The moral bases of social work

Social work's conventional “value-talk” presents a professionally neutral value-system for making moral judgements, but paradoxically neglects the professional social role of making moral judgements on behalf of society. Conventional statements of social work's moral values neglect economic, political, and aesthetic value judgements and issues of logic, rhetoric, and epistemology, which should also be included in value debate. Social work's value codes are not 'basic', because they are not usable in practice, are not distinctive, comprehensive, or universal. Historical and sociological evidence suggests that social workers make moral judgements of their clients on behalf of society. These judgements should be earned out within a more comprehensive and better articulated value system, which is applied in the detail of everyday practice.     

An exploration of meaning and causation in clinical social work

When examined through the lens of Bruner's two legitimate ways of thinking, it appears that all clinical work utilizes both the causal scientific mode and the narrative creation of possible meaning, but intervention methodologies may differentially rely more heavily on one of these. Understanding the two modes of thinking as these apply to clinical work may contribute greatly to an understanding of practice as well as to research and educational strategies in the social work profession.     

网络时代高校德育工作的对策研究

21世纪,网络将发挥巨大的作用,对整个世界产生深刻影响并推动人类社会的进步和发展.同时,互联网也是思想道德建设的新阵地.因此,网络时代的高校德育工作必须与时俱进,进一步转变德育观念,建设校园网络文化,提高高校德育工作者的网络德育素质,实现高校德育目标.     

Identifying meaning and perceived level of satisfaction within the context of work

OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives of this study were to identify sources of meaning for individuals within the context of a work environment, and to compare varied sources of meaning for individuals with high and low work satisfaction levels. METHOD: Participants were chosen based on satisfaction levels in employment, full-time employment status within an organization for at least one year, and diversity in the work setting. Data were gathered through a series of interviews and observations of the participants' workplaces. A comparative analysis of transcribed interviews was conducted by the researchers and with an expert occupational therapy faculty panel. From these analyses, the researchers developed work narratives for a mechanical engineer, a high school teacher, an employee of mechanical services, and a career service counselor. RESULTS: Emerging themes from the work narratives indicated that the various meanings employees found in work had an effect on their perceived levels of job satisfaction. Participants conveyed that organization identification, financial benefits, independent decision-making, reciprocal respect, opportunities for creativity, and maintaining significant relationships outside of work enhanced meaning and satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The worker role is a significant source of an individual's identity, meaning, and satisfaction in life. Professionals in various fields can work with employers to develop meaningful work environments for increased job satisfaction, greater motivation for work, increased productivity, and decreased employee turnover.     

Standing up to complexity: researching moral panics in social work

Moral panics are central to social work policy and practice. Voluntary agencies and statutory bodies (including governments) create and sustain moral panics in order to raise awareness of, and win support for, their own understandings of social issues and problems. This is not a neutral enterprise; on the contrary, moral panics often have consequences that are negative, whether intended or unintended. Far from leading to greater social justice and a more equal society, they may reinforce stereotypes and lead to fearful, risk-averse practice. This paper discusses one such moral panic in 2013 that centred on the story of ‘Maria’, a Bulgarian Roma child living in Greece. The paper explores the meaning and use of the concept of moral panic before unpacking this case-study example in more detail. We argue that the moral panic over ‘Maria’ has much to tell us about ideas of welfare and protection, institutional racism and children and childhood, as well as the connections between ‘private troubles’ and ‘public issues’. We conclude that social work as a profession must stand up to complexity, and in doing so, be aware of its own role in relation to moral panics.     

The meaning of consumption

Three samples of subjects, varying in involvement in daily economic matters, were asked to rank order 32 activities according to whether each activity meant consumption. Spending activities were central in the meaning of consumption, but no major intersample difference could be obtained.Smallest Space Analysis showed that ‘expenditure vs non-expenditure’ and ‘necessity vs non-necessity’ were the most important dimensions along which people's thinking about consumption was organised. A third dimension, ‘stress vs non-stress’ had an uncertain dimensional interpretation and is only presented in a tentative way.Using Procrustean Individual Difference Scaling it was shown that the three samples did not differ in dimensional saliences, but a vector-weighting transformation indicated some structural differences in the activity space. Yet no systematic influence of the involvement in daily economics on the meaning of consumption has been found. Finally, a conceptual hierarchical model for the subjective meaning of consumption is proposed.     

