Social justice is the fair and just relation between individuals and society, where all members of society are treated equally and with respect. According to Walters (2019), it is based on the principles of human rights, equality, and solidarity to ensure equal distribution of wealth and opportunities for everyone. Social justice seeks to address social inequality, oppression, and marginalization, ultimately striving for a more equitable and just society. The pursuit of social justice is mainly based on creating an equitable and just society where everyone can thrive despite their identity or background.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics is the standard of conduct for social workers in the United States. The Code provides a structure for understanding social workers’ ethical obligations and acts as a guide for making ethical decisions in social work (National Association of Social Workers, 2021). Its purpose is to assist social workers in recognizing pertinent concerns when professional responsibilities clash or moral complexities occur. The NASW Code of Ethics is divided into four sections: Preamble, Ethical Principles, Ethical Standards, and Ethical Decision-Making. It also includes a section on Cultural Competence, which encourages social workers to be aware of and sensitive to the cultural backgrounds of clients, colleagues, and communities.
The National Social Workers’ Code of Ethics requires social workers to promote social justice and social change to enhance the quality of life for all individuals. This includes advocating for clients at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels (Jansson, 2019). At the micro level, the NASW Code of Ethics encourages social workers to advocate for the needs and rights of individuals, families, and small groups. This includes providing resources and support for individuals, helping to recognize and eliminate any obstacles to accessing services and supports, and advocating for policies that ensure the rights of all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, or other factors.
The mezzo-level advocacy policy encourages social workers to advocate for the needs of small groups, organizations, or communities. This can be done by helping to create or strengthen social policy and services that benefit them. This could include advocating for changes in policies and procedures, providing education and training on topics relevant to social work, or collaborating with organizations and other stakeholders to create and implement new initiatives and programs. For instance, social workers could advocate for more equitable access to the group’s housing, healthcare, education, or other essential services.
At the macro level, the Code encourages social workers to advocate at the highest levels of government and policy-making. This consists of activities such as advocating for social justice and economic policies that benefit marginalized and vulnerable populations. It also involves advocating for legislation that supports the vulnerable population, working with elected officials to implement policies that benefit the population, and advocating for changes within the system that will benefit the population. Social workers could engage in advocacy activities such as advocating for increased access to mental health services, increased funding for social services programs, or changes in public policies that address poverty and discrimination.
The National Social Workers’ Code of Ethics emphasizes the need for social workers to be engaged in advocacy at all levels of practice, including micro, mezzo, and macro. According to Jansson (2019), social workers must know the various forms of advocacy available and how they can best support vulnerable populations. By understanding the various advocacy strategies, social workers can better assist their clients in advocating for their rights, safety, and well-being. Additionally, this Code encourages social workers to work with other professionals, such as policymakers, to create and implement effective policies that promote the well-being of vulnerable populations. By engaging in advocacy at all levels, social workers can help to create a more equitable society for vulnerable populations.
The Eight Policy Sectors are important for social workers to think through when engaging with a vulnerable population and advocating for social change. These sectors include economic, education, health, housing, criminal justice, social welfare, civil rights, and international affairs (Jansson, 2019). Social workers can use the Eight Policy sectors to advocate for vulnerable populations by influencing the development of policy initiatives and advocating for the implementation of policy initiatives designed to improve people’s lives within their clientele. For example, they can use the health policy sector to advocate for increased access to healthcare services, improved healthcare policies, and increased funding for healthcare services.
They can also leverage the economic policy sector to advocate for economic initiatives that provide job training and job opportunities for their clients, financial assistance, and other forms of support. Social workers can also use the education policy sector to advocate for reforms that promote access to quality education and increased funding for educational resources and materials. Additionally, they can use the housing policy sector to advocate for developing safe and affordable housing and increased funding for housing programs. Finally, social workers can use the social welfare policy sector to advocate for increased funding for social welfare programs and initiatives that support vulnerable populations.
The National Social Workers Code of Ethics is an essential instrument for those in social services interacting with people in vulnerable situations. It stipulates the expected ethical standards of professional conduct, the dedication to social justice, and how to apply these principles in practice. Social justice is a fundamental part of the job of human service professionals and is the foundation of their efforts. By utilizing the National Social Workers’ Code of Ethics and engaging with vulnerable populations, human service professionals can help to create a more equitable and just world.
References
Jansson, B. S. (2019). Social welfare policy and advocacy: Advancing social justice through eight policy sectors. SAGE Publications.
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Code of Ethics. National Association of Social Workers. Web.
Walters, T. (2019). Social Justice. Investopedia. Web.