Fostering a Personal-is-Political Ethics: Reflexive Conversations in Social Work Education

Authors

  • Chris Chapman York University
  • Nazia Hoque York University
  • Louise Utting York University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48336/IJZFLX2672

Keywords:

Foucauldian ethics, claims of relative innocence, interlocking oppression, moral economy, Invitational and Narrative Practice

Abstract

This article suggests that interviews about past ethical dilemmas or transgressions can foster ethical skills for navigating interlocking power relations. It shows how narratives claiming relative innocence are widespread and that taking responsibility for personal implication in oppression is crucial for fundamental social and political transformation. Chris is instructor and creator of a social work ethics course; Nazia and Louise are former students. In the second half of the article, Nazia and Louise use their interviews from the class as illustrations of personal-is-political ethical reflexivity. The authors encourage the use of resonant processes in social work ethics education and other pedagogical contexts that politicize everyday ethical navigation.

Author Biographies

Chris Chapman, York University

Chris Chapman, PhD (OISE/UT), MSW (York), BSW (Dalhousie), is Assistant Professor of Social Work at York University. Chris has published articles in The Journal of Progressive Human Services, Social Work Education, and The International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work. He is co-editor of Disability Incarcerated: Imprisonment and Disability in North America (under review), and is co-authoring a book that situates the history of social work within interlocking moral economies of care and oppression.

Nazia Hoque, York University

Nazia Hoque, MSW (York), BSW (York), works with individuals with developmental disabilities and dual diagnosis, using a clinical and progressive practice approach. She has also worked with children and youth in the mental health and child welfare sectors. Her MSW research focused on the interface of sexual abuse and developmental disability. She plans on continuing to contribute to social work pedagogy, with an emphasis on the relationship between theory and practice in social work.

Louise Utting, York University

Louise Utting, BA (Trent), B.Ed (Queen’s) is currently completing a Masters in Social Work and a Graduate Diploma in Migration and Refugee Studies at York University. Her research interests include ethics, international social work, migration, arts-based research, participatory action research, post-colonial theory and critical-race theory. Louise is completing her MSW research in collaboration with an organization that runs international youth volunteer exchange programs, exploring the expectations, challenges and successes experienced by Aboriginal participants.

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Published

2013-07-28

Issue

Vol. 2 (2013): Intersectionalities

Section

Articles

License

All articles published in Intersectionalities are open access and licensed under a creative commons license (CC Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0). Please consult the license for the terms of use.

Copyright for all article content remains with the authors.

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