A social service aims to improve people's quality of life.
Service is the act and consequence of serving : performing an action in order to satisfy a specific need that a person has. Social , for its part, is that linked to society (the community of individuals who share a common territory and culture).
Social services are known as those benefits that are very important for social well-being : that is, for the quality of life of the individuals that make up a society .
Due to its broad scope, it is impossible to establish exactly what social services encompass. Each country understands social services in a different way, although all of them consider offering them from some sector of the State and also, in many cases, from non-governmental institutions and entities .
What is a social service
Broadly speaking, a social service is an action that tends to guarantee or increase the autonomy of a subject and facilitate their integration into the community. A public social service office, in this way, can provide help to an orphaned child or a man who suffers from a physical disability , to name two possibilities.
In some educational institutions , social service is part of the activities that students must carry out. In this sense, it is understood that social service is not only a solidarity contribution to the most vulnerable sectors of the community , but also an educational tool that contributes to the training of students.
There are universities that even impose social service as a mandatory temporary activity that students must carry out to apply the knowledge they obtained in their studies.
Social services can be provided by the State or by non-governmental organizations.
Community benefits
Let's see below some of the reasons why social service is necessary or beneficial for a community:
* allows those who wish to help those who cannot meet their basic needs ;
* In the case of university students, social service is ideal to put into practice everything learned through lessons ;
* In the same way, through this type of activities, the figure of the University is closely linked to society, and this can have a series of positive consequences, such as an increase in people's interest in the academic training;
* As happens when carrying out any altruistic act, social service helps us feel fulfilled as human beings and gives more meaning to our lives;
* people's real needs are always more complex than any textbook can teach us, and that is why working face to face with people gives us invaluable lessons, which in turn prepare us to act better in practice;
* social service also serves to raise awareness in the community about some values that seem to be lost over time, such as commitment and solidarity;
* When someone is exposed to campaigns of this type, they always have the possibility of reflecting on their own life, their relationship with the environment and of becoming another promoter of social well-being .
Social service in educational institutions
When social service is framed within the limits of an educational institution, such as a faculty, certain rules appear that threaten spontaneity and that can detract from gestures that in another context would be considered part of social service. This occurs because the objectives of a campaign directed by an organization can only be achieved if all participants remain within the structure, following the steps indicated by it and complying with the restrictions.
One of the fundamental points in this case is to put into practice what was learned in class , which is why any activity that does not meet this simple requirement cannot be taken into account, even if it generates similar effects in those who receive the help.