Just as our own values and beliefs guide our actions in our personal life, values, ethics, and ideologies exist at the very core of the social work profession to provide a professional compass in times of doubt or conflict. Deep and thorough understanding of these values and ideologies and their relationship to your own values and those predominant in American society becomes vital to successful social work practice. Constant self-reflection on these issues and their intersections is required to manage frustration and to prevent the emergence of countertransference in the clinical setting.
Background Information
Self-reflection is a critical component for effective practice as a social worker. Within the professional space, social workers must be aware of their own values and biases and how they interact with the values both of the profession and of the larger social context. Furthermore, social workers must manage their own personal values in deference to the values of the profession when acting in a professional capacity. Thus, a deep understanding of our own biases and values is crucial to mindful and coherent practice.
- In your textbook, Social Policy and Social Change, read the following:
a. Chapter 3, “The Social Work Profession and Social Justice”
b. Chapter 4, “Historical Values Influencing Social Problems and Social Policies” - On page 128 of your textbook, Social Policy and Social Change, select one of the websites listed in Table 4.3: Use the Web to Determine Your Values, Beliefs, and Ideologies and take a self-assessment. this is located in the chapter 4 part b.pdf
- In a one-page, APA-formatted document, address the following. Use the APA Template for Dropbox Assignments.docx file to complete your assignment.
a. Write a reflection based on your assessment.
i. How do your personal views on social policies and problems align with the different political parties?
ii. How do your personal views on social policies align with social work values and ethics? Do they conflict at all? How do you reconcile this conflict in practice?
iii. How can you use your Christian beliefs and values to create positive social change on issues important to you and to social work practice?