Merlinda Weinberg - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Merlinda Weinberg

Policy Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2013

Columbia University Press eBooks, Dec 31, 2024

Critical and Radical Debates in Social Work, 2022

Social Work 2020 under Covid-19 Magazine, Jul 14, 2020

The theoretical concept of “moral distress” developed in the field of nursing to identify the psy... more The theoretical concept of “moral distress” developed in the field of nursing to identify the psychological and emotional effects experienced by professionals when they feel blocked by institutional constraints from pursuing a course they perceive is right. While social work literature has recognized the ethical dilemma that workers face in choosing between several appropriate courses of action, each of which may have positive and negative consequences, the idea of moral distress has received little attention. Despite its flaws, the concept of moral distress names political dimensions in professional practice revealing structural issues as ethical concerns. The article also addresses how social workers can overcome the disjunctions between how they would like to act and the constraints they experience. Abrégé : Le concept théorique de la « détresse morale » a vu le jour dans le domaine des soins infirmiers pour identifier les effets psychologiques et émotionnels que ressentent les p...

Ethics and Social Welfare, 2022

This paper explores racism specifically as an ethical concern in the field of social work and que... more This paper explores racism specifically as an ethical concern in the field of social work and queries why it has been insufficiently emphasised in the discursive frames on ethics. The minimisation of racism as an ethical issue is illustrated utilising two research studies with racialised practitioners who highlighted experiences of racism. Epistemologies of ignorance by dominant groups contribute to norms that maintain dominance. These epistemological failings, as exemplified in social work, are delineated. Additionally, the utilisation of codes of ethics, based on the work of Kant, who was also an architect of a hierarchy of races, is considered. An exploration of this historical connection, and the traditional approach to ethics used in social work that followed, illuminates a difficulty with universal principles as they are interpreted in the Global North for primary guidance in social work ethics. The outcome of these problems results in testimonial and hermeneutic injustice for those affected by racism, causing significant harm.

This paper, utilizing case illustrations, argues that structural theory is a necessary but insuff... more This paper, utilizing case illustrations, argues that structural theory is a necessary but insufficient analytic device for social workers concerned with social justice. Because it is a moral theory (concerned with unearthing underlying causes for social problems and suggesting what kind of society should be constructed), it offers direction about the values social workers should adopt. It corrects modern liberal humanist thinking by broadening the discussion of ethical concerns beyond the dyadic relationship to wide-ranging political issues. It provides a measure of certainty in the paradoxical area of ethics in practice, countering the relativism of post-structuralism.

In the social sciences, the iconic definition of privilege is that of unearned advantage. Consequ... more In the social sciences, the iconic definition of privilege is that of unearned advantage. Consequently, professionals in the social services may devote less attention to the examination of their own professional privilege since it has been earned. This article addresses ethical concerns about the earned privilege that accrues to professionals in the caring fields and the potential effects on service users. This paper will focus particularly on some of the pedagogical dimensions. The inherent paradox in socializing students into professional roles, which enhance privilege, while attempting to reduce the power differentials with service users, requires attention by teachers. How one might lessen the hierarchy that is created between the helper and service user as a result of that privilege will be explored. The paper will detail professional privilege and both constructive and problematic impacts on the helping relationship. The 'uneven' advantage of being able to set the standards of health and morality are also discussed. In the process, ethical trespass may result. We will explore this concept and its implications. Because, privilege contributes to social stratification between helpers and recipients, the final segment offers one educational strategy that can be used to potentially lessen the 'we-they' duality.

The relationship between "work " and young single mothers involved with social service ... more The relationship between "work " and young single mothers involved with social service agencies has primarily been delineated in two ways: through conservative and feminist discourses. I argue in this paper that a third way to conceptualize labour circulates in the field of social services but is primarily unacknowledged by practitioners and policy pundits. This conceptualization revolves around the crucial and risky work of young single mothers needing to prove fitness in order to be ~ermitted to parent their children. As part ofa qualitative study on young single mothering and social services, I interviewed five white, front-line social service practitioners. I approached directors of the umbrella organization of agencies whose mandate is workwith young single mothers and gained their permission to send letters to their casework staff, soliciting volunteers. Ensuring anonymity, four participants came forward. The fifth was suggested by a practitioner in the field. The wo...

