„Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing else than medicine on a large scale”: Rudolf Virchow and applied social sciences

The present article discusses the influence on the development of applied sciences exerted by Rudolf Virchow (1821–1902) – a German physician, pathologist, anthropologist and political activist, who is considered the father of Public Health and Social Medicine. His research on medical aspects of poverty lead him to conclusion that radical solutions are needed in providing medical care, but also in education and public policies. The main stress is put on the social dimension of Virchow’s thinking and its impact on practice. 

Human dignity as a value in social work ‒ challenges for education

Social work is a specific profession that has a clear axiological aspect. It is based on the humanitarian and democratic ideals and human dignity is considered a core value in social work. It is in human dignity that the remaining values of social work are rooted. Their catalogues could be found in manuals of social work and above all in ethical codes adopted by associations of social workers in different countries. In the first part of the article, the author deals with some difficulties associated with the term “human dignity”. The term is widely accepted, but is it really understood? And although existing ethics codes of social workers do not define the concept of dignity, they use it to express the conviction of exceptional and unique value of each human being. The answer to the question what human dignity is, is all the more important because axiological dimension of social work a significant element of social workers education is. Therefore, the second part of the article discusses the problem of how to prepare social workers to solve the ethical dilemmas. It’s not just about presenting the theoretical knowledge of values or studying ethical codes. Analysing the results of research on the professional ethos of social workers is also not enough. Future social workers should experience the core values of social work in direct contact with people living in conditions that contradict human dignity, for example: in homeless shelters, hospices or sometimes in prisons. In addition, a visiting place where people commemorate humiliation (such as former concentration camps) can also help raise awareness of the value of human dignity. The author suggests that even literature and films are well suited to the axiological education of future social workers. 

Symbolic pracitces and social identity of social workers

The paper covers the issue of social workers’ social identity taken in theoretical framework of symbolic boundaries by Michèle Lamont and internal‑external dialectics of identity by Richard Jenkins. The discussed research concentrated on symbolic practices of social workers in relation towards clients and office workers. Both identified categories sustain the distinction between pure/ impure, however differences can be noticed in case of boundary settings and boundary work. Analysis of external image experienced by social workers and the contrasted self‑image connected with social workers/office workers boundary allows for cautious conclusions about prospects of social work professionalization.

Video Home Training/Video Interaction Guidance twenty‑five later. VHT/VIG development in social work, psychology, education and medicine

Video Home Training (or Video Interaction Guidance, or Video Enhanced Reflective Practice) has a twenty five years of tradition in Western social services (especially the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany). In this article I want to present the development of this method in the last decades. It found application in the area of work with children and families, disabled people, peer groups, education al psychology and supervision of students and professionals. In the past, Polish social workers also benefited from VHT, which is why it is worth recalling his method and making it more popular and applied again. 

The impact of poverty (misery) on the socialisation of children and young people

Unemployment is one of the main factors causing problems in the functioning of the family and above all in the process of socialization. It is one of the causes of poverty and the process of marginalization of many families in Polish society. Poverty has a special impact not only on the functioning of the whole family but especially on the upbringing and behavior of children and youth, and promotes the development of dysfunction in the family. Poverty affects the sphere of personality, the ability to communicate in a peer environment, the spread of pathology among children and adolescents. This problem undoubtedly has a negative impact on shaping the worldview of young individuals who usually finish their education at the basic level. Unemployed families encounter many barriers on their way, which impede their lives and discourage them from functioning in society. Children, seeing the breakdown of their parents, are becoming negative about people and the world. Poverty is a phenomenon that mainly damages human life, although there are cases when it teaches people responsibility and social maturity. 

Reflections on Solution‑Focused Approach as a method of working with a social welfare client

This article is a brief reflection on the research carried out on the implementation and realization of solutions‑focused social work by social workers in social assistance centers. Emerging trends show that despite the potential, this method is still not popular among social workers. It is important to implement a Solution‑Focused Approach to everyday social practices, which will contribute to the professionalization of the social worker profession and increase the quality of assistance services.

Some examples of innovative solutions in social work ‒ a public perspective

Contemporary trends in the creation of state social policy focus on the concept of multisectorality, which provides theoretical analyses and practical solutions. The model of multisectorality most often points to the model of the triangle of society’s welfare. It assumes the coexistence of three components of the state, market and households (the concept of welfare mix). The model of the society’s welfare triangle has been modified over time. The category of civil society and the various sub‑sectors were replaced by households. The new concept of multisectorality consists in the equality of all sectors and the transfer of tasks from the state sector to other sectors. In the adopted assumptions, none of the sectors should dominate, and the state’s task should be to organise optimal conditions for successful development, including providing the necessary legal, financial and organisational resources, while maintaining the state’s regulatory and control functions. The aim of the article is to present selected innovative solutions present in the area of social work, which are consistent with the modern approach to multisectoriality.