning of individuals, families, groups and organizations, 2) the planning of social policies, services and programs, 3) the promotion of social and economic justice, 4) the development of professional knowledge.
Associates Degree in Social Work is a two-year study at colleges. On graduating students are not considered as social workers, but as assistants.
Baccalaureate Degree in Social Work prepares students for general social work practice. It includes liberal arts and professional foundation content. Such education is fulfilled in colleges and universities.
Master’s Degree in Social Work prepares students for advanced social work practice. Social workers are trained as a practitioner. Students must integrate the knowledge, values and skills of this profession.
Curriculum includes only social work-based courses. They are two-year programs.
Doctoral Degree in Social Work is the highest level of social work education. It is an advanced preparation for research or teaching. Such education may be policy-, practice- or research-oriented. It prepares graduates for academic and teaching at the college or university level.
Words and word combinations
Associates Degree in Social Work – степень помощника социальной работы
Baccalaureate Degree in Social Work – степень бакалавра социальной работы
Master’s Degree in Social Work – степень мастера социальной работы
Doctoral Degree in Social Work – степень доктора социальной работы
practitioner - практик
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