Finally I had to accept the fact that he was my Doctor. Goddamn professionalism gets in the way all the time. (Juska, 2003, p. 82) Just as the diversity of knowledge constructions has been captured in the phrase "many ways of knowing" (Hartman, 1990), there are many ways of relating. This article is a call to consider alternative expressions of "professionalism" that, while remaining moral, may not fall within the commonly accepted boundaries of ethical codes of conduct for social work practice. During the course of working on these ideas I have attempted to unravel some of the complexities that exist within the worker-client relationship and question certain long-held assumptions about what ethical practice might look like.
The Current Context of Delivering Welfare ServicesBeing a "helper" of some kind is not as simple as it may at first seem. We carry out our work in a globalized economy that privileges neoliberal market values and strident individualism (Ife, 1997), where models of best practice and excellence are particularly nurtured and favoured (Milner, 2004a). The legal implications of making a mistake or admitting fault or failing in this climate are significant with widespread media attention subsequently being given over to issues of professional misconduct and quality assurance (The Scotsman, 2004; The Southland Times, 2004). As a result, social workers are increasingly pressured to work within the confines of narrowly rou-ETHICS