Media Release
Mangaluru, Jun 4: Social work as a profession has achieved several milestones over the years in India. Since the world started moving along with Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology, social work also started aiming for human rights and social justice with eco-social outcomes with compassion. Social work provides avenues for innovation, creativity and humanistic endeavors.
Dr Pradeep MD, associate professor
Social welfare is the collaborative concern of the government, NGOs, social service agencies and social workers. But out of a total of 84.26% meals served during the pandemic across India, almost 37% is met only by social service agencies. The sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic shut down economies inevitably for social distancing, isolation, quarantine etc. It impacted professions either positively or negatively but brought in greater risks to people living in poverty and unemployment. On the contrary, it facilitated social workers with multifaceted opportunities to boost their professional public esteem. During disasters, social workers play a key role in safeguarding public health by enriching public preparedness and emergency responses. They contribute towards local response systems to facilitating new normal scenarios. Post pandemic, social work eventually emerged as a profession with rooted ethics and ideologies to ensure justice to the deserved.
In spite of the pandemic forcing educational institutions to get isolated with minimum physical and social distancing. In response to challenges Srinivas University Mangaluru, Karnataka established in 2013 offering undergraduate, postgraduate and research courses with over 60 courses has found a breakthrough to train social workers without any hassle. College of Social Sciences and Humanities offers both Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Masters of Social Work (MSW) with a dual specialization to envisage quality professionals with multifaceted abilities to tackle problems of unemployment, fear, worry, grief, loss, violence, anxiety, depression, homelessness, trauma, stress, etc. The college trains students to partner with either problem or solution based on their interest but hands-on experience in social research provides them facts to respond to against inequalities and stuff for academic debate. The institute for providing uninterrupted support to its students during the crisis has replaced offline education with online education. It took a bold decision to blend its curriculum with 40 percent online content from MOOC platforms to enrich quality.
Dissemination of knowledge and skill through Information Technology is used as the alternative to in-person teaching and practice. The online and virtual platforms such as Zoom, Webex, Google Meet, Gogo Meeting, Skype etc are best utilized to provide live classes, practicum demos, group discussions, seminars, webinars, competitions etc. Students are provided with educational resources, discussion forums, support groups, volunteer opportunities and counselling services online. Students are trained in virtual psychosocial support, animal care, learning support, information services, telehealth, field practicum, telephonic companionship etc. A paradigm shift in placement initiatives of the university through online job fairs, campus drives, internships, placement talks has added advantage. Students are encouraged to take up coaching to crack competitive examinations like UPSE, KPSE, NET etc. Meritorious students from the economically backward class are provided with institutional scholarships to support their studies. Srinivas University provides a 100% bank loan facility to all those who are aspiring to excel through professional education.
By the first quarter of the 21st century, trained social workers would be in huge demand enjoying the most respectful career in multifaceted areas of Human Resource Management, Community Development, Psychiatric Welfare, Geriatric Care, Child Welfare, Distress Management, Labour Welfare, Counselling, Psychotherapies, Youth Welfare, Government Initiatives, Research, Environmental Protection etc. Social workers can engage relentlessly along with not-for-profit institutions to pull out people from poverty and hunger. In the context of the new normal, every problem leaves behind ample opportunity for social workers to work on. Certainly, social work is not going to remain just as a white collared job but a profession with compassion and love to partner with and serve mother India forever and ever.