Table Of ContentPractising Social Work Ethics
Around the World
Ethics is an increasingly important theme in social work practice. Worldwide,
social workers experience common ethical challenges (how to be fair, whether
to break a rule, how to act in politically tense situations) in very different contexts
–from disaster relief in China to child protection work in Palestine.
This book takes as its starting point real-life cases featuring ethical problems
in the following areas: negotiating roles and boundaries; respecting rights; being
fair; challenging and developing organisations; and working with policy and
politics. Each case opens with a brief introduction, is followed by two com-
mentaries and ends with questions for reflection. The commentaries, written by
authors from different countries, refer to relevant theories, concepts, practical
matters, alternative courses of action and their implications. Features within the
book include:
• an introductory chapter covering issues of global ethics;
• cases and commentaries drawn from across the world – from Peru to Finland;
• cases based on real-life situations and chapter introductions from leading
authorities in social work and ethical theory;
• questions and practical exercises to aid teaching and professional
development.
This book is a unique and accessible resource for stimulating ethical reflection,
expanding ethical horizons and developing ethical and intercultural sensitivity.
It is designed for use by undergraduate and postgraduate students and profes-
sionals in the fields of social work, social education/pedagogy, social care work,
international social work, community development, community organisation,
youth work and related fields.
Sarah Banks is Professor in the School of Applied Social Sciences, Durham
University, UK. She teaches and researches in community, youth and social work
and is co-director of the Centre for Social Justice and Community Action. She is
co-editor of the journal Ethics and Social Welfare,and author of several books
on ethics for the social professions.
Kirsten Nøhris a qualified social educator, MA in Higher Education, currently
working at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam (University of Applied Sciences) in
the Netherlands. She was a senior lecturer for social educators in Denmark for
many years and co-editor of the journal Dansk Pædagogisk Tidsskrift(Danish
Journal of Education).
Published in association with the journal
Ethics & Social Welfare
Ethics & Social Welfarepublishes articles of a critical and reflective nature
concerned with the ethical issues surrounding social welfare practice and
policy. It has a particular focus on social work (including practice with
individuals, families and small groups), social care, youth and community
work and related professions.
The journal encourages dialogue and debate across social, intercultural
and international boundaries on the serious ethical issues relating to
professional interventions into social life. It contributes towards deepening
understandings and furthering ethical practice in the field of social welfare.
The journal welcomes a diverse range of contributions from academic
and field practitioners, voluntary workers, service users, carers and people
bringing the perspectives of oppressed groups.
Published By: Routledge
Frequency: 4 issues per year
Print ISSN: 1749-6535
Online ISSN: 1749-6543
www.tandf.co.uk/journals/esw
Practising Social Work
Ethics Around the World
Cases and commentaries
Edited by Sarah Banks
and Kirsten Nøhr
First published 2012
by Routledge
2Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
©2012 Sarah Banks and Kirsten Nøhr
The right of the editors to be identified as the authors of the editorial
material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice:Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and
explanation without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Acatalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Practising social work ethics around the world : cases and commentaries
/edited by Sarah Banks and Kirsten Nøhr.
p. ; cm.
1. Social service-Moral and ethical aspects-Case studies. 2. Social
workers-Professional ethics-Case studies. I. Banks, Sarah.
II. Nøhr, Kirsten.
[DNLM: 1. Social Work-ethics-Case Reports. 2. Internationality-Case
Reports. W 322]
HV10.5.P695 2011
174'.93613-dc22
2011003931
ISBN13: 978–0–415–56031–3 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–56033–7 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–80729–3 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Keystroke, Station Road, Codsall, Wolverhampton
Contents
List of cases by country xi
List of tables xiii
List of contributors of cases xv
Notes on editors and authors of chapter introductions xvii
Foreword xxi
Preface xxiii
Acknowledgements xxix