A scoping study of moral injury: Identifying directions for social work research

This paper presents a scoping study of moral injury that identified directions for social work research. “Moral injury” refers to lasting psychological, spiritual and social harm caused by one's own or others' actions in a high stakes situation that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. A “scoping study” is a type of systematic review and knowledge synthesis useful when considering complex, emerging areas of research. Results revealed an increasing interest in moral injury over the past five years primarily in psychology/psychiatry. The majority of published articles are conceptual. Empirical studies aim to better understand the experience of moral injury, qualitatively; and develop and evaluate instruments to assess moral injury, quantitatively. Most empirical studies of moral injury involve US war veterans with little attention to moral injury in other groups, sociocultural contexts, or at different times in development. Failure to address issues of moral injury in social work may leave vulnerable clients struggling with issues of guilt, shame, moral confusion, and an absence of meaning that may persist for years and create obstacles to positive change. In addition, social workers may experience moral injury as they witness morally injurious behavior of others and of systems. If unaddressed, such injuries may diminish effectiveness, or lead to burn out. Social workers need relevant research to understand the extent to which moral injury affects them and their clients, and how to identify and address it.     

The moral of the gift

The author analyses the gift as a moral phenomenon. Based on a research on gift-giving in family networks, the article shows that one cannot apply to the gift the moral rules normally based on duty. A “true” gift must be free not only from economic obligation but also from moral duty, and in some way from any obligation. It is as if something more than what the rules prescribe were essential to the gift, as defined by social agents. This is why one can define the ideal-type of gift as a positive debt system voluntarily maintained by its partners.     

Labour is not a commodity: The content and meaning of work in the twenty‐first century

In his valedictory lecture before the Collège de France, Alain Supiot reviews his work on the transformation of labour in the twenty‐first century, highlighting the role of law and institutions in addressing the consequences of the digital revolution and environmental crisis. In his view, the moral, social and environmental bankruptcy of neoliberalism calls for us to reconsider the legal fiction of labour as a commodity and to re‐establish the truly “humane labour regime” envisaged by the preamble to the ILO Constitution, recognizing both the meaning and content of work. He uses the case of scientific research to illustrate his argument.     

Rethinking industrial citizenship: the role and meaning of work in an age of austerity

T. H. Marshall in his famous tract Citizenship and Social Class wrote briefly about what he called ‘industrial citizenship’, a type of belonging rooted in the workplace. Here Marshall's ideas are developed alongside a consideration of Durkheim's Professional Ethics and Civic Morals together with research material from the Guinness Company. It shows the way the Company actively sought to create ‘Guinness citizenship’ within its London brewery. The article draws out the ways in which the significance and potential of work based citizenship for ameliorating the ills of industrial society are clearly articulated in mid‐twentieth century Britain and echo earlier neglected Durkheimian sociological ideas on work. These ideas have real potential to inform contemporary academic and policy debates about the nature of capitalism and the form and content of work now and in the future.     

“They are the reason I come to work”: The meaning of resident–staff relationships in assisted living

This article aims to provide understanding of how direct care workers (DCWs) in assisted living facilities (ALFs) interpret their relationships with residents and to identify factors that influence the development, maintenance, quality, and meaning of these relationships. Qualitative methods were used to study two ALFs (35 and 75 beds) sequentially over seven months. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 5 administrative staff and 38 DCWs and conducted 243 h of participant observation during a total of 99 visits. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results showed that the emotional aspect of caregiving provides meaning to DCWs through both the satisfaction inherent in relationships and through the effect of relationships on care outcomes. Within the context of the wider community and society, multiple individual- and facility-level factors influence DCW strategies to create and manage relationships and carry out care tasks and ultimately find meaning in their work. These meanings affect their job satisfaction and retention.     

Existential social work and the quest for existential meaning and well-being: A conceptual framework

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to conceptualize “existential social work.” A greater understanding of what existential social work means may enable social workers and those studying social work to see how its practice can reveal “the truth” about human existence and how they, as professionals, can enhance existential meaning and existential well-being among their clients. In such work, existential social workers have at their disposal tools such as the Frankl therapeutic approach to existential analysis (i.e., logotherapy) as well as spiritual-sensitive modalities (prayer and mindfulness). To interpret and understand apparent phenomena in the therapy is the ultimate goal with existential social work practices, thus providing clients with the opportunity to discover the meaning that exists in themselves. In addition, these practices pave the way for existential well-being.