Professional and personal hierarchies of ethical principles

Abstract

We explore social workers’ perception of the importance and rank ordering of ethical principles. Do they have a generally agreed upon hierarchy of ethical principles? Do they apply similar hierarchies of ethical principles when facing different cases? Are their professional and personal hierarchies of ethical principles similar? The findings based on a structured questionnaire indicated that while social workers attach high importance to most ethical principles closely associated with social work, they do not hold a universal hierarchy of ethical principles. Social workers change their ethical hierarchies in different professional situations but there is no difference between their professional and personal ethical hierarchies. Implications for practice and education are discussed.

Professional Boundaries: Crossing a Line or Entering the Shadows?

“…The importance of context is highlighted by research indicating that social workers change their professional and personal ethical hierarchies depending on their professional situations (Landau and Osmo, 2003). Given social work's holistic perspective, it is unsurprising that issues of relativism and universalism are considered in the literature.…”

The Social and Political Structuring of Faculty Ethicality in Education

“…Instead, they enacted dimensions of ethicality in response to specific issues and experiences. Landau and Osmo (2003) agreed that "professionals bring their own individual values with them" (p. 42), calling into question any profession-specific ethic. While ethical codes may influence professional values, "their application reflects the individual's understanding of the world" (p. 47).…”

“…Ethics also are social. Professionals interpret and apply ethical principles based on context-specific situations (Landau and Osmo 2003;Rest 1984). This does not mean that professional reasoning is random or indiscriminate, but it does allow for the possibility of contradiction between personal values and professional ethical reasoning.…”

“…Tools for Thinking Landau and Osmo (2003) insisted that "pre-established conventions cannot always anticipate issues that arise" (p. 47). Professionals must develop tools for thinking that encourage critical evaluation and interpretation (Kitchener 1986).…”

The Irony of Ethics: (De)Coding the Lived Experience of Women and Minority Faculty

“…Scholars across the disciplines are quick to point out acts of commission such as grant fraud, sexual harassment, and abuse of state and federal resources (Bruh, Zajac, Al-Kazemi, & Prescott, 2002;Kelley & Chang, 2007). Others focus on acts of omission, citing the failure of faculty to live up to its obligations such as academic civility and professional service (Keith-Spiegel, Whitley, Balogh, Perkins, & Wittig, 2002;Landau & Osmo, 2003). Either way, faculty ethics is often defined as a negative concept and a problem that must be rectified (Sundberg & Fried, 1997;Wilcox & Ebbs, 1992).…”