The Relationship Between Social Policy and Social Work

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Social Work, grade: 1,0, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, language: English, abstract: 'The core of Article 20(1) of the Basic Law reads: 'The Federal Republic is a democratic and social federal state.'' The Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany already refers to the social orientation of the country. In this context, the social aspect is just as important as adherence to the democratic basic order. Germany is a social state. The Federal Government is also obliged to publish a social report in which it presents the respective scope and significance of its social policy achievements. The multitude of areas affected and influenced by social policy is manifold and incalculable. It is impossible for anyone to escape the impact of social policy. From birth onwards, citizens of the Federal Republic are subject to the regulations and institutions of social policy. Thus social policy has an impact on health, family and labour policy, among other things. This branching out can already be seen clearly in the ministries. Although there is a Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, social policy also has an impact in the areas of the Ministry of Family Affairs, the Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of Finance. This paper attempts to clarify which institutions are involved in the implementation of social policy in the Federal Republic. In this context, social work should be mentioned as an instrument of social policy. But what is meant by social work? To what extent is social work an instrument of policy or is it not only an executive element but itself an important part of policy? Which areas of social policy are influenced by social work and to what extent does social work influence social policy? Here it is important to look at the relationship between these two parties. Is it subject to change over the years or is there a constant pattern of action and orientation? In the following, social work will be examined more closely using the concrete example of child and youth welfare, which is a focal point of social work. The focus of the work will not be on the exact presentation of the working methods, the various institutions and the problems of social work, but rather to establish the relationship to social policy.