UGC NET Social Work · Subject Code 10
Unit IX
Areas of Social Work Practice I
Health care, mental health, aging, disability, gender, labour welfare, human resource management and industrial relations.
1. Medical Social Work and Psychiatric Social Work
The syllabus introduces medical and psychiatric Social Work through their concepts, historical development, and the roles and responsibilities of practitioners. In practice, these fields place Social Work within multidisciplinary health and mental-health systems, with attention to the person’s social environment, family and community context, resources, rights and continuity of care.
Medical Social Work
Medical Social Work commonly addresses psychosocial and social factors associated with illness and treatment. A practitioner may assess social circumstances, support communication between patients, families and services, connect people with resources, facilitate discharge and continuity planning, and advocate for appropriate support.
Psychiatric Social Work
Psychiatric Social Work applies Social Work knowledge and methods in mental-health settings. Work can include psychosocial assessment, family and community interventions, rehabilitation, coordination of services and support for recovery and social functioning.
2. Mental Health and Disease
The supplied syllabus requires study of normal and abnormal behaviour, epidemiology, etiology, types, clinical manifestations and management of specified disorders, child and adolescent mental-health problems, and legislation related to mental health. citeturn0search2
Normal and abnormal behaviour
Clinical judgment about mental disorder is not based simply on whether behaviour is unusual. Assessment considers symptoms, distress, impairment, context, duration and culturally relevant expectations. Social Work assessment adds attention to family, social environment, socioeconomic conditions, stigma, access and functioning.
Epidemiology and etiology
Epidemiology studies the distribution and determinants of health conditions in populations. Etiology concerns factors contributing to the development of a condition. For Social Work, these concepts help connect individual presentation with family, social, environmental and structural determinants.
Disorders named in the syllabus
| Area | Study focus |
|---|---|
| Schizophrenia | Core clinical features, psychosocial impact, treatment/support systems and rehabilitation. |
| Mood disorders | Major mood disturbances, functional effects and psychosocial support. |
| Neurotic disorders | Anxiety-related and other historically classified neurotic presentations; use contemporary diagnostic terminology carefully. |
| Stress-related disorders | Relationship between severe stress/trauma and psychological symptoms, functioning and support needs. |
| Somatoform disorders | Historically used category; contemporary classifications use related but revised diagnostic terminology. |
| Child and adolescent mental health | Developmental context, family/school/community systems, early intervention and safeguarding. |
Legislation
Indian mental-health practice must be understood within the applicable legal and rights framework. The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 is a key contemporary statutory reference; legal provisions should be checked against the current official text when used for examination or practice.
3. Theories of Aging and Vulnerability
The syllabus asks for psychological and sociological theories of aging, the psychological, social and physical needs and problems of older persons, rights against neglect, abuse, violence and abandonment, and Social Work interventions. citeturn0search2
Psychological perspectives
Psychological perspectives examine adaptation, identity, cognition, emotional well-being and life-course transitions. Erikson’s later-life stage, for example, frames old age around the developmental tension of integrity versus despair.
Sociological perspectives
Sociological theories examine how social roles, relationships and institutions shape aging. Activity theory emphasizes continued engagement; disengagement theory historically proposed withdrawal from social roles; continuity theory emphasizes maintaining patterns of identity and activity where possible. These are analytical perspectives, not universal descriptions of every older person.
Needs and vulnerability
- Physical: health care, mobility, nutrition, safety and management of chronic conditions.
- Psychological: emotional well-being, identity, autonomy, coping and meaningful activity.
- Social: relationships, participation, housing, income security and protection from isolation and abuse.
Social Work interventions
Interventions may include psychosocial assessment, counselling/support, family work, case management, service linkage, community participation, advocacy and safeguarding. A rights-based approach treats older persons as rights-holders rather than merely recipients of care.
4. Persons with Disabilities
The syllabus covers models of disability, the disability movement, national and international milestones in the shift from welfare to a rights-based approach, legislative measures and Social Work interventions. citeturn0search2
Models of disability
The medical model locates disability primarily in impairment and treatment. The social model emphasizes barriers created by environments, institutions and attitudes. Rights-based and human-rights approaches extend this analysis by emphasizing dignity, equality, participation and non-discrimination.
From welfare to rights
The historical movement from welfare-oriented approaches toward rights-based practice changed the role of professionals: from doing things for people toward enabling participation, choice, accessibility and equal citizenship.
Social Work interventions
- Individual and family assessment
- Resource and service linkage
- Advocacy and accessibility planning
- Rehabilitation and community inclusion
- Support for education, employment and independent living
- Work against stigma, discrimination and exclusion
5. Gender and Development
The syllabus identifies gender disparity in education, health, property, employment and livelihood, decision-making, feminization of poverty and gender-based violence, together with constitutional and legislative safeguards and Social Work interventions. citeturn0search2
Gender disparity
Gender inequality can operate through unequal access to resources, opportunities, decision-making power and safety. A Social Work analysis should examine how gender interacts with caste, class, disability, age, sexuality, location and other forms of social difference.
