Doing Justice

Abstract

Social workers in small towns and rural communities who restrict their practice on moral grounds may be oppressive to women who are seeking a range of reproductive health options and clients with the gay/lesbian lifestyle. On the basis of observations of students who were enrolled in a rural-based BSW program in a conservatively religious affiliated university, the author presents a typology that categorizes the students' views on justice and oppression and willingness to work in practice situations with which the students disagree on moral grounds. Three orientations are illustrated: an ethic of conformity, an ethic of individualism, and an ethic of care. Implications for practice and teaching are discussed.