AN ANALYSIS OF ETHICAL PRACTICE AMONG FIELD INSTRUCTORS IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION.
Item
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Title
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AN ANALYSIS OF ETHICAL PRACTICE AMONG FIELD INSTRUCTORS IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION.
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Identifier
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AAI8614666
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identifier
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8614666
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Creator
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CONGRESS, ELAINE PILLER.
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Contributor
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Harold Lewis
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Date
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1986
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social Work
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Abstract
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Although the teaching of social work values and ethics has always played a significant role in the professional development of social workers, in recent years learning material on social work values and ethics has been included in all aspects of academic curriculum. While the social work student may learn conceptual knowledge of social work values and ethical reasoning in the classroom, the field experience still provides the major training and testing ground for the student to apply social work values to practice. There students frequently encounter ethical dilemmas and put into practice social work values through ethical decision-making. Yet the knowledge and ethical decision-making in practice for field instructors who are very important social work educators has not been addressed at all.;This research project focuses on field instructors in order to better understand their knowledge of social work ethics and its application to practice. Beginning field instructors at Hunter College School of Social Work were studied through their responses to case vignette questionnaires and follow-up interviews.;Most field instructors seemed to be very knowledgeable about ethical issues in practice and usually selected social work interventions which maximized the client's right to self determination, although acknowledging some concern for the client's safety. There seemed, however, some reluctance to advocate for the client's interest, when the latter seemed contrary to agency policy.;The role of the agency in affecting ethical practice seemed significant in field instructors' responses to both the questionnaires and interviews. Multi-discipline complex agencies seemed less conducive to ethical decision-making in practice, in contrast to social work agencies in which administrators and supervisors were more supportive in ethical decision-making dilemmas. There was a positive reaction to the development of an ethical review board within agencies, but there was fear that it might be coopted by administrative powers within the agency.;Different responses to ethical issues were noted as related to gender, age, job title, and experience. Women were more likely to focus on client issues, while men emphasized multiple issues. This may be related to basic differences in ethical decision-making among men and women. Older field instructors were more likely to concentrate on multiple issues, while they were less inclined to advocate for clients. Administrators, as contrasted to practitioners, more frequently advocated for clients against agency policy, possibly because they were in a position to change agency policy if necessary. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.).
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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D.S.W.
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Program
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Social Welfare
