1.2 Human Services as an Applied Science
An internship is supervised practical training intended to be a positive experience to prepare you for a professional career in human services. It is an opportunity for you to learn new skills and often includes becoming aware of potential mistakes you might make in the workplace setting without being completely responsible for them. Human services is an applied science, meaning that students not only get the background theory and knowledge but also learn skills needed for the profession and get the opportunity to demonstrate those skills.
One goal of an internship is to explore real-world professional possibilities while learning about them. In other words, the primary goal of an internship is to learn about and experience the duties of the profession in a specific environment, hopefully one that interests you as a potential professional. Keep in mind that although the internship can feel like a job with big responsibilities, it is also intended to be a rewarding experience that will help prepare you for a successful career in the future (figure 1.1). The instructor and the agency staff typically want you to do well, and they are usually happy to help make that happen.
Sociology, Social Work, and Human Services
Students are often confused about what the difference is between the fields of sociology, social work, and human services (or, indeed, about whether there is any difference). The main differences between the fields have to do with the intention of the coursework and the specificity of the subject matter covered.
The American Sociological Association (2014) defines sociology as “the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior.” Sociology focuses on how humans interact in groups and organizations, including personal groups as well as the groups formed by different societies. Sociology studies society from an academic and/or research point of view. The field focuses on understanding the root causes of human social behavior and identifying theories to explain it. It is not necessarily focused on how to change behavior at the societal level.
According to the International Federation of Social Workers (2014), social work is a “practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people.” Social work is based on the values of social justice and respect for diversity. Theories from social sciences, humanities, and Indigenous knowledge guide social workers. Beyond theory, social work also involves engaging people to address life challenges and quality of life.
Social work focuses on understanding and changing social behavior. The definition of social work as a practice-based field necessarily includes creating change underpinned by social justice and human rights values. This focus on creating change is what separates social work and sociology.
Human services