The Contributions of American Social Agencies to Social Progress and Democracy

Abstract

THE role of the private social agency in America is unique. Not only is their number without parallel abroad but the range of activities undertaken is a constant surprise even to those long familiar with the history of social work in America. The National Conference of Social Work, about to celebrate its fiftieth birthday, with its membership of some five thousand representatives, mostly of private social agencies, and an attendance of three to five thousand at its annual meetings in recent years, has no counterpart in any foreign country. One of the outstanding impressions of American charity recorded by visitors is the quality of per? sonnel in charge of these private agencies. With the advent of training schools for social work and vast foundations for the development of techniques for the improvement of social conditions, not to mention the growth of technical literature and the recent birth of a National Association of Social Workers, social work in America is well on the road to being professionalized, if indeed it has not already reached that stage. These facts should be recognized and utilized by departments of public welfare if they are to attain their greatest usefulness. To the writer, American social agencies have made four noteworthy contributions to social progress and the achievement of democracy. It should not, however, be implied that each type of social agency is making all four contributions or that any one type is making equally significant contributions in each of the four roles about to be discussed in greater detail. If to some these contributions seem less outstanding than they do to the author, it should be recalled that the road of social progress has been a long and tortuous one and that while the path today is less difficult to travel, it nevertheless stretches on indefinitely. It should also be borne in mind that democracy is a relative term, the fulfillment of which lies in the future. In a sense everything that hastens social progress by ever so little or that brings us one step nearer achieving a more democratic society is noteworthy. The Social Agency and Social Exploring