Social economy, social work and the problem of poverty among children in Poland

A contemporary debate on the issue of social work in Poland is focused on a search for new forms of help and support for the people functioning out of the mainstream. Change occurring both within the way of thinking and professional actions taken by social workers, comes from the assumptions of so called active social policy and from the complex series of social law regulations established in recent years. But this is also a result of defining and testing innovative ways of organizing socio-vocational life, mainly on a basis of civil organizations activeness. The Authors underline the necessity of combining activities in the area of labour market and the family policy, focusing on the poverty of children in particular. The lack of inter-sector approach to the problem is one of the most fundamental threats to the planned legally-institutional solutions concerning social economy in Poland

Niebezpieczeństwo. Odpowiedzialność. Przebudzenie : wspomnienia z getta w Krakowie i z KL Płaszów

The aim of the article is to present the issue of educational work carried out in a spirit of axiological education in the former Krakow ghetto and the former labor and concentration camp Plaszow in Kraków. The significance of the activities consists of the acquisition of knowledge about the difficult local history of the Holocaust and its heritage by confrontation with the ghetto and the former camp and relics of the past. The key area for dealing with the issues of harm, responsibility and awakening is social work, which in its axiological aspect largely focuses on reflection on the theory and practice relating to the complex issue of responsibility. These activities not only stimulate the historical awareness of totalitarianisms and the memory of them in the social and moral dimension, but also and most importantly they are a precondition for the mental health and moral development of a person, family, group, and social community

Social work with people with mental disorders : recommendations for the "new" specialization

The authors present research carried out in collaboration with the Regional Center of Social Policy in Krakow. The aim of the research was to formulate recommendations for program of specialization in social work with people with mental disorders and their families. The survey was attended by 335 people – 20% of social workers in Małopolska region. The results of research allow to strong recommendation of development of specialization in area of clinical social work

Eugenika jako kontekst historyczno-kulturowy dla pracy socjalnej z rodziną

Eugenics as a cultural and historical context for social work with the familyThe social discourse on the use of knowledge in the field of genetic research involving both supporters as well as opponents. First, pointing to the medical aspects, emphasize new possibilities for prevention and treatment of diseases. Others warn against the temptation associated with the manipulation of human nature through sex selection, genetic features children or patching or muscles. As stated Marek Drwięga the problem (and the related moral dilemmas) occurs when - instead of the treatment of diseases - people use gene therapy to "improve their physical and mental faculties" to the consequences "as a unit better to" find themselves "above norm ". The variety of positions and the lack of clarity in the expression of individual opinion partly due to the fact that technological progress is much faster than moral reflection. This leads - according to Michael Sandel - a situation in which people express their concern about reaching into the language of autonomy, justice and individual rights. Unfortunately, this "moral" vision of the world does not bring relief to people and does not release them from anxiety, as they continue to answer the fundamental questions concerning, inter alia, the design of children or human cloning remain open. In the context of genetic engineering and biotechnology is increasingly appearing concept of eugenics - invented in the nineteenth century by Francis Galton and meaning "well-born" - which is the "gate" to the in-vitro procedure. In today's world, where thanks to advanced technologies dominate pleasure, convenience and comfort, eugenics may be manipulating the eternal laws of nature in order to "breed a man without any dysfunction and deficits, or to bring into being an artificial being, human-like in appearance only, and characterized by excellent physical and mental efficiency." The purpose of our article is, therefore, a reflection on the risks associated with the formation of new sources of inequality and identity wounds, which is particularly important in the field of contemporary social work with the family

The essence and importance of mutual assistance of experienced people from the perspective of social work

The authors discuss from the perspective of social work the basic issues of mutual assistance (self-help) - emphasize its group deprivation, the necessary independence from professionals and indicate the main assumptions and the importance of self-help. They approve of social movements that promote new forms of education of social workers, in which experienced people share their experiences and knowledge of the "first hand"