The issue of ethics and the way in which ethical principles govern our lives is always one of concern in the professional field. Over the centuries, mankind has questioned the principles of ethics and ethical considerations as it affects a person’s moral development and has made numerous attempts to define the term, but the truth is that each person is governed by specific ethical standards based on personal moral convictions. Personally, I believe that ethical behaviors stem from one’s personal moral standard and this moral standards stem from one’s ability to recognize and appreciate the values of religions and the society and that these institutions help to shape the way we determine ethical beliefs. But, no one person has truly been able to define the term in order to suit the desirability of each person in the society as each person’s , cultural, moral, religious, and ethical standard allows them to see their actions in different ways .
Personal definition of ethics
Personally, I would define ethics as the moral, religious and social beliefs that stems from the values and experiences in the society. One’s ethical beliefs also comes from the influence of one’s heritage and role models and allows persons to evaluate self against the beliefs in what is considered right and what is considered as wrong. Additionally, one’s culture plays an integral role in defining ethics as the constant changes in the society leads to the constant changes of what is morally correct and just. Culture defines a person and makes it important for one to truly understand and values ethic as an integral part of the society. My ethics views have been shaped by the religious beliefs and practices as a child. As I grew older, I realized that some of my ethical beliefs changed as I integrated in different levels of the society and in particular school.
Ethics helps to determine the “good” and “evil” in a person and helps to determine the direction of that person in the afterlife. Based on the societal standards and norms and religious convictions, a murderer is considered as having poor ethical standard as murders go against the religious morals of the Christian church. But, in the modern society, it is the common belief by many Christians that a person who commits murder will go against these principles and will no doubt face a terrible life in the hereafter. Arguably, these beliefs are in contrast with the references to murder in the bible. Moses committed murder and yet he did not face a terrible fate. The truth is that the modern society has its standards that apply to the laws and actions in the present society and these laws are taken more literally than those of the Biblical times.
These actions bring grave consequences under the law and therefore, many persons will use the society’s moral code to help to shape their ethical beliefs and practices. Linda Wark suggests that the National Organization of Human Services have reviewed the code of ethics and have revised the ethical code because human service is instrumental to the commitment to social and practice of ethical standards and these standards changes over time (Wark, 2011). Gail Sessoms expands on the idea as she notes that the human services organizations have long since embraced a code of ethics that places emphasis on the different standards of practice that are associated with the different ideas and behaviors that the workers take to the profession (Sessoms 2016). Agreeably, the workers will bring their personal value and ethical beliefs to the profession in order to increase the level of professionalism in the field.
This simple black and white view of ethics goes beyond such simplistic discussions of ethics as persons continue to justify their actions and lifestyle with their personal definition of ethics. According to the Manuel Velasquez et al. (2015) ethics represents two main ideas. The first of these ideas is the “well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribe what humans ought to do” (Velasquez et al., 2015) and secondly “the study and development of one's ethical standards” (Velasquez et al., 2015). Ethics can be seen as an obligation and a right to the society as it allows for specific virtues and fairness that will bring benefits to the society. Ethical standards allow one to refrain from activities that are morally wrong including: rape, assault, fraud, slander, assault and murder (Velasquez et al., 2015). Additionally, ethically standards reflect a fundamental right to life, liberty and privacy.
Social workers are most conscious of the need for ethical practices as they work in a capacity that demands that they help to meet the needs and well-being of the people in the society regardless of their social standing, racial background, religious affiliation or political and economic situations. In addition, social workers have the mandate to help in the holistic development of persons in the society despite their medical conditions and the personal value system of the social worker. While social workers work towards achieving and maintaining the basic needs of the society, they face the challenge of having to empower those persons who are oppressed, vulnerable, and living in poverty.
Social workers and other organizations that seek to build the positive attitudes and direction of the society follow basic ethical standards which include: helping to put an end to discrimination, becoming sensitive to the barriers of oppression, social injustice in its broadest sense and diversity among the cultural and ethnic groups in the society. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has set a structure mission on core values that serves as a guide to the social work profession and help to maintain positive ethical principles.
Professional ethics stand at the foundation of the practice of social work and remind the workers that they have an obligation to maintain ethical principles, ethical standards and a basic value system. The Code of Ethics within this organization serves to identify core values that form the framework of the mission within the practice of social work; summarizes and assesses broad ethical principles that will reflect the core values in the profession and establishes a clear standard on which the society can hold these professionals accountable for their actions; and judge these professionals by a set standard of ethical relations (Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, 1996).
