Transforming Understanding of Ethics in Social Work Practice
School
Harvard University**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
MARKETING 104
Subject
Sociology
Date
Dec 11, 2024
Pages
4
Uploaded by MinisterGrasshopper4734
IntroductionValues and ethics form both the basis on which a social worker decides professionally during practice and bases his professional conduct. The Australian Association Social Workers' Code of Ethics underpins the social work practice, guiding principles constituting respect for persons, professional integrity, and social justice. Such ethical principles help engender trust with clients, navigate seemingly intractable dilemmas, and deal with situations of systemic inequality that really ensure the rights and dignities of all are availed. This reflection concerns my learning and development in relation to values and ethics in social work practice, discussing how my understanding has evolved and what this now means for me as a future social worker. Initial PositionMy knowledge of professional ethics and values in social work before undertaking this unit was scanty. I mainly treated ethics as a personal value system informed by the individual belief systems of "right" and "wrong" rather than a professional structured system. I was oblivious to how complex ethical decision-making was, especially when competing interests, systemic inequalities, or organizational contexts are involved. Concepts like confidentiality, self-determination, and social justice were abstract conceptual ideas and not concrete tools with which to guide my practice (van der Veen et al., 2024). I was rarely exposed to the diversity of the population and its challenges and, as such, overly simplified ethical practice into "doing good." This unit, so far, is forcing me to think through my assumptions for understanding ethics at the center of effective and equitable social work practice.Significance of the Topic to my Learning and DevelopmentAccording to research by (Fook, 2022), engaging in the subject of values and ethics within socialwork has been a real transforming process in my learning and development. The unit introduced me to the AASW Code of Ethics, which detailed core principles such as confidentiality, self-determination, and social justice. I came to learn that professional ethics are not just personal beliefs but structured guidelines designed to navigate complex situations and ensure equitable, ethical practice. Frameworks such as Banks' ethical decision-making model were some of the tools that had given a step-by-step approach to dilemmas, with an emphasis on balancing personal values with professional obligations.Another notable moment occurred when reflecting on anti-oppressive practice for the case study. I learned that the ethics of social work exist to extend beyond direct, personal interactions to even higher levels of policy and structure where inequity and oppression breed (Watts & Hodgson, 2019). This was in direct conflict with my idea of ethical practice being only person-to-person and expanded to understand it as also striving toward structural change. These insights have considerably influenced my thinking on ethical practice. Consequently, I now conceptualizevalues and ethics as dynamic and contextual-which require critical reflection under a continuous process of learning (Khatami et al., 2022). This unit has equally provided me with the tools to approach ethical dilemmas thoughtfully, with regard to my actions being aligned and responsive to professional standards by the needs of clients within systemic challenges.
Critical Reflection and Development of CompetencyCritical reflection has helped me to develop a better insight into ethical dilemmas, professional values, and systemic oppression. In this regard, Gibbs' Reflective Cycle became great avenues for analyzing ethical challenges presented during both case studies and class exercises. Description of the situation, analysis of feelings, evaluation of actions, and making considerations toward improvement allowed the review to go deep to appreciate the basis of my making those decisions and assumptions. For example, when client confidentiality goes against duty of care, I was at one time perplexed and had mixed feelings over such a dilemma (Mönkkönen et al., 2021). This thus helped me in reflecting on how important it was to balance ethical principles, with the interest of safety to the client and professional integrity, as specified within AASW Code of Ethics.This process has allowed me to develop new competencies as an emerging practitioner, particularly in ethical literacy and cultural humility. It is in this regard that I came to understand that my biases and limited experiences unconsciously impact my practice. For example, I learnedhow to challenge assumptions through anti-oppressive practices that underscore equity and inclusion (Caron et al., 2020). Reflection upon systemic oppression has broadened my understanding of how structural barriers affect marginalized populations, reinforcing the imperative for social justice advocacy in ethical practice.My new perspective on values and ethics is based on a systematic professional method of dealingwith ethical dilemmas. I do not base my judgments on personal values alone but incorporate professional frameworks like Banks' ethical decision-making model to provide critical analysis of situations. I also now understand that ethical practice is dynamic and contextual and thus balances client-centered care, professional standards, and reflective thinking (Johnston & Tarvydas, 2022). From now on, critical reflection will be an ongoing tool applied to enhance competency in my ethical decision-making-considered, informed, and based on the principles of social justice and professional integrity.Reflection on Professional PracticeThe depth of this unit in understanding social work as a profession and more so the place of ethics in the pursuit of professionalism and integrity has really set a difference in me (Ricciardelli et al., 2020). According to the AASW Code of Ethics, these guiding principles at thecore for professional conduct and building trusting relationships include respect for person, professional integrity, social justice; in making choices, ethics come first for accountability. I now realize that these ethical standards, when followed, help a professional in treading through various dilemmas and ensuring fairness to the clients, with the view to maintain the integrity of the profession (Fatemi et al., 2018).I have grown much as an emerging practitioner. I reflected critically on my biases and found that personal values were not sufficient in dealing with the complexities of professional practice (McCoy, 2020). I identified new values that include cultural humility and ethical literacy, with assumptions to be challenged through anti-oppressive practice. Growth in this way has ensured
that I can approach the presentation of ethical dilemmas with self-awareness, bound by commitment to professional standards.ConclusionThe exploration of values and ethics has been central to my journey of learning and professional development throughout the course of my study as a student of social work. My understanding ofkey principles guiding the AASW Code of Ethics-respect for persons, social justice, and professional integrity-has helped deepen my understanding of the role ethics play in guiding decision-making to maintain professionalism. This unit has demonstrated that ethical practice involves something over and above mere personal values and a more structured reflective approach in tackling complex dilemmas.
ReferencesCaron, R., Lee, E. O. J., & Pullen Sansfaçon, A. (2020). Transformative Disruptions and Collective Knowledge Building: Social Work Professors Building Anti-oppressive Ethical Frameworks for Research, Teaching, Practice and Activism. Ethics and Social Welfare, 14(3), 298–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/17496535.2020.1749690Fatemi, D., Hasseldine, J., & Hite, P. (2018). The Influence of Ethical Codes of Conduct on Professionalism in Tax Practice. Journal of Business Ethics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-4081-1Fook, J. (2022). Social Work : A Critical Approach to Practice. Social Work, 1–100. https://www.torrossa.com/en/resources/an/5409542Johnston, S. P., & Tarvydas, V. M. (2022). Ethics and Ethical Decision-Making. Springer EBooks. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826139047.0017Khatami, S. M., Boujari, P., & Ranjbar, E. (2022). Toward a social responsibility-based model for urban design education. URBAN DESIGN International. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-022-00195-9McCoy, L. (2020). Ethical practice. Routledge EBooks, 369–396. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003116950-19Mönkkönen, K., Silén-Lipponen, M., Kekoni, T., & Saaranen, T. (2021). Interprofessional Understanding of Ethical Dilemmas: Learning Experiences Of Simulation Learning in Social Welfare and Health Care Education. Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 18(2), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.55521/10-018-206Ricciardelli, L. A., Nackerud, L., Quinn, A. E., Sewell, M., & Casiano, B. (2020). Social media use, attitudes, and knowledge among social work students: Ethical implications for the social work profession. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2(1), 100008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2019.100008van der Veen, Susan, et al. “Designing Bio-Based Value Chains for Social Justice: The Potential of Capability Sensitive Design.” Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 117, Nov. 2024,p. 103724, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2024.103724. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.Watts, Lynelle, and David Hodgson. Social Justice Theory and Practice for Social Work. Springer Singapore, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3621-8.