Feminization of poverty
The term draws attention to gendered patterns in poverty and economic insecurity. It should not be reduced to the claim that all poor households are female-headed; analysis should consider labour markets, unpaid care, asset ownership, social protection and intra-household power.
Gender-based violence and safeguards
Social Work responses can include survivor-centred support, safety planning, counselling, referral, legal and welfare linkage, community prevention and advocacy. Relevant constitutional and statutory safeguards should be studied from current official legal sources.
6. Labour Welfare and Human Resource Management
The syllabus connects labour welfare and HRM with industrial development, labour-welfare concepts and principles, labour legislation, HRM evolution and models, HRD, performance management, Six Sigma, ISO, Total Quality Management, CSR and corporate governance. citeturn0search2
Labour welfare
Labour welfare concerns measures intended to support workers’ well-being and working conditions. It can include statutory and voluntary provisions, workplace services, health and safety, social security and welfare-oriented organizational practices.
Human Resource Management
HRM concerns the organizational management of people across recruitment, development, performance, retention and employment relationships. HRD emphasizes developing knowledge, skills, capabilities and organizational learning.
Quality, CSR and governance
- Performance management: aligning work expectations, feedback, assessment and development.
- Six Sigma: a data-oriented quality-improvement approach.
- ISO: international standards that organizations may use for management and quality systems.
- TQM: organization-wide continuous quality improvement.
- CSR: organizational responsibility for social, environmental and stakeholder impacts.
- Corporate governance: systems through which organizations are directed, overseen and held accountable.
7. Personnel Management and Industrial Relations
The syllabus includes concepts, objectives, scope and functions of personnel management; determinants and indicators of industrial relations; models of industrial relations; globalization and industry; ILO roles and functions; collective bargaining; job analysis; manpower planning; organizational behaviour; and organizational development interventions. citeturn0search2
Personnel management
Personnel management traditionally focuses on staffing, employee administration, records, compensation and workplace policies. Contemporary HRM has broadened this field toward strategic human-resource development and organizational capability.
Industrial relations
Industrial relations concerns relationships among workers, employers and institutions around employment. Its key concerns include cooperation and conflict, representation, workplace rules, collective bargaining and mechanisms for resolving disputes.
International Labour Organization
The ILO is the specialized UN agency concerned with the world of work. Its work includes international labour standards, decent work, social dialogue and tripartite engagement among governments, employers and workers.
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is negotiation between employers and workers’ representatives over terms and conditions of employment. It is a central mechanism of social dialogue and can contribute to orderly workplace relations.
Job analysis and manpower planning
Job analysis systematically examines a job’s duties, responsibilities and requirements. Manpower planning estimates and plans organizational workforce requirements in relation to present and future needs.
Organizational behaviour and development
Organizational behaviour studies how individuals and groups behave within organizations. Organizational development uses planned, evidence-informed interventions to improve organizational effectiveness, relationships and capacity.
Revision: Unit IX at a glance
| Area | Core examination lens |
|---|---|
| Medical/Psychiatric Social Work | Concept, evolution, roles and responsibilities |
| Mental Health | Behaviour, epidemiology, etiology, specified disorders, child/adolescent mental health and legislation |
| Aging | Theories, needs, vulnerability, rights and interventions |
| Disability | Models, movement, welfare-to-rights shift, legislation and intervention |
| Gender | Disparity, poverty, violence, safeguards and intervention |
| Labour/HRM | Welfare, HRM/HRD, quality, CSR and governance |
| Industrial Relations | ILO, collective bargaining, job analysis, manpower planning and organizational development |
References — APA 7
- International Labour Organization. (n.d.). About the ILO. https://www.ilo.org/
- International Labour Organization. (n.d.). Collective bargaining. https://www.ilo.org/
- International Labour Organization. (n.d.). Tripartism and social dialogue. https://www.ilo.org/
- International Federation of Social Workers. (2014). Global definition of social work. https://www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work/
- International Federation of Social Workers. (2018). Global social work statement of ethical principles. https://www.ifsw.org/global-social-work-statement-of-ethical-principles/
- World Health Organization. (n.d.). Mental health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health
- World Health Organization. (n.d.). Schizophrenia. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schizophrenia
- World Health Organization. (n.d.). Disability and health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health
- World Health Organization. (n.d.). Ageing and health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health
- World Health Organization. (n.d.). Gender and health. https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender
Source discipline: the unit structure follows the supplied UGC NET Social Work syllabus. Contemporary explanatory terminology is used where appropriate, but syllabus terminology is retained when it is materially relevant. Legal and clinical information should be checked against current official sources because legislation and classifications can change.