Social Work, Morally Relevant Properties, and Paternalism: Why Social Workers Need to Know Moral Theory (original) (raw)
Related papers
Moral reasoning in social work practice
The Social Service Review, 1991
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
Law Versus Morality: Cases and Commentaries on Ethical Issues in Social Work Practice
Ethics and Social Welfare
This article examines two cases that present ethical challenges encountered by social workers in making decisions either to maintain professional boundaries or fulfil moral obligations while working with service users in vulnerable situations. In the first case, a Lebanese social worker narrates how she was motivated to step out of her official responsibilities to assist a refugee mother of three who showed suicidal ideation. In the second case, a Ugandan social worker recounts her experience while working with a family whose 12-year-old daughter was raped and became pregnant, but whose parents refused to accept abortion when medical diagnosis showed that the girl's life was in danger. A commentary from the authors is provided after each case. Both social workers were arguably motivated to act based on their concern to care for people, protect human rights, and save lives in the two case scenarios. This underscores the relevance of the ethics of care and virtue ethics in describing the associated ethical challenges in both cases. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of the ethical challenges encountered by the social workers demands open minds and flexibility in decision-making.
The ethical implications of current theoretical developments in social work
British Journal of Social Work, 1995
This paper examines the ethical implications of current theoretical developments in social work and proposes that in attempting to achieve as accurate an understanding of social work reality as possible, social work should not forsake its worthwhile ideals. Social work needs to overcome its preoccupation with the development of ethical principles and rather find ways to understand what it means to respect other people, for this is the fulcrum on which its value system turns. Social workers need to develop empathy with the plight of their clients and a true concern for their well-being. It is from this that their moral disposition to help stems. The technical application of moral rules does not necessarily result in ethical behaviour. Moral sensitivity develops from seeing clients in a moral light and being mindful of their value as human beings. It is the product of a special kind of understanding which can be developed only through reflection and an appreciation of the all encompassing nature of morality.
Moral sources and emergent ethical theories in social work
British Journal of Social Work, 2010
This paper examines the feminist ethics of care as an emergent ethical theory that casts ethical dispositions in a different way to the deontological focus on duties and rules and consequentialist-utilitarian focus on minimising harm. It is closer to, though different from, virtue ethics with its focus on moral character. The paper highlights the philosophical tensions within and between these disparate theories, suggesting nevertheless that discussions about ethics are enriched by these diverse influences. Since it is not possible within the scope of this paper to deal with all of these ethical theories in depth, following a brief overview of the more established theory of deontology, virtue ethics and the ethics of care are discussed. While the feminist ethics of care attempts to provide a more complete view of morality and ethics in social work, there are important philosophical problems with which social work needs to engage in order to discern whether it offers a better understanding of morality than existing approaches in social work ethics and whether it can address the complexities of the problems social workers deal with and the harsh practice environments in which they work where the 'practice of value' is becoming ever more difficult and strong reasons to care must be found.
Moral Philosophy and Social Work Policy
Journal of social work values and ethics, 2009
Policies in the United States regarding personal responsibility and deviant behavior often follow an underlying moral philosophy. This paper examines the philosophies in American social policy, and how beliefs about personal responsibility, definitions of deviance and the role of the social welfare system shape current policies.
The Routledge Handbook of Social Work Ethics and Values
2019
Professionals caring for children and young people face moral dilemmas. Moral case deliberation (MCD) supports professionals and future professionals by stimulating reflection and dialogue on moral dilemmas, following a structured method guided by a trained facilitator. This article presents a description of an MCD in an educational context with future professionals learning to care for children and young people, structured in line with the dilemma method. The dilemma related to how to deal with a pregnant woman with a mild intellectual disability: should one let her decide for herself, or intervene for the sake of safety of the unborn child? The paper describes the process of deliberation in the student group, following the steps of the dilemma method. The discussion presents reflections of three MCD facilitators involved in the teaching program. The reflections focus on the role of experience in MCD with students, the added value of the step of making an individual judgment, and t...
2005
Social workers will inevitably encounter ethical dilemmas in their work. Ethical dilemmas can impact on social workers positively or negatively, at a number of levels, and in a range of ways. This paper outlines findings from a study in which Australian social workers detailed their experiences of ethical dilemmas, and discussed the short and long-term impacts and consequences resulting from these experiences. Recommendations are made for improved education and training for social workers in ethical decision-making, and the importance of professional support and supervision.
Moral Distress: A Missing but Relevant Concept for Ethics in Social Work
2009
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...