Social Work

Items

• acceptance

  Acceptance is a core principle in social work whereby the social worker's attitude and actions demonstrate respect for the client's dignity, understanding of their behavior and feelings, and non-judgmental stance.
• accessibility

  A social work technique whereby the practitioner conveys to clients that their ego strength is developing, likely leading to improved social functioning. (Terminology Committee for Social Work)
• acknowledgement

  The act of recognizing or validating a client's statements, feelings, or experiences.
• action

  To be active, to act, to achieve, or to accomplish something.
• active listening

  Efficient hearing that involves fully paying attention to and attending to what is being said.
• active participating citizen

  Community members who actively contribute to change by taking responsibility for initiating community-building activities, rather than relying on government or agencies, thereby owning their destiny.
• activist

  A social work practitioner or individual who prompts action against human rights violations to achieve social change.
• adapt

  The individual and environment's ability to accommodate one another, creating a goodness-of-fit between human needs and environmental resources.
• adaptability

  The psychological process by which an individual manages or copes with demands from their environment and circumstances.
• adjust

  To adapt or modify one's behavior, circumstances, or environment to better fit changing conditions.
• adopt (child)

  Legally taking another person's child into one's family to raise and care for as one's own, typically through a formal legal process signifying a permanent relationship.
• adopt (culture)

  To tell or direct someone on what they should do or how they should behave in a specific situation (i.e., giving advice).
• advise

  To provide guidance or recommendations to a client on actions or behaviors.
• advisory board

  A body that supports the Department of Social Work with advice on curriculum, academic programs, and funding opportunities.
• advocacy

  Therapeutic approaches using individuals' natural affinities with activities, interests, or communities to promote well-being, growth, and healing.
• Affinity-based interventions

  Gatherings of people united by shared characteristics, identities, interests, or goals, providing support, connection, and advocacy.
• Affinity groups

  A collaborative technique to group information, ideas, or data by natural similarities, used in brainstorming to identify patterns and themes.
• Affinity mapping

  The capacity of African individuals, communities, organizations, and nations to act independently and shape their own destinies amid historical challenges.
• African agency

  A collective identity emphasizing African history, culture, values, and experiences, fostering pride and empowerment against injustices.
• African consciousness

  A set of beliefs and ethical standards guiding behavior and norms in African cultures, rooted in traditions, spirituality, and community.
• African consciousness

  A philosophical and educational framework that centers African history, culture, and experiences in learning, analysis, and interpretation to counter historical marginalization and erasure of African perspectives.
• African value system

  A set of beliefs, principles, and ethical standards guiding behavior, interactions, and societal norms in African cultures, rooted in traditions, spirituality, history, and community structures.
• African-centered paradigm

  A perspective placing African and African-descended peoples at the center of analysis for history, culture, and societal phenomena, countering Eurocentric biases.
• afrocentricity

  An intellectual movement emphasizing African-centered paradigms in response to historical marginalization.
• agency

  In social sciences, an individual's capacity to act independently, make choices, and exert control over actions despite constraints. (Corrected duplicates; selected primary social work definition)