Ethics

This paper seeks to analyze, synthesize, and provide recommended for the situation using the relevant theory in ethics that would govern any unethical behavior in the news article entitled “Lawyer: Trampled NY worker lacked crowd training” by Eltman (2008). This would also involve looking into a theory in ethics that would allow the unethical behavior and the consequence of using such theory. The events described in the article is about a Wal-Mart incident where a man got trampled and died when the store as opened for shoppers because of a bargain sale.

There was a sudden big flow of customers storming the store after and Damour, the worker just got stepped upon by people. Since there were about 2,000 people who had to respond to the marketing promotion and, there are about hundreds of persons who may have to step over the worker who was declared to have died of asphyxiation due to trampling (Eltman, 2008). Reports said that Damour had been working at the Wal-Mart only about a week and was actually hired via an employment agency providing temporary staffing.

Since the victim was not trained for any security arrangements and no background on crown control, there appears to be negligence on the part of the agency who hired him and Wal-Mart management which was in charged of deploying him to work (Eltman, 2008). Wal-Mart called the situation tragic and it represented to have tried to prepare the crowd by adding staffers and outside security workers and outside security workers by putting up barricades and consulting police.

However, it may be observed that the explanation of Wal-Mart is not supported with out actually happened as there is in fact basis to charge the company for negligence as could be gleaned from result of police investigation (Eltman, 2008). The falsity of the claim of Wal-Mart is confirmed by the statement of the police that the security or organized inside the store and not both inside and outside as claimed by Wal-Mart. The ethical issue here involved is whether to make false statements to the press by Wal-Mart just to protect the company from the possible liability caused by.

That Wal-Mart is negligence may be circumstantially proved by a consensus among retailers on how the situation should have been settled as by distributing vouchers or organizing sales in order to cut ways to cut down on the “tsunami of shoppers entering the store all at once” (Eltman, 2008). To resolve the ethical issue involved, several ethical theories are available which are grouped into teleological and deontological theories.

Under the first is ethical universalism which encompasses the Mill’s utilitarianism that supports what will maximize the benefit for more number of people (Henderson, S. et al. , 2005). Wal-Mart may therefore argue that the death of the worker was an accident because more peoples’ needs will have to be served by invoking social responsibility (Friedman, 1970) which may form part of utilitarianism. The company would state that the interest of the stockholders should be protected firsts along with customers’ first and accordingly use false statement of having provided preparation for contingency.

Another group of ethical theory is deontological perspective which includes the Rawls social contract theory which argues for the equal right of each person in the community (Henderson, S. et al. , 2005)that need not be trampled just to please the majority. It can be concluded the theory of corporate social responsibility may be used to justify the act of Wal-Mart in trying to make statements that are not supported by evidence as found by the police for the purpose of avoiding liability for the death the worker trampled in stampede in the store.

Although the said theory may be used to allow the unethical behavior of making false statement, a better ethical theory as that of Rawls theory of ethics must be used where the corporation must really act in accordance with what is dictated by the truth for its failure to respond may result to its loss of credibility to the general customers and the general public which may eventually affect its whole business like the case of Enron (Sickmiller, 2002). Reference: Eltman, F. (2008) Lawyer: Trampled NY worker lacked crowd training, Associated Press, {www document} URL, Accessed December 9, 2008

Friedman, M. (1970) The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits, The New York Times Magazine, {www document} URL, Accessed December 9,2008, Henderson, S. et al. (2005), Issues in financial accounting, 12th edn, Pearson Education Australia, Frenchs Forest, NSW, pp. 958–83. Sickmiller, D. (2002), Business ethics: What does ethical behavior actually involve? , {www document} URL, http://david. sickmiller. com/cribs/LS489/Seminar%20Paper. doc, Accessed December 9, 2008

The presence of ‘gatekeepers’ in accessing research databases or participants often cannot be avoided as their role can range from managers to head teachers, to a parents signature on a consent form.  Gatekeepers are those who give access to a research field. Their role may be in allowing investigators into a given physical space, or it may go further in granting permission for research to be conducted in a particular way. (p.329)

Often their presence can avoid unethical behaviour, but Homan (2001) warns against them being seen as a substitute to the researchers’ moral judgement rather than an addition. There are many ethical dilemmas arising over the position of gatekeepers in authority or responsibility. A headteacher is in a position to give permission for a researcher to access children, where ethical issues of informed consent also come into consideration. Where managers act as gatekeepers, ethical issues of harassment and exploitation exist as non-participation would then become increasingly obvious to them. Homan () suggests that gatekeepers and researchers should be aware of the ethical issues of using the,

