The issue of stigmatization in the social work

Abstract

By all appearances stigmatization (branding), as one of the fundamental controversies of social work, is decisively determined by two factors. The first one comes from the very nature of the social work as an activity which roots lie in charity. It is characterized by the unindirectional aid given by those who 'have' and 'can' to those who, due to a number of reasons, 'do not have' and 'cannot' satisfy the elementary human needs. This process generates the relation of dependence and the feeling of inferiority in its passive participants. With the professionalization of social work the said relation is intensified by the appearance of red tape and paper work the result of which is 'pinning' of various diagnoses (from the socio-pathological domain) to the users of social work services. Pursuant to such practice people become depersonalized by means of their being branded by a certain number, code of diagnosis. The possible ways to overcome the problem of stigmatization within the social work activities would be the ones which would lead to removing the strict borders between the 'mighty', and the 'powerless' (weak) and that implies the accessibility to social work services to everyone.