Moral Philosophy
History & Background The Moral Philosophy has been developed primarily over the course of the last century (Reamer, 1993). While the concepts of morals and ethics have always played a part when working with human beings, the focus of the subject as a whole has shifted over time. Originally, the profession of social work began with an emphasis on the client and centered upon their actions in the process. This means that the morality under question was that of the individual coming to the professional for help (Reamer, 1993). In the early practice of social work, it was the goal of the provider to assist the client in fixing their life and "enhance the morality" in order for the individual to begin a more fruitful and what
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Powell is also under speculation for burns on his other son 's body (“Houston Dad Charged,” 2015). After collecting the boys from the house of their mother in late May claiming he wanted to spent time with them, Powell brought the toddlers into his sister, Prosha Land’s apartment where he was staying (“Houston Dad Charged,” 2015). Powell reportedly got angry and violent upon discovering the child 's potty training accident, as he had several times since collecting the boys from their mother’s home, and struck the boy hard onto the tile floor in the bathroom (Larimer, 2015). Land reported hearing his head hit the tile floor (Larimer, 2015). She also mentioned that the young boy was reporting he was “tired” and that he began acting different from his usual self after the incident (Larimer, 2015). The boy passed away at the Texas Children 's Hospital, where his brother still remains, after multiple bodily injuries and brain swelling (“Houston Dad Charged,” 2015). Land was also arrested and is being held for not reporting her brother 's actions and "allowing her brother to hurt the children" (“Houston Dad Charged,” …show more content…
To begin, metaethics would analyze the meanings of words involved in this case. For example, child abuse would need to be evaluated to determine the conceptual and operational definitions in order to get to the true meaning of the word, as well as its meaning in this particular context. After meaning is agreed upon, there are two routes in which this case could be evaluated: with cognitivism and noncognitivism. With cognitivism, philosophers would determine that the child abuse taking place is either real or not. Noncognitivism, however, would explain that child abuse does not formally exist, but rather that the existence or non-existence of the concept is simply an opinion of the
Entering the field of social work you must be prepared to encounter many personalities. Knowing this, you have to become aware of people with different backgrounds and morals. By doing this you will be able to help your clients to the best of your ability, without forcing your personal beliefs or values on to them. A value is a set of rules or or beliefs that affect your every day decisions (Sheafor & Horejsi, 2011). Applying your personal values to every situation is very important, however, you must learn to separate what you know and what is in actuality the best outcome for your client. I will be discussing the ways I feel about the “Vignette’s”, while also incorporating different things I have learned from the readings and class discussions.
The primary issue that was addressed in the Journal article, “Moral Reasoning of MSW Social Workers and the Influence of Education” written by Laura Kaplan, was that social workers make critical decisions on a daily basis that effect others. They influence their clients’ lives through giving timely and appropriate funding to them and their families, through deciding should a family stay together or should they have a better life with another family, or connecting the client with appropriate resources that can enhance their lives. The article addresses data from an array of students from various universities. The researcher posed these questions; “Would social workers use moral reasoning (what is right and what is wrong) more prevalent if it was taught through an individual class during your MSW graduate studies, or if you obtain any other undergraduate degree, or if the ethic course was integrated in the curriculum?”
As a student new to social work, The Code of Ethics written by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is in the forefront of my mind whenever practicing my freshly learned skills. According to the Code, these rules were written as the “values, principles, and standards to guide social workers’ conduct” (Code of Ethics - NASW, n.d.). Within my most-recent session, certain aspects of this code were relevant, including informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, a commitment to the client, the dignity and worth of a person, the importance of human relationships, integrity and competency of the worker, and social diversity.
