A Deeper Look at the Origin and Evolution of the Social Work Profession

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine how social work has changed from its beginnings to the early 21st century in India, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. It emphasises the significance of understanding social work's past in order to consider the field's potential futures. Qualitative research methods were utilised, and information was gathered from existing literature, informants, and through field visits for observation and verification to validate the collected data. Almshouses, or choultries, in India, can trace their origins back to the time of Buddha. Records from the Chinese traveller Fa-Hien reveals similar hospitals in India around 400 BCE. From the 7th century AD, the temples served food to devotees through 'temple kitchens. These institutions paved the way for almshouses in China, the Middle East, Europe, and Britain, signifying that the groundwork for Social Work as a profession in India predates the Charity Organisation Society and the Settlement House Movement. Although Social Work, both as a career and as a way of living, evolved in India, they were not explicitly mentioned as such in the countless books on Social Work that have been published over the decades.