Level 1-social justice, values and ethics essay PDF

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“Social work is a profession which in large part deals with people who in one way or other are marked out as different and are to various degrees excluded from the mainstream of society.”(Beckett and Maynard 2005, p188) This essay demonstrates an agreement with Beckett and Maynard’s (2005, p188) statement which suggests that “Social Work is profession which in large part deals with people who in one way or other are marked out as different and are to various degrees excluded from the mainstream of society.” To demonstrate agreement, the paper discusses key elements of the definition of social work, according to the International Association of Social Workers (2001), such as social justice and empowerment. It also stresses the importance of social work values and anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice in relation to work with excluded individuals and groups. Furthermore, this essay explores philosophical perspectives based on Kant’s and Bentham’s moral philosophy which underpin ethical principles in social work. Finally, it considers ethical codes such as British Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics and Scottish Social Services Council Code of Practice for Social Service Workers as guidance for professionals working with individuals and groups who are marked out as different. There are many definitions of social work and different interpretations of associated terms. Banks (2006) suggests this is caused by the ideological views of the authors and the level of detail or generality they apply. However there is one definition, established by the International Association of Social Workers (IFSW) which has been adopted by many professional organisations and social work writers. It states: “The social work profession promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. Utilising theories of human behaviour and social systems, social work intervenes at points where people interact with their environments. Principles of human rights and social justice are fundamental to social work” (IFSW, 2001 cited in British Association of Social Work 2002, p1). The definition stresses social justice as one of the key principles that the profession should be based on and also expresses the elements which are essential in social work, particularly, client’s well-being and empowerment. Thompson (2009) further emphasises that, social justice is seen as an important social work value. It is based on the idea of distributing resources in society according to need, equal access to services, challenging injustice and oppressive actions (Banks, 2006). Social justice also

promotes fairness and aims to minimise barriers for all people, especially those who are vulnerable or oppressed (BASW, 2002). In everyday practice, social workers are involved in working with clients suffering abuse, exploitation or degradation by more powerful individuals, hence promoting social justice and challenging social injustice should be seen as a key principle in achieving effective social work practice. This is especially relevant in work with people who are, to various degrees excluded from society, as identified by Beckett and Maynard (2005). In addition to social justice as an example of an emancipatory value and the principle that social work should be based on, it is also important to consider other social work values and their role in professional practice. There are many meanings of “value” however by understanding value as a guide to action it can relate to what we think others should do, or what we ought to do (Parrot, 2006). As has been noted by Thompson (2009), having a value base is a crucial element which makes social work a profession. Moreover, our value system helps us to make decisions and can be seen as a source of motivation. A study by Biestek (1961 cited in Thompson, 2009) recognises seven main social work values which are individualisation, purposeful expression of feelings, controlled emotional involvement, acceptance, non judgemental attitude, client self determination and confidentiality. Individualisation refers to the practice where each person is treated as a unique individual. An example when this value is not respected would be relying on stereotypes and not undertaking a proper assessment of clients needs. As Thompson (2009) further explains, purposeful expression of feelings relates to the recognition of client’s need to express their feelings without being repressed, and similarly, the value of controlled emotional involvement refers to the sensitive responses of the worker to the emotions being expressed by the client. Acceptance is another social work value which means accepting clients as they are, recognizing their strengths and weaknesses and it is closely related to the value of nonjudgemental attitude that stresses the need for avoidance of making a moral judgement by assigning guilt to a client (Thompson, 2009). Furthermore, the value of client self-determination entails workers to respect the person and encourage that person to act for themselves (Parrot, 2006). Finally value of confidentiality relates to rights of clients and not disclosing information about them except when there is a risk on the safety of themselves or another person (Thompson, 2009).

In relation to traditional social work values, Thompson (2009) points out a group of emancipatory values such as de-individualisation, equality, social justice, partnership, citizenship, authenticity and empowerment which aim to understand individuals in the broader context of the range of structural and cultural factors. Empowerment as a value can be thought as having important meaning for people suffering social exclusion. It refers to helping people take control over their lives and supporting them to challenge the social disadvantages and inequalities they face (Thompson, 2009). As Banks (2006) suggests, empowerment is also about encouraging individuals to realise their own power and can be seen as part of anti-oppressive practice. Very important in effective social work practice and also in achieving social justice are antidiscriminatory (ADP) and anti-oppressive practice (AOP). Although both terms have the same principles which is reducing discrimination and oppression, Dalrymple and Burke (1995 cited in Parrot, 2006) make a distinction between AOP and ADP. For them AOP is a much wider term which challenges the power differences between groups, whereas ADP is more limited and deals with more specific forms of oppression such as racism or sexism. An important part in better understanding of ADP is analysing different levels at which discrimination operates by using PCS analysis (Thompson, 2006). As Thompson (2006) suggests the PCS stands for three levels which are interlinked and interact with each other. P refers to personal or psychological; it includes our feelings, thoughts and attitudes about particular group which are shaped by our personal experience. C relates to the cultural level, to how we share the views, thoughts, values and how we reach consensus about what is right and what is normal. S refers to the structural level and the ways in which discrimination and oppression are institutionalised (Thompson, 2006). In connection with ADP and AOP, it is important to emphasize the concept of power, particularly unequal power. As Clifford and Burke (2009) suggest, there are huge inequalities between individuals and groups of people holding power. The relative power of groups allows keeping the control over some of the key resources in society which can have implications for inequality and determines life chances of different social groups in society (Parrot, 2006). In addition to AOP and ADP, it is also important to consider two main philosophical perspectives that inform the practice of social workers, these are principled and consequentialism perspectives. The principled approach, also called deontology, was developed in XVIII century

