Department of Social Work

Social Work is a professional service rendered by the trained persons to the needy and maladjusted, so as to enable them to lead a personally satisfying and socially acceptable life. Social Work, which has been recognized all over the world as a professional service is based on the democratic principals and philosophy. It believes in the human values and respect for the individual worth and dignity. It has a body of knowledge, strategies, approaches and techniques to work with individuals, groups and communities to promote their functional efficiency and welfare. In this process, it deals with different segments of the populations namely children, youth, aged, physical handicapped, women, weaker sections and under privileged sections.

Andhra University has the distinction of introducing the Social Work course in the State of Andhra Pradesh in 1957. Initially it was started in the Department of Economics and Sociology. This arrangement was continued till 1961. In the beginning Social Work was considered as an interdisciplinary course and thus the teachers from the other disciplines like Philosophy, Economics, Political Science were associated with the course. Later Social Work Trained Teachers were appointed to teach the Social Work course. In the beginning two specializations i.e., Labor Welfare and Rural Welfare were offered in the course. In 1961 this course was attached to the Department of Cooperation and Rural studies and continued till 1970. From 1970 to 1974 the Social Work course was attached with the Department of Sociology. The combined Department of Sociology and Social Work was trifurcated into three independent Departments viz., Sociology, Social Work and Industrial Relations and Labor Welfare. Since then the Department has been functioning independently. As part of field work, a curricular activity, the faculty and students take up extensive development activities in the communities and villages. Subsequently the course was also introduced at DNR College, Bhimavaram, MRPGVG College, Vizianagaram and Visakha Women's College, Visakhapatam which are under the Andhra University Jurisdiction.