Professional Values and Ethics in Social Work: Reconsidering Postmodernism?

Abstract

The ‘postmodern turn’ in social theory has raised questions for understanding the social world. The implications of these debates for social work values and ethics are the central focus of this article. The implications of a postmodern view of social work are examined and compared with criticisms of postmodern theory. It is argued that a critical consideration of postmodern insights may assist social work to examine the diverse, provisional and uncertain nature of all aspects of our world, including knowledge and skills, values and ethics. Such an approach strengthens the case for a discursive model of ethics.