From early philanthropy to professional social work

Early philanthropy and Church social activity laid foundation for Charity organizations and Settlement movements in XIX c.Prethoretical social work started with friendly visitors. Friendly visitors mainly were women who tried to help by praying and their own personal positive examples. Later on this movement became more secular and involved component of treatment in the work. Treatment meant that before providing real support, the situation of each individual has to be explored very carefully. Charity organizations applied ideas of „scientific philanthropy“ to their daily activities at the end of XIX c. Settlement was another movement, which influenced beginning of professional social work. Settlement movement began in England. This idea spread out very quickly to another countries in Europe and America. Settlement movement rests on three main ideas: reforms, research and residents. There were many similarities as well as differences of these two movements. Their influenced the development of professional social works in the end of XIX c. Volunteers from Charity organizations and Settlements began name themselves as social workers after the establishment of the first training and education courses.Socialinio darbo ištakos siekia ankstyvąją filantropinę veiklą ir bažnytinį socialinį judėjimą, o profesijos užuomazgos glūdi trijuose judėjimuose – labdaringų organizacijų, bendruomenių centrų/namų ir vaiko gerovės veikloje, kurie prasidėjo įvairiose Vakarų šalyse XIX a. pabaigoje. Straipsnyje aptariami du iš trijų judėjimų, davusių pradžią socialinio darbo profesijai: labdaringos organizacijos ir bendruomenių centrai/namai