Sozialarbeit des Südens, Bd. 6 - Soziale Entwicklung -Social Development

Development is a human process, in the sense that human beings, not material factors, drive development. Their efficiency, productivity, creativity, and organizational capacities determine the level of people’s accomplishment and enjoyment. Development is the outer realization of latent inner potentials. The level of people's education, skills and information, the intensity of their aspiration and energies, the quality of their attitudes and values, all of that affects the extent and pace of development.

Social Development can be broadly defined in a manner of being applicable to all societies at all historical periods as an ascending movement featuring greater levels of participation, self-reliance, energy, efficiency, quality, productivity, complexity, comprehension, creativity, mastery, enjoy-ment and accomplishment. It is a process of social change, not merely a set of policies and programs instituted for some specific results. This process has been going on since the dawn of history. But during the last five centuries it has picked up in speed and intensity, and during the last five decades it has witnessed a marked surge in acceleration. Social Development refers to the integration of improvements in human and social welfare with economic development and widespread participation in the process and benefits of development.

In the countries of the South it became an issue focusing the impact of colonialism in a critical way and opening a path to own potentials and concepts. This includes an indigenization of development in terms of Human and Social Development on a national, but also in terms of community development on a local level. An indigenous welfare must be the base for a community-based Social Development.

Development is always governed by many factors that influence the results of developmental efforts: economy, politics, organizations, institutions. Social Development has a special base in the activities, values and aims of Social Work, as long as Social Work is professionally also understood in a proactive and empowering instead of a merely reactive and remedial way. In that case, Social Development and Social Work are corresponding and interlinked as both aim at the improvement of human living conditions. Furthermore:

- Social Work can be a result of development strategies,

- Social Work can also improve developmental activities and

- Social Work can support the awareness and the empowerment of the people

Concepts of Social Work need to be adjusted to different contexts and have to react to specific challenges and issues. Southern concepts of Social Development, including a Social Work focus on the development of the economic, social and cultural living environment of human beings through poverty reduction strategies, awareness raising and liberating education, are designed to target groups such as street or working children and react to explosive social themes such as HIV/ AIDS.

Furthermore, Social Work of the South is emphasizing gender aspects as many projects focus on leeway for negotiating social relationships and the traditional responsibilities of women in terms of family and education.