The Cultivation of Moral Character: A Buddhist Challenge to Social Workers

Abstract

This article uses core features of Buddhism and virtue ethics to argue that a person's moral character is a necessary and underestimated competence in contemporary social work. The concept of moral character is used partly to challenge contemporary discourses of the self, which contribute to presenting social workers as either vulnerable or detached. Aspects of Buddhism and virtue ethics are used to challenge a frequently occurring concept of the personal in social work. The article develops the concept of personal morality as a capacity beyond emotional impulses in micro-level relational work with clients. Instead, emphasis is placed on the necessity of selfless compassion and moral concern with social defects in society. The article also argues that the concept of moral character is essential for critical investigations of the duties that govern social workers today and calls attention to the necessity for moral deliberation concerning welfare goals and procedures.

Keywords:

• Buddhism in Social Work
• Virtue Ethics and Social Work
• Moral Character
• Social Work Education
• Emotional Problems in Social Work

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the social work students who participated in my PhD research, some of whom are quoted in this article, and to two anonymous referees for very constructive comments that have helped me to develop this article. I would also like to give credit to Varun Vidyarthi, head of the Manavodaya Institute in Lucknow, who enlightened me on the connection between personal values and social commitment, and to my colleague Anne Bregnballe who has made significant contributions to the structure of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bjarne Øvrelid

Bjarne Øvrelid is Associate Professor and PhD scholar at Lillehammer University College, Norway. He has published books and articles on issues concerning welfare and social work