Power of group pressure by peers, especially if non-participation implies conspicuous behaviour such as leaving the room. Ethical dilemmas over gatekeepers also occur when insider researchers act as their own gatekeepers. Homan (2001) suggests that this should never happen if the insider wishes the research to be ethical. Here the researcher faces issues over which data should be used. They will be inclined to perceive that community as a public domain and suppose that they have an entitlement to all its data. (p.340)

The inclusion of the notion of informed consent within a code of ethics aims to avoid many of the ethical issues raised above. However, informed consent itself raises many ethical dilemmas. Homan (2001) defines informed consent as including the following principles: 1. That all pertinent aspects of what is to occur are disclosed to the subject. 2. That the subject should be able to comprehend this information. 3. That the agreement to participate should be voluntary, free from coercion and undue influence. (p.331)

Mark (1996) includes in his definition of informed consent, that the participants should also be educated about the benefits of the research and that they should be aware of whom to contact if they have any worries during the investigation. Bell (1999) warns against claiming more than the project merits, and I would suggest that this becomes an ethical issue when these claims and the notion of informed consent itself are used to persuade or coerce subjects to participate.

Homan perceives informed consent as one of the most important ethical issues raising numerous dilemmas,  Homan directly attacks those researchers who merely pay lip-service to consent as an ethical issue and who seek, consciously or otherwise, to gain access to a site of research without addressing those whom the researcher wishes to investigate. (M.McNamee, 2001, p.311) For Homan, simply using a gatekeeper or merely presenting the most basic of ‘consent forms’ is itself an ethical dilemma, as he sees this as an exploitation of the participants’ rights to be fully aware of every aspect of the research. I would suggest the view that through utilising informed consent to build up a feeling of trust and protection between the researcher and the researched can be distorted to gain and then publish information that may not have been shared without its presence.

If privacy is to be defined in subject terms as the space or range of behaviour which an individual is entitled and disposed to assert for self-protection, there are serious ethical implications regarding the variation of this according to the degree of charm, empathy or friendliness evident in the conduct of the investigator. (p.327) Clearly, the perspectives of whether this is an ethical dilemma would depend on the morals of the researcher; making it an issue of ‘ethical relativism’ personal to the researcher. For me, this raises questions over whether a ‘good’ researcher is one who respects the participant sat the expense of gathering data, or whether it would be a researcher who is able to build relationships of trust and use this to gain data? Perhaps a ‘good’ researcher would seek to find a ‘middle ground’ between the two extremes.

Ethical dilemmas faced by insider researchers: I intend to approach the role of the insider researcher or practitioner researcher through the specific ethical dilemmas faced before, during and after the research has taken place. Within the setting of an organisation, the researcher often has the role, not only of being an insider, but also a practitioner. Also specific to organisational research is the use of action research and the ethical implications this approach may have. But I will also be considering the role of researchers after the investigation has been conducted.

While there are abundant guidelines regarding the treatment of participants before, and during a research experiment, researcher responsibility to their participants after the data are collected are less clean cut. (Wright, 1999, p.1107) I have already gone someway to depict ethical problems faced after research, when the research is controlled from outside, but there are also many other problems specific to the role of the insider researcher.

Ethical dilemmas faced preceding the research project: Different ethical issues arise over the distinct decisions made by the researcher prior to commencing the research. Smyth and Holian (1999) suggest that researchers who decide to research in their own organisations are often labelled as being ‘subjective and anecdotal.’ This becomes an ethical issue if researchers then alter paradigms or doctor results to rationalise their research, trying to make it ‘fit into a ‘scientific’ quantitative paradigm or an accepted qualitative framework.’ As an ethical, as well as a political issue, the researcher faces a decision between ethical research and outsider respect. However, as narrative approaches to research become increasingly recognised as a research paradigm this issue becomes less effectual. However, the ethical stance of the researcher is an issue that needs to be established prior to the research.

Tickle raises two main concerns over the ethical position of the research before beginning the experiment pertaining to their own personal goals for the research, Those of the activist, intent on the pursuit of good educational [or organisational] practice and practical wisdom, and those of the action researcher, intent on uncovering evidence through the use of ethical research methods. (p.349) Clearly, this is often an unconscious decision and it must be acknowledged that researchers cannot be beyond the stereotypes and prejudices common in society. Bridges (2001) continues to suggest that their training and experience should provide them with an ‘above average’ (p.376) awareness of any unconscious decisions they may be making.

