Human rights and social justice are two prominent social work perspectives which focus on the importance of value, and they are identified as ethical principles in the NASW Code of Ethics for social workers. You need to explore how you plan to engage in activities that promote and advance human rights and social justice, especially in clinical practice, which is such an intimate relationship. Christian social workers add additional aspects of social work ethical value to human rights and social justice to examine explicitly. Issues such as character traits, virtues, and faith and how they shape Christian social workers’ practice and their relationships with their clients, especially diverse clients who may belong to groups that sometimes can be problematic for Christian social workers (such as homosexuals, people who believe that abortions are acceptable, and nonbelievers, such as atheists). How do Christian social workers do the right thing, especially if it may seem to contradict some of their personal values, beliefs, and faith-based practices? How do they provide leadership in their area of practice, incorporating their beliefs but not foisting them on their clients?
1. Read the following from your textbook, Virtues and Character in Social Work Practice:
2. Read the article, “Practicing Social Justice: A Virtue-Based Approach,” by Paul Adams (2012) at http://www.nacsw.org/Publications/Proceedings2012/AdamsPPracticingFINAL.pdf.
3. Watch the YouTube video, “Grameen Bank at a Glance,” by Muhammad Yunus (2011). If needed, you can review the transcript file, Transcript – Grameen Bank at a Glance.pdf.
a. Of the three branches of contemporary ethical theories, which seem to be the most realistic in advancing human rights, and why? b. How can valuing narrative be an effective way that Christian social workers can advance human rights as clinical social workers? c. Examine the concept of social justice, both in the article and in the NASW Code of Ethics. i. What does social justice mean to you as a Christian social worker? ii. Is social justice just an abstract concept that is expressed as a virtue in social work, but is actually not achievable or is unrealistic? iii. How can social workers move from talking about social justice as an abstract concept to actually putting it into action? d. How do you envision “doing” social justice in your clinical practice? i. Identify two or three activities or behaviors that you can see yourself engaging in as a social worker to further social justice and human rights. ii. Why those activities? iii. What criteria would you use to defend them as social justice activities? e. How does the person-in-environment perspective relate to social justice and the relational approach? i. Do either of these perspectives (or both) lend themselves better to engaging clients? How?