Situational ethics and the professionalization of social education

Abstract

Most ethical considerations related to the activities of the professions, including that of social education, have been put forward using a set of professional ethics that are frequently associated with principles and imperatives that aspire to be universal but have little connection to real and specific situations. In this paper, we offer an interpretation of the ethics associated with the profession of social educator from positions that are less transcendent, more immanent. Such an interpretation is based on and built from professional practice, from actual, relational situations that social educators have experienced in the real contexts in which they work. Following a discussion on the usefulness of reflecting about the ethical dimensions of educational activity, we look at situations in which social educators, immersed in relationships, put their skills and competencies to use, and we propose some guidelines for an ethical practice of the educational relationships in this field.

Keywords::

• social education
• relational professions
• professionalism
• educational relationship
• ethical practice
• situational ethics

Acknowledgements

Finalization of this paper has been accomplished throughout a stay of Mariano Sánchez with the Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education (Pennsylvania State University, USA). This stay has been funded under the framework of the Sabbaticals program held by the University of Granada's Vice-Provost Office for Scientific Policy and Research. Translation of this paper into English has been partially possible through financial support from the Department of Sociology in the University of Granada, Spain.

Disclosure statement: This paper's authors acknowledge no financial interest or benefit whatsoever arising from the direct applications of their research.

Notes

^1. Email: [email protected]

^2. Email: [email protected]