CO-SA Material -15 Social Action concept.pdf

Social Action

1. Social Action -Meaning:
▪SocialActionisoneoftheauxiliarymethodsofSocialWork
(Secondary/Indirectmethod).
▪Thismethodisnewintroductioninthepracticeofprofessionalsocialwork
anditisacrucialmethodindevelopingcountries.
▪Social Action is a way of meeting mass social problems - mass attack on
mass social problems

2. ▪Socialproblemsandconflictshaveremainedanintegralpartofthe
societyfromthetimeimmemorial.
▪Forprovidingreliefandsolutiontotheseproblems,socialworkand
socialwelfarehavealsoremainedapartofhumansociety.
▪Professionalsocialworkutilizescertainmethodsofworkingwithpeople
inviewofempoweringthepeopletosolvetheirproblems.
▪Amongthemethodsofsocialwork,socialactionisanew
introductionintheprofessionalsocialworkpractice.

3. •socialactionisre-adjustmentofthesocialinstitutionsand
redistributionofpowerandresourcesforsocialjusticeand
empowermentofthecommunity.
•Asamethodofsocialwork,socialactionmobilizesthegeneral
populationtobringaboutstructuralchangesinthesocial
system.
•Itisanorganizedefforttochangeorimprovesocialand
economicinstitutions.

4. ▪Socialactionisusedwhenpeople’sneedsandproblemsremainunmetand
unsettledthroughothermethodsofsocialwork.
▪However,theprocessofsocialactiondependsonothermethodsofsocial
worksuchassocialcasework,groupwork,researchandcommunity
organization.
Someofthesocialproblemslike
•dowrysystem,
•destructionofnaturalresources,
•alcoholism,poorhousing,health,etc.canbetackledthroughsocialaction

5. ▪Social Action involvesorganizedeffortstoinfluencepublicopinionorofficial
policyorexecutiveactionwiththesupportofgroupsorindividuals
▪Itmobilizesthemtoorganizethemselvesforbringingaboutdesiredchange
orpreventitthatadverselyaffectsthem.
▪Socialactivistsimprovethecriticalconsciousnessofmasses,buildthe
capacityandguidetheconfrontingstrategiesinordertoreachthesetgoals

6. ▪SocialAction-usesdemocraticallyworkablestrategiessuchaspropaganda,
research,advocacy,lobbying,publicpressuretechniquestodealwiththe
societalproblems,withouttheelementofviolence.
▪Therefore,socialactionincludemethodssuchaseducation,propaganda,
persuasionorpressurebutitdoesnotrecommendphysicalcoercionor
compulsion.
▪AccordingtoMaryRichmond,propagandaandlegislationaretheappropriate
strategiestobringthelargeparticipationofpeopleformassbetterment.

7. Socialactioncoversmovementsof
•social,religiousandpoliticalreform,
•sociallegislation,
•racialandsocialjustice,
•humanrights,freedomandcivicliberty.
•Previouslysocialactionwasconsideredasatoolwithinthe
fieldofcommunityorganization,butnowithasbeen
consideredasaseparatetechniqueofsocialwork.

8. ▪KeyconceptsinSocialActionare:
✓Empowerment–transformationinpowerrelations(infavorofpowerless)
✓Criticalconsciousness(recognizingtheproblem/need)
✓Communitycapacitybuilding
✓Socialcapital(Resourcesofcommunity)
✓Issueselection(specificandurgentneed)
✓Participation(people’sinvolvement)
✓Relevance(pressingneed/issueselected)
▪BasicPhilosophyofSocialAction-humanitarianapproachbasedontheprinciples
ofjustice,equalityandfraternity.

9. ▪Social Action – bringing radical changes in the social environment of client and
community.
▪Itisasystematic,consciouseffortdirectedtoinfluencethebasicsocialcondition
andpoliciesinfavourofdeprivedandunprivileged.
▪Itisacommunityorientedmethod–increasestheproblemsolvingcapacityof
communitythroughachievingconcretechangestowardssocialjustice.
▪Itisaprocesswhichbringsawarenessamongpeopleonsocio-politicaland
economicrealitiesconditioningtheirlives.

10. Essential elements in Social Action:
❑Group action – (though it may begin with individual initiative)
❑Organised effort - give the shape of a movement
❑Social progress/change – motivates public
❑Democratic values/ practices - within the boundaries of constitutional provision
❑The force behind social action lie in group compulsion
Skills required for a Social Activist:
1.Relational skills, 2. Analytical and Research skills
3. Intervention skills 4. Managerial skills
5. Communication skills 6. Training skills

11. ▪Someexamples:
✓Socio-religiousmovementsofmedievalperiodtargetedagainstsuperstition,
orthodoxreligiouspracticesandvariousothersocialevils.
✓NarmadaBachaoAndolancarriedoutbyMedhaPatkar-1978.
✓ChipkoMovement–forestconservationmovement-1973.
✓JanLokpalBill–AntiCorruptionMovementbyAnnaHazare–2011
✓BachpanBachaoAndolanstartedin1980byNobelLaureateKailashSatyarthi.
✓SwadeshiMovement-1905

12. Definition –1
Socialactionis“massbettermentthroughpropagandaand
sociallegislation”
-Mary E. Richmond (1922)
Mary E. Richmond
was the first social worker to use the word ‘Social Action’ in 1922

13. Definition -2
“Social Action isan individual, group or community effort within
the framework of the social work philosophy and practice that
aims to achieve social progress, to modify social policies and to
improve sociallegislationand health and welfare services”
-Walter Friedlander

14. Definition -3
“Social Action may be described as organised group effort to solve
mass social problems or to further socially desirable objectives by
attempting to influence basic social & economic conditions or
practices.”
-John W. Hill

15. In general the concept of Social Action:
1.It touches the very core of society and shapes its destiny.
2.Its techniques are in propaganda, research, lobbying.
3.Social Action is an alternative approach to facilitate and enhance the social
functioning of human beings in any society.
4.Brings about peaceful revolution, bring together the required resources to
meet these needs
5.It requires knowledge & understanding of process in the treatment or the
study of social breakdown.

16. Social Action –Goals/Objectives:
▪Prevention of changes considered as negative;
▪Solution of mass problems;
▪Improvement in mass conditions;
▪Influencing institutions, policies and practices;
▪Introduction of new mechanisms or programmes;
▪Redistribution of power and resources (human, material and moral), decision-
making;
▪Appropriate decision making for effects of thought, action and structure;
▪Social development through change.

17. Characteristics of Social Action:
▪Social action is concerned with change in current social practices.
▪Social action involves a goal accepted as desirable and worthwhile by the social
actionists.
▪Social action always involves an attempt to bring about action by people other than
the social actionist.
▪Socialactionincludemethodssuchaseducation,propaganda,persuasionor
pressurebutitdoesnotrecommendphysicalcoercionorcompulsion.
▪Social action to be identified with certain method and procedures.

18. Importance (Use) of Social Action:
•Removal of Social Problems –this is the main purpose of social action. The
scope of Social Action in Indian society is confronted by many social problems
which should be solved in accordance to the democratic ideals
•Solution of individual and family problems-
•Spread of democratic values – social work is based on democratic
ideals, in theory as well as in practice. For this social action could
be used as base.

19. •Encouragement to Organisational function – Social action as a process
having various models of execution the speed of social action could be
increased..
•Social Reform – With the help social action the process of social reforms
could be encouraged. It indirectly brings improvement in social
conditions.