This is an ethical dilemma for a researcher who is aware that they are entering into an investigation with a prejudice or bias that may affect the results and this remains unstated. For example, it is seen as ethically possible for an insider to investigate the roles of others in their organisation. However, is their goal for organisational or participant improvement ethically possible if these two stances are in opposition? If there is a known ‘clash of personalities’ between researcher and colleagues, can they be ethically researched?

Introduction

Problem statement

In the united States of America, people have access to best oral care. There are standards and protocols imposed on dental business. Yet, millions of people in America do not get basic dental care or they end up getting over treatment. Private equity firms own most of the dental businesses. Dental business is one of the most profitable businesses. Dental business owners are top 1% earners In united States. Management puts a lot of pressure on dentists to produce more.

The primary goal for management and dentists has become finding loopholes with insurance and aximizing production. unnecessary and over-treatment have become a common practice. Dental treatment Is expensive. We serve a low income area and most patients cannot afford it. We have been providing dental services over 30 years. We are in the health care business, and we need to ask ourselves, are we doing justice with the profession? Are we responsible if patients do not receive proper care? what should we do when the patient cannot afford the treatment?

How much should we trust patient’s finances?

Outcome and performance

Currently, staff and doctors get paid based on office production. Indirectly we are encouraging staff and dentists to base patient care on production. Patient care should be the company number one priority. Patients are not comfortable to visit a dental office. One of the main reasons Is the cost and overtreatment. We are not a non-for-proflt organization. We have to balance between patient care and business. Ideally no patient should leave the practice untreated for any reason.

We need to set an example to other business by exercising a morally correct approach and still be 1 of 3 good business name. We need to work on the company philosophy and take it to the ext level and have a global outcome. We sell happiness by enhancing people’s smiles. Structure In order to do Justice with the profession everyone needs to understand the need of it. What exactly are we doing wrong? Where is this leading the society? We should be ready for a change. There will be a lot of changes in the organization.

We can implement the proposed solution conveniently step by step. We adhere to the dental code of ethics. We do not do wrong treatments or do over billing. The professional dental code of ethics does not define moral ethics. We need to create a code of ethics ased on the company philosophy. Moral ethics differ from culture to culture. First, we need to incorporate moral virtue. We can achieve this by offering classes and making it mandatory for everyone and we can offer CE credits. Second, we should change the compensation structure for everyone.

The compensation should be based on salary rather than commission. The performance evaluation should be based on the number of patients seen and patient satisfaction. Patient charts should be audited every day. We should present an affordable treatment plan to every patient we see. The treatment plan should not address Just the patient’s chief complain, rather it should provide a complete solution. Patient care should not be an option; it should be mandatory. Third, we should advertise the company moral philosophy to attract more patients. We can offer free patient consultation.

We should have a sliding fee structure for patients who cannot afford expensive dental treatments. Emphasis should be put on patient education; we can set up camps and school visits and take part in the local community affairs. Finally, we should change company hiring policy. We should make community experience a requirement for any position.

Representation of data

The success of the project can be measured through conducting surveys. Every patient should be encouraged to fill out a survey. Currently, we have approximately 10,000 active patients.

Every month we should discuss the practice analysis report. We should do a comparison with last year’s data. When we offer free patient consultation we might be losing some revenue, but there should be a significant increase in comprehensive dental procedure revenue. Overall revenue should increase. When we start seeing more patients, company expense will not increase we can compare previous year’s expense sheet with current. We should have 360 feedback forms every three months, in which every employee should be able appraise other employees.

Every patient referral report should be analyzed periodically. We should be able to see the difference in patient count through word of mouth.

Methodology and findings theoretical and empirical evidence

Providing health care is a noble profession. Oral health is an essential part of overall health. Dentists are doctors who help patients maintain their oral health. In the United States of America, the healthcare business is one of the most profitable businesses. Government cuts of benefits for adult patients make it difficult for patients with low income to maintain their oral health.

There are remarkably few dentists to provide comprehensive treatment to patients. Every profession comes with responsibilities. Dentists that chose dentistry as a profession should provide complete care for patients and should be held responsible. It comes down to moral virtues of a dentist to provide a complete solution to patients based on their financial ituation which might be compensating fewer. This cannot be taught to a person they have to be caring habitually. It is necessary for a dentist to be morally right in order to care, commit and connect toa patient.

