Ethics and Elder Mistreatment:

This chapter focuses on the meaning of ethics in elder mistreatment. More specifically, ethical issues are distinguished from non-ethical issues and ethical dilemmas. The primary objective is to demystify ethics for elder-serving practitioners and to show how ethics can be a part of the treatment decision-making process. This process details "doing" ethics in the practice setting. It proposes a method for developing ethical practice in the multidisciplinary level. The multidisciplinary level starts with the client and professional ends with the community-based multidisciplinary team. The latter include human services professionals who have the important task of transforming ethical protocols into practice.     

Books Received

In addition to acting as teachers, social work educators can play many other roles in relation to their students—including sexual partner, friend, therapist, or employer. Combining the role of instructor with one of these other roles may lead to ethical violations and dilemmas. This article urges educators to consider their power differential and the potential for harm to their students before entering a dual relationship. It reviews the NASW Code of Ethics and relevant literature about dual relationships in practice and in academia; discusses examples of dual relationships in social work education; and formulates questions for educators to use in assessing ethical practice.     

Training Mental Health Professionals on Ethical Issues and HIV/AIDS

This report describes the importance of ethics training for mental health professionals working with persons infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. We first describe three major ethical dilemmas (confidentiality, duty to warn, and suicide) faced by mental health providers serving persons with HIV/AIDS, and the legal and clinical aspects of these dilemmas. We present data from the South Texas AIDS Training Project describing the types of mental health professionals who have attended workshops on ethical issues and HIV/AIDS. Finally, we report observations about the impact of the ethics training sessions on the participants' knowledge and attitudes.     

The role of narrative in public relations ethics pedagogy

Competence in ethical decision making is one of the most important issues in the industry and practice of public relations, yet professionals entering the discipline overestimate their knowledge and skills related to ethical principles. This article features a pedagogical approach to strengthen ethics education in public relations through the use of collaborative student-professional ethics narratives. This technique attempts to move beyond a traditional case study approach and transcend traditional classroom boundaries through the development of narratives featuring real ethics situations experienced by public relations professionals. The project involved the development, implementation and assessment of the pedagogical approach that required students to interview local communication professionals (mostly in public relations) and to craft narratives that explore ethical dilemmas these professionals faced. Pre- and post-test surveys and group feedback helped explore the impact of narrative inquiry in helping students internalize ethical lessons.     

Morals,Ethics and practice — in search of social justice

Abstract

This paper reports a study of sources of influence on moral and ethical decision-making in social work practice. Practitioners from ten government and five non government agencies kept journals about the main moral issues they faced over a one-month period and were then interviewed about the nature of those issues, their resolution and the influences that shaped those resolutions. Practitioners' personal moral perspectives were found to be the main sources of influence on resolutions to a wide range of dilemmas and most of those resolutions did not conform to accepted social wok ethical practice principles. Even though the results of this study are drawn from a small sample, some implications are suggested for practitioner development, professional ethics and social work education.     

The ugly scholar: Neocolonialism and ethical issues in international research

As a discipline, sociology has had to confront criticism of the nature and ends of sociological research and ethnical dilemmas in the study of social problems and people. Over time guidelines have appeared to aid in protecting subjects and colleagues (e.g., the ASA Code of Ethics) and to guarantee research standards (e.g., the peer-reviewed proposal process, human subjects committees). However, guidelines tend not to address the challenges sociologists face in international research. This results in unpleasant experiences and potentially endangers research and researcher alike. This articles responds to the gap in the literature on ethical issues in international research. It draws on writings by social scientists and from the author’s experience in Latin America.     

RESOLVING ETHICAL CONCERNS IN CLINICAL PRACTIVE: TOWARD A PRAGMATIC MODEL*

A pragmatic model is proposed for use in resolving ethical concerns and dilemmas in clinical practice. It encompasses five decision bases that therapists may draw on for the kind of comprehensive analysis that is necessary for reaching a defensible decision. The decision bases are: (a) theories of ethics; (b) professional codes of ethics; (c) professional theoretical premises; (d) the sociologal context; and (e) the personal/professional identity. The model is applied to five actual cases offered by several therapist who experienced ethical concerns with them. The case analyses demonstrate the model's utility for decision making and for prevention of ethical problems.     

