Social Work Values and Ethics Issues of Universality (original) (raw)

The (r)evolution and decolonization of social work ethics: The Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles

International Social Work, 2019

The approval of the 2014 joint Global Definition of Social Work required that international social work associations review the associated ethical principles of social work. The Global Social Work Statement of Ethical Principles (GSWSEP) was approved by international social work bodies in Dublin in July 2018. While the previous Statement of Ethics emphasized liberal humanist values common in the European-North American axis, the GSWSEP recognizes the global nature of the social work profession and locates human dignity at the core of social work ethics. The GSWSEP problematizes the core principles of social work, and responds to calls to decolonize social work in the context of the increasing regulation of social work.

Human Rights and Social Work Codes of Ethics: An International Analysis

Journal of Social Welfare and Human Rights, 2014

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was designed to articulate values, guide behavior and protect the basic rights that are inherent to all human beings. The aim of this research is to identify ways that the international social work community explicitly reflects the ideals of human rights in its codes of ethics. The social work codes of ethics from 20 nations were examined for explicit reference to "human rights." Fifteen (75%) codes explicitly referred to human rights. Five codes of ethics did not refer explicitly to "human rights" anywhere in the document. Language is a powerful tool in social activism. The authors discuss recommendations for future action.

FROM SOCIAL EQUALITY TO COMPASSION: A Critique of the 2005 CASW Code of Ethics

2006

Bob Mullaly recently identified what he saw as a major shift in the 2005 social work Code of Ethics, in that reference to the social ideals of emancipation and humanitarianism had been removed. He interpreted this change as a retreat from the earlier version, which offered a more progressive vision of social justice and equality. The deletion leaves the profession to frame its societal role in the common-sense language of compassion. At issue here is not whether compassionate action is an important aspect of contemporary social work practices of care. Rather, without the modifying role of the social ideals, social workers are left susceptible to embracing a self-centred form of compassion constructed in what Stjepan Mestrovic calls a "post-emotional society." Three concepts-individualization, virtue ethics, and active citizenship-may have direct influence on how today's social worker perceives, understands, and acts on social problems. The revised Code of Ethics, if left unchallenged, may help further subordinate the profession under the regressive structures of neo-liberalism. Abrégé : Bob Mullaly a récemment fait état de ce qu'il juge comme un tournant majeur dans le code de déontologie 2005 du service social : le fait d'y avoir supprimé toute référence aux idéaux sociaux de l'émancipation et de l'humanitarisme. Il interprète ce changement comme un recul par rapport à la version antérieure, qui offrait une vision plus progressiste de la justice et de l'égalité sociales. La profession en est ainsi réduite, selon lui, à définir son rôle social en fonction du langage du bon sens qu'est celui de la compassion. L'enjeu ici n'est pas tant de savoir si l'intervention compassionnelle est un aspect important des pratiques de soin du service social. Non, sans le rôle transformateur des idées sociales, les travailleurs sociaux risquent plutôt d'épouser une forme égocentriste de la compassion construite dans ce que Stjepan Mestrovic qualifie de

Postmodern ethics

This is the prepublication version of the chapter published in Gray, M., & Webb, S. A. (Eds.). (2010). Ethics and value perspectives in social work (pp. 120-131). London: Palgrave.

Concepts and Theory of Social Ethics in Social Work

Spirituality, Ethics and Social Work, ISBN 978-3-928969-86-4, 2021

The aim of this manual is to offer a guide and training tool for social workers and other helping professions dealing with clients in the dynamic European social, economic, political, cultural, and religious frame in the beginning of the 21st century...following some basic ideas on social ethics addressed to the profession (Lacca, II.3.)

Ethics and Values in Social Work

Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets, 2009

The topic of social work values and ethics has always been central to the profession. Scholarly literature on the subject has burgeoned in recent years. Earlier in social work’s history discussions focused primarily on the profession’s core values. Beginning in the 1970s, professional literature started to focus on complex ethical dilemmas in social work, ethical decision making, and ethics risk management. Various scholars have explored the nature of conflicts among professional duties and obligations, and developed conceptually based protocols for ethical decision making. Key topics include self-determination, paternalism, and informed consent; confidentiality and privileged communication; conflicts of interest, boundary issues, and dual relationships; digital and electronic technology; ethics committees and ethics consultation; ethics education; administration and organizational ethics; supervision ethics; impaired practitioners; and ethics risk management.

The shaky high moral ground of postmodernist ethics

Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 2006

The paper takes as its starting point the paradoxical question of whether postmodernism can have a moral, ethical and values base. It explores the murky waters of postmodern relativism, which works against professions such as social work taking a strong ethical stance against injustice. It explores some philosophical arguments supporting the search for moral universals, no matter how minimal they might be, and advocates the enduring utility of ethical codes, despite their limitations. By its very nature ethics has a transcendent quality and Habermas's groundbreaking ethical schema is described for its enduring fit with the Western philosophical tradition and its compatibility with social work thinking on ethics.