A definition of social work: A thesis in sociology

								

which appear in all the forms of social work and not in activities
unrelated to it they will at least serve the three practical purposes
for which definition is so urgently needed.
Materials for analysis are not wanting. Social work has had its
national conference for fifty years, its magazine for thirty-six[4]
and its schools for twenty-five[5] and the conference reports,
the magazines and the school curricula constitute a competent
body of evidence that can be consulted either in cross section
or in chronological perspective. If we forego expectation of a
precise and all-mentioning definition and adjust our demands to the
practicabilities of the case we may hopefully challenge these compact
sources of information, together with the dispersed literature of the
subject, with observation and experience to stand and deliver a working
definition.

FOOTNOTES:
[1] For examples see Appendix I.
[2] Conference Bulletin, published by the National Conference of Social
Work, Nov., 1922, Vol. 26, No. 1, 25 E. 9th St., Cincinnati, Ohio.
[3] 130 E. 22nd Street, New York.
[4] “Charities,” which has since become the “Survey,” was first
published in 1887.
[5] The New York School of Philanthropy opened its full term winter
course in 1904; a summer school had been opened in 1898.

CHAPTER II
THE CHARITABLE ELEMENT IN SOCIAL WORK

The “charities directories” of New York[6] and Philadelphia[7] offer
the most inclusive available lists of the various types of social work.
For present purposes it will be sufficient to review them by groups.
Duplications, omissions, and extraneous inclusions (all legitimate for
the purposes of the directories) make the figures of agencies of each
type inaccurate but they serve to show the multiplicity as well as the
range of social work undertakings.



                                                         New  Philadelphia

                                                         York
Agencies having to do with health                      412       224
Child welfare agencies                                 233       147
Settlements, social centers and housekeeping centers   227       608
Relief societies                                       180       102
Societies for civic and economic betterment by means

      of surveys, investigations, education of the

      public, etc.                                       157       369
Adult homes                                            136       112
Agencies for obtaining or providing employment         123        46
Special educational opportunities, agricultural,

      musical, etc.                                      118        71
Philanthropic agencies with a predominantly

      religious                                           96       191
Agencies interested in naturalization, colonization,

      and work for immigrants                             91        28