HUMANISTIC SOCIAL WORK – The THIRD WAY / FORCE in Theory, Practice and Politics. Core Qualities, Skills and Conducts of the Practitioner

Book excerpt: This book is a new appearance of the author – Petru Stefaroi – within ”The HUMANISTIC SOCIAL WORK Project”. In particular, in this work the author affirms and supports the thesis according to which – as in psychology and psychotherapy the idea, thesis and formula Humanistic Psychology/Psychotherapy as the Third Way or Force is regularly promoted and used – it is the case and the time as in the field of social work to operate with the formula Humanistic Social Work – The Third Way or Force in Social Work. The third way in practice, as a method, and the third force in theory, as a doctrine. If in psychology and psychotherapy the third way/force was established by reference to psychoanalysis and behaviorism, in social work the third way is established by reference to Traditional social work and Critical social work. This third way in social work is imposed, in the author's opinion, by prioritizing the concept of personality, bringing this doctrine, method and practice of social work closer to psychology and psychotherapy, to humanistic psychology and psychotherapy. But, the author specifies in the paper that humanistic psychology and humanistic psychotherapy, on the one hand, and humanistic social work as theory and practice, on the other hand, are distinct scientific and practical fields, not only by the object of intervention but also by methodology and specifics of practice. The aspect is well highlighted in the way it is structured and formulated his ”The HUMANISTIC SOCIAL WORK Project”, established as an initiative with the assumed aim to enhance the effective presence of the humanistic and personalistic values, theories and practices in social work, which usually are stated as fundamental and essential in different programs, strategies and policies but less present, in fact, in the specialized literature, in the faculties' curricula, or in the practice of the professionals and services. To this end, the project is designed as a philosophical-theoretical, axiological and methodological framework, a heuristic laboratory, a philosophical, scientific and professional forum where it can be set what might be called the theory, axiology and methodology of humanistic social work. The project’s concept starts from the idea that humanistic social work is not, however, a distinctive form of social work/ welfare but rather an ontology/ epistemology, that generates a reaffirmation/ restatement of the fundamental/ constitutional humanistic values of social work, incorporating, in the same time, in a (relative) new coherent and unitary theory, all what penetrated in social work in the last decades from humanistic psychology and psychotherapy, microsociology and humanistic sociology, human rights philosophy/ movement, and, especially, what was established as humanistic method in the contemporary social work practice and literature. The core aspect of the humanistic social work paradigm, theory and practice is determined by the way/ mode (humanistic) are represented the client and professional, considering the humanequalities/ resources of the client and professional the critical epistemological and methodological value of the this type of social work. One can say that the specific theory of humanistic social work is a conglomerate of theories, paradigms, orientations, but which have some crucial ideas as vectors: the person/ client as personality, as human being, with sentiments, soul, desires, sufferings, needs of love, needs of happiness and accomplishments; emphasis on personality and compathetical micro-community as basic resources of practice; positive, optimistic and appreciative expectation in practice; person-centered and microcommunity-centered approach in evaluation and intervention; concentration on the future and not on the past; the human rights, social justice; a humanistic perspective on the practitioner and his conducts in practice.