Experiential Exercise 3
Experiential Exercise 3-Answer all questions on pages 67-68
1. Moral versus Ethical Decision Making: What is the difference between “moral decision making” and “ethical decision making?” Why do social workers need to know about both types of decisions making?
Moral decisions are processes that individuals use to determine what the right action is to take in specific situations. Ethical decision making is used by specific groups to determine the right and wrong behaviors for their role (Barsky 2010). We as social workers need to know about both types because when we engage in ethical decision making we have to have our guard up against personal factors and moral decisions that could interfere with the ability to serve the client efficiently.
2. Factors affecting Moral Choices: For each of the following scenarios, explain how biological, psychological, and social, or spiritual factors may be affecting the clients moral decision- making process:
a.)Social factors are affecting Colin’s moral decision making process. He is modeling his behavior toward his Vietnamese classmate after what he sees with his dad and his dislike of immigrants. Kids are more prone to observational learning which he is clearly what is happening in this scenario.
b.)Biological factors are contributing to Charlotte’s decision. Her decision making is based on her survival instinct. She seems to be at the point to try anything and that is why she has put an ad for a kidney even though it is illegal. She knows that this is wrong to do, but she also desperately wants a kidney so she can live and that is why she made an illegal decision that she may not otherwise ever do.
c.)Spiritual factors are affecting Clara’s moral decision making process. Her religious community is very relevant in her life and pushed her to marry when she really didn't want to. Now she is in this loveless marriage but divorcing would be considered immoral within her religion. If it wasn't for the religious factors surrounding her than she wouldn't feel obligated to live an unhappy life.
d.) I believe psychological factors are affecting Chris' decision. He has down syndrome and has always been told what to do by his parents so he doesn't comprehend that them telling him to have a vasectomy is any different. He trusts his parents decisions and that is more than likely why he doesn't question it.
3. Assessing Attitudinal Factors: Identify your attitudes in relation to each of the following issues. Assess the strength of your attitudes in relation to extremity, importance, and centrality.
a.)Should the Veterans Administration (and government funds) be used to pay for transgender veterans to have sex-reassignment surgery?
My attitude toward this issue is that I do believe that people can be born a certain gender, but their body does not reflect the gender they identify with. So I think when people go to the extreme of having sex-reassignment surgery it is because they were born to a body that does not fit their gender, so I think this should be allowed. I presume I would be an extremist on this issue, because no one could really make me think otherwise. This issue does not affect me personally and I don’t identify with this group, but I do believe my attitude reflects that it is ok for government funds to be used to pay for these type of surgeries.
b.) Should able-bodied people on welfare be required to work in order to collect their welfare benefits?
I do think people should have to work in order to collect their benefits if they are able to. I think I have seen so many people take advantage of the system and want to get a free ride that it sometimes gives me a negative view on this issue. I do believe that welfare is a wonderful system when used properly. Unfortunately people take advantage of it and that is where my criticism of it comes from. It should be used for people who need it and for those who may have run into hard times and are trying to get back on their feet. It should not be expected and become a way of life. So it should be based on each individual case and the situation that the client is.
c.)Should the United States be responsible for giving asylum or safe haven to the majority of the refugees that are displaced due to a war that the United States has declared on another country?
I hold a neutral position on this issue. I really don’t have an opinion because honestly I don’t have enough information to make a stand on this issue.
4. Moral-Ethical Conflicts: For each of the following cases, identify the conflicts between the social workers moral convictions and ethical obligations.
a.) This would clearly violate the code of ethics. Even though Sripada believes in independence and free will, she would still be violating code 1.06 Conflicts of Interest which states that social workers should not take advantage of any professional relationship ( National Association of Social Workers, 2008).With Fritz being her field instructor would put both of their jobs and careers in jeopardy if they were to take it any further.
b.) I believe this situation is a breach of confidentially. If she is taking her information from her clients and writing about it in a magazine doesn't seem like something a professional should do. I guess where the conflict arises is if the clients authorize the social worker to do it but obviously not using their names. Would this still be a breach of confidentially? I also think as a social worker Sascha shouldn’t have the attitude of “it’s a free country.” She should know that even though it is a democratic society, there is still protocol to ensure the privacy of her clients and social workers need to work with integrity. Even though she thinks it’s a good decision for her magazine, it’s not a good ethical decision as a social worker.
c.)Ethically this would be wrong for Selwyn to just decide to take a couple weeks off without notice for this reason. Even though Selwyn believes this to be for a good reason and a chance to change his life and donate to the nursing home. However his obligation would be his job and if his boss says no then he needs to obey him if he wants to keep his job. This doesn't seem like a god ethical or moral decision. Not only will it affect his job, the offer could possibly be a hoax, so he could lose his job and not even win anything after all.
5. Context of Moral Decision
a.)Selling psychoactive drugs. It would be immoral for a well known drug dealer to sell crack to a 18 year old crack head. A moral social context would be if a group of girlfriends went out to dinner and had some cocktails to celebrate a birthday. Even though many don’t think of alcohol as a drug, it is considered a psychoactive drug and many don’t think twice about having a drink with friends and family.
b.)Lying. A situation where lying would be considered immoral would be if a husband has been lying to his wife about having an affair. A social context where it would be considered moral to lie is if you were having a surprise birthday party for your spouse, so you had to lie to them about where you are going, what you went to the store for, etc.
c.)Voting in presidential elections. It is considered moral to vote in the elections held in our country. Every four years it is our obligation to go vote. A social context where this would be immoral is in other countries such as Saudi Arabia where women cannot vote and also cannot run for office.
Barsky, A.E. (2010). Ethics and values in social work. New York: Oxford University Press.