We have to take ownership and responsibility to make the society morally correct. We will have a good name for business. We have to become a role model for the society. This solution will help us attract more patients by providing honest, comprehensive and less expensive treatments. We can approach Federally Qualified Health centers, in order to provide omprehensive services irrespective of the patient’s ability to pay. Some dental offices are integrating with Federal Qualified Health Centers, a few dentists set up dental camps with free consultation periodically and try to educate patients.

Many solo practitioners have lowered their fees to be able to see patients with low income. Many offices have tried reducing expense in order to able to see patients at low cost.

Comparison with other methods

Some of the other alternate solutions could be integrating with federally qualified health centers which will take a lot of time, allocating budget every year for delivering ree treatment to qualified patients, performing mobile dentistry with proposed companies approach and starting in-house insurance programs.

Conclusion and recommendations

Limit and Scope of System We can implement the proposed solution at one location; within one, year we should be able to see the difference in the company’s financial report. We have to take ownership and Judge the patient’s honesty. Maximizing the location’s capacity will increase revenue and we should be able to cover the cost.

References

1. Heath, D. , Rosenbaum, J. (2012, June 26). The business behind dental treatment for America’s poorest kids. The Center for Public Integrity.

The term advocacy has been used in various contexts such as in legal mechanisms as well as in social services. Yet, the notions on advocacy have a common ground – that is it pertains to an act made for the benefit of other person. By such definition, advocacy can really be used in different circumstances. For example, in courtroom sessions, the prosecution lawyers advocate the legal rights of their client. Obviously, advocacy is used to define how lawyers want to voice out the need of their client for the upholding of the latter’s right.

Advocacy can also be seen in services offered by social workers. The social workers act in behalf of unfortunate individuals who wish to improve their social inadequacies. What Advocacy Is? As defined by Neil Bateman, advocacy refers to an act of pleading in support of another person. This implies that the central focus of the concept of advocacy is not the advocate but the subject of his advocacy – that is the achievement of the need of his client. Yet such pleading does not necessarily mean that the advocate would plea for mercy.

Such is done by means of conversing logical arguments in order to establish the necessity of the advocacy (Bateman, 2000). In effect, the main thesis in the definition of advocacy is that it is done to uphold the welfare rights of those people who are socially marginalized. The function of the advocate then is to make it clear to the other party that there is a need for the betterment of these marginalized people. Furthermore, the concept of advocacy wants to clarify the distinguishing terms associated with the very concept of “client (Bateman, 2000).

The most common expression use to denote the latter is customer. However, people who define advocacy thinks that it would become very discriminating on the part of the client to say that he is a customer which also means that he is a “service-user. ” Yet that is the very thing that is happening. Nevertheless, these people would like to change such connotation by saying that client are not mere service-user but a partner of the advocate himself. By that, it is ore appropriate to call them as “partners” and not service-users (Henderson & Pochin, 2001).

The Need for the Code of Ethics in Advocacy As mentioned earlier, the main theme of advocacy lies on the idea that the advocate is doing his effort for the sake of another person. Hence it must be clear that the advocate is not acting for his own interests but for the betterment of the welfare of his client. This must be observed for the reason that advocacy would lose its essence if the object of advocacy is defeated by the idea that the advocate is only doing it for his own sake.

Moreover, advocacy is intended to create a very profound relationship among the advocates and the clients themselves. In the first place, there is a need to establish an open communication on the part of the client and the advocate in order to fully address the former’s grievances or demands (Henderson & Pochin, 2001). And in doing so, the advocate is required to have a moral sense so as to become aware of the feelings and other concerns of his client.

For example in a case of a rape-victim, the advocate should be careful enough not to make actions that are offending to his client. Though he is the latter’s advocate, it does not allow him to trespass his client’s personal concerns such as privacy. More often then not, the advocate and the client made an agreement in which the limitations of one another are set. Such agreement is made to make sure that the advocate would not go beyond limitations. In addition, John Weafer viewed advocacy as that which empowers those people who are not motivated or capable to speak for themselves.

Empowerment means that the advocate is supporting the welfare of his client to the point that he is fighting for what is the most advantageous thing for his client. The advocate stands for the need of the client. Hence it is needed that the advocate has the same view and principle regarding the case of his client in order to avoid future moral dilemmas that may impair the realization of a particular advocacy (Weafer, 2003). Also, Weafer argued that in advocacy, the advocate is making negotiations with the other side (other party) in behalf of a person who is socially marginalized.