A concluding comment: Toward a critical social network analysis

The authors of articles in this special issue on “Ethics in SNA” contribute to enriching the continuing discussion of major ethical dilemmas that social network analysts need to confront. These articles encourage us to replace silence with thoughtful consideration and innovative paths forward. I highlight three themes that emerged in my own reading of these contributions: moving beyond “ethics versus science,” deepening reflexivity, and possible approaches toward a critical SNA.     

Ethical turn in the social sciences

This paper discusses the ethical or moral turn of the social sciences, especially in sociology in the works of Zygmunt Bauman and in anthropology in the works of Didier Fassin. These scholars have embarked on relating morals or ethics to their particular area of specialization. We note that their contributions have highlighted the moral or ethical questions in their respective field works and empirical observations and have produced moral or ethical discourses or frameworks in their respective area or field. Ethics or morality (sometimes) morals is not just a theory but also practice in their respective disciplines and advocacies. This moral or ethical practice is translated into questioning our cognitive frameworks and political consequences of globalization or consumerism affecting some groups or individuals in contemporary world. We shall consider morality as human actions while ethics is the reflections on those actions.     

Ethical challenges in conducting research with hard to reach families

This paper reflects on some of the ethical challenges encountered by the authors whilst undertaking sensitive qualitative research with parents and children who are traditionally hard to reach. The research aimed to provide more holistic and in‐depth accounts of parenting on a low income in diverse social circumstances than already exist. The nature of the sample and the subject matter that was covered inevitably raised many familiar ethical dilemmas and some that are less often encountered in practice, particularly in relation to child protection. In this article we discuss our approach to ethics, some of the ethical challenges we encountered undertaking work with families and discuss the complexity of decision‐making around risk of harm to children. We conclude that a clear framework to avoid harm should be developed at the outset and a transparent approach to child protection issues should be used. Additional time and resources need to be incorporated at the planning stage of similar projects in order to develop appropriate methods, ensure effective decision‐making and support researchers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

IPRA Code of Athens—The first international code of public relations ethics: Its development and implementation since 1965

In 1965, the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) adopted the International Code of Ethics, which became known as the Code of Athens (IPRA, 2001). The Code was authored by Lucien Matrat, a French public relations pioneer, and reflected a hopeful, post-World War 2 ethical framework with its strong linkage to the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 (IPRA, 1994). A code of ethics was an early strategic imperative of IPRA, established 10 years before, and was coupled with a Code of Conduct, known as the Code of Venice of 1961 (0065 and 0070). Both codes were adopted by many national public relations associations and widely promoted.     

‘God,she's gonna report me’: the ethics of child protection in poverty research

The ethics of social research with children has been the source of considerable debate. In particular, issues of how to address potential disclosures of child abuse have been highlighted. What ethical implications are raised, however, when children are the indirect focus of the research? This paper explores the ethical dilemmas of conducting research with mothers about their experiences of caring for children. It is based on qualitative research with 30 mothers on low incomes. The paper concludes that strategies to tackle structural disadvantage as well as those that take account of individual risk are key features of future child welfare. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Role of Ethical Theories in Decision Making by Social Workers

This study analyses the arguments provided by a convenience sample of 62 Israeli social workers for their preferred ethical principles in terms of ethical theories. Content analysis of arguments given in four different contexts shows that the large majority of social workers in the study based their arguments on either deontological or utilitarian ethical concepts, less frequently using concepts from virtue theory, rights theory and care theory of ethics. However, the analysis reveals a discrepancy: when social workers were requested to justify their rank ordering of ethical principles without reference to a specific practice situation, they most frequently preferred concepts reflecting deontological theory of ethics, such as right intention, universalism, and duty. In contrast, when confronted with a specific practice situation, the social workers' most frequently chosen concepts were relating to results, consequences, and utility, concepts identified with the utilitarian theory of ethics. In view of the findings, the need for more thorough knowledge of a variety of ethical theories and their potential role in ethical decision making in social work practice and education are discussed.     

Multiculturalism in Social Work Ethics

The authors analyze the treatment of multiculturalism in the 1999 National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, arguing that it presents multiculturalism as a knowledge base and area in which social workers should demonstrate competence rather than as a guiding principle of virtuous practice. They criticize the ramifications of this application, and propose three arguments for repositioning multiculturalism in the Code as a principle of ethical practice rather than a specific knowledge area.     

