Subject Headings for Social Work
ANSS Subject and Bibliographic Access Committee
Question/Answer on Cataloging Issues – January 2014
What LC subject headings are used for materials on social work?
By Wade Kotter, Weber State University
The Oxford English Dictionary defines “social work” as:
“Work of benefit to those in need of help or welfare; esp. such work provided by trained professionals for those with family or social problems.”[i]
This definition emphasizes the practical, applied nature of the social work profession; however, social workers also engage in research to support public policy creation, evaluation of existing social programs, design of new programs, and so forth. The tie that binds all these activities together is a focus on helping people in need. In their search for information in support of such helping activities and associated research, professional social workers, social work educators, social work researchers, and social work students often seek information not only related specifically to social work but also on relevant topics in related disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, gerontology, criminal justice, psychology, psychiatry, geography, economics, etc. This, unfortunately for social work practitioners and students, means that subject headings related to each of these disciplines might potentially be of help in finding the information they’re seeking. Covering all of these disciplines here, of course, is out of the question; this answer will therefore focus on subject headings specifically related to the profession and academic discipline of social work.
One might suppose that “Social work” would be an established LC subject heading, but it is not; instead, LCSH directs users from “Social work” to the established heading Social service as defined in the following scope note.
“Here are entered works on the methods employed in social work, public or private. Works on tax-supported welfare activities are entered under Public welfare. Works on privately supported welfare activities are entered under Charities. Works that discuss collectively the various policies, programs, services, and facilities to meet basic human needs relating to the quality of life, such as education, health, welfare, etc. are entered under Human services.” (http://lccn.loc.gov/sh85124049)
The heading Social service may be subdivided geographically. LCSH also provides several topical subdivisions under Social service:
Social service – Ability testing
Social service – Accreditation (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Citizen participation (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Complaints against (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Contracting out (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Evaluation
Social service – Fieldwork (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Finance
Social service – History (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – International cooperation (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Methodology
Social service – Moral and ethical aspects (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Philosophy
Social service – Practice (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Psychological aspects (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Public relations (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Religious aspects
Social service – Research (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Scholarships, fellowships, etc. (may subd. geographically)
Social service – Societies, etc.
Social service – Sociological aspects
Social service – Statistical methods
Social service – Teamwork (may subdivide geographically)
Social service – Terminology
Social service – Vocational guidance (may subdivide geographically)
In addition, LCSH provides several headings beginning with the words “Social service:”
Social service agency charters (may subdivide geographically)
Social service agency constitutions (may subdivide geographically)
Social service and race relations (may subdivide geographically)
Social service and sex (may subdivide geographically)
Social service consultants (may subdivide geographically)
Social service exchanges (may subdivide geographically)
Social service in literature
Social service libraries (may subdivide geographically)
Social service literature (may subdivide geographically)
Social service publicity (may subdivide geographically)
Social service, Rural (may subdivide geographically)
The authority record for Social service also includes “See also” references to the more inclusive heading Human services and, more useful for most researchers, to “headings beginning with the words Social work.” The following established headings, all of which may be subdivided geographically, are from the second category:
Social work administration
Social work education
Social work with adult child sexual abuse victims
Social work with African American children
Social work with African American teenagers
Social work with African Americans
Social work with alcoholics
Social work with bisexuals
Social work with children
Social work with children with disabilities
Social work with children with mental disabilities
Social work with criminals
Social work with drug addicts
Social work with gay youth
Social work with gays
Social work with Hispanic Americans
Social work with immigrants
Social work with Indians
Social work with indigenous peoples
Social work with juvenile delinquents
Social work with lesbian youth
Social work with lesbians
Social work with men
Social work with minorities
Social work with minority women
Social work with nomads
Social work with older people
Social work with older sexual minorities
Social work with people with disabilities
Social work with people with mental disabilities
Social work with people with social disabilities
Social work with prostitutes
Social work with rural women
Social work with sex offenders
Social work with sexual minorities
Social work with sexual minority youth
Social work with single parents
Social work with single people
Social work with teenagers
Social work with the deaf
Social work with the homeless
Social work with the terminally ill
Social work with the unemployed
Social work with transgender people
Social work with transgender youth
Social work with widows
Social work with women
Social work with youth
LCSH also provides several headings related to individuals involved in social work; all of them may be subdivided geographically (except as noted):
Social workers, Black
Social workers
NT Child welfare workers
Gay social workers
Male social workers
Minority social workers
Older volunteers in social service
Paraprofessionals in social service
Student volunteers in social service
Teenage volunteers in social service
Visiting housekeepers
Volunteer workers in social service
Women in charitable work
Women social workers
Young volunteers in social service
Youth workers
Social workers with disabilities
NT Blind social workers
Social workers’ writings (not subdivided geographically)
Social workers’ writings, American
Finally, LCSH provides a number of narrower terms under Social service, all of which may be subdivided geographically:
Abused children – Services for
Abused wives – Services for
Adoption agencies
Blind – Services for
Charities
Communication in social work
Community-based social services
Evidence-based social work
Family planning services
Friendly visiting
Homophobia in social work
Industrial welfare
Interviewing in social service
Mass media and social service
Medical social work
Mentoring in social service
National service
Police social work
Private practice social work
Psychiatric social work
Public welfare
Racism in social services
School social work
Service learning
Social advocacy
Social case work
Social case work reporting
Social case work with alcoholics
Social case work with children
Social case work with older people
Social case work with youth
Social group work
Student affairs services
Task-centered social work
Television in social service
Tort liability of social service agencies
Video recording in social service
Women – Services for
One surprising omission to me in this extensive and diverse set of terms is the absence of terms for clinical social work, especially since terms are provided for other areas of social work practice such as medical social work, prison social work, private practice social work, psychiatric social work, and school social work.
In conclusion, it seems apparent that individuals looking for materials on Social Work face a very difficult challenge in order to be successful. Not only might they need to know about subject headings in related disciplines but they also face a broad and diverse array of subject headings covering social work itself with the additional complication that phrases like “social service” and “social work” are used in a overlapping and, to my mind, somewhat confusing manner.
[i] social work, n.”. OED Online. December 2013. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/183760 (accessed January 13, 2014).
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