Values in others
My personal code of ethics allows me to look at the values of others and to compare the value system as it affects the society. Furthermore, I believe that values help to shape the direction of the society as each person will bring a different set of values to the society. Personally, I value honesty in myself and therefore I expect others to be honest in their dealings. Honesty is an important value as no one wants to have to wonder if they can trust another person to be truthful about their actions. Many persons are not honest as they lie about the simplest ideas.
Some persons are not honest about their financial status, their social media status or marital status among others. But the truth is that persons do not need to lie and neither should they be dishonest about self and what constitute the true self. Dishonest persons will steal in order to maintain their social image or they are dishonest and hurt the feelings of others. One’s religious faith and social understanding helps to shape the level of honesty that persons display. When a person is dishonest it means that the society and the stakeholders in the society have failed in their bid to maintain the religious principles that we take for granted. For example many persons will lie to others to justify a situation despite the fact they follow Christian beliefs.
Loyalty is an important value that allows one to know that they are a part of a unit that will protect and guide the lives of others. I believe that being loyal is one of the most important values as it is a reflection of the need to protect others and to love each other unconditionally. Loyalty demands that you protect and support others based on who the person is rather than what the person says. But, excessive loyalty can lead to dishonesty in the society. Therefore, it is important that one remembers that being loyal means that one should be able to interpret the actions of others because of the length of time you have known the person and the positive qualities that make that person worthy of the loyalty.
Being loyal does not mean that persons must display blind faith in another person and neither does it mean that one person must condone the negative qualities in others. I believe that loyalty means being able to support each other despite the circumstances and being able to offer constructive criticism of one’s loyalty. I am loyal to the victims that I work with as I only disclose their personal information if I realize that they have embrace any idea of taking their own lives. Of course, my loyalty has boundaries and in my personal life, I remember having to tell my best friend that it was wrong to lie to her parents that she was with me at the center after school. But, when her parents called me I told them the truth that I had not seen her that day. My best friend was most upset at first and then she realized that her parents already knew the truth and only wanted to see if she would lie to them.
Trustworthiness is important as it allows persons to feel as though they belong to a group that they can rely on without the fear of being betrayed. We often talk and write about trust, but not many persons truly practice the value of trustworthiness. The lack of trust has increased in the society as persons find that church members, the law enforcers, parents and even friends will break the bonds of trust for different reasons. Trust is often trivialized in the present society as people use the word “trust” without recognizing that trust must be gained based on one’s ability to be honesty, a sense of integrity and the ability to keep promises. The truth is that there is no trust if there is no loyalty, honesty or integrity. In addition, persons often say “you can trust me “and when you do trust that person with personal information, they actually share the information with others. The victims that I interact with, trust me enough to know that I will find whatever time I can to just sit and listen or to share their future goals and that information remains between us.
Finally, selflessness is one of the main values that I look for in other people. The act of selflessness results from the genuine care that one feels for someone or something. Parents are often selfless in their acts of love and devotion to their children. They give the very last that they have to ensure that their child does not need anything. But, selflessness is not only designed for parents and their families. People can be selfless towards others in many ways. Many religious persons will strive to maintain the teachings of the Bible and they give freely out of duty and respect for the Bible.
While this giving is admirable, these persons are not likely to maintain an act of selflessness as they have a greater value for their personal needs and desires. Law enforcers and fire fighters carry out act of selflessness in the line of duty. In the end, the acts of selflessness allow them to feel a sense of achievement that will allow for greater satisfaction. I believe that everyone can be selfless. One does not have to give away their entire possessions to be selfless, but one must ensure that while caring and giving to others, they do so without the expectations of returns or benefits.
Personal ethics and values will help to determine the ways in which person deliver and maintain an ethical standard. My personal ethical system forces me to place the interest and the well being of others in front of my personal needs for example when a few victims may walk in unexpectedly and just need someone to listen while I know that I have to be somewhere else. I try to stay most of the time and listen as I have learned over time that many of the victims only want to know that someone is listening when they need to vent their frustrations. My ethical principles have been shaped by the values of my family and my religious convictions and based on these guiding principles. I have become even more aware of the feelings and the needs of others around me. In reflecting on my life, I believe that I owe much of myself to the society as I am a product of the education, religious and social values that I have often used to determine that which is good and that will is bad.
I believe that I have served those around me very well while working as a volunteer at the local community center. The group is a non-profit organization that caters to the homeless and the forgotten members of my community and the two adjoining communities. I have always been in that position for as long as I can remember as my parents also work with the organization. I have always believed that the service to one's community is the one of the highest level of servitude in because it allows one to give back to those who are less fortunate. It is important that those who serve others do so without reservation.
