Polly Chester

Moral outrage: social workers in the Third Space

ABSTRACT Injustice is at odds with social works mandate to promote social justice, human rights and ethical responsibility. In nations such as the UK, Australia and the USA, ideologies of the far right exert strong influences on social policy. In this critical commentary, we argue that shifts from welfare states to privatisation, the return of the deserving and undeserving as ‘strivers’ and ‘shrivers’, ‘lifters’ and ‘leaners’, and policies that violate the human rights of refugees and other disenfranchised groups have activated moral outrage within the social work profession. Moral distress, ethical responsibilities and, for some, fears of complicity when unjust policies become practice, suggest that a moral response is required. A new form of online activism in a Third Space has emerged that juxtaposes traditional social work activism in ways that are responsive to social works moral imperatives, and is a panacea for moral outrage within a global context. Such actions pose ethical complexities and are not without risk. Stéphane Hessel offers a framework to understand how peaceful civil disobedience and radical approaches are legitimate expressions of moral outrage that transcend indifference and despair. We explore the new social work activism emerging in the Third Space drawing from Hessels philosophies.

Utilizing an Autoethnographic Case Study Approach to Explore Patient-Centered Care and Its Principles in an Oncology and Palliative Care Setting

In this article, an autoethnographic case study approach is used to explore the first author’s experience with both oncology and palliative care services. Connections are made to the literature, wi...

Navigating Ethical Challenges in Social Media: Social Work Student and Practitioner Perspectives

ABSTRACT The portable, accessible nature of technology affords social workers opportunities to venture outside traditional service contexts by engaging in the virtual realm. This qualitative article uses two small-scale exploratory case studies to investigate the concept of ethical challenges in online peer networking and blogging by a social work student and social work practitioner. The article seeks to address the opportunities for and complexities of navigating technology and social media, while also emphasising the need for social workers to acquire a range of skills and competencies, and use well-established frameworks to engage in ethical online practice.