Looking at the Social Work Profession Through the Eye of the NASW Code of Ethics

Abstract

This article examines what the NASW (National Association of Social Workers) Code of Ethics says about issues faced by contemporary social work practice and considers its implications for the acceptance of social work as a profession. How social work measures up to Flexner’s attribute of a profession “altruistic in motivation” is examined in greater depth. Concern is raised about the growing gap between social work practice and social work ethics. Social workers’ acting more assertively on the social justice responsibilities contained in the code is seen as crucial for the future of the profession.