1 Global ethics for social work? A case-based approach 1
Sarah Banks
2 Negotiating roles and boundaries 32
Introduction – Frank Philippart 32
Case study 2.1
Case 2.1 Doing harmwith a good heart: volunteer social
work in a post-disaster situation in China 39
Commentary 1: Angela On Kee Tsun 40
Commentary 2: Grant Larson and Julie Drolet 42
Questions for discussion 46
Case study 2.2
Case 2.2 ‘When the tables turned’: a social work intern’s
moral dilemma in a Botswana police station 46
Commentary1:Gloria Jacques and Rodreck Mupedziswa 49
Commentary 2: Peta-Anne Baker 51
Questions for discussion 53
x
Contents
vi
Case study 2.3
Case 2.3 When is it right to accept a gift? A Lithuanian
social work student’s dilemma 54
Commentary 1: Nino Zganec 55
Commentary 2: Howard Sercombe 58
Questions for discussion 61
Case study 2.4
Case 2.4 ‘Why should I have to reveal anything about my
personal life?’ A dilemma for a lesbian student in Britain 61
Commentary 1: Nicki Ward 63
Commentary2: Joan C.Tronto 65
Questions for discussion 67
3 Respecting rights 69
Introduction – Linda Briskman and
María Jesús Úriz Pemán 69
Case study 3.1
Case 3.1 Issues of choice and coercion: working in a
psychiatric hospital in the USA 77
Commentary 1: Donna Harrington 79
Commentary 2: Siu-man Ng 82
Questions for discussion 84
Case study 3.2
Case 3.2 The reluctant vegan: the case of an older man in
aSwedish carehome 84
Commentary 1: Titti Fränkel and Erik Blennberger 85
Commentary2: Hilde Lindemann 88
Questions for discussion 90
Case study 3.3
Case 3.3 Social work in Vietnam: a Dutch student’s
perspective 91
Commentary 1: Nguyen Thi Thai Lan 94
Commentary 2: Richard Hugman 96
Questions for discussion 98
x
Contents
vii
Case study 3.4
Case 3.4 Ethical issues in international social work
research: a case from India 98
Commentary 1: P. K. Visvesvaran 102
Commentary 2: Wendy Bowles and Margaret Alston 104
Questions for discussion 108
4 Being fair 109
Introduction – Frederic Reamer 109
Case study 4.1
Case 4.1 Dilemmas in working with an illegal migrant:
acase from Japan 115
Commentary1: Akira Namae 117
Commentary2: Shimon E. Spiro 119
Questions for discussion 120
Case study 4.2
Case 4.2 A young man waiting for a transplant: dilemmas
for a hospital-based social worker in Britain 121
Commentary 1: Tamara Catchpole Horsburgh and
Lawrence Nuttall 124
Commentary 2: Amy M. Chow 127
Questions for discussion 129
Case study 4.3
Case 4.3 Dilemmas in working with a gypsy family:
astoryfrom a Portuguese social educator 130
Commentary 1: Adalberto Dias de Carvalho, Ana Maria
Serapicos, Florbela Samagaio, Gabriela Trevisan,
Walter Almeida, Álvaro Faria and Igor Magalhães 132
Commentary 2: Vivienne Bozalek 135
Questions for discussion 138
Case study 4.4
Case 4.4 A gay applicant who wants to adopt a child:
acase from Turkey 138
x
Contents
viii
Commentary 1: Agnes Verbruggen 140
Commentary 2: Ana M. Sobocˇan 143
Questions for discussion 146
5 Challenging and developing organisations 147
Introduction – Donna McAuliffe 147
Case study 5.1
Case 5.1 Establishing the facts: issues for organisations
working with young women in Iran 153
Commentary 1: Habib Aghabakhshi and Abbas Ali
Yazdani 155
Commentary 2: Beverley Burke 158
Questions for discussion 161
Case study 5.2
Case 5.2 Deciding on the right to health care insurance:
acase fromPeru 161
Commentary1: María Jesús Úriz Pemán 164
Commentary2: Lynne M. Healy 167
Questions for discussion 170
Case study 5.3
Case 5.3 The vicious cycle: issues for a church-based
social worker in Australia 170
Commentary1: Truus Fraaije, Han Aalbers and
Peter van Zilfhout 173
Commentary 2: Melissa Floyd 176
Questions for discussion 179
Case study 5.4
Case 5.4 Bending the law? A case about reporting
child abuse in Denmark 179
Commentary 1: Marianne Skytte 183
Commentary 2: Chris Beckett 185
Questions for discussion 187
x
Contents
ix
6 Working with policy and politics 188
Introduction – Derek Clifford 188
Case study 6.1
Case 6.1 Challenging pernicious policies: working with
refugees in Australia 195
Commentary 1: Sema Buz and Emrah Akbas¸ 198
Commentary 2: Linda Harms Smith 200
Questions for discussion 203
Case study 6.2
Case 6.2 Maintaining organisational integrity in an area
of conflict: a women’s NGO in Pakistan 204
Commentary 1: Ian Sinclair 207
Commentary 2: Gracy Fernandes 208
Questions for discussion 213
Case study 6.3
Case 6.3 The shrinking welfarestate: caring for older
people in Finland 213
Commentary1:Aira Vanhala 216
Commentary2: Hiroshi Kosaka 219
Questions for discussion 223
Case study 6.4
Case 6.4 Maintaining professional integrity in an area
of conflict: working with a sexually abused girl in
the Occupied Palestinian Territories 223
Commentary1: Mahmoud Baidoun and Jane Lindsay 226
Commentary 2: David N. Jones 228
Questions for discussion 231
7 Working with cases and commentaries 233
Sarah Banks and Kirsten Nøhr
Introduction 233
