최근 현대 사회의 대표적 휴먼서비스전문직인 사회복지사의 역할을 둘러싸고 이념적, 이론적, 실천적 차원에서 모더니즘과 이를 비판하는 포스트모더니즘 간 논쟁이 접점을 찾지 못 하고 있다. 이러한 상황에서 동양철학 고전인 『도덕경』, 특히 그 중에서도 실천론에 해당하는 수양론과 성인론은 구체적 실천을 통해 개인과 사회의 변화를 지향하며 일반 백성의 수양을 견인하고 지지하는 역할을 제시한다는 점에서 사회복지사의 역할과 관련하여 대안적 담론을 제시해 줄 가능성이 있다고 하겠다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 『도덕경』의 수양론과 성인론의 분석을 통해 성인의 역할 구조를 유위적 삶에 대한 진단과 문제제기, 무위적 실천의 제공, 도의 수양주체로서의 모범 제시로 도출하고 이에 따른 사회복지사의 실천적 역할을 구체적으로 탐색해 보았다. 그 결과 사회복지사의 실천적 역할로는 첫째 유위적 구조와 구분에 대한 비판과 성찰, 둘째 물과 같은 사회복지사로서 무심무사의 자세 유지하기, 구분 짓지 않고 포용하기, 자기를 내세우지 않고 스스로 낮추기, 셋째 인격수양과 솔선수범 및 이를 가능하게 하는 환경조성 등으로 분석하였다. 이렇게 『도덕경』의 원리에 의거한 사회복지사는 모더니즘적 규범과 성과를 중시하는 전문가의 모습이나 모든 개인의 자의적 판단의 상대성을 인정하는 구성주의적 입장과도 차별화되는 공존과 상생의 역할을 수행한다. 『도덕경』에 의한 사회복지사 역할에 대한 논의는 기존의 이항대립적 구도를 극복하고 한국적 실천 모색에 의미를 부여하며 현대문명의 비판이론으로서 기능할 수 있는 가능성을 제시해주고 있다.
This study is an explorative contemplation to envisage social workers’ roles sympathizing the thought of Tao Te Ching, one of the most well-known eastern classic of philosophical wisdoms. The initial position of the study is that the thoughts of self-cultivation and the wise, the essential aspects consisting of the systems of Lao-Tzu’s worldview, are able to break through the perplexed deadlock regarding an adequate roles of social worker needed in the late modern society. Being besieged with the conflict between modern and postmodern discourses of worker’s role, social work academic camp and practical site as well have urgently called for an alternative paradigm for them. Lao-Tzu’s Tao Te Ching shows an ideal example of professionals requested in current society. Especially, the wise who realized the Tao(the truth) can be an ideal model for social workers from following point of view. Firstly, the wise still maintains the modern ideas of emancipation of people by criticizing the distortion contaminated with human desire and manipulations. Secondly, they keep enough patency to recognize and respect the differences of peoples, which includes the main cannons of postmodernism. Thirdly and most importantly, Lao-Tzu typed social workers, symbolized with the metaphorical word of water, can plays an ideal role of inclusion and reconciliation in these fragmented societies. In fine, the study has clearly proved that Tao Te Ching can be an endless ‘waters’ of wisdom providing social workers with not only theoretical but practical implications.
This study is an explorative contemplation to envisage social workers’ roles sympathizing the thought of Tao Te Ching, one of the most well-known eastern classic of philosophical wisdoms. The initial position of the study is that the thoughts of self-cultivation and the wise, the essential aspects consisting of the systems of Lao-Tzu’s worldview, are able to break through the perplexed deadlock regarding an adequate roles of social worker needed in the late modern society. Being besieged with the conflict between modern and postmodern discourses of worker’s role, social work academic camp and practical site as well have urgently called for an alternative paradigm for them. Lao-Tzu’s Tao Te Ching shows an ideal example of professionals requested in current society. Especially, the wise who realized the Tao(the truth) can be an ideal model for social workers from following point of view. Firstly, the wise still maintains the modern ideas of emancipation of people by criticizing the distortion contaminated with human desire and manipulations. Secondly, they keep enough patency to recognize and respect the differences of peoples, which includes the main cannons of postmodernism. Thirdly and most importantly, Lao-Tzu typed social workers, symbolized with the metaphorical word of water, can plays an ideal role of inclusion and reconciliation in these fragmented societies. In fine, the study has clearly proved that Tao Te Ching can be an endless ‘waters’ of wisdom providing social workers with not only theoretical but practical implications.
