Ethics, Politics and the Social Professions: Reading Iris Marion Young

Abstract

This paper seeks to describe and evaluate the work of the late Iris Marion Young as a critical reference point for values and ethics in the social professions. Her credentials are both experiential and theoretical, having studied analytical then postmodern and phenomenological thought, publishing a series of influential books on political and ethical concepts from a critical feminist position. Her theory and practice were closely related: she actively campaigned for feminist and related social causes for many years. The aim is to provide a broad review of her work, with special reference to aspects particularly relevant to the social professions, and some discussion of implications for practice. It is not the intention to set out a systematic framework of concepts (something she would not necessarily have aimed at herself) but to suggest the fruitfulness of some of her ideas, particularly those relevant to social professionals, and encourage the reader to go back to the original work.

Keywords:

• Ethics
• Social Professions
• Iris Marion Young

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Derek Clifford

Derek Clifford was formerly Reader in Social Work at Liverpool John Moores University, UK