Social Work in Russia: History, Culture and the State

Traditions of communal help were deeply rooted in Russian history, peasantry life and religion. Special arrangements (hospitals, shelters, and correctional institutions) have occurred in Russia by the end of 18th century. In 19th century there were several charitable organisations, the largest among them was Emperor Philanthropic Society. In the beginning of 20th century, a shift from charity to professionalism in social assistance was made through invented educational institutions for women. At the same time, volunteer organisations (such as "Red Cross") and various Church groups were rising continuously. Up to 1917 the development of social services in Russia was analogous to that process in England and USA (Soloviev 1997: 118-119).

The First World War, Revolution and the following Civil War have caused heavy sufferings for many Russians. In this critical situation the new political regime has taken all spheres of public life under the strict state control. Through the strongly centralised distribution of resources it made possible to overcome difficulties of economic and social disorders, to provide multimillion population of country with a minimum of welfare, to create quite an effective system of general charge-free education and health care.

 

During the Soviet times social work as a profession "was dissolved" in activity of four ministries – that of Education, Health Care, Social Promotion and Internal Affairs. Certain similar functions were undertaken by Communist Party organisations, Comsomol (Youth Communist Organisation) and trade-unions. However, the whole system of this work was arranged by departmental and bureaucratic principles, which in many cases reduced its effectiveness. A declared goal of the Soviet politics, proclaimed by Stalin and picked up by Khroushyov, was “to catch up and leave behind the West” in terms of living standard of the population. However, inability of Soviet system to execute these promises became especially evident. After the World War II due to the large expenses made during cold war period social programs in the USSR were chronically inadequate to decrease poverty, crime, illnesses and mortality rate. The huge state appeared unable to solve these problems. It ignored and hid many problems, resorted to censorship and arrests of critics. Many statistical materials in the past, in particular such as the data on children's mortality, crime, substance abuse, were included into category of state secrets.

 

Things changed radically in the second half of 1980's along with perestroika (the political and economic restructuring of the Soviet Union). The processes of democratisation and glasnost (openness of mass media) revealed various social problems for the wide public attention. Besides, during the past decade new problems have been encountered and new ideas have begun to emerge within the realm of social policy.

Collapse of the Soviet system transformed the role of the state in determining the position of women, youth, disabled, and children. Neglected children are becoming a common part of the urban landscape. According to the state statistics, during the years 1993-95, the number of such children has increased in Russia five times. The substance abuse amongst teenagers and young people has become an acute problem.

 

All this formed the background for the development of social policies in already available structures and has brought to life new forms. Social work offers services to people whose own resources are inadequate, whose abilities are limited, and whose capacity to overcome their difficulties on their own is inadequate. The system of social protection is changing. One can see dynamic development of the network of new type of institutions, centres of social services. By 1995 there were 600 centres of social services, about 1,000 emergence social help services, 10,000 departments of social help for elderly and children. About 300 regional centres of help for families and children, social residential homes for children and teenagers, centres of rehabilitation for the disabled, centres for young people with deviant behaviour, shelters for the homeless and other institutions function now all over Russia. Many regions have found resources, using local budgets, to provide additional help for these groups in the form of exemption from certain payments, for example, tax and rate relief for communal services, special shops, free food and so on (see Panov 1995).

 

The development of social work is a sign of modernity, reflection of a self-awareness of the nation, the level of civilization of the state. This profession and educational speciality exists in Russia for only nine years and it appeared in academic and professional sphere along with significant political reforms, long-term economic crisis, and increasing social differentiation. The current revival and animation of social thought in Russia, supported by Russian government as well as by private initiatives and international foundations, gave raise to the public discussion on the matters of social differentiation, social inequality, exclusionary practices and social problems. In the system of humanitarian scientific-practical knowledge, a special role is played by social work. It exerts a substantial influence on the exploration of the nature of social problems, shaping of the values of a civil society.

 

As a profession and educational speciality, social work has been introduced in Russia in 1991. Education and professional training of social workers is now established in 81 higher education institutions all over Russia, including 62 universities. The quality of such education has achieved good standards of performance through intensive national and international exchange.

Simultaneously with social work under the domain of Ministry of Education there was established a profession and educational speciality of social pedagogue. They are working in schools and other educational institutions. These two occupations are very similar in terms of when and how they originated in this country, curricula for professional training provided for them and declared goals.

 

A social worker (and a social pedagogue) needs to feel belonginess to the group of professionals and to strengthen that feeling by the taking part in professional association. In the early 1990s four professional associations were created (Association of Social Pedagogues and Social Workers, Association of Social Workers, Association of Social Services Employees, Association of Schools of Social Work), special periodicals were established: “Rossiyski zhurnal sozial’noi raboty (Russian Journal of Social Work)”, “Sozial’noe obespetchenie (Social Promotion)”, “Sozial’naya zaschita (Social Protection)”, “Rabotnik sozialnoy sluzhby (Worker of Social Service)”.

 

Возможные вопросы на зачете по темам третьего семестра

На зачете будьте готовы рассказать о своей будущей профессии.