National Association of Social Workers [NASW]. (1998). The New NASW Code of Ethics Can Be Your Ally: Part I. Retrieved from: http://www.naswma.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=96
Today there are institutional review boards that are designated to approve and monitor research studies to ensure ethical standards are being met (Dudley, 2011, p. 45). As social work practice becomes more evidence-based, the worker will have an increased obligation to advocate for conducting and consuming research that aligns with ethical standards. A practicing social worker can help ensure the ethical treatment of their clients by empowering them to take an active role in their treatment decisions and goals. Three important mandates of the Council on Social Work Education that are directly relevant to research are adhering to the values and ethics of social work, promoting an understanding and commitment to diversity, and promoting human rights and social and economic justice (Dudley,
The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics (2010) proposes three core values of Social Work, respect for persons, social justice and professional integrity (pp.12). These core values establish “ethical responsibilities” for the social worker (AASW, 2010, pp.12), specifically, the value of respect for persons, which sustains the intrinsic worth of all human beings as well as the right to wellbeing and self determination consistent with others in society (AASW, 2010,p.12). This Code of Ethics stipulates the duty of care a social worker must provide, a...
Part 1: Evaluate Richard Taylor's view that morality is a matter not of rational principles but of having your heart in the right place. Explore the pros and cons of such a view.
Social workers have many tools at their hand to enabling personal values to remain in check. The general practitioners communication with supervisors and collages can provide guidance on this issue. They can attend professional workshops pertaining to subjects such as ethics, and maintaining professional relationships. Social workers can continually evaluate their own values and beliefs and seek professional help such as therapy when
The following paper aims to discuss and analyze the way in which my personal values intersect with the values I hold as most important within the profession of social work. It would stand to reason that these values would stand on common ground; however, there are places where my personal and professional values diverge. These conflicts may prove to be problematic within my chosen career unless I find a way to prioritize my values, or find ways for them to work harmoniously with each other.
Her scientific casework methods are still used in assessing clients in today’s practice. The Social Work profession also built off her values of individuality, dignity, and importance of human relationships in the core values of the profession, these can be seen in the National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics. While Social Workers still follow most of Richmond’s values today, other values have been re-evaluated as time has progressed. Instead of Richmond’s suggestions of gathering personal information without the client’s knowledge (Pumphrey, 1961), the Social Work profession now values confidentiality and privacy when dealing with clients.
Prior to having the class of Professional Values and Ethics, I assumed I understood the basic concepts of what defines a professional who has competence of values and ethics. Nevertheless, by being enrolled in this course, I have gained great knowledge of which professional values and ethical principles must be held by a social worker, which I did not know before. Progressively in this class, by learning professional values and ethics, my motivation to succeed as an upcoming social worker has gotten stronger.
All social workers are beholden to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. Professional ethics are the main core of social work. The profession has an obligation to articulate its basic values, ethical principles, and ethical standards. The code is composed of thematic sections that outline a social worker’s responsibility to clients, colleagues, employers, and the profession. Some responsibilities that a social worker has to a client are that the clients are their primary responsibility, fostering maximum self-determination in clients, respecting the privacy of clients, keeping information that has been shared during the course of their duties confidential and charging fees for services that are fair and considerate
Banks, S., 2006. Ethics and Values in Social Work. 3rd ed. Hampshire, England.: Palgrave MacMillan .
The social work profession and its Code of Ethics dictate that social workers must act in the best interest of the client, even when those actions challenge the practitioner’s personal, cultural and religious values. In practice; however, ethical decision-making is more complex than in theory. As helping professionals, social workers are constantly faced with ethical decision-making or ethical dilemmas. As noted by Banks (2005), an ethical dilemma occurs “when a worker is faced with a choice between two equally unwelcome alternatives that may involve a conflict of moral principles, and it is not clear what choice will be the right one” (as cited in McAuliffe & Chenoweth, 2008, p. 43). In addition, ethical decision-making is a process that
There are certain ethics that social workers must follow and is a guidance for professional standard of work. However sometimes people are not aware of their own values, though the more fully conscious someone is about their values, the more people are able to ensure that their actions are consistent with the values. As a social worker it is vital to know the dangers of not taking account of values and the ethical dimension of practice. A social worker should see their client for who they are and not just another object that is unclear by their own emotions hence why self-awareness is a key to