The promotion of the welfare rights of those people who are left out (also known as the marginalized sector of the society) is the underlying principle behind the concept of advocacy (Weafer, 2003). It is to be noted that there are people who do not have access to certain information that has concern with their welfare. The task of an advocate is to make this information accessible and open to their clients so as to get their full reactions and demands. Thus, the code ethics that the advocate must follow includes that above all things, the advocate must maintain the same position as what his client has.

Secondly, the advocate must never use the need of the client as means for his own success or for his own interests but always treat such as the end (as how Kantian puts it). Next, the advocate must always seek the permission of his client for all the relevant things that concern his client before he uses it as one of his means to pursue the advocacy. Lastly, the advocate has a duty towards his client to inform him about the development and progress of the advocacy. Irish Report: Voluntary Hospice Movement in Ireland

The advocacy to increase the number of hospices in Ireland as well as to improve the facilities in established hospices has been the most current movement in Ireland. According to the report, the advocates of the hospice movement demand to increase the services rendered by the hospices as well as to advance the in-patient facilities (Hospice/Palliative Care in Ireland). Such is being raised by the advocates to ensure that ill-people would receive greater and better amount of treatment.

By such advocacy, the Irish government has started to give full attentions on the establishment of hospices all over the country as well as on the development of hospice services. Although the state has promised to allocate funds for the advocacy on hospices, the government is asking for a partnership with the volunteer bodies and organizations so as to maintain the monitoring and advancement of hospices. The advocacy has become an extensive campaign that necessitated the consideration of founding hospices in whole Ireland. Conclusion

To sum up, advocacy pertains to the act of supporting or doing something in behalf of others. The main core of the concept of advocacy revolves on the idea that it is done for the benefit of other not for own sake. Acting for the sake of other people requires the advocate to become morally aware of his actions and purposes in order to protect the interests and the original need of his client. The code of ethics mentioned in this paper will give moral standard on how an advocate shall act in the pursuit his objective – a particular advocacy.

Growing up , children are taught to respect those who are elder than them , emphasizing parents and grandparents. This is a fine moral value to instill on a child but once that child begins to age , he/she will begin to see the truth behind the lies. As people age their minds deteriorate leading to bad motor skills , forgetfulness and irrational thinking , causing society to view them as a crazy nuisance. Elderly people need some assistance with daily activities and health care from their families. The adult children of this elders often face a difficult challenge in helping their parents make the right choices.

The family is one of the most important providers for the elderly. Infact, the majority of caregivers for the elderly are often member of their own family , most often daughter or granddaughter. But sometimes family members of the elderly people ,who generally take care of them , get frustrated or angry and behave harshly with them , beat them. This leads to elderly abuse. Elderly abuse in our country is growing. Abusers of older adults are both male and female. Usually family members are often the abusers in the domestic surroundings. Researchers estimated two thirds of the elder abuse are family members.

The news which comes in the national news paper that elderly parents are being harassed, neglected, and even thrown out of the home, makes a citizen of India shameful and sad. This country was renowned for its good treatment to elderly as well as to the young since ages. The reason was the profound ethical and religious teaching which was prevalent in this country from ages. India being a land of multi lingual and multi religious back ground never one could have thought to see that elderly parents one day could be regarded as unwanted stranger in their own house.

But, from a decade or two this unnatural phenomena suddenly appears with such a magnitude that one find himself bewildered how to accept it. Unfortunately this is a real hard fact through which the nation is passing. According to a survey 40% senior citizen living with their families are facing “emotional and physical abuse. ” It is reported that one old grand mother is being thrown out in the garbage by her son and grand son where she ultimately died. India was land where elders were treated with respect and dignity.

Mother and father in a house were just like a king and queen where they were treated as a commander of the house not by force but by the way of love and affection which was flourishing in the house. How this sudden change in the attitude of son of the same soil has appeared so abruptly. It is not the soil which has changed but the air and atmosphere of the land has gradually infested with foreign culture and artificial light and glamour as projected through the television and electronic media which has eroded the Indian culture of patience, gratitude and sacrifice.

