The Evolution of Social Work

Categories: Social Justice

COMPETENCY 1: DEMONSTRATE ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR

The Evolution of Social Work Ethics (journal)

“Nearly A half-century after its formal beginning, social work began to develop and publicize ethical standards and guidelines (Reamer, 1998).” In the late 20th century, when social work formally became a profession there was much concern about the morals or ethics of the newly appointed social workers. Often, in the beginning, the social workers focused on the cars rather than the case. During the settlement house movement, many social workers turned their emphasis to environmental causes of individuals and social problems and it was their ethical obligation to promote social justice and reform.

As early as 1919 they were attempts to draft Fessional codes of ethics (Elliot, 1931). By the late 1940s and early 1950s social workers’ concerns about the moral dimensions of the profession shifted. Instead of being preoccupied with clients’ morality, social workers began to focus much more on the ethics of their professions and the social workers themselves.

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In 1959 Muriel Pumphrey published her landmark work The Training of Values and Ethics and Social Work Education for the Council on social work education.

As the profession approached the 1960s and 70s the NASW adopted its first coat of ethics during this period. NASW's Delegate Assembly approved the first edition of the NASW Code of Ethics on October 13, 1960. It defined the social work profession and the responsibilities of the social worker. It outlined fourteen responsibilities for social workers.

Social work entered a new phase in the early 1980s, influenced largely by the invention of the new field known as applied and professional ethics.

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Along with most other professions like nursing engineering psychology, social work literature on ethics began to change significantly in the 1980s. During this time is when the profession started to explore different approaches based on moral philosophy and ethical theories, concepts, and principles in the resolution of ethical issues regarding social work.

“ The 155 specific ethical standards are designed to God social workers' conduct, reduce malpractice in liability risks, and provide a basis for adjudication of ethics complaints filed against NASW members. (Reamer, 1998).”

Proceeding into the 1990s the code standards moved towards what some things are usually considered to be “mistakes “social workers might make that have ethical implications. Some examples of this are if a practitioner mentions a client's name in public, or does not have a release of information form before disclosing sensitive documents to someone else.

An updated revision of the NASW Code of Ethics was printed in 1996.

In conclusion, social work practice and profession must intensify efforts to educate students and practitioners about ethical issues in standards and how to address them in their everyday practice. It is of utmost importance that social workers sustain intellectual growth because values and ethics are the lifeblood of the profession.

This article relates to the HBSE class because in the big scheme of things our ethical and moral actions take place in the social environment. That environment includes professional and personal life. As practitioners, we must uphold the NASW code of ethics in the environment in which we engagparadoxeson a daily basis. It shows that our policy and procedures can be changed and shows that it affects the mezzo level in APO.

COMPETENCY 2: ENGAGE DIVERSITY AND DIFFERENCE IN PRACTICE

The benefits of diversity. What the Research Tells Us

Recently, discussions about diversity and a higher education have been filled the contradiction and paradox. Legal challenges in ballot initiatives all over the United States threaten the growing commitment to diversity when it comes to higher education. As the research continues more in more arenas including higher education have been highlighting the importance of diversity. A 1998 national opinion poll sponsored by Ford’s foundation's campus diversity initiatives shows it over 90% of the public believes that diversity is important in that higher education has an important role in fostering it (Smith, 2010). Higher education continues to experience ethical diversity in the student bodies in the American educational system.

To increase access and expand institutional diversity, many colleges and universities have long engaged in such activities as recruitment of underrepresented students, high school mentoring and tutorial programs, articulation agreements with community colleges, need-based financial aid awards, and raising sensitive mission policies. Tools such as these are indispensable to achieving a diverse campus environment (Smith, 2010). In recent years however many institutions have cut the funding to move forward with raising sensitive admissions and hiring at a time when most minority groups continue to be represented in higher education and many feel this will limit the campus's diversity and will undermine the learning environment for all students involved. Over 150 years ago, America's mostly white colleges and universities began to extend the promise of higher education to women and people of color. Many believe though that these acts of inclusion were simply opportunities enjoyed by only white males. When I campus is diverse everyone wins. No one person or race or gender has all the input in the educational system.

This article relates to Diversity and Empowerment, HBSE, and Statistics. Diversity in higher education is important to everyone, not just the diverse. Attending a university with diversity helps cultivate an environment of learning.

Article II Does Diversity Make a Difference?

Most American colleges and universities have held at all students benefit when campuses reflect a broad range of intellectual and special perspectives, and that attracting a diverse student population is an important part of a stashing environment that brightens students' perspectives (ACE, 2000). College admissions decisions are very complex. They need to take into account an array of student background variables including economic status urban or rural home the region of the state that the student comes from and many other cultural ethnic and racial background statistics. Many groups challenged admissions decisions that used just information such as standardized test scores and high school class rank because the admission policies are unfair to diversity those who haven’t had the same opportunities as some other students of a higher economic status. Perhaps the most important thing that I college looks for is to seek enrollment and a student body that reflects their core beliefs and values.

What’s the population in the university is deemed diverse the professors and the faculty staff must teach students and have a diverse mind. If faculty members of the University as eita design practicesWhatdiversunimportant or relevant to teaching and learning, they likely will ignore it in their classes, with the result that studresultll be likely to drive little, if any, benefit from diversity (ACE, 2000). The faculty and staff must also believe in diversity so that reflects in their teaching and treatment of diverse students. They must also include this in their classroom presentations and be aware of the diversity of their students. If students cannot relate at all to the material given how can they learn? As an administrator or professor, the classroom must be a learning environment for all that attend.

