Application and Comparative Study of Self-Interest Altruism and Helping Others to Help Themselves in Social Work

As an applied social science, the core of the social work profession lies in helping individuals, families, and communities solve problems and enhance their social functions through professional concepts, methods, and techniques. In the practice of social work, both the concepts of self-interest altruism and helping others to help themselves play important roles. This article elaborates on the connotations and theoretical foundations of self-interest altruism and helping others to help themselves, conducts an in-depth study and comparative analysis of the application of these two concepts in the social work profession, and proposes how to better combine these two concepts to promote the common progress of individuals and society.