Projects / Programmes
ETHICAL PRACTICE AND DECISION-MAKING IN SOCIAL WORK
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.07.00 |
Social sciences |
Criminology and social work |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S214 |
Social sciences |
Social changes, theory of social work |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 5.04 |
Social Sciences |
Sociology |
social work, ethics, decision-making, values in social work, social work professional identity
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
29374 |
PhD Ana Marija Sobočan |
Criminology and social work |
Head |
2016 - 2019 |
357 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Social workers are mandated to help people – and so daily participate in decisions about the relevant areas of lives of individuals, families and communities. A profession, marked by conflicting demands by different interests and agents, as well as complexity of situations and responses to them, and foremost the responsibility of social workers, demands a formation of tools and supports that can aid social workers in pursuing ethical practice and support professional conduct and approaches.
The goal of the proposed research project is to first understand, how (ethical) decision-making and conduct in social work evolves, and then structure a reference framework or a platform that will serve as a tool in decision-making in social work practice and present a foundation for evaluating ethical practice. Both is necessary in the Slovenian context, where knowledge about ethics just began to develop, while also the mechanisms to monitor, evaluate and judge professional practice are not sufficiently institutionalized and standardized. The research will study: normative – value basis and professional identity in social workers in Slovenia to identify the specific moral orientations, which currently guide social workers. This should contribute to understanding how can social workers be equipped with knowledge and sensibility to recognize the ethical dimensions of situations and decisions (dimensions, which are mostly overlooked) and to more easily understand, what choices are ethical (concepts of morality, based on social work values can be different that those, which are generally accepted in society). Built on this knowledge, a model to aid in decision-making in practice and evaluation and monitoring of ethical practice will be developed. Understanding the value base that prevails in practice and the impact of professional identity will enable planning education, policies and standards in social work, and give an answer to the question on how to resist bureaucratization of professional roles in social work and assure encouragement and support for ethical practice.
The research results are thus relevant on more levels: for social work science (strengthening social work as science), for social work education (educating the future and existent social workers), for social work as a profession with own identity (standards in social work, social work as autonomous in relation to other related professions or disciplines), for the knowledge base, methods and social work apparatus (broadening the existing frameworks of knowledge and practice), for social work practice (information about practice and formation of recommendations for conduct and decision-making in practice), for evaluating social work practice from the perspective of the profession itself, of other professions and the public (producing measures), for developing support mechanisms and standards for ethical conduct in practice (on the level of organizations, social politics etc.).
The orientation of the research plan follows the idea, that social work is an autonomous practice, based on independent, reflected and ethically conscious evaluations of situations, which should lead to reasoned decisions for an ethically responsible conduct and solutions. In social work, a practice of multi-level and multi-contextual ethical considerations, such professionally independent evaluation can only be grounded in clear professional goals; the consciousness and sensibility for ethical questions demands setting up a solid, clearly defined ethical framework, that can serve as a measure for ethical reasoning and as a necessary tool to produce ethical decisions. A clear idea about the ethical background and a defined professional orientation is needed not only for responsible professional conduct and ethical practice, but also as a screen against which the conduct and practice can be measured and evaluated. Both is currently in the context of Slovenian social work deficient or inadequate.
Significance for science
The research project will provide findings, which represent a novuum in the Slovenian context (both from the perspective of content as well as perspective of methodology); only the topic of the research can be compared to international research, while the focus and methodology used for the analysis mean a new approach also in the international context, so I intend to present the research in at least two international conferences (Lisbon, Paris). The research project will significantly contribute to the scientific level of social work as a science, as it will respond to the gap in social work ethics and ethical decision-making research - currently almost non-existent(except for the research authored by Sobočan 2013). Theoretical insights, that the research will offer, will present a key contribution to the understanding and vindication of social work as a discipline. A contribution to science is also the methodology of empirical study of ethical decision-making and value choices (documentary method), which could be transferable from ethics in social work to other fields of decision-making.
The project outputs: two scientific articles and a monograph, materials and a textbook for social work educators and practitioners; new technology – tool (decision tree) for social work decision-making support; an outline of a training for social work practitioners.
Ethics in social work don’t only entail a respectful relationship with service users and a participatory approach to solving problems; ethics in social work is also about the orientation of social work in regard to the social structure, the role of social work in this structure, how social work conceives human beings and communities and how it positions towards them. Understanding that – in education, social policies and social welfare legislation, work environments and social workers themselves is necessary in order to even initiate the debate about what is ethical conduct and what is unethical conduct. The research results will bring exactly that understanding and will hence be relevant on more levels (other levels are presented in section 17.2.):
1.Contribution to social work science (strengthening social work as a science)
2.Contribution to science in general (development of a new methodology in researching decision-making)
Because the results of the research, that is, its outputs, refer to different levels (science, education, professional practice, politics), they actually span across the science and profession of social work, and truly entirely address the proposed issue field.
Significance for the country
The research project will provide more outputs: scientific articles and a monograph, outline of a social work training, two textbooks and possibly a new tool – i.e. technology (modeling a decision-tree) to support the decision-making process in social work. Especially the latter – can serve to raise the effectiveness in social work decision-making, which can result in a more reasonable and economical use of time and resources (in the sense of the social worker’s work, as well as in terms of more coherent, faster and more reliable procedures). Economic effects will of course not be immediately and indirectly measurable (the research project needs to be followed by the testing phase, introduction, etc., implementation of the tool and it’s use), nevertheless it can be expected, that the application of such a model will not be left without (also) economic effects.
The research project will directly contribute to society through:
1.Contribution to social work education (educating future andexisting social workers)
2.Contribution to social work professional identity (standards in social work practice, support for social work profession as autonomous in relation to other related professions and disciplines)
3.Contribution to the social work knowledge base, methods and apparatus (broadening the existing frameworks of knowledge in social work)
4.Contribution to social work practice (better understanding of social work practice, creation of guidelines for conduct and dilemma resolution)
5.Contribution to social work practice evaluations by the profession itself, other professions and the public (formation of measures)
6.Contribution to forming standards and support mechanisms for ethical practice (level of organization, social policies, etc.)
The direct impact of the research project is predominantly in the accessibility of new knowledge in the area of social work ethics (the first textbooks and monograph in Slovene language), which currently is not yet available in the Slovenian context.
Additionally, a rise in the understanding of the profession of social work can be expected, which can mostly positively contribute to the social work service user’s trust in social welfare services (which is currently weak) and a reduction in the reluctance to use social work services.
Most important scientific results
Interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report,
final report