Values and Ethics: Above All Else Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss my personal values, compare and contrast those values against the NASW Code of Ethics, discuss the selection of a specific values clarification vignette, including reason for choosing, personal feelings, attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions, level of comfort regarding the client(s) involved, and actions to be taken to resolve conflicting personal values, and discuss the selection of a particular ethical dilemma, including ethical responsibilities and principles in conflict with dilemma, reasons for choosing, available options to address the concerns, the pros and cons of each option, guidelines and resources available to assist with resolving this dilemma and deciding on appropriate course of action, and what course of action is chosen. Values and Ethics: Above All Else

Three of my personal values include the following: honesty and integrity, never settling for less than one’s best through commitment to improving oneself, and to be accepting of other people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or culture. My family heavily influenced my personal values as they always taught me to be a free-thinker, open-minded, and to try to put myself in other’s shoes. They pushed me to be the best I could be at whatever I was doing, even when I thought I was already doing my best. They encouraged me to have friendships with people from all walks of life. I have friends of all ages, races, genders, and sexual orientation. I don’t limit myself to one particular group. My parents set examples for me in these values instead of just stating them. In other words, their words mirrored their actions.

My personal values conflict with the NASW Code of Ethics on the following levels: 1) Honest and integrity—As an individual who is devoted to building and maintaining a client’s trust in my professional knowledge and dependability, this value conflicts due to the fact agency policies, legal procedures, etc will inevitably place limitations on how I am able to provide services to my client. The ability to remain dedicated and loyal to my client while adhering to particular agency, state, and federal government laws will be a balancing act. There will be times when I have to choose laws over clients in cases where abiding by the law will betray my client and possibly destroy what trust he/she has placed in me.

It is my desire if/when this should ever happen, betraying my client due to requirement to adhere to the law will ultimately benefit the client more than maintaining complete confidentiality. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, “…social workers’ responsibility to the larger society or specific legal obligations may on limited occasions supersede the loyalty owed clients, and clients should be so advised” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008, 1. 01 Commitment To Clients). An example of this would be informing the law about child neglect or abuse during a counseling session with a client who tells me her child is being abused.

Additionally, “…the client’s right to confidentiality may be less compelling than the rights of other people who could be severely harmed or damaged by actions planned by the client and confided to the practitioner” (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, Gottfriend, & Larsen, 2006). 2) Never settling for less that one’s best: The hardest challenge for me is accepting my clients “where they are” because I am always wanting my clients to achieve the highest level of functioning and well-being as possible. If the client’s current stage or state in life is “where they are supposed to be”, then I have to ask the question, “Why are they being referred to me for assistance? ” In my personal life, I both desire and am always encouraging my friends and family to succeed in whatever they are doing.

It is difficult to see them struggle when I think there is a better life for them. I have to stop and remind myself what I think is better or best for them is not always appropriate nor what they want. To me, this is the hardest to accept. I have to be very mindful I don’t impose my own wishes and desires on my client while maintaining an encouraging and positive client/worker helping relationship, (National Association of Social Workers [NASW], 2008, 1. 02 Self Determination); 3) Accepting of other people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or culture: It is difficult for me to work with a client who is unwilling to accept help from someone based on race, gender, or culture: i. e. client refusing to work with an African-American social worker, a female social worker, a homosexual social worker, etc. In dealing with the geriatric population, I have encountered quite a bit of racism from my clients as most of them were raised during the turbulent years of the Civil Rights Movement. They have the mindset and use terminology that is very offensive to me. I have had clients tell me they don’t like the people who live in their neighborhood simply because they are not Caucasian. I also have clients who have told me they don’t think I can help them, and refer to me as “that little girl” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 1. 05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity).

My personal values compare with the NASW Code of Ethics on the following levels: 1) Honesty and Integrity: I am committed to representing the social work profession in an ethical, professional manner to the best of my ability. I am committed to remaining honest with my clients, my employers, and my colleagues. I embrace integrity by taking responsibility for my actions and providing my clients with the highest level of service available. Integrity, for all people, holds a variety of meanings and is enacted on different levels. For me, integrity means operating in ethical and highly conscientious levels even when no one is watching and no recognition is given. Social work is one of the professions where expectations from both clients and employers are high, financial compensation is low, and gratitude and appreciation is rarely given.

The professional must find their own avenue of appreciation through the realization that their actions can ultimately have a positive impact on the lives of those clients and their families long after the social worker has terminated their relationship (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 6. 01 Social Welfare). 2) Never settling for one’s best: As previously stated, I am always wanting better for my friends, family, and especially my clients. This motivates me to carefully examine every avenue for every possible resource available and utilize them to best facilitate my client’s ability to achieve their pre-determined goals. It can be said social workers often serve in the creative capacity when it comes to helping their client succeed. As economic times get harder and federal and state budges get tighter, social workers will have the increasingly daunting task of providing maximum services on a minimal budget.