I have many a number of persons who the society has rejected because of race, medical condition, poverty and much more highly unimportant reasons. The voluntary services have and will continue to give me the opportunity to accept those who have become unfortunate by choice or by force. My most challenging test has been with working with the female and even the male prostitutes and the victims of HIV/AIDS. The cases are rather challenging as I often seen many of these victims of prostitution return with similar battering despite the endless formal and informal sessions that I have had with them. There are times when my inner nerves scream at these persons and I want to call them the most logical name in the world – dumb. But, no one should truly continue to embrace the anal and vaginal rape and battery. I have learned that many persons commit these acts because they have no other opportunity to provide for their families and the lack of access to higher education makes it even more difficult for these persons to find suitable jobs.
I have experienced moments when my ethical and moral obligation become blurred and I have challenges distinguishing between what is morally right and wrong and what is moral and immoral. But, I often recall the early religious lesson that my father instilled when I would come home from school and complain about the children who were poor and dirty. He would tell me that these children are inherently good despite their outward appearances. Later I learned that morality is based on perception and not necessarily in the universal truth of rejecting that which does not fit into the accepted mold of the society. Based on these ethical principles, I continue throughout my sessions with these persons and I try not to judge these persons based on their outward appearances, but on what I see beyond the circumstances that have led them to our doors. But, I do know that sexual trading is morally wrong from a Christian perspective and yet I try not to inject my religious beliefs on any of the victims as there is always that universal conflict with religion and the differences in religious beliefs.
There are challenges are present in the work I do as some of the victims are not willing to accept their circumstances and allow their children to go into foster care or to find family members who are willing to care for their children, but these victims are adamant that they can care for their children. I have tried talking to a number of these prostitutes and even those who have full blown AIDS that the children would be better off not being exposed to the lifestyle of their parents. A few of the prostitutes leave and have not returned to the center, but others return and pretend as though the conversations have not occurred. My greatest challenge lies in knowing that it is my professional duty to report the cases of child endangerment, but my ethical beliefs in the family as a unit of the society and the need for families to be together leaves me with the most undesirable duty to report to Child Care Services.
The impact of education on my personal value and ethics system
The harsh reality of the society that many persons fail to embrace is that not everyone will fit into the universal mold of the perfect human. Each society has its set of morals and ethical guidelines. The truth is that what is morally wrong to one person is morally correct to another person. But ethics and values are important to the holistic development of persons and when this is achieved and despite the conflicts in the views of what is inherently good and what is considered as bad, persons develop their moral and ethical principles and these beliefs serve as the daily guidance to the person’s life. Personally, I believe that ethics serves as the guiding principle to the way that person holds control over their lives and how they function in the society.
Since entering higher education and having read and discussed the philosophy of ethical and moral principles, I realized that my value system has been indirectly shaped by the school of thoughts. I have always place strong values on my religions and giving back to the society. In fact, the lessons I have learned over the years have become interesting examples in my studies as I have begun to realize that my parents have done a wonderful jobs of helping to shape my value system. I have had many experiences working with these victims at the center and I have learned that I cannot expect others to live by the ethical and moral standards that I have set. But, I have also learned to accept that I can teach others how to arrive at a system that will help them to build on their values and morals.
My studies of human services bring clarity to a number of topics that I have always questioned. One of the most important of these questions is: At what time does one give up on others because of personal values and morals? The answers I have found have changed the way I see human services. One does not relinquish the opportunity to help others simply because there is a difference in the values and ethical principles that govern out lives because it is the nature of humans to help shape the lives of those we encounter daily. It is the nature of our inner thoughts and feelings to become sympathetic to others in need and to carry out acts of selflessness even though we know that we are at risk when we work with addicts, prostitutes and other criminals in the society. But, I have continued to work in this field because I know that there many of these victims who look towards human service providers for the trust in knowing there is always someone there to offer selfless service; loyalty to continue the cause, honesty to point out their mistakes even if they prefer not to hear these errors; and support in their difficult moments.
References
“Code of Ethics” of the National Association of Social Workers, Approved by the 1996 NASW
Delegate Assembly and revised by the 2008 NASW Delegate Assembly Retrieved from
https://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp 15 Mar 2016
Sessoms, G. (2016) Code of Ethics for Human Service Workers, Demand Media Retrieved from
http://work.chron.com/code-ethics-human-service-workers-8132.html 15 Mar 2016
Velasquez, M., et al., (2015) What is Ethics, This article appeared originally in Issues in
Ethics IIE V1 N1 (Fall 1987), Revised 2010, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Retrieved
Wark, L. J.. (2011). Revision to NOHS Ethical Code: Year One. 2011 NOHS National
Conference Proceedings. 48-50. National Organization for Human Services.Presented at 2011
NOHS National Conference, Austin, TX. http://opus.ipfw.edu/humser_facpres/19/
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