Values and Ethics - Essay Example

Values and Ethics Lecturer As one continues to grow and develop, one forms a value system. This value system guides him in his interactions with people and in coming up with solutions to the different problems that face him. This paper identifies my own values as a person, focusing on the aspect of the development of the values. I will discuss the various elements that have shaped my value system. I will focus on the implication or on the impact that my values have on my work as a Human Service Professional. Some of the values I hold may make it difficult to adhere to some of the ethical guidelines that govern my profession while some will make it easier. The paper will discuss issues in Human Service Profession as they relate to the code of ethics. Such issues include the legal definition of insanity and human differences. Values and Ethics Ethics and values are an essential part of any person. These are important in that they guide a person in making decisions and they influence the behavior of any given person. They guide the person in making a choice between two options and in knowing what is acceptable to him and what is not. The values and ethics are different depending on the individual, and they are formed within the social context that one finds themselves in. there are several forces that combine to influence the values and ethics of a given person(Burger 2010). Values are those things that one considers important or valuable in his life. They are the philosophy by which one lives. One’s values are an embodiment of what one stands for, or what one believes in. The values form the basis of behavior for a person, and every person has his own set of values by which he lives on, and through which he makes his day-to-day decisions and choices. Ethics on the other hand work to guide a person on what is right or wrong, what is moral and what is immoral, what is just and what is criminal, and what is good or evil. It is the system of one’s moral principles and works to govern how one behaves. Ethics and values are unique to every individual and they are acquired in a variety of ways. Every person begins to develop their own set of values and ethical standards from earlier on in life by observing what goes on around him. As one continues to grow and mature, one begins to realize the difference that exists between right and wrong. The values and ground rules that I use to govern my life have been learned and influenced by various people and institutions. There are also several events that have happened in life that have influenced my value system. As I grow older, I continue to learn how to identify and develop a clear and meaningful value system to guide me in life. My values developed from an early age and even as I continue to learn as an adult. Some of the actions and decisions that I take may be influenced values that I may not consciously know. My values and ethics guide my interactions both in the workplace and in my social interactions. My family has mostly modeled my values. Of all the values that I have learnt in my entire life, I constantly find that the values that I constantly exercise are those that I learnt from my family. This I believe is because I came from a family that created an environment that was supportive and enabled every member to thrive and succeed. I believe that my family possesses good and strong values that have been passed on to all of us. Within the family, we were able to utilize the resources available to us in a fair and equitable manner that taught all of us the importance of sharing. Family as a source of my values is also because the adults in our family set a good and strong example for us to emulate. My parents and grandparents always acted as good role models from whom I was able to learn a lot. From my family, I learnt the concepts of honesty, hard work, integrity religion, and education. The fundamental values that governed the interactions and relationships within the family include honesty, responsibility, respect for each other and self-discipline. My family therefore helped each member to grow and fulfill their purpose while at the same time enabled each member to learn the importance of hard work and self-discipline. In many occasions, one would be punished or reprimanded for breaking the rules that were set in the family, especially those that had to do with our behavior towards each other. There were also rules that were laid down to govern the behavior and conduct of all family members both inside and outside the house. This taught me important lessons in relating with different people in the society. Within the family, everyone had to learn that it was important to have self-discipline especially when it came to making choices. I therefore learnt that I had to make responsible choices in life. Upon making the choices, I also had to bear the consequences of the choices. This means that I had to take responsibility for the decisions that I had taken, and deal with the outcome appropriately. The freedom that one had to make choices also enabled me to gain the ability to make proactive choices that will enable me to fulfill my goals and dreams. From an early age, I remember having many conversations with my grandmother during which she would keep reminding me of the great essence of treating every person with respect. She also taught me that in life, one had to give everyone a chance to prove themselves and help people whenever that was possible. From her, I also learnt that it very important to understand people before judging them and their circumstances. By interacting with people with humility, one is able to learn a lot, even from people that one would not imagine have something to teach us. My religious beliefs have also been a source of ethics and values in my life. Being a Christian, I have learnt to be honest and have respect for other people’s rights and opinions. I have therefore learnt to conduct my dealings in a way that is ethical and fair. My religion acts as a guide to enable me to behave in a way that is consistent and treats everyone in a fair manner. Were it not for the religious teachings that I have received, I would act in a way that is self-involved and self-centered. I have also been able to form my values form the educational institutions that I have attended. During my education, I have had the opportunity to interact with people of different backgrounds. Through the schools, I have come to learn that a person’s ability is not dependent on their background or origin. I have therefore learnt no to discriminate people based on their physical appearance. This has helped me to treat all people as equals despite their race or nationality. My values and ethics have also been formed through my interactions with other people. As I meet and interact with different people, I am able to expand my worldview of what is right and wrong. I am also able to know what others consider right and what they consider wrong. The interactions also enable me to independently evaluate the opinions and form my own value system. I believe that the ethical dilemmas that I encounter on a day-to-day basis have also been important in forming my value system. There are times when I have been faced with dilemmas in which I have had to decide how to achieve the most desirable end and at the same time avoid committing an ethical wrong. This has helped me explore ethical questions and come up with a strong foundation for my ethical and value system. Living by the values and ethics that I have acquired over the years has been of great help in both my personal and in my professional life. It has helped me stabilize my life and helped me to stay in the path that has enabled me to achieve my goals and visions. It has also helped me in dealing with the different situations that I have encountered in the process of growth as a person and as a professional. Ethics and values may change over time. This means that one’s values ad ethics should not be fixed but flexible. They should be flexible enough to accommodate changes that come about because of new knowledge or because of the changing times. One should however be able to defend their values to avoid being easily swayed. The fact that values are not fixed means that there have been times when I have had to decide on matters relating to the values that I stand for. To make a decision, I therefore start by identifying the problem that is at hand. Once I have identified the problem and the root causes of the problems, I can start considering the ways in which I can solve the problem. This means that I come up with several possible solutions through which the problem can be solved. On identifying possible solutions, I then analyze the benefits and disadvantages of each solution. I also think about the consequences and the outcomes of each solution and based on my analysis, I chose the best possible solution. Based on this model of making decisions, I have been able to revise my values and use them as a guide in my activities. In my work as a Human Services Professional, my values have been of great help. This is because most of the values that I have are important in enabling me to do my job, which involves improving the quality of life for different people. My values make it possible for me to identify the best measures of intervention that take into consideration the values and goals of the client, my personal goals and values, as well as the values of the organization that I represent. Having a clear value system is therefore essential in performing my duties (Burger, 2010). In the process of helping people in my line of work, I am often faced with ethical dilemmas. To resolve this, I often depend on the ethical guidelines and standards that have been put in place to guide the work and actions of the Human Service Professionals. Most of the ethical issues that I face in my line of work have to do with what is the proper conduct in carrying out my duties. The ethical issues that I often face affect not only me, but also the different clients with whom I interact. In most of the cases, I find that my values serve to enable me to make decisions that have a positive impact on all those who are involved. The ethics that govern the profession help to regulate the interactions that the human service professional has with the clients, with the colleagues, with his employers and with the society. The Human Service Professional has to use a combination of the ethics and his personal values in making decisions in his lie of duty. An ethical issue in which I do not expect to experience difficulties with is that of diversity and multiculturalism. This is because my value system enables me to respect and treat all people as equal despite their backgrounds. My values also enable me to offer services to all despite their background, gender, or ethnicity (Woodside & McClam, 2011). One ethical dilemma in relation to the Ethical Standards of Human Service Professionals in which I anticipate to experience some difficulties is where a situation arises in which I am forced to break the client’s confidentiality and right to privacy. This may occur in cases where maintaining the confidentiality of the client may put the client, or others around him at risk. Making the decision to reveal information that is confidential about the client may pose a challenge to me. This is because I believe that what is told in confidence should remain in confidence. I have also been taught that one should avoid breaking the trust that has been bestowed on him. There are cases in which breaking the confidentiality of the client serves to make things worse. It is therefore hard to decide when to make the decision to break the confidentiality without causing harm to the client. I however follow the guideline that asserts that in such situations, the wellbeing of those involved should take precedence over their confidentiality or the confidentiality of those involved. In making a decision, I try to make the decision that will have the result of having the most benefits for the greatest number of people involved (Burger, 2010). The ethical standards in place govern all aspects of the interactions that go on within the line of duty, and govern the general principles of the interactions. In governing sexual harassment for example, the ethical standard dictate that a sexual relationship with a client is prohibited as the relationship between the client and the professional is considered unequal. A sexual relation amounts to harassment. When it comes to human differences, it is expected that a professional will offer their services without any considerations of race, status, sexual orientation or any other differences that exist between people. The professionals are expected to offer their services without discrimination. When it comes to integrity, the professional is expected to act with integrity and objectivity when dealing with clients and other professionals. He is also expected to consult in cases where there are ethical or legal dilemmas. In the use of psychological tests in the courtroom, those who make use of the tests in the courtroom must assure the people that they have the necessary qualifications to allow them to administer the tests. Only the forensic psychologists have the qualification to give the tests (Woodside & McClam, 2011). When it comes to the lie detector tests, the tests cannot be given without the consent of the person to whom they are being given. The reason for the test should also not go against the code of ethics that governs the circumstances under which the tests can be issued. When it comes to the boundaries of competence, it is possible for a psychologist to provide services to clients where the appropriate mental services are not available to ensure that such services are not denied to the client. In the legal definition of insanity, a person should undergo the proper assessment using intensive measures before he can be declared legally insane. In diagnosing someone as legally insane, the proper code of conduct must be followed. In the work of a human service professional, one must abide by the code of conduct for the profession. It is important that one is aware of the issues that may come about during the process of trying to serve the community. To be successful at work, one needs to be aware of his own values and respect the values of other people to be in a better position to serve them. References Burger, W. (2010). Human Services in Contemporary America. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Woodside, M., McClam, T (2011). An Introduction to Human Services. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning Read More