Ethics and Values in

social work
Field Studies HT17
International social work
Sanaya Singh
 A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There was one drug that the
doctors thought might save her. It was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town
had recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but the druggist was charging
ten times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged
$2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's husband, Heinz, went to everyone
he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is half
of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it
cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said: “No, I discovered the drug and I'm
going to make money from it.” So Heinz got desperate and broke into the man's
laboratory to steal the drug for his wife. Should Heinz have broken into the laboratory to
steal the drug for his wife? Why or why not?
 Ethics
● Ethics refers to the norms or standards of behaviour people follow
concerning what is regarded as good or bad, right or wrong, or
good and bad qualities of character.
● Commonly used as ‘code of ethics’ which is usually regarded as a
set of principles, standards, rules of conduct or sometimes
character traits required for ethical practical .
● Ethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with ‘morality, moral
problems and judgements’.
● suicide or abortion are always morally wrong.
3 distinctions:
● Meta-ethics: comprises critical and analytical thinking about the meaning and use of
moral terms such as right, good, etc., about whether moral judgements can be
justified or what is the nature of morality.
● Normative ethics: attempts to give answers to moral questions and problems
regarding, eg, what is the morally right course of action in a particular case, whether
someone is morally a good person, or whether lying is always wrong.
● Descriptive ethics: studies what people's moral opinions and beliefs are and how
they act in relation to these, for example what views people have about assisted
 Context of social work:why ethics?

● Ethical awareness is a fundamental part of the professional practice of social workers. Their ability and
commitment to act ethically is an essential aspect of the quality of the service offered to those who use social
work services.
● In social work one is forced to make decisions that involve ethical judgements. There will be difficult choices to
make that will have important consequences for individual lives. Aspects of control and dominance are inevitable
in the work.
● The individual help seeker is in a position of weakness that is sometimes very evident. This makes it important to
be aware of value judgements in social work and how the work affects people’s lives. Social work, in other words,
demands observance of ethical behaviour. (akademikerförbundet SSR).
● In an ethical code, important themes can be brought forward that are not found in statutes, rules and
regulations; for example, how to receive and treat clients, basic approach to humanity, and the personal ethical
qualities that are desirable in professional practice
● Social work and the professional role of the social worker shall be related to scientific findings and proven
experience. Fundamental values in the work and for the profession are human rights and humanity. The work
shall contribute to creating a good and dignified life for all citizens and to developing the welfare of the society.
 ● Situations arise in social work that involve ethical
dilemmas. Often these concern the social worker
professional’s own self-understanding and appear in
different variations in different fields of activity, some
of them related to the matter of which aspect of the
work ought to be the primary one.
● Very different challenges from country to country
International code of conduct:
http://ifsw.org/policies/statement-of-ethical-principles/
 Ethical guidelines: The basis of social work and the profession
Profession and personality: Social work professionals shall
•in their work and way of life respect each individual’s equal and
high worth
•show particular responsibility towards persons and groups in a
vulnerable position
•use their professional position with responsibility and be conscious
of the limitations of their own competence
•maintain and develop their social work skills and strive towards
ethical consciousness and personal development.
The client/citizen: Social work professionals shall
•show an equalitarian attitude to other citizens and treat clients with
respect, empathic attention and amiability
• respect the client’s personal integrity and safeguard the individual’s
right to self-determination in so far as the same right for others’ is
not
infringed upon and there is no risk of damage to the client. Measures
shall as far as possible be based on participation and mutual
understanding
• inform the client as to rights and duties, i.e. clarify the conditions
and resources that exist within the current activity and other
authorities involved
•make sure that the demands placed on clients have a reasonable
foundation and are capable of contributing to an improvement of
their situation
• never use the position of dependency of the client in different
situations to own advantage
• maintain client confidentiality and make sure that information
concerning the client is handled in conformance with the law and
generally with great prudence.
The organisation, colleagues and the workplace: Social worker shall
•be aware of and show loyalty to the organisation’s basic task
•show loyalty and respect towards colleagues and other members of
staff as well as towards members of the board
• challenge and work against offensive or discriminatory attitudes
and actions within the organisation or in the behaviour of colleagues
or clients, aware that this may be in conflict with other loyalty
demands
•contribute towards the upholding of high standards of quality in the
work so that the profession can develop in step with citizens’ needs
and with changing conditions in the society
•help to make the workplace a constructive and responsive social
environment.
Society: Social work professionals shall
• be open to co-operation with other organisations and other
professions, under the condition that this is of value to clients and
other citizens
• strive to build up confidence in social work and in their own
professional competence, as well as being open to demands for
accountability and critical appraisal of the way the work is
performed
 Ethics in social research
1.Research should be designed, reviewed and undertaken to ensure integrity, quality and
transparency.

2.Research staff and participants must normally be informed fully about the purpose, methods and
intended possible uses of the research, what their participation in the research entails and what risks,
if any, are involved.

3.The confidentiality of information supplied by research participants and the anonymity of

respondents must be respected.

4.Research participants must take part voluntarily, free from any coercion.

5.Harm to research participants must be avoided in all instances.

6.The independence of research must be clear, and any conflicts of interest or partiality must be
explicit.