This article relates to Diversity and Empowerment, HBSE, and Statistics. Diversity in higher education is important to everyone, not just the diverse. Attending a university with diversity helps cultivate an environment of learning.

COMPETENCY 3: ADVANCE HUMAN RIGHTS AND SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Article I. the Impact of Social Work Education on Social Justice Practice Behaviors

“In a world of war and injustice, how does a person manage to stay socially engaged, committed to the struggle, and remain healthy without burning out or becomingresigned becoming resignepractices practice cynically? Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment but asan endlesss succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society. Whedon havee to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can quietly become a power that can transform the world.” (Zinn, 2007).

The social work profession is particularly suited to offer a social justice framework, given its emphasis on social relationships, quality of life for members of society, and knowledge of trauma interventions. Social work originated in response to widespread poverty and inequality and played a role in establishing influential policy reform sureformsthe Federal 3 Emergency Relief Act of 1933, the Social Security Act of 1935, child labor laws, workersworkers'havethe cworkers'tion, and support for low-income families (Abramovitz, 1998). During this time social workers were progressing in the field and the social work profession was gaining status as a profession. At this time private pracrice practicen emerging field. The concern amoung thamongernetdifferentoners were that social injustice and the reform work were called into question. The two guiding professional organizations of social work, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the Council on Social Work Education (CWSE) worked to implement standards and integration of social justice within social work training (Abramovitz, 1998). In addition, accredited schools of social work require an assessment of students'wasan Educa education rams ability to demonstrate competency in social justice practice behaviors (CSWE, 2015). In acknowledgment of the ambiguity in operationalizing social justice, some social work programs have made additional efforts to supplement NASW’s and CWSE’s description of social justice through the creation of principles or guidelines for practice. Despite these honorable efforts, some suggest the translation of social justice from theory to practice remains intellectualized and abstract (Finn & Jacobson, 2003).

In modern-day social work, clinical social workers are encouraged to not only practice on the cellular level but to continue to fight the good fight against social injustice.

II. This article relates to policy, statistics, and HBSE. As practitioners, we must always keep social reform and social justice at the foremost and forefront of our practices and stay involved in advocating for change.

Article II - Faithful But Different: Clinical Social Workers Speak Out About Career

Motivation and Professional Values

CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK is an advanced practice specialization area that can address the profession’s mission of enhancing “human wellbeing” and increasing “social justice” outcomes, such as fair access to societal resources, especially among populations that are “vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 1999, Preamble, para. 1). Although it is

widely acknowledged that social justice practice behaviors are necessary at all levels of practice, the contemporary literature suggests the problem is not the growing sector of clinical social work; but, perhaps an incongruence between how social workers understand social justice, and how that understanding translates into practice (Dudziak & Profitt, 2012). Since its inception with the work of Mary Richmond and Jane Addams, social work has been committed to improving the lives and circumstances of the poor and most vulnerable. The traditional social work mission encapsulates both the individual needs of persons as well as the impact of environmental and societal conditions. As a practitioner, we must have a personal mission to improve the social landscape of our community. We have a code we must uphold, and the path we chose must always show progression towards social justice. If we choose the path of clinical and private practice we must immerse ourselves in the social environment as well.

In summary, the journal researches different social workers and their decision to go into certain clinical practices and how they must maintain knowledge and action towards social justice.

This article relates to all of our classes. We as social workers must incorporate policy, HBSE, APO, statistics, and Diversity and empowerment into our daily practice. We have a responsibility to always help our practice move forward towards social reform and social justice.

COMPETENCY 4: ENGAGE IN PRACTICE-INFORMED RESEARCH AND RESEARCH-INFORMED PRACTICE

Article I - Practice-Informed Research: Contemporary Challenges and Ethical Decision-Making

The 2015 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) call for social work students

to be prepared to “engage in practice-informed research and research-informed practice” (CSWE, 2015, p.8). The relationship between practice and research within the social work profession has been perceived as almost two different divisions that are classified separately. Practitioners rely upon researchers to identify best practices, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and programs, document human needs, and advocate for change. On the other hand, researchers depend upon practitioners to offer valuable insight concerning emerging issues, the needs of population groups, and practicespractice studentshadendless practicestudents was anthe efficacy of interventions. The CSWE standard ensures that social workers are trained to utilize practice and research proactively within their work. While social work students are being trained and encouraged to use research and

practice in a dual function. The new academic research that it is important for us as practitioners and for the community to be versed in all areas. As the social work profession increases its commitment to practice-informed research, new ethical considerations need to be addressed. The inclusion of practice-informed research in national standards and its impact on practitioners, researchers, and social service systems has received limited discussion. Social work educaeducationrams implementing this EPAS standard must work to ensure that social work graduates are equipped to contribute meaningful work to this underdeveloped area and help to integrate practice-informed research.

One of the other issues facing the practitioners is the lack of formal recognition in published literature. Sometimes it faces skepticism, scrutiny, and dismissal. Instead of using this opportunity for discovery, some social workers in the community are not open-minded to having new research.

In summary, social workers must embrace long-standing professional ethics and commitment to the people in the community. It is also important to be open-minded to new theories in conceptual frameworks.

This article relates closely to the HBSE because our clients will benefit from our utilization of new theories and research. This article relates to policy because along with new research and development we must advance policy to reflect that.

Updated: Aug 22, 2022
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The Evolution of Social Work. (2022, Aug 22). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-evolution-of-social-work-essay

The Evolution of Social Work essay
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