9 Policy work and the ethics of obedience and resistance: perspectives from Britain and beyond
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Tony Evans
Abstract
In this chapter, I will explore core tensions for social workers underlying their roles as policy implementers in welfare agencies, and consider the ethical questions this tension raises in implementation of or resistance to policies with which they don’t agree. I will look at two ethical hunches that seem to swirl-around in this area. First is the idea that professionals — like all other public servants — must follow policies and procedures because they should respect the democratic legitimacy of policy. The second intuition is that professionals should follow their own commitments, act autonomously and disregard policies with which they disagree. Both intuitions have something important to say, but neither alone can provide a satisfactory account. The answer seems to lie in the relationship between the two in an area where one is often faced with choosing the least worst option — an area in which ideals can feel challenging, energising and distressing.
Abstract
In this chapter, I will explore core tensions for social workers underlying their roles as policy implementers in welfare agencies, and consider the ethical questions this tension raises in implementation of or resistance to policies with which they don’t agree. I will look at two ethical hunches that seem to swirl-around in this area. First is the idea that professionals — like all other public servants — must follow policies and procedures because they should respect the democratic legitimacy of policy. The second intuition is that professionals should follow their own commitments, act autonomously and disregard policies with which they disagree. Both intuitions have something important to say, but neither alone can provide a satisfactory account. The answer seems to lie in the relationship between the two in an area where one is often faced with choosing the least worst option — an area in which ideals can feel challenging, energising and distressing.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xvii
- Introduction: social work and the making of social policy 1
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Social work, problem definition and agenda setting
- Social work as policy innovator: challenges and possibilities in the UK 21
- Social work, problem definition and policy change in the US: the case of sex-trafficked youth 37
- The voices of Italian social workers: from a pilot anti-poverty intervention to a national policy 53
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Social work interests in policy formulation and decision making
- Social reform in the US: lessons from the Progressive Era 71
- Social work academia and social policy in Israel: on the role of social work academics in the policy process 89
- Social workers’ collective policy practice in times of austerity: Italy and Spain compared 105
- Social policy and welfare movements ‘from below’: the Social Work Action Network (SWAN) in the UK 121
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Social work and implementation
- Policy work and the ethics of obedience and resistance: perspectives from Britain and beyond 139
- Systemic barriers to effective implementation of child protection reform in Israel 155
- Social workers implementing social assistance in Spain: reshaping poverty in a familialistic welfare state 169
- Layering, social risks and manufactured uncertainties in social work in Poland 185
- ‘A little more humanity’: placement officers in Germany between social work and social policy 201
- Conclusion: social work and the making of social policy – lessons learned 217
- Index 229
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures and tables vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Acknowledgements xvii
- Introduction: social work and the making of social policy 1
-
Social work, problem definition and agenda setting
- Social work as policy innovator: challenges and possibilities in the UK 21
- Social work, problem definition and policy change in the US: the case of sex-trafficked youth 37
- The voices of Italian social workers: from a pilot anti-poverty intervention to a national policy 53
-
Social work interests in policy formulation and decision making
- Social reform in the US: lessons from the Progressive Era 71
- Social work academia and social policy in Israel: on the role of social work academics in the policy process 89
- Social workers’ collective policy practice in times of austerity: Italy and Spain compared 105
- Social policy and welfare movements ‘from below’: the Social Work Action Network (SWAN) in the UK 121
-
Social work and implementation
- Policy work and the ethics of obedience and resistance: perspectives from Britain and beyond 139
- Systemic barriers to effective implementation of child protection reform in Israel 155
- Social workers implementing social assistance in Spain: reshaping poverty in a familialistic welfare state 169
- Layering, social risks and manufactured uncertainties in social work in Poland 185
- ‘A little more humanity’: placement officers in Germany between social work and social policy 201
- Conclusion: social work and the making of social policy – lessons learned 217
- Index 229
