Anti-Oppressive Ethics and Values in Social Work

This book explains the importance of using an anti-oppressive approach to understanding ethics and values in social work. It argues that an anti-oppressive approach is an intrinsic element of effective professional practice, not an optional extra. Offering an original framework and making clear the connections to good practice throughout, the authors draw on a range of classical and contemporary ethical theory, including: ■ the classic theories of Kant, Mill and Rawls ■ recent writing on virtue theory and postmodernist ethics ■ recent feminist ethical theory Numerous case examples are used to illustrate how anti-oppressive values apply to a range of ethical perspectives. These examples are systematically discussed in the text and readers are invited to consider their own position in relation to them. Guidance on further reading is provided throughout. This is an important text for students taking courses on social work ethics and values at advanced undergraduate level and beyond.