Managerialism and Neoliberalism

Question 1

Code of Ethics General Structure

Answer 1

• Tend to be action-focused
• Nature of a good society is not explicitly outlined, but a vision of certain features is implicit in mission statements
• Few statements about the character of a social worker, although many have one or two references to professional integrity and honesty

Question 2

Prescriptive standards, detailed and standardized systems of monitoring and assessment are a feature of what?

Answer 2

New Public Management

Question 3

New Public Management

Answer 3

• Social work is largely funded by the government and in order to continue to receive funding, they must adhere to NPM
• Importance of measurable outputs
• Targets and cost effectiveness in the provision of public services
• Work is standardized
• No room for creative process
• Requirement to produce performance outputs

Question 4

NPM is favored by which political ideology?

Answer 4

Neoliberalism- protect and promote corporations and the wealthy. Private market should meet everyone’s needs.

Question 5

In what ways does NPM restrict and restrain ethical practice?

Answer 5

• Bureaucratic measures
• Direct, indirect, and administrative tasks
• What can’t be measured
• Efficiency vs. best practice
• Issues around neglect of case loads
• Too many clients and lack of quality service

Question 6

Reclaiming professional autonomy

Answer 6

-Have the right, power, and duty to promote what they regard as good and ethical practice and to challenge and resist inhumane, regrading, and unjust policies and practices.

Question 7

Reasserting the social justice mission of social work

Answer 7

• Distribute welfare services fairly in accordance with need; the recognition of diversity and difference; and challenging oppressive power structures
• Questioning the power and interests of the government, public service employers, private corporations, and social workers themselves that cause them to ignore or accept inequalities and oppressions

Question 8

Ways to Resist NPM

Answer 8

• Principled infidelity (small acts)
• Conscious objection (deliberate and open acts)
• Unpaid work
• Collective efforts (social action)

Question 9

Ethical Practice and fiscal constraints

Answer 9

• Always create in depth rationale recorded for decision making
• Fight against unnecessary discharge
• Understand organizational policy
• Reframe dominant deficit-based discourse
• Encourage clients to file complaints
• Community Activism

Question 10

Relational Activism

Answer 10

-Recognizing that autonomy is both defined and pursued in a social context (including structures of oppression) and this influences the opportunities an individual has to develop and exercise autonomy