ETHICAL ASPECTS OF SOCIAL WORK IN MODERN SOCIETY

The basic principle for the exercise of professional social work is the respect for human rights and social justice. The social worker's activity is associated with high expectations on the part of society, although the moral standards of society are typically on a lower level. The legislative environment or norms governing the decisions of social workers are determined by legislation as well as generally applicable ethical norms. In practice, this creates ethical dilemmas consisting in the acceptance of a hierarchy or priorities of individual norms, whereas the adopted and applied values and norms can be counterproductive. This situation may cause a conflict between professional ethics and valid social norms. The following article tackles the issues in social work arising from the stereotypes surviving in society and a lack of competence of many social workers.