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A Response to Social Problems in Developing Countries
Author(s) -
Kaseke Edwin
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
social policy and administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1467-9515
pISSN - 0144-5596
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9515.1990.tb00321.x
Subject(s) - concreteness , poverty , modernization theory , social change , population , developing country , work (physics) , economic growth , social policy , remedial education , process (computing) , development economics , sociology , political science , economics , mechanical engineering , demography , anthropology , law , computer science , engineering , operating system
This paper considers social development as a relatively new concept, and new practice model. Its definition still lacks concreteness. Here it is viewed as a process of planned institutional change to bring about a better fit between human needs and social policies and programmes (Sanders, 1982); it is not satisfactory to measure development in purely economic terms, for this has resulted in the marginalization of the majority of the population in developing countries. The curative and remedial functions adopted by the social work profession in accordance with the dictates of the modernization approach, have rendered social work unable to address itself meaningfully to the problem of marginalization or mass poverty. Social development rests upon social policies that are promotive of human needs and this is only possible in circumstances where such policies are a product of the people's participation.