The concept of dependency in casework: a review of the literature from the Charity Organisation Society to Hollis (1964)

Abstract

Through a review of literature related to casework, from the time of the Charity Organisation Society in the nineteenth century to the publication of the second edition of Hollis in 1964, this thesis traces the changes in attitude toward client dependency in the casework situation. The thesis shows that casework was established in a period when the dependency of clients on the assistance offered by charitable workers was viewed as an entirely negative phenomena. This "classic link" between assistance and dependency heavily influenced the attitudes of the founders of the Charity Organisation Society who first trained and employed social caseworkers. Imbued with this negative view of dependency at its inception casework by 1964 had moved to a position where dependency became more accepted as an inevitable part of the early stages of the casework process. There were several intermediate phases such as the "materialist phase" at the early twentieth century and the later phase when psychological theories were very popular. The literature of each phase reflects slightly different views of client dependency and these are revealed in the thesis. The concluding chapter is an analysis of the literature of the late 1950's and early 1960's including Hollis. By this time the literature reflects an acceptance of the ubiquity of the drive for independence but also the need for dependence at some time. Casework writers of this period suggest that social workers should be less concerned with demanding independence than of finding ways and areas in which it could be released. The need for maximising areas for client choice and action was still recognised, however caseworkers were less threatened if greater support continued to be needed and clients were unable to immediately take up the opportunities for self support.