Part C (Q9): Trace the historical evolution of social work in US and India.

The historical evolution of social work as a profession has distinct trajectories in the United States and India, though both share roots in charity and philanthropy before moving toward professionalization.

Evolution of Social Work in the United States

The development in the US can be traced through several key phases:

1. The Charity Organization Societies (COS) (Late 19th Century): In response to mass immigration and urban poverty during the Industrial Revolution, the COS movement began in Buffalo, New York (1877). The COS introduced "friendly visitors" (mostly affluent women) who investigated poverty to ensure relief was given "scientifically" and to the "deserving poor." This was the rudimentary beginning of Social Casework.

2. The Settlement House Movement (1880s): Pioneered by Jane Addams (Hull House, Chicago, 1889), this movement took a different approach. Instead of blaming the individual for poverty, settlement workers lived in poor neighborhoods, focusing on environmental and social reform, education, and community empowerment. This laid the foundation for Community Organization and Social Group Work.

3. Professionalization and Education (Early 20th Century): In 1898, the New York Charity Organization Society established the first summer course in social work, which later became the Columbia University School of Social Work. Mary Richmond published Social Diagnosis in 1917, providing the first comprehensive theoretical framework for casework, firmly establishing social work as a profession requiring specialized training.

4. The Great Depression and the Welfare State (1930s): The economic collapse forced the federal government to intervene. The Social Security Act of 1935 expanded the role of social workers from private charity to public welfare administration, massively expanding the profession's scope.

Evolution of Social Work in India

The trajectory in India is deeply intertwined with its history, religion, and the independence movement.

1. Ancient and Medieval Period (Philanthropy and Religion): Charity (Dāna) was a core component of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Islam. Rulers like Ashoka and Akbar established institutions for the sick and the destitute. However, this was unscientific charity focused on the spiritual merit of the giver rather than the empowerment of the receiver.

2. Social Reform Movement (19th Century): The 19th century saw a shift from religious charity to social reform, targeting oppressive practices like Sati, child marriage, and untouchability. Reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and later Mahatma Gandhi, approached social issues with a rights-based perspective, laying the groundwork for a modern understanding of social welfare.

3. The Gandhian Era (Early 20th Century): Mahatma Gandhi introduced the concept of Sarvodaya (welfare of all) and constructive programs focused on village upliftment, Khadi, and the eradication of untouchability (Harijan welfare). Though not "professional" social work in the western sense, Gandhian social work heavily influences Indian practice today.

4. Professionalization and Education (1936 Onwards): The professionalization of social work in India began officially in 1936 with the establishment of the Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work (now the Tata Institute of Social Sciences - TISS) in Mumbai, founded by Dr. Clifford Manshardt. Post-independence (1947), the Government of India established the Central Social Welfare Board (1953) to fund and coordinate voluntary organizations, creating a massive demand for trained social workers. Schools of social work rapidly expanded across the country, adopting western methodologies while increasingly attempting to indigenize the curriculum to suit the Indian context.