Advancing an ethical framework for long-term care

This article represents an effort to formulate an ethical framework for long-term care with the explicit purpose of providing a catalyst to promote further discourse and expand consideration of what an ethic of long-term care might entail. Grounding the discussion, an introduction to traditional ethical philosophy is presented, focusing mainly on the fundamentals of deontological and teleological ethical theories. Attention then shifts to a review of the more frequently cited principles found in the long-term care ethics literature, followed by a critique of the current reliance upon principlism to resolve ethical dilemmas in long-term care. In response to this criticism, an agent-driven ethical framework stressing dignity and respect for personhood, drawn from the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, is advanced.     

Mindful Ethics: Comments on Informant-Centered Practices in Sociological Research

In this article, I introduce the concept of “mindful ethics” to describe my experiences as a feminist qualitative researcher who has confronted ethical dilemmas in my sexuality research. Mindful ethics is informed theoretically by mindful inquiry, grounded theory, ethics in practice, and ethically important moments. Mindful ethics has been useful in dealing with ethical considerations throughout all stages of my sexuality research. Shifting my attention to the takenfor-granted social contexts and circumstances surrounding informants’ life experiences has helped me deal with ethical concerns that otherwise may have resulted in harm to informants.     

IVSA Code of Research Ethics and Guidelines

The International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) Code of Research Ethics and Guidelines introduces the principles and ethical standards that underlie professional responsibilities involved in doing visual research. It consists of an introduction, a preamble and a statement of general principles, followed by ten statements of ethical standards. The Code is prefaced by an introduction by Diana Papademas, who led the development and wrote the Code on behalf of the IVSA.     

Raising the Titanic: Rescuing Social Work Documentation from the Sea of Ethical Risk

Abstract

One of the most contentious issues in social work practice concerns what should be written about people who access social work services, how comprehensively, and in what format social work assessments, interventions, and outcomes should be documented. The present paper describes a structured approach linked to an action research project that was undertaken by hospital-based social workers to identify and minimise problems associated with documentation in the medical record. The Social Work Ethics Audit provided social work staff with a risk-management tool that highlighted documentation as a key area of ethical risk. Through a process of evaluating existing recording practices, social workers were able to meet the challenge of improving social work recording in medical records, returning it to its proper place as a vital component of clinical and ethical practice rather than an administrative task submerged beneath competing priorities. It was anticipated that the social work documentation proforma that resulted from the ethics audit process would have applicability in other health care settings.     

Ethical Dilemmas of Practicing Social Workers Around Psychiatric Medication

Abstract

It is acknowledged that social workers in mental health and other settings routinely experience client-related ethical dilemmas. Further, there is wide recognition of the potential impact of ethical dilemmas on social work practice with clients who use psychotropic medication. Little is know empirically, however, about the experiences of practitioners with these dilemmas. This article describes the results of a national survey of practicing social workers regarding the nature of ethical dilemmas they face related to their work with clients on medication issues. The results make it clear that social workers regularly confront a variety of ethical dilemmas in this type of practice. Many of these dilemmas are related to ambiguities around the knowledge base of practice, appropriate roles of providers, and basic personal and professional values. The authors present implications of these findings for social work practice and further research.     

A Bioethics Approach to Social Work Practice With Transgender Clients

Increased advocacy for the informed consent model of transgender health care specifies that patients should be in control of access to receiving medical interventions such as hormone therapy or surgery. However, in practice, mental health clinicians, including clinical social workers, are increasingly called upon by medical providers to serve as gatekeepers for these processes. It is frequently the role of social workers to assess transgender clients’ baseline mental health and their understanding of the consequences of treatment, and to forward recommendations to medical providers regarding the readiness of patients to transition. Therefore, social workers assisting transgender clients must be aware of the ethical standards that are particularly pertinent to their work with this marginalized and oppressed population. They must also be prepared to address unique ethical dilemmas that may be especially challenging to resolve. In this article we apply the most commonly utilized bioethical framework known as Principlism to describe the ethical standards and values that are particularly important to consider when working with transgender clients, namely autonomy; beneficence; nonmaleficence; and social justice. Because clinical social workers are frequently in the position of balancing client self-determination with their role as gatekeepers, a framework for resolving resulting ethical dilemmas is described (I CARE) and applied to three case examples.