The Social Role of the Settlement House

Bibliographic Data

ID2497344
AuthorsWilliam Foote Whyte (0000-0001-6955-1554, corresponding author)
Year1941
Volume1
Issue1
Pages14-19
Publication date1941-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Organization (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7259 • E-ISSN: 1938-3517
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.17730/humo.1.1.r1264k5330188543
OpenAlexW1967502523
LanguageEN
Citations received3

In the literature of social work, there is one important perspective lacking. The workers discuss the purposes and policies of their institutions and seek to evaluate results in these terms. They discuss their jobs from the standpoint of established professional standards. However, by the very nature of their positions, they are insulated from the criticism of the people they do or do not serve in the local community. The politician is responsible to his constituents, and if they are dissatisfied with his performance they can vote him out of office. The clients of the social worker have no such power, nor are they articulate enough to give public expression to their dissatisfactions. Consequently there is likely to be a wide disparity between the purposes and policies of a settlement house and its actual functioning. Concentration upon the functions of the institution in its day to day dealings with people should supply the missing perspective. By observing the relations between social workers and the people, we shall be able to determine what role the settlement house actually plays in the community

Business · Criticism · Expression (computer science) · Institution · Perspective (graphical) · Political science · Power (physics) · Public relations · Settlement (finance) · Social science · Sociology · Work (physics) · Engineering · Finance · Law · Social Work Education and Practice