Deck 9: Social Justice, Limited Resources, and Advocacy

Question 1

The United States spends more than twice as much on the needs of children than on the needs of the elderly.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The most needy and most vulnerable groups of people should receive a greater share of resources and more services in order to obtain fair opportunities.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Children of color and their families experience better outcomes and receive more services than their Caucasian counterparts in the child welfare system.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Ethics demands equal allocation of resources in all situations.

Question 5

Equality is defined as everyone having an equal right to secure resources and an equal duty to carry the burdens of society.

Question 6

Social workers are obligated to eliminate discrimination by:

A)Exposing it
B)Ignoring it
C)Advocating
D)All of the above

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT considered advocacy as whistle-blowing?

A)Protecting clients from abuse by relatives
B)Protecting clients from bill collectors
C)Attempting to protect social workers from unwarranted vindictive retribution by other employees or administrators
D)Protecting patients from abuse by staff members

Question 8

To be an advocate and to engage in advocacy is to:

A)Adopt a particular stance about an issue of concern
B)Advance a cause
C)Attempt to produce a result in behalf of a person, group, or cause
D)All of the above

Question 9

Limited resources is a concept that can mean many different things, such as:

A)Available resources are used elsewhere
B)Agency priorities have changed
C)Legislative commitments change
D)All of the above

Question 10

Social workers should work to eliminate discrimination because

A)Discrimination is unethical.
B)Discrimination makes it difficult to achieve social work's goal of equal access.
C)Discrimination creates additional social problems.
D)A and C
E)All of the above

Question 11

On a mezzo level, social workers should help a client obtain needed resources.

Question 12

Ethical relativists argue that the needs of the elderly should take precedence over that of the young.

Question 13

Discrimination does not exist in the provision of health, mental health, and child welfare services.

Question 14

Equity can be defined as fairness.

Question 15

On a class level, social workers should advocate for societal and social policy reform.

Question 16

Gay men and lesbians often encounter legal or other barriers when they attempt to adopt children.

Question 17

Discrimination can be the result of:

A)Pre-judging others on the basis of unproven assumptions about individuals and groups, and pre-existing feelings and attitudes unrelated to the actual persons
B)Never having met someone from a particular "minority" group before
C)The government telling members of society how to behave around certain groups of people and what to think about such people
D)All of the above

Question 18

An ethical dilemma occurs when available resources are limited and choices have to be made about who will receive services.

Question 19

Discrimination in society and the profession makes it difficult to achieve social work's goals and ethical aims--of equal access for the fulfillment of individuals and the society.

Question 20

Social workers are moral agents who have a responsibility to influence organizations and communities.

Question 21

Discuss some of the ethical implications and possible repercussions of reporting on a superior or organization's misconduct (whistle blowing).

Question 22

Discuss how limited resources pose ethical dilemmas in social work practice.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT a reason why members of minority groups suffer disproportionately from mental illness?

A)They often lack access to services
B)They receive lower quality care
C)They are less likely to seek help when in distress.
D)They have a genetic predisposition for mental illness

Question 24

Discuss why the social work profession needs to advocate more for the removal of discrimination from society.

Question 25

Have the class divide up into groups and discuss racism in the current Iraq War, and what a social worker's role should be in eliminating discrimination.

Question 26

Which ethical principles should be considered in deciding how to allocate limited resources.
Discussion Topics:

Question 27

Describe the role of advocacy for a social worker in regards to equality, inequality, and limited resources.

Question 28

Discuss some of the ethical implications of allocating federal funding to the war on terrorism, Iraq, and Afghanistan while cutting important social program designed to eradicate poverty, eliminate discrimination, and improve human services.

Question 29

Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the terms equity and equality.

Question 30

Discuss with the class what should be done if a client divulges information related to sexual abuse at the end of a session when there is another client waiting to be seen.

Question 31

Discuss with the class the important differences between equity and equality.
Class Exercises:

Question 32

Divide the class into two groups (do not allow them to choose which side they prefer to be on).Have one group be in favor of equal distribution of scarce, expensive, life-extending medical resources to the elderly, and the other group be opposed to equal distribution.After the debate, ask who would have argued the other point if allowed to chose which side they were on.

Question 33

Discuss your feelings related to same sex couples adopting; with so many children in the child welfare system needing permanent homes, should there be so much discrimination against same sex couples adopting?

Question 34

Discuss with the class the issue presented in the chapter on page 182, relating to a program faced with funding cuts if it cannot recruit more White applicants, despite the long wait list of eligible African-American candidates.As the social worker, what should you do?