Social Work Ethics

This collection of essays highlights ethical issues in social work which are often overlooked as well as recurring clashes that influence how they play out, for example among different values and related moral judgements.

A wide range of ethical issues are addressed such as the types of technologies incorporated into social work; issues raised by the common position of social workers as 'double agents' required to carry out state mandates while also honoring obligations to clients; and issues concerning the distribution of scarce resources.

These topics are integrally related to other often neglected concerns such as harming in the name of helping; the ethics of claims making regarding what is true and what is not, and related concerns regarding empowerment and social justice.

This collection, which includes essays from an array of professions and disciplines, is designed to bring these neglected topics to the attention of readers and to offer suggestions for addressing them in a manner that is faithful to obligations described in social work codes of ethics.