Management

1. Is management your major?

2. Do you want to become a manager?

3. What are five principles of management?

4. Is management important for every organization?

5. Should a manager know psychology? And economy?

6. Every manager should be a good organizer, shouldn’t he?

7. Planning is very important in management, isn’t it?

8. Must a manager know marketing theory?

9. Must management give attention to the nation’s economy?

10. What personal qualities should a manager have?

 

Social Work

1. Why do you want to be a social worker?

2. Have you already had any experience as a social worker?

3. What personal qualities should a social worker have?

4. What university subjects are important for your future profession?

5. Is it a new profession in our state?

6. Who do social workers help?

7. Which groups of people need social help mostly?

8. Do you read any journals on social work problems?

КОНТРОЛЬНАЯ РАБОТА № 3

Задание 1. Образуйте глаголы от следующих слов с помощью суффиксов. Переведите их на русский язык. Подчеркните суффикс.

Образец выполнения: class – classif y – классифицировать;

strength – strength en – укреплять, усиливать

 

mode, simplicity, liquid, length, black, purity, solid, mysticism, dictation, character, illustration

Задание 2. Перепишите и письменно переведите следующие предложения, обращая внимание на функции инфинитива. Подчеркните инфинитив.

Образец выполнения:

These schools were founded to prepare those who wanted to be teachers.

Эти учебные заведения были созданы для того, чтобы подготовить желающих к профессии учителя.

1. Lewis Carroll wrote books to give pleasure to children.

2. To study living things, it is necessary to sort them into groups.

3. To see this tree (a Joshua tree) is to view something interesting.

4. Her book “Uncle Тom’s Cabin” was read by more people than any other novel of this time and influenced the decision to abolish slavery for good.

5. This tree (Cinchona) was believed to have originated from the slopes of the Andes in South America.

6. A glass of warm milk is said to have a relaxing effect.

7. Robert Cawdrey spent several years selecting quotations from the best writers to illustrate the meaning of the words.

8. In 1927 Albert Sidney Hornby, then aged twenty four, went to Japan to teach English literature.

Задание 3. Перепишите следующие предложения. Подчеркните в них Participle I и Participle II и дайте определение функции каждого из них, т.е. являются ли они определением, обстоятельством или частью сказуемого. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

Образец выполнения: This bark is used by birds in constructing nests.

Эта кора используется птицами при строительстве гнезд. (Participle II, часть сказуемого в Passive Voice)

1. The traveling troupes of acrobats, musicians, their wives and children moved from city to city.

2. About 25 per cent of all schools of higher education in the United States are operated by religious organizations.

3. More that 60 per cent of Americans now work as teachers, computer programmers, secretaries, lawyers, bankers, and in other jobs including the discovery, exchange and use of data (facts).

4. When planning landscape for birds don’t forget about fresh water.

5. In the first part of the 19^th century women were not allowed to attend evening classes demonstrating the use of telescope.

 

Задание 4. Перепишите следующие предложения. Найдите в них Gerund, подчеркните его. Переведите предложения на русский язык.

Образец выполнения: It was the result of successful planning.

Это был результат удачного планирования.

1. Her first novel is rich in detail and her understanding of country people.

2. Many Americans believe that having a degree will help them obtain a higher salary on their first job.

3. Credits are earned by attending lectures (or lab classes) and by successfully completing assignments and examinations.

4. When she grew up she tried to earn money by writing romantic thrillers for magazines.

5. She (Keller, Helen Adams) became especially interested in bettering conditions for blind in underdeveloped countries.

6. After that he began teaching mathematics at Christ Church school and spent most of his life at the school.

7. Birds need water for drinking and bathing.

 

Задание 5. Перепишите следующие предложения, переведите их на русский язык, определите тип придаточного предложения.

Образец выполнения: If the problem becomes serious, we will try to help you.

Если проблема станет серьезной, мы постараемся вам помочь (условное придаточное предложение).

1. The monument was sculptured by Sir Thomas Brock, who also executed the memorial to Queen Victoria which stands in front of Buckingham Palace.

2. In 1896 – 1903 the family lived in Novgorod Province where Igor Severyanin (Lotarev) went to secondary school.

3. It was at Rome, where he lived for six years, that Wilson painted his first landscape.

4. Their mother died when Charlotte, the oldest child, was only five.

5. If you are talking to someone you will get uncomfortable if they approach closer than about 2 feet (if you are American).

6. People place Christmas tree in their homes and plant palms in their yards because they are so symmetrical.

 

Задание 6. Перепишите следующие предложения. Переведите их на русский язык, определите, чем является форма с суффиксом – ed, а именно: (1) глаголом в Past indefinite, (2) Participle II

(3) частью глагола-сказуемого в Perfect Tenses, (4) частью глагола-сказуемого в Passive Voice.

Образец выполнения:

The environmental pollution has caused irreversible consequences.

Загрязнение окружающей среды вызвало необратимые последствия (часть сказуемого в Present Perfect).

 

1. Human beings have lived on the planet for about 40,000 years.

2. The artist has created a very charming image of his native land, which he loved so much.

3. Badly polluted air can cause illness and even death.

4. The first colleges were opened in Paris in the 15^th century.

5. In 1594 W. Shakespeare moved to London and joined the Chamberlain’s company of players.

6. It is true that some of the sculptures are not the best works produced by their creators.

 

Задание 7. Прочтите и переведите один из следующих текстов. Ответьте на вопросы к нему.

Текст 1