| Abstract [eng] |
Existential model of social work is important, weighty and significant for contemporary social work. Though some theorists point out that in spite of the relevance of the existential model it is not developed well and not fit to social work practice. Therefore it is necessary to search and analyse the advantages of the model and potentiality of integration with another models of social work as well as to identify the weaknesses. The aim of the research is to evaluate the perspective of the existential model in the context of contemporary models of social work. The method of the research is qualitative comparative content analysis. The existential model is to be compared with behavioural and system theory models according to the given categories. The results of the research show that the most obvious different between observed models is the philosophical background of the existential model. This background set even inconsistency in definition of such categories as conception of human, description of client, main aim of intervention and interpretation of changes in client’s situation. When a possibility of integration of existential and other two models was evaluated, it came clear, that existential model can benefit much for its theoretical frame and practice of including of the system theory’s point of analysis of problems as well as some behavioural intervention methods and techniques. There were find following advantages of the existential model: 1) explanation of individual and social problems, 2) recognition and the emphasis of ideological-political-economical oppression, social inequality and discrimination, 3) work with people who lost the meaning of their lives and are distressed. There were evaluated following weaknesses and limitation for applying the existential model: 1) luck of ability to range all of the problem situations in social work practice, especially the cases of crisis, 2) limited possibility to work with those clients who have not enough competence of introspection and self-reflection, 3) there is neither conception of community work developed suitably nor intervention methods for community, 4) necessity for both special theoretical knowledge and practice skills, 5) strict, even categorical requirements for the personality of social worker. It can be stated that the major advantage of the existential model is the possibility to integrate its main principles like universal states or like single components of common process of assistance into another theoretical perspectives of social work. |
