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The foundation of the social work profession is rooted in two levels of social assessment and reform. One is the individual, or micro, approach, which examines the needs of the individual living in poverty and explores how trained social work professionals could assist the individual in overcoming barriers to economic self-sufficiency. The other approach, which occurs simultaneously, is a macro, or larger environment, approach. This approach identifies and influences changes in the larger systems (education, economic, etc.) to improve self-sufficiency. The social work profession incorporates both approaches and trains professionals to intervene effectively at both levels of practice.
For this Discussion, review
this week’s resources. Then, reflect on
the dichotomy between micro and macro practice.
Next, think about how micro practice has come to dominate the
social work profession.
Postan
explanation of
“the dichotomy between micro and macro” practice.
Then, describe how micro practice has come to dominate the
social work profession.
The
Dichotomy between Micro and Macro Practice
Micro
social work practice is geared towards individuals and their immediate
inefficiencies that need to be solved to improve their well-being. For example,
according to Hahn (2013), at a micro-level, a
person has challenges meeting basic needs, not as a result of the nature of the
larger environment. On the other hand, macro-system theory targets the large
society in terms of interaction with an entire society. At this level, the idea
is to enhance the economy, education level, and positive socialization among
community members. Social work practices at a macro level, aim to understand
how dynamic the environment is in which people live. Secondly, micro approaches
aim at individual weaknesses and how their strengths can be leveraged to yield
a better livelihood, while macro systems explore opportunities present within
society and help people.
Micro-practice has dominated social practices due to many reasons. First, there is a need for one-on-one contact between a social worker and a client; an individual represented a particular community. Through interaction, professionals help clients understand their weaknesses and match them with their abilities in solving...
