Social Work: Gender, Care and Justice

Private Lives, Public Issues: Childbearing Experiences of Adolescent Mothers in the Era of Hiv and Aids in Bhambayi, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

“…Feminist thought in social work research and practice has over decades played a fundamental role in not just acknowledging the oppressed and subordinate position and conditions of women, but also in challenging the "dual mission" notion of individual versus social change that has bifurcated the curricula of most schools of social work (Dominelli, 2002;Hammer & Statham, 1999;Landes, 1998;Orme, 2002). In fact, Baines (2007) warns that if social workers are not prepared to adapt their knowledge, assume new roles and make the adjustments required for embracing feminist theories, then the profession stands the risk of becoming marginalised.…”

Ethics that Work? A Critical Review of Ethics and Values in Teaching and Practice—Papers from the Ethics & Social Welfare Conference, London, 10 November 2008: Editorial Introduction

“…Quite a lot has been written at a theoretical or speculative level about the potential of situated approaches to ethics (ethics of care, virtue ethics, existential and relational ethics) to contribute to understanding ethics in the context of the work of social professionals (Clifford, 2002;Gray & Lovat, 2007;Hugman, 2005;Orme, 2002;Thompson, 2008). Less has been developed, however, to show how this would work in practice and how such approaches can be incorporated into teaching and learning about ethics.…”

Forms of advocacy in social welfare work with homeless women

“…One may then think of advocacy as linked with care, rather than empowerment. The ethics of care includes the aspect that neediness and dependency may not lead to the bypassing of individual autonomy, to repressive power (Tronto, 1994;Meagher & Parton, 2004;Orme 2002). Repressive power is used when the wishes and opinions of those cared for are bypassed in favour of the better knowledge of the practitioners.…”