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). NASW code of ethics. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://ww.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp.
1. Moral versus Ethical Decision Making: What is the difference between “moral decision making” and “ethical decision making?” Why do social workers need to know about both types of decisions making?
Moral decisions are processes that individuals use to determine what the right action is to take in specific situations. Ethical decision making is used by specific groups to determine the right and wrong behaviors for their role (Barsky 2010). We as social workers need to know about both types because when we engage in ethical decision making we have to have our guard up against personal factors and moral decisions that could interfere with the ability to serve the client efficiently.
2. Factors affecting Moral Choices: For each of the following scenarios, explain how biological, psychological, and social, or spiritual factors may be affecting the clients moral decision- making process:
a.)Social factors are affecting Colin’s moral decision making process. He is modeling his behavior toward his Vietnamese classmate after what he sees with his dad and his dislike of immigrants. Kids are more prone to observational learning which he is clearly what is happening in this scenario.
b.)Biological factors are contributing to Charlotte’s decision. Her decision making is based on her survival instinct. She seems to be at the point to try anything and that is why she has put an ad for a kidney even though it is illegal. She knows that this is wrong to do, but she also desperately wants a kidney so she can live and that is why she made an illegal decision that she may not otherwise ever do.
c.)Spiritual factors are affecting Clara’s moral decision making process. Her religious community is very relevant in her life and pushed her to marry when she really didn't want to. Now she is in this loveless marriage but divorcing would be considered immoral within her religion. If it wasn't for the religious factors surrounding her than she wouldn't feel obligated to live an unhappy life.
d.) I believe psychological factors are affecting Chris' decision. He has down syndrome and has always been told what to do by his parents so he doesn't comprehend that them telling him to have a vasectomy is any different. He trusts his parents decisions and that is more than likely why he doesn't question it.
3. Assessing Attitudinal Factors: Identify your attitudes in relation to each of the following issues. Assess the strength of your attitudes in relation to extremity, importance, and centrality.
a.)Should the Veterans Administration (and government funds) be used to pay for transgender veterans to have sex-reassignment surgery?
My attitude toward this issue is that I do believe that people can be born a certain gender, but their body does not reflect the gender they identify with. So I think when people go to the extreme of having sex-reassignment surgery it is because they were born to a body that does not fit their gender, so I think this should be allowed. I presume I would be an extremist on this issue, because no one could really make me think otherwise. This issue does not affect me personally and I don’t identify with this group, but I do believe my attitude reflects that it is ok for government funds to be used to pay for these type of surgeries.
b.) Should able-bodied people on welfare be required to work in order to collect their welfare benefits?
I do think people should have to work in order to collect their benefits if they are able to. I think I have seen so many people take advantage of the system and want to get a free ride that it sometimes gives me a negative view on this issue. I do believe that welfare is a wonderful system when used properly. Unfortunately people take advantage of it and that is where my criticism of it comes from. It should be used for people who need it and for those who may have run into hard times and are trying to get back on their feet. It should not be expected and become a way of life. So it should be based on each individual case and the situation that the client is.
c.)Should the United States be responsible for giving asylum or safe haven to the majority of the refugees that are displaced due to a war that the United States has declared on another country?
I hold a neutral position on this issue. I really don’t have an opinion because honestly I don’t have enough information to make a stand on this issue.
4. Moral-Ethical Conflicts: For each of the following cases, identify the conflicts between the social workers moral convictions and ethical obligations.
a.) This would clearly violate the code of ethics. Even though Sripada believes in independence and free will, she would still be violating code 1.06 Conflicts of Interest which states that social workers should not take advantage of any professional relationship ( National Association of Social Workers, 2008).With Fritz being her field instructor would put both of their jobs and careers in jeopardy if they were to take it any further.
b.) I believe this situation is a breach of confidentially. If she is taking her information from her clients and writing about it in a magazine doesn't seem like something a professional should do. I guess where the conflict arises is if the clients authorize the social worker to do it but obviously not using their names. Would this still be a breach of confidentially? I also think as a social worker Sascha shouldn’t have the attitude of “it’s a free country.” She should know that even though it is a democratic society, there is still protocol to ensure the privacy of her clients and social workers need to work with integrity. Even though she thinks it’s a good decision for her magazine, it’s not a good ethical decision as a social worker.
c.)Ethically this would be wrong for Selwyn to just decide to take a couple weeks off without notice for this reason. Even though Selwyn believes this to be for a good reason and a chance to change his life and donate to the nursing home. However his obligation would be his job and if his boss says no then he needs to obey him if he wants to keep his job. This doesn't seem like a god ethical or moral decision. Not only will it affect his job, the offer could possibly be a hoax, so he could lose his job and not even win anything after all.
5. Context of Moral Decision
a.)Selling psychoactive drugs. It would be immoral for a well known drug dealer to sell crack to a 18 year old crack head. A moral social context would be if a group of girlfriends went out to dinner and had some cocktails to celebrate a birthday. Even though many don’t think of alcohol as a drug, it is considered a psychoactive drug and many don’t think twice about having a drink with friends and family.
b.)Lying. A situation where lying would be considered immoral would be if a husband has been lying to his wife about having an affair. A social context where it would be considered moral to lie is if you were having a surprise birthday party for your spouse, so you had to lie to them about where you are going, what you went to the store for, etc.
c.)Voting in presidential elections. It is considered moral to vote in the elections held in our country. Every four years it is our obligation to go vote. A social context where this would be immoral is in other countries such as Saudi Arabia where women cannot vote and also cannot run for office.
Barsky, A.E. (2010). Ethics and values in social work. New York: Oxford University Press.
National Association of Social Workers. (2008). NASW code of ethics. Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://ww.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp.