Values in Social Work - Essay Example

Upon entering the field of social work, these are either strengthened or weakened. Those values which are congruent to social work ethical principles would naturally be strengthened. Those that are opposed, however, may be weakened or absolutely rejected upon the introduction of values that are more relevant to social work. For instance, if one has been brought up by a family that instills the value of concern for others, accepting the social work values of service, equality, and social justice would not be difficult.

Genuine concern for others, however, is not reflected by palliatives. The root causes of their poor conditions must be addressed. Social work, therefore, should not be just about alleviation; it should also be about social transformation. Social work should not result in the beneficiaries being assisted; it should result in their empowerment. Genuine social service is not done through dole-outs; it is through raising the awareness of the beneficiaries regarding their rights and potentials. 1.

Concern for others is a value that has been instilled in me by my parents. Even as I am part of a society that encourages people to work and be successful as individuals only to benefit the self, it is my principle that one should be responsible for the well-being of others too. However, putting into practice what I have been taught at home is really difficult. This is because I see school and the rest of society as having a completely different value. The schools are ingraining individualism in each of the students.

This is proven in how students tend to bring one another down as if it is the best way prop their respective selves up. Elite groups are created, alienating those that are deemed inferior by those who consider themselves who consider themselves as the better students, athletes, and artists, or those who are just lucky to have been born into rich families. One the other side of the pole, I see fellow students who are less-fortunate in many respects. They are the ones who just do not possess the talents and skills that could make them popular in school or those who belong to low-income families.

Their existence is proof of how a stratified school could take its toll on the individual. What makes this worse is the fact that what I see in school is just a preview of what society really is. Stratification is also very evident in society. I see individualism as having greatly influenced the mindset of people that everyone no longer thinks about others in whatever they do. Those who already have more in life are fortunate because they have the means to excel and to take advantage of others at the same time.

It is in these circumstances that I developed the perspective of change. Before, I thought that what is needed is the instilling of the value of concern for others. Now, however, I see the necessity of promoting humanism and utopianism and other ideological perspectives that are related to these. To do this, social workers should first be educated in an ideology that counters individualism by grasping the “nature of social diversity and oppression” (NASW Code of Ethics). 2. As someone who adheres to the principles of utilitarianism and utopianism, it is very easy for me to grasp and apply the principles of equality.

I have always believed that people are inherently equal. No one is born superior over the others. However, due to the fact that there are people who have learned to exploit human and other natural resources,