Oppression and professional ethics

ABSTRACT

This paper will suggest some key elements needed to adequately ground a concept of oppression relevant to the ethics of the social professions¹

1. The ‘social professions’ is a useful phrase employed by Sarah Banks (2004) and includes social work, community and youth work, and other professions where human services are offered.

, and demonstrate how a coherent account of such a concept can be offered, drawing on recent work in social, moral and political philosophy: an account that both supports and challenges the social professional. The ethical commitment of social professionals in many countries to an ‘anti-oppressive’ approach to their work has not always been well understood by those who have supported the idea, or by those critical of it. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the understanding and development of anti-oppressive values and practice in the social professions through a review of recent work relevant to the concept of oppression. It argues that a substantial, critical concept of oppression should underpin any social professional ethics.

KEYWORDS:

• Oppression
• anti-oppressive values
• inequality
• needs
• professional ethics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Derek Clifford is a former Reader in Social Work at Liverpool John Moores University, where he was also an equal opportunities organiser, and has lectured in philosophy in Australia and the West Indies. He was employed for a decade as a social work practitioner in the North of England, mainly in child care. He is currently a retired, white, older male and a founding co-editor of Ethics and Social Welfare, 6 Pine Close, Marple, Stockport SK6 7QU. Email: [email protected]

Notes

1. The ‘social professions’ is a useful phrase employed by Sarah Banks (2004) and includes social work, community and youth work, and other professions where human services are offered.