The biggest problem facing the Third World countries is how to catch up with developed countries. Since the latter are pressing ahead with an uncanny momentum, there can be no narrowing of the gap unless the former manage to press decades into years. but the problem is how to press decades into years. This requires a three pronged approach social, political & Economic. The political and economic approaches to development have so often been discussed that to mention them again would be no less boring than what shakespear calls "a twice-told tale". However, the social aspect needs be dilated upon. Social work is being recognized as a professional service based on scientific knowledge & skills in human relations which helps individuals, groups or communities to obtain social or personal satisfaction & independence.
Social work has been acquiring importance in direct proportion to the need for development. The success of every programme of development requires a certain measure of spade work in the form of social work. Community development is the widest of the three. Its scope is wide enough to include case work and group work. The successful implementation of a community development programme calls for collective community efforts.
As regards the social case work approach. it deals with individuals who have problems. This approach calls for appropriate steps which may vary from case to case to help individuals get adjusted to their social surroundings, become active citizens and play their role in community development. Social work has been increasingly recognized as the most effective. Social work has always been considered as an essential concomitant of economic development. Social work provides the raw material which promotes and contains economic development. Industry & agriculture, which are the mainstay of development, are dependent on a regular supply of manpower. Basically the social worker is a social doctor. Therefore one of his major functions is the social diagnosis he is to locate the problem overseas.
