FAMILY SOCIAL WORK.

The article describes the function of family social case work. Social case work must assume as its major responsibility the task of determining whether men are successfully meeting the demands of the functions they are called upon as social beings to perform, and to aid them to a more successful participation when they have failed. Family social case work necessarily deals heavily with economic factors; and there was a time when economic considerations controlled. A standard of living, a minimum wage, regularity of employment, compensation for accidents, readjustment of economic resources--these are economic ideals which add much to the enrichment of family case work. Its workers must keep themselves abreast of the best findings of economic research, and be thoroughly trained in the science of economics. But the best of economics is not social case work. It is but one aspect of social life; and family success is not measured primarily in its terms. Relief has a certain economic aspect; but in family case work its economic aspect is secondary to its social. The tremendous development of relief in the last ten years should raise in all family workers. It has been justified on the need for maintaining a new standard of living. That it has really won many families to new ideals, stimulated them to new efforts by which these ideals could be realized, there is no doubt in the minds of case workers on the job.