I have a strong drive for my clients to succeed which serves as a catalyst in finding avenues of assistance. 3) Accepting of other people: We, as a nation, are known as the “Melting Pot of the World”. Thus, social workers will have clients from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Having this acceptance and being open-minded towards people whose sexual orientation, lifestyle, religious and ethnic beliefs do not fit one particular mold will be extremely beneficial to me as I continue to grow in my professional career. I will be better able to serve my clients to the best of my ability and limit the possibility of any biases I may have, both realized and unrealized, to effect the working/helping relationship between me and my client.

The vignette I chose to examine my personal and professional values against is vignette #1 concerning a home study with gay males that are interested in adoption. My reason behind choosing this vignette is the increase in media coverage of homosexual couples that are interested in adopting and the reactions from the public in regard. As stated by the NASW, “social workers’ social change efforts are focused primarily on issues of poverty, unemployment, discrimination, and other forms of social injustice” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 Value: Social Injustice). I would want to help this couple more than a heterosexual couple due to the discrimination that gay couples experience. I want to help oppressed individuals more and this makes me feel prideful to do so.

However, the NASW also states that “social workers strive to ensure access to needed information, services, and resources; equality of opportunity; and meaningful participation in decision making for all people” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 Value: Social Injustice). Due to this conflict, I would make every effort that every client receives equal service and I perform my job as professionally as I can. I have difficulty understanding other’s prejudices, and for this reason, I feel the need to over-compensate for those that have been discriminated against. I immediately felt sorry for this gay couple even though I had not met them yet.

As a human being and in accordance to the NASW Code of Ethics, it is my duty to respect the inherent dignity and worth of this client as a person (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 Value: Dignity and Worth of the Person). This value is further emphasized in Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills with the following passage: “All human beings deserve access to the resources they need to deal with life’s problems and to develop their potentialities” (Hepworth et. al, 2006). Additionally, the authors seek to advise the social worker to remain vigilant in terms of not allowing his or her personal biases to affect the helping relationship.

My preconceived beliefs include the thought that this gay couple had been discriminated against multiple times and would expect me to do the same. I also assumed this gay couple would fit best with a female child, thinking some homosexual males relate well with females. However, they are males, so would they relate better with a male child? These assumptions are just that: assumptions. Social workers should base practice on recognized knowledge, including empirically based knowledge, relevant to social work and social work ethics (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 4. 01c Competence). I am quick to extinguish any assumptions once they have run their course in my mind. I rarely embrace them; they are just merely a notion that passes through my brain.

I am uncomfortable with every client when I do the first home visit. I know the correct body language to show, verbal and nonverbal, so I am able to hide my uneasiness and build a rapport quickly. Once a relationship has started to develop with a client, I am more at ease in their presence and able to provide quality level of services for them. After establishing their needs and goals, I would seek any resources that could assist the couple with all needs identified and the process of adoption. Throughout the course of helping this couple, I would remind myself that they are not my only clients, and all of my clients need to be serviced equally.

The vignette I chose to discuss my ethical and principle conflicts is ethical dilemma #1 regarding the formation of a youth group in a state correctional facility. I chose this vignette because I have quite a bit of experience with youth and I am most comfortable with younger clients. Working with clients in a correctional facility is very appealing to me so this vignette caught my attention before the other ones had a chance. In this situation, I could share all information I learn in the group, share nothing I learn in the group, or disclose in the beginning the nature of confidentiality and decide if any references made in group need to be reported.

In deciding if any references in group should be reported, I would use the professional knowledge of my superiors and equals to assist me in this judgment. By sharing all information I learn in the youth group, I would not miss any important information pertaining to my clients. Due to confidentiality concerns, I would only share the information with those the client had consented and those I had to share with. This course of action would demonstrate loyalty to my company as well as profession. The cons of the following options are as follows: 1) Having a meeting between intern and agency supervisor may cause feelings of resentment, confusion, and distrust.

The intern may feel the agency supervisor thinks they are inexperienced and incapable of handling the job; 2) Having a meeting between the intern and the field instructor may cause the intern to feel he/she is unsuccessful in conflict resolution and may also cause them to feel the field instructor cannot trust them to perform their job duties; 3) Coordinating a meeting among the field instructor, the student intern, and the agency supervisor may cause to promote feelings of animosity, biases, etc for each party involved. The agency supervisor may feel threatened especially when regarding his/her agency’s policies and their stance on them. The field instructor may feel that the agency is being unrealistic in terms of its expectations and requirements for student interns.

