社會工作的「社會」涵義：重拾社會工作中的社會本質

本文旨在檢視爲何社會工作被稱爲社會工作，以及甚麽是社會工作中的「社會」涵義。回顧社會工作的發展，社會工作實務愈來愈走向個人輔導及治療模式的發展，而漸漸忘記了或忽略了關注社會改變、社會改革及社會公義的目標。本文嘗試討論若社會工作只強調個人轉變及個人治療，是否應該還被稱爲社會工作？社會工作理應也強調其「社會」本質及目標。社會工作專業應該重拾「社會」目標，重新理解及關注社會工作的真正「社會」涵義。本文首先討論社會工作邁向個人導向與治療化的趨勢及其原因，然後提出將社工專業回歸「社會」本質的重要，更列出社工所要包含的六點「社會」涵義或元素。最後建議在社工專業實踐、社工專業發展及社工教育中如何推動重新認識社會工作的「社會」本質及實踐其社會目標。 This article examines why social work is called by its name and what the "social" of social work is. The review of the development of social work has found that social work practice has put more emphasis on individual treatment and clinical therapies, and has increasingly neglected the aim of advancing social change, social reform and social justice. This article aims to discuss if social work only focuses on individual change and treatment, should it be still called by this name? Social work should also focus on its social goals. The social work profession needs to revive its social goals and identify the meaning of its social nature. This article begins with discussing the trend of therapeutisation of social work and the reasons behind, then examines the importance of realigning the profession with its social nature and identifies the six social dimensions of social work. It suggests how to promote the understanding of the social of social work and the achievement of its social goals with regard to the aspects of social work practice, the development of the social work profession and social work education.