It is hard to trace the actual beginnings of the field of social work but most historians point to the late 19th century and the Charity Organization Society (COS) movement and the Settlement House movement as providing the foundation for what we call social work today. Each of these movements had a commitment to serving the poor but were distinctly different in how they worked with the poor and the reasons (values-personal and religious) for their different approaches. So….

What did each movement think about the poor? What did they believe caused poverty? How did they propose to “treat” poverty? Answer these questions first, but I am actually more interested in what you think? Which approach had it right? Did either? What position are you most attracted to and are there other ways to think about poverty?