Intro to Social Work Lecture 4 Flashcards
What is Social Work?
SW if a profession with a distinct value base grounded in the pursuit of social justice and the elimination of oppression.
SW is shaped by adherence to core values and principles that promote ethical behaviour and guide work with clients and communities.
What are beliefs?
It is an idea that a person holds as being true.
Each person evaluates and seeks sound reasons or evidence for these potential beliefs.
What are belief systems?
They are structured sets of principles held to be true by i/d’s or large groups, encompassing aspects such as morality, life’s purpose, or empirical reality. They profoundly influence human behaviour, shaping i/d code of conduct, societal actions, values and perceptions.
What are the 2 types of belief systems?
1) Religious - These are belief systems that explain the origins of the universe, the existence of goals, and can set out moral codes.
2) Political - These are belief systems that explain how socialism should be managed and governed, and we often based on ideas about power and resource distribution.
What are principles?
A principle is a rule, belief/idea that guides you.
It’s a basic truth that helps you with your life.
What are values?
They are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes/actions.
They help us determine what is important to us. Describe the personal qualities we choose to embody to guide our actions; the sort of person we want to be.
Values are personal beliefs and are essential to ethics.
What are ethics?
Ethics are concerned with human actions, and the choice of those actions.
Ethics evaluate those actions, and the values that underlie them.
Ethics determine which values should be pursued, and which should not.
What are morals?
A lesson, especially one concerning what is right/prudent, that can be derived from a story, a piece of information, or an experience.
What is an attitude?
Attitudes are the mental dispositions people have towards others and the current circumstances before making decisions that result in behaviours.
Influences of attitude are - Values, beliefs, political correctness, convenience, peer pressure, and psychological stressors.
Why ethics?
Ethical dilemmas emerge when sw’s find themselves positioned between competing demands.
- To guide practitioners’ conduct.
- To protect clients.
- To prevent ethics complaints and litigation.
Based on the CASW, what are SW’s responsibilities?
- Maintaining professional proficiency.
- Con’tially increase their knowledge and skills.
- Apply new knowledge in practice.
- Seek consultation and supervision.
CASW Code of Ethics: Core Values (1/6)
- Respect for inherent dignity and worth of persons.
- SW’s must uphold client’s human rights and their right to self-determination.
Core Values (2/6)
- The pursuit of social justice.
- SW’s must provide services, resources, and opportunities that work to benefit humanity and protect individuals from harm.
- SW’s must uphold a commitment to reducing barriers and increasing choice among all people but particularly vulnerable, marginalized/disadvantaged populations.
Core Values (3/6)
- Service to Humanity
- SW’s must aim to promote the personal development of individuals and groups as outline in the Code.
Core Values (4/6)
- Integrity of professional practice.
- SW’s must respect and promote the values, purpose, and ethical principles of their profession and their field of practice.
- SW’s refrain from imposing their personal values, views, and preferences on clients.
