Personal and Professional Values Among Colorado Social Workers.

摘要

This study addressed the lack of empirical knowledge about the personal and professional values, and their interactions, among social workers. The following questions guided the study: With respect to values, how are social workers alike; Can social workers' professional values be seen in terms of their professional value preferences; and What differentiates social workers with respect to their values. The study was framed within theoretical knowledge in the areas of values, social roles, and adult socialization. The differences between the personal and professional value offerings in association with characteristics of the respondents led to the conclusion that social work, as a profession, is marked by unity within diversity with respect to the professional and personal values of its members. Implications of the study's methods and findings were discussed for the profession of social work and for the theoretical understandings upon which the study was based.