by German philosopher Emmanuel Kant. As Parrot (2006, p46) suggests the main principles of Kant’s moral philosophy were to “explore univ ersally applicable principles which can be applied to any situation. They are worth upholding even if on the face of it bad things may happen as a consequence of upholding that belief”. In relation to social work there is one important element in Kantian’s perspective which is the principle of respect to another person (Banks, 2006). This principle can be seen as a vital factor in the relationship between social worker and client and also underpins other important for social workers documents, such as the BASW’s (2002) Codes of Ethics and the SSSC’s (2002) Codes of Practice, which will be explored below. In addition to Kant’s principled approach, it is also important to consider consequentialism which was developed by moral theory called Utilitarianism (Parrot, 2006). This approach was mainly developed by Jeremy Bentham who as Parrot (2006, p4) notes, claimed that “we are obliged to act in a way that will produce the best consequences. Thus when we make a decision concerning people we are obliged to reach a decision that will benefit all or as many of those concerned”. In relation to social work consequentialism approach can be problematic at times for instance when there is dilemma if social work should create the greatest amount of happiness or create as much equality and contribute to social justice as possible (Parrot, 2006). As Banks (2006) points out, both Kantianism and Utilitarianism cannot give us one universal principle for determining the rightness and wrongness of action and also fail to consider particular aspects of our ordinary moral thinking. This view is similarly expressed by Parrot (2006), who claims that social workers often practice in an unpredictable environment, where each situation is unique and needs to be viewed in a specific context, and hence cannot be absolutely based on ethical principles. Having explored the issues of philosophical perspectives in social work it is also important to consider SSSC Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers and BASW Code of Ethics for Social Work as standards of conduct and practice required of professionals working with people who are excluded from society. As mentioned above, Kantian’s principle of respect to another person can be seen as having direct impact on section one in the SSSC Code of Practice for Social Service Workers which states: “As a social service worker, you must protect the rights and promote the interests of service users and carers. This includes: Treating each

person as an individual, respecting and, where appropriate, promoting the individuals views and wishes of both service users and carers” (SSSC, 2002, Section 1.2). The Code of Practice also obliges social service workers to promote equal opportunities for service users and respect diversity, different cultures and values (SSSC, 2002). This example clearly shows guidance for workers regarding the practice with individuals or groups who are marked out as different, for instance ethnic minority groups or individuals who have different sexual orientation. Similarly, The Code of Ethics for Social Work established by BASW can be viewed as a benchmark for effective social work practice. As the Association (2002) explains the main objective of the Code of Ethics is to give guidance on ethical practice and also to stress the principle and value which are essential to social work. In relation to Beckett and Maynard’s (2005) statement, viewing social work as profession dealing with people who are socially excluded, the Code of Ethics clearly informs professionals about their duty towards those groups by stating that “Social workers have a duty to minimise barriers and expand choice and potential for all service users, especially those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable or oppressed, or who have exceptional needs” (BASW, 2002, Section 3.2.2.c) Thus it can be concluded that Social Work is profession which deals with individuals who are excluded from society or marked out as different (Beckett & Maynard, 2005). It has been proven by focusing on key elements of the definition of social work such as social justice and empowerment and exploring these further in relation to work with disadvantaged people. This essay has also considered different types of social work values as guidance and source of motivation in making decisions. Furthermore, the meanings of anti-oppressive and antidiscriminatory practice in social work profession which are aimed to reduce oppression and discrimination of vulnerable individuals and groups have also been explored. In relation to the above, this paper has pointed out key philosophical perspectives based on Kant’s and Bentham’s moral philosophy and their influence on social work practice. Lastly, this essay has focused on Scottish Social Services Council Code of Practice for Social Service Workers and British Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics explaining the role of the codes in guiding social work professionals in work with people who are marked out as different.

References: Banks, S., 2006. Ethics and Values in Social Work. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Beckett, C. & Maynard, A., 2005. Values and Ethics in Social Work. London: Sage. Biestek, F.P., 1961. The Casework Relationship. London: Allen & Unwin. Cited in: Thompson, N., 2009. Understanding Social Work, 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. British Association of Social Workers, 2002. The Code of Ethics for Social Work. Birmingham: BASW Publications Department. Clifford, D. & Burke, B., 2009. Anti-oppressive Ethics and Values in Social Work. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Dalrymple, J. & Burke, B., 1995. Anti-oppressive practice. Buckingham: Open University Press. Cited in: Parrot, L., 2006. Values and Ethics in Social Work. Exeter: Learning Matters. Parrot, L., 2006. Values and Ethics in Social Work. Exeter: Learning Matters. Scottish Social Services Council, 2002. Codes of Practice for Social Service Workers and Employers [online]. Available at http://www.sssc.uk.com/sssc/all [accessed 11 March, 2009]. The International Federation of Social Workers, 2000. Definition of Social Work [online]. Available at http://www.ifsw.org/f38000138.html [accessed 07 March, 2010]. Thompson, N., 2006. Anti-discriminatory practice, 4th ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Thompson, N., 2009. Understanding Social Work, 3rd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan....