Introduction
The field of social work is complex and varied. It focuses on human beings and their problems from the individual level to the broader societal level. Social workers can do their jobs from different perspectives due to the differences in opinions and angles offered by these viewpoints. To give a scientific precision to social work, there is a need to use a distinctive perspective or approach while appreciating the weaknesses and strengths of each. As provided by Hutchison (2003). Each perspective offers a unique definition for problems and a method of intervention for helping people in crisis. This essay will define the humanist, behavioural, and psychodynamic perspectives and explain their relevance to social work.
Humanist perspective
The humanist perspective, also known as the existential and person-centred perspective, emphasizes an individual’s innate drive towards self-actualization and creativity. The perspective involves self-concept operating as a guide to the actions an individual may take and the manner in which they interact with the environment and people around them (Bland & DeRobertis, 2020). From a social work perspective, a humanist approach involves focusing on principles such as the individual’s unique identity and the inherent capacities of people. It also involves placing the person as the expert, emphasizing a holistic and empathic understanding, and recognizing social work as a process of helping others to empower themselves. By focusing on inherent capabilities and the actualizing tendency, clients are expected to be empowered by the social worker to move towards self-actualization and to find solutions for their problems creatively. This highlights another core principle in humanist social work, an emphasis on the client and social worker relationship. Through active listening and a genuine attempt to understand the client’s subjective experiences, the therapeutic process involves the social worker demonstrating congruence, empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard, thereby allowing clients to feel comfortable and presumably begin to develop these attributes within themselves.
Behavioural perspective
The behavioural perspective focuses on human behaviour and social learning, where a person’s behaviour is shaped by the reinforcements and punishments that follow it. This approach believes that human beings are born as blank slates and learn particular ways of social functioning through conditioning (Rubin & Krasnor, 2014). It upholds that when a reward follows a behaviour, it is ‘stamped in’ and becomes more ingrained over time. However, if a behaviour is followed by something negative or a punishment, it is less likely to be repeated. The idea of using behavioural interventions in social work is that assessing and understanding how past learning experiences may affect a person’s current behaviour, it allows for the development and implementation of future-oriented interventions. This ‘action-oriented’ approach can provide a framework around which clear goals and targets are set, thus allowing progress to be objectively measured and evaluated. An example of behavioural interventions in social work could be the use of ‘token economies’, whereby a system of both positive and negative reinforcements are used to encourage people to display more desirable behaviours and reduce ‘problem’ behaviours.
Psychodynamic perspective
Social workers who take on a psychodynamic perspective are attentive to the thoughts and emotions experienced by the individual. The psychodynamic perspective considers that behaviour is the result of the operations of drives and forces within the person, specifically unconscious thoughts and emotions that originate from some early experience in life, providing that symptoms of mental disorder are the result of the expression of these unwanted forces in behaviour (Spielman et al., 2021). Social workers are interested in finding the source of the problem and in helping the individual to identify and understand the reason for their unhealthy thoughts and feelings. Attention is given to both the presenting problem and the hidden problem.
Conclusion
The humanistic, behavioural, and psychodynamic perspectives each offer a different explanation of why individuals may be vulnerable and how they may be best helped. On one hand, humanism sees the causes of human distress and dysfunction as a lack of love, care, and positive regard. Behaviorism, on the other hand, sees them in learned behavior. Further, the psychodynamic perspective sees them in the conflicts between the different parts of the mind.
References
Bland, A. M., & DeRobertis, E. M. (2020). Humanistic perspective. Encyclopedia of personality and individual differences, 2061-2079. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24612-3_1484
Hutchison, E. D. (2003). Dimensions of human behavior: Person and environment (Vol. 1). Sage.
Rubin, K. H., & Krasnor, L. R. (2014). Social-cognitive and social behavioral perspectives on problem solving. In Cognitive perspectives on children’s social and behavioral development (pp. 9-76). Psychology Press. https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=9mSYAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=behavioral+perspective+in+social+work&ots=eybkypcTkW&sig=NRlIz8fpgDn58XAusLt8ftVo4h0&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=behavioral%20perspective%20in%20social%20work&f=false
Spielman, R. M., Dumper, K., Jenkins, W., Lacombe, A., Lovett, M., & Perlmutter, M. (2021). Freud and the Psychodynamic Perspective. Psychology-H5P Edition. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/psychologyh5p/chapter/freud-and-the-psychodynamic-perspective/
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