Discourse and Society, 2014

Discourse analysis, while under-utilized in social work, is useful for understanding the social ... more Discourse analysis, while under-utilized in social work, is useful for understanding the social
construction of identity as negotiated in talk with others. The article has twin aims. First, the
author argues that identity is a fragmented co-construction, changing moment-to-moment in
context with others. This argument is supported by analyzing an extract from a research study
on ethics in social work practice, in which a practitioner struggled with an ideological dilemma.
How ‘ideological dilemmas’ differ from the more commonly used notion of ‘ethical dilemmas’ in
social work is addressed. The second goal is to heighten awareness of the utility of both discourse
analysis and ‘ideological dilemmas’ for use as theoretical tools for social work. The particular
ideological dilemma the worker had to negotiate to be seen as an ‘ethical practitioner’ was that
of the subordination of the self versus self-care.

Critical Social Work, 2008

Using a case vignette as an illustration, an expanded framework for examining ethical issues in h... more Using a case vignette as an illustration, an expanded framework for examining ethical issues in human service practice is proposed. The article argues that the helping relationship is multiply constructed through discursive fields, rather than being a given, and that the lens of ethics must be widened to understand both the highly contradictory nature of practice, with its accompanying paradoxes, and the broader structures that constrain and influence practitioners. The article draws on the centrality of the concept of ethical trespass to recognize the inevitability of some level of harm in the application of human service work, despite intention or skill. At the same time, investigating workers' uses of resistance to the dominant discourses is suggested as a means to edge toward the reduction of trespass.

Resources for Feminist Research, 2002

Nathalie StephensGuelph, OntarioActivism/ActivismeBazilli, Susan. "A Brief Guide to Internat... more Nathalie StephensGuelph, OntarioActivism/ActivismeBazilli, Susan. "A Brief Guide to International Human Rights Law for Canadian Advocates." Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme, Special Issue: Women 2000: Eradicating Poverty and Violence in the 21st Century, vol. 20, no. 3 (Fall 2000), pp. 64-71.This article serves as a guide to international human rights law for Canadian advocates. By providing a brief history of violence against women as an international human rights issue, and an example of how Canadians have used the UN treaties, the author attempts to demystify the legal instruments and organizational mechanisms available to activists. The essay concludes with suggestions for action. (MW)Canadian Women's March Committee. "It's Time for Change! The World March of Women 2000." Canadian Woman Studies/les cahiers de la femme, Special Issue: Women 2000: Eradicating Poverty and Violence in the 21st Century, vol. 20, no. 3 (Fall 2000), pp. 21-23.T...

Canadian Social Work Review, Volume 27, Number 1 (2010) / Revue canadienne de service social, vol... more Canadian Social Work Review, Volume 27, Number 1 (2010) / Revue canadienne de service social, volume 27, numéro 1 (2010) Printed in Canada / Imprimé au Canada Merlinda Weinberg is assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University. The author thanks the following individuals who enriched this paper by offering feedback on earlier drafts: Ms. Wendy Bloch, Dr. Fran Klodawsky, Dr. Deena Mandell, and Rabbi James Prosnit. SEEKING AN ETHICAL LIFE

The relationship between "work" and young single mothers involved with social service a... more The relationship between "work" and young single mothers involved with social service agencies has primarily been delineated in two ways: through conservative and feminist discourses. I argue in this paper that a third way to conceptualize labour circulates in the field of social services but is primarily unacknowledged by practitioners and policy pundits. This conceptualization revolves around the crucial and risky work of young single mothers needing to prove fitness in order to be ~ermitted to parent their children. As part ofa qualitative study on young single mothering and social services, I interviewed five white, front-line social service practitioners. I approached directors of the umbrella organization of agencies whose mandate is workwith young single mothers and gained their permission to send letters to their casework staff, soliciting volunteers. Ensuring anonymity, four participants came forward. The fifth was suggested by a practitioner in the field. The wor...

IntroductionIn the current neoliberal environment for most of the Euro-Western world, the values ... more IntroductionIn the current neoliberal environment for most of the Euro-Western world, the values of the marketplace have become the sine qua non not just in the private sector, but for non-profit organisations as well (Clarke 2004: 128; Banks 2011: 11). The bottom line and efficiencies have trumped concerns about social inequality and the needs of the most vulnerable. This dominant orientation is antithetical to many of social work's values, which put the wellbeing of service users as a primary principle informing the profession. For critical social workers, the dissonance in values is even more pronounced. Critical social work is grounded in a worldview (Campbell and Baikie 2012) that starts from the premise that our current society is unjust, that all practice is political, and therefore practitioners must incorporate action to critique and transform society to bring greater equity towards the marginalised (Finn and Jacobson 2003: 58).Resource inadequacies, standardised work p...