The student intern may feel caught in the middle and that he/she is unable to demonstrate their capacity for effective conflict resolution. 4) By requesting a transfer to another department, the student may not be able to experience what the field instructor had originally intended. 5) In the event that the parties are not able to come to a reasonable solution, then the student must find an alternative placement to complete field. This may leave the student intern confused, doubting their professional abilities, and the unwillingness to speak up if similar problems arise at their new location of internship. The resources that exist to help me resolve this ethical dilemma include my field instructor, my agency supervisor, the NASW Code of Ethics, and my own personal convictions.

The NASW Code of Ethics states, “Social workers who function as educators or field instructors for students should take reasonable steps to ensure that clients are routinely informed when services are being provided by students”. Additionally, the Code of Ethics refers to the fact reasonable accommodations should be taken by each party to ensure that this occurs: “Social work administrators should take reasonable steps to ensure that the working environment for which they are responsible is consistent with and encourages compliance with the NASW Code of Ethics” (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 3. 02 Education and Training). The responsibility of the student intern being able to operate professionally within an organization and to exhibit their learned skill set belongs to both the administrator of the desired agency as well as the field instructor.

The student intern has a responsibility to ensure the agency supervisor is aware of the intern’s obligations to the NASW COE. Furthermore, he/she is responsible for ensuring agency practices do not hinder or interfere with their obligations in accordance to it (National Association of Social Workers [NASW] 2008 3. 09 Commitment to Employers). It would be my choice to utilize the Code of Ethics, hold consultations with my agency supervisor and field instructor, and my own professional experience to make an informed decision as to remain with the agency or not. It would also be my desire the agency, my field instructor, and I could work to an agreeable solution and avoid having to seek alternative placement elsewhere.

If we are unable to achieve this, I would exit the agency on a positive note and seek to apply my skill set and gain additional experience at a different agency. Above all, I would always present and interact on a professional manner as well as remember to always have a second plan in place. Hepworth, D. H, Rooney, R. H. Rooney, G. D, Gottfried-Strom, K. , Larsen, J. A. (2006). Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills (7th) Belmont, CA: Thomson Higher Education. 54,55,57,69. National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Retrieved June 30, 2012 from http://www. socialworkers. org/pubs/Code/code. asp Perry, Dr. Tonya. Values & Ethics In Social Work Practice [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Note Handouts. June 30, 2012.

Marxist speaks about the unequal distribution of power and wealth and resources in a society. They believe the ones with the resources in a society. They believe that the ones with the resources are the ones oppressing those without those resources. Marxist links their theory to deviance by saying because some have access to fewer resources in the Capitalist society they are seen as more likely to commit crime. Marxist speaks about the upper classes using their power influence and their wealth to hide their crimes and deviant behaviours.

They buy their way out of trouble by hiring attorneys and using bribes. Marxist thought to argue that deviance is deliberately chosen and often political in nature. They rejected the idea that deviance is ‘determined’ by factors such as biology, personality, anomie, social disorganization or labels. Rather they argued, individuals actively choose to engage in deviant behaviour respond to the inequalities of the capitalist system. Because this is so, they set up a system where there is something such as social control agents these are they who administer the response to deviance such as police and the army.

Although the oppressed groups in society (proletariat) may behave or act deviant, whether or not they do they are more likely to be labelled deviant. For instance in Trinidad there is some communities that are seen as or labelled as deviant places because of its crime rate. Although, not everyone living there are criminals are categorized or group together with that so called deviant community. For instance someone who lives in Lavantille may go to an interview has all the qualifications but because he/ she resides there they may not be ‘‘qualified’’ for the job.

The other social classes are not crime-free, the ruling groups in society develop means and mechanisms to protect their interest according to conflict theorist who argue that laws are created protect and sustain the capitalist. Although the public seems to think that the lower classes are more likely commit crime, white-collar workers also commit many crimes. White collar criminal activity in Trinidad and Tobago, though hardly ever reported is not un-noticed. It exists at various levels of society both in the public and private sector.

However, the merits or demerits of any allegation of wrongdoings made are hardly ever thoroughly investigated, and almost never comes before a criminal court. It is instead ascribed to poor corporate governance rather than deliberate criminal acts. The police or some rather of this small Caribbean island of Trinidad are very corrupt they will commit wrongful doings of all kind and yet still walk freely like it is normal. It is indeed true that they are protected by their own kind.