Ethical decision making: the person in the process.

Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 2984852R Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Print ISSN: 0037-8046 (Print) Linking ISSN: 00378046 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Soc Work Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: <2012-> : Cary, NC : Oxford University Press
Original Publication: New York : National Association of Social Workers

Decision Making* ; Ethics, Professional* ; Social Work*; Humans ; Social Responsibility

Ethical decisions made by social workers are shaped by the decision maker and the process used to resolve ethical dilemmas. Although systematic guidelines for resolving ethical dilemmas offer social workers a logical approach to the decision-making sequence, it is inevitable that discretionary judgments will condition the ultimate choice of action. Social workers are influenced by professional roles, practice experiences, individualized perspectives, personal preferences, motivations, and attitudes. Through reflective self-awareness social workers can recognize their value preferences and be alert to the ways in which these values unknowingly influence the resolution of ethical dilemmas. Understanding which values or ethical principles were given priority from among competing alternatives can inform social workers about their value patterning. This article challenges social workers to view current ethical decisions as linked to other ethical decisions they have made in the past or will make in the future. An approach to developing keener insight into value patterning is presented.

Date Created: 20000510 Date Completed: 20000707 Latest Revision: 20191025

20221213

10.1093/sw/45.3.201

10803075