Principles and Practice of Social Work - Theoretical Assignment Essay

Principles and Practice of Social Work - Theoretical Assignment - Essay Example On one hand, an individual’s activities have an effect on other people that interact with him or her, and in turn, the actions of others affect him; the total effect of their actions is evident in the society. On the other hand, society affects the individuals in it, expecting them to do according to its demands. By so doing, society ensures its survival by making its various components live together in harmony, and individuals build their society by interacting with each other constructively (Berberoglu 2005; Baert and Silva 2010). The role of a social worker is to use social work values, principles, and methods for counselling, helping a society or a community help itself or individuals in it; acting as the agent that maintains balance in society. For instance, a social worker would be involved in the provision and improvement of social, health, and legislative services. The principles of social work include, acceptance, affirming individuality, purposeful expression of feelings, non-judgementalism, objectivity, controlled emotional involvement, self-determination, and confidentiality. According to Ritzer and Goodman (2004), social work is the art and science of identifying conflicts in society analysing them, and using the various available theories on society to come up with possible solutions. However, the work of a social worker does not end at identifying and recommending solutions, it extends using the recommendations to solve the conflict at hand practically. Therefore, a social worker is an essential component of a society that acts as a bridge between the needs of an individual and those of the society, by ensuring that individual do not suffer in silence due to the pressure of society expectations. The aim of this essay is to identify two social work theories, relate them to social work principles and relate them to domestic violence, in addition to discussing power imbalances, between the social worker and his or