Deck 6: Value Neutrality and Imposing Values

Question 1

The basis for continuing work with the client is the recognition by the client that the worker's values should have priority when a decision is made.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The worker should assume the client knows what the problem is rather than engage in active negotiation with the client to define the problem.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

It is reasonable that social workers allow their values to come into play in the therapeutic setting, providing their values are not the sole determining factor in their decisions.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Most of what a social worker does involves helping people choose between available options.

Question 5

Value neutrality may cause damage if the social worker fails to distinguish between what is functional or dysfunctional, normative or pathological behavior.

Question 6

As the population of the United States grows more diverse, social workers are faced less frequently with behaviors that generally lie outside their experiences.

Question 7

Which of the following behaviors does NOT pose ethical dilemmas?

A)Value neutrality
B)Value imposition
C)Client-worker value gap
D)None of the above

Question 8

Covert messages are conveyed through which of the following?

A)Directives
B)Tone of voice
C)Facial expression
D)Body language
E)All but A

Question 9

Value neutrality on the part of the social worker is not 100% possible.

Question 10

Suspension of Judgment by a social worker means

A)Never passing judgment on a client
B)Understanding the client's history and culture
C)Understanding the client's environment and community
D)All of the above
E)B and C

Question 11

It is important for reasons of interventions that the social workers be informed of the religious affiliations of their clients and the depths to which they practice their faith.

Question 12

Ethical decisions by social workers have importance at every level of practice, from the individual case to societal and political action.

Question 13

Imposing ones values in a covert manner means to do so in an obvious manner.

Question 14

Which of the following does NOT aid a social worker in making appropriate judgments and decisions when faced with differences between worker and client?

A)Caring deeply about the client
B)Knowledge
C)Skill
D)Experience
E)Conscious use of self

Question 15

Active listening is a tool used in therapy to truly listen to what a client is saying without imposing your own values into the conversation.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a core value of the social work profession?

A)Service
B)Social justice
C)Suspension of judgment
D)Importance of human relationships
E)Competence

Question 17

Which of the following is an appropriate way to deal with differences between worker and client values?

A)Identify the differences and how they might affect both parties
B)Work first on parts of the problem that do not present value differences
C)Identify the problem in ways that avoid the conflicting values
D)Decide together whether to continue the social work process or to refer the client to someone with more congruent values
E)All of the above

Question 18

One of the traditional expectations of professional social workers is that they suspend judgment about clients' behavior and actions even when either their own or societal values demand a judgment.

Question 19

Social workers can impose their own values on clients without meaning to through the use of covert messages.

Question 20

Overt value messages are more powerful than covert value messages.

Question 21

Discuss two instances where it is okay for a social worker to be directive or paternalistic with a client.

Question 22

Discuss some situations in which it is inadvisable for the social worker to work with clients whose values are significantly contrary to those of the worker.

Question 23

Compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the three value messages of value neutrality, imposing values, and the client-worker value gap.

Question 24

Discuss your thoughts related to the gap between a worker's personal values and those of the social work client.

Question 25

Discuss the potential harm that can plague a client due to the social work practitioner imposing their values onto the client.

Question 26

Discuss several ways in which value neutrality could cause harm to a client.

Question 27

Discuss the argument that no matter how hard a practitioner tries, he or she will never be able to be value neutral.
Discussion Topics:

Question 28

Discuss whether you believe that value suspension is a realistic option for social workers.

Question 29

Discuss the two ways that social workers can deal with their value differences with their clients.

Question 30

Discuss with the class Exemplar 6.3 which is found on page 114.Are their feelings about this situation influenced by their personal values? Is there any conflict between their personal values regarding this situation and the values of the social work profession? How would they respond to this client as a professional social worker?

Question 31

Discuss how value neutrality and imposing values can cause harm to the therapeutic alliance.

Question 32

Discuss your thoughts on the following comment: The contemporary social worker who bases her practice on value neutrality may be avoiding all moral dilemmas by accepting the client's absolute right for self-determination.
Class Exercises: