Bias In Social Work

Words: 702
Pages: 3

Robbins, Chatterjee, and Canda (1999) make a compelling argument for the inclusion of critical thought in the social work profession. It is their view that social work necessitates an analytical reflection of the philosophical underpinnings that informs theories that social work consists of. The reason for this being, that without said consideration, our biases would go unnoticed; biases that affect the social workers’ practice, their conduct when working with clients. In other words, having an ideological bent, which the authors assert all humans have, informs our reality, and responses to it.
But, if all humans are subject to some bias or biases as the authors proclaim, then pejorative views, and consequently practices, are unavoidable. Even a critique of one’s biases would entail an adherence to a bias based on the underlying ideological tenants on which the critique is based on. Concisely: Even a critique of a bias includes a bias. The authors account for this potential theoretical complexity by acknowledging that indeed, all our theories are based on a partiality, on the individual’s value system. Being born into a world with pre-existing, to the individual that is, values and beliefs, the person is enculturated at the earliest stages, forming a system of values and beliefs that may escape their conscious
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For by positing relativism as a fact, the authors are omitting the possibility of an absolute truth, for example, Kant’s (n.d.) conception of a priori truths. This seems to be valuing their philosophical underpinnings [of relativism], something the article cautions others to circumvent. And, in stating that no absolute reality exists, the authors are ironically asserting that no absolute reality is reality, postulating relativism as an absolute truth, a sort of truth they seem keen to