Deck 3: Social Justice

Question 1

According to libertarianism, the notion of ability to pay suggests that

A) Society should ensure that everyone has access to housing, food, and other necessities, regardless of their ability to pay
B) Each individual's ability to access goods or services depends on their ability to pay
C) The government should determine the level of production and distribution of services within society
D) Society has a responsibility to ensure that everyone has a job allowing them to pay for their own goods and services

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to egalitarianism, the principle of "equal opportunity" suggests that our social policies should

A) Treat everyone exactly the same, even if they come from different circumstances
B) Allow the people to access goods and services through a free and open market, so that everyone can buy and sell services at fair market rates and values
C) Take each person's circumstances into account to give everyone a fair chance for education, health, housing, and other needs and opportunities in life
D) Give everyone the same income so that they can purchase the same goods and services

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of environmental injustice?

A) A school requires students to use computers but does not take steps to ensure that students without financial means have access to computers
B) A city places a new garbage dump in an economically stressed community, without taking the needs or wishes of the community into account
C) The state government increases taxes on people with lower levels of income to fund tax cuts for the wealthy
D) A social worker refuses to work with a client because the client identifies as transgender

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Wilona works in an agency with a policy that clearly discriminates against certain clients on the basis of their political ideology. According to Standard 3.09 of the NASW Code of Ethics, what should Wilona try to do first?

A) Follow agency policy and discriminate because it is authorized by the agency
B) Quit her job
C) Work collaboratively with the agency to try to change its policy
D) Tell clients that they should report the agency to the NASW's National Ethics Committee

Question 5

A capabilities approach to social justice suggests that we should:

A) Let people solve problems by themselves
B) Use the market economy to encourage people to work hard and earn what they need in life
C) Give people everything they need in order to satisfy their basic needs, regardles of their ability to pay or willingness to work hard
D) Empower people to help them maximize their potentials

Question 6

According to Standard 1.01 of the NASW Code of Ethics, social worker's primary ethical commitment is to their clients. This duty is:

A) Absolute (i.e., has no exceptions)
B) Completely relative and flexible (i.e., can be ignored depending on the situation and the beliefs of the people involved)
C) Subject to a social worker's obligations to society (meaning that the commitment to clients may be superseded in limited circumstances)
D) Not applicable to clients who have values or beliefs that are inconsistent with those of the NASW.

Question 7

You have a client, Aldo, who identifies as a White Supremacist. According to Standard 4.04 of the NASW Code of Ethics, you should not condone or facilitate any form of discrimination. This standard means that you should:

A) Refuse service to Aldo because he is a White Supremacist
B) Help Aldo put his White Supremacist ideals into practice, given his right to self-determination
C) Not encourage or support Aldo's White Supremacist beliefs (but you may provide social work services)
D) Report Aldo to the NASW National Ethics Committee for violating its Code of Ethics

Question 8

Which of the following options is an example of using "conscientization" to promote social justice?

A) You help clients to be more aware of how systemic discrimination has contributed to poverty and other stresses in their lives.
B) You donate money to an agency that provides hot meals to people who cannot cook for themselves
C) You help clients develop budgets so they can spend their money more wisely
D) You provide a service dog to a client with social anxiety

Question 9

When publishing research, social workers can promote social justice by ensuring that their research is

A) Accessible only to academics and other researchers
B) Accessible to the public, including people who may use the research to advocate for social justice
C) Written in language that is sophisticated, technical, and highly specialized.
D) Kept private in their agencies so that nobody else has access to the information learned from the research.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Social work research is always neutral and impartial.
B) Social work research may be used to promote social justice.
C) Social work research should never be used to promote social justice.
D) Social work research has little value in promoting social justice.