Social Work for Sociologists: Theory and Practice

62 ● Kate van Heugten and Anita Gibbs

Conclusion

This chapter has introduced key social work thinking in the domains of
values, ethics, and skills. It is by necessity introductory, and further reading
is detailed in the references. This chapter also provides a base for readers to
move forward into part II of this book, where detailed examples of social
work theory and practice are applied to specific domains of interest to sociologists
and other social scientists.

Reflective Questions

1. List some core values that are important to you. Can you identify values
   that you think all, or most, sociologists will believe to be important? To
   what extent do you think these overlap with social work values and
   values that are relevant to human service practice?


2. To what extent and how is the idea of “the use of self ” relevant to
   sociologists in their place of study or employment? How can sociologists
   develop self-awareness?


3. Should sociologists seek out professional supervision to enhance their
   accountability and/or consideration of ethical issues in their work
   environments?


4. What ethical principles do sociologists already apply in research and
   practice?

References

Banks, Sarah. 2006. Ethics and Values in Social Work. 3rd ed. New York: Palgrave
Macmillan.
———. 2008. “Critical Commentary: Social Work Ethics.” British Journal of Social
Wo rk 38 (6): 1238–1249. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcn099.
———. 2012. Ethics and Values in Social Work. 4th ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Braye, Suzy, and Michael Preston-Shoot. 1995. Empowering Practice in Social Care.
Buckingham: Open University Press.
Chenoweth, Lesley, and Donna McAuliffe. 2012. The Road to Social Work and Human
Service Practice.^ 3rd ed. Melbourne: Cengage Learning.
Connolly, Marie. 2013. “Values and Human Rights.” In Social Work: Contexts and
Practice. 3rd ed., edited by Marie Connolly and Louise Harms, 48–59. Melbourne:
Oxford University Press.
Connolly, Marie, and Tony Ward. 2008. Morals, Rights and Practice in the Human
Services. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Cowden, Stephen, and Annie Pullen-Sansfacon. 2014. The Ethical Foundations of
Social Work. Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis.