Listen to thisSetting the scene
We have two Child and Youth Care Workers, one “senior” worker and one “junior” worker. These workers are new to one another. With some spare time on their hands, they decide to talk ethics.
Where will this conversation go?
Junior: “Look, I earned my Child and Youth Care certificate, diploma, or degree... whatever you choose to call it. I’ve worked in the Child and Youth Care field for three years now and I’d like to hear your opinions on this line of work. I’m all ears. What do you say?
Senior: Sounds good, but let’s ensure we neither patronize each other, nor indulge in platitudes and generalities. While I have many years of experience, I’m not your supervisor. Actually, our time working together has been too short to even establish a mentoring relationship. Let’s just keep this open and honest ...we’ll see where this goes. Where shall we begin?
Junior: I wish to discuss ethics, although my past experiences in this regard caused me considerable frustration and a generous amount of existential despair.
Senior: Well, let’s not dive into such miserable examples
then. I say this because you seem to be a sensitive, reflective, and
questioning individual. You work with young people who have conspicuous
difficulties, with colleagues who have strong personalities, and you
deal with bureaucratic systems that would probably make Kafka look like
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. This “existential despair” comes with the
territory. As long as you can tolerate — maybe even enjoy — this
rollercoaster universe, you’ll do fine.
Now, let’s study your
frustrations. I wouldn’t doubt you have several from which to choose.
Let’s begin with one to start.
Junior: OK, here’s one: I’m confused and frustrated about playing the ethics card in my work. Professional standards and codes were drilled into me during training and in-service workshops, but I’m not too clear as to how well I’ve internalized ethics into my practical work. I do believe that my head, heart, and soul face the right direction when I interact with the kids. My concern is whether ethics can be brought down from high above to have more practical meaning for me, particularly since I do want to become a more effective Child and Youth Care worker. I frequently ask myself, “Is there anything more to ethics to make it more real, more practical, or even more helpful in my daily work?” I see too many workers brush off workshops on ethics because they think it’s too situation specific and not relevant to their daily work with kids. They agree it’s important to know legalities, professional standards, and agency guidelines — but what does this all mean in the day to day?... so what!
Senior: I share your concern to find a more practical dimension to ethics. I remember asking similar questions in my third year working in this field. In my first two years of Child and Youth Care work I was mostly preoccupied with just surviving and establishing my own credibility with both the kids and the team. Standard stuff, really. But as I became more confident, knowledgeable, and less egocentric in my work, I found myself more inclined to step back, look at the bigger picture, and ask myself more focused questions. I wasn’t concerned as much with questions about “What should I do?” or “What does this all mean?” Actually, I thought more about how I could synthesize my clinical skills, professional knowledge, and self-awareness to help myself become a “really good” Child and Youth Care worker. I suppose I was ready to move forward to a higher level of performance and a higher level of satisfaction in my work (Sheahan, et. al.; 1987, Phelan, 1990; Garfat, 2001). In this regard, I also questioned what role ethics played in the formation of my professional identity.
So, let’s get into it, shall we? How do you really see your situation?
Getting More Specific: Stating the problem more fully
Junior: Well, when I interact with the kids, I see myself carrying this clumsy metaphorical bag full of items I use when I observe, process, and act. This bag contains personal articles such as values, needs, attitudes, life philosophies, and my own life narratives. It also contains many aspects of my professional formation: skills, theoretical knowledge, a wide range of information, and a professional identity, which includes a basic understanding of and appreciation for professional ethics and standards. My major concern, and I may be repeating myself, is to figure out a way to dynamically integrate ethical practice and effective practice.
There must be another approach besides staying alert to all the codes, standards, and values at play when I interact with young people and my team. I am aware that others in the field share my concern. Ricks & Garfat make one particular point which crystallizes the issue. They say, “To make an effective practice decision requires moral reasoning in the moment, every day, and in each circumstance” (1998, p. 72). That’s exactly what I want to work on! I want to be able to make that ethical/moral reasoning component more practical and real in my continuous interactive work. Hopefully by doing so, I will become a more effective worker.
Context-Making: Setting up for success
Senior: I sense your clarity on this issue. I also see you as a kindred spirit in your view of Child and Youth Care work as a dynamic process of continuous interaction and reflection — or as you just said it, “observing, processing, and acting.” Consequently, I can save time by not spending too much of it exposing you to Polsky and Claster (1968), Fewster (1990), and Krueger (1994). The main point I’ve taken from these individuals is that at any moment in your Child and Youth Care work, you act in process. For example, Polsky and Claster (1968) adopted an interactional conceptual model, which they used to observe Child and Youth Care workers and to identify their particular role functions.
Their observations and analysis influenced me to view the Child and Youth Care worker as a juggler who, at any moment, handles four balls — more specifically, the four role functions of monitor, nurturer, teacher/counselor, and integrator. The beauty of this model is that, if you understand how these balls (roles) are continuously in play, then you can exercise a high degree of control and precision to decide which specific role function to perform in that specific moment. As the moment changes, so too do needs change. Thus, the Child and Youth Care worker must “juggle” how he/she performs different role functions. It’s all a dynamic process where the Child and Youth Care continuously and creatively responds and acts in any interactional moment.
To look at this process differently, Fewster (1990) focused on self-awareness, self-examination, and the use of the self in the context of continuous action. Meanwhile, Krueger (1994) used dance and rhythm as a metaphor, which encouraged a Child and Youth Care worker to interact more sensitively, creatively, and dynamically in a particular instance. I should also mention Schoen’s work (1982) on “reflection in action,” since this term is used more and more to describe this orientation to dynamic Child and Youth Care work.
Since I’ve already established this particular context, it’s time to blend ethics into continuous practice.
Junior: Yes, thank-you. I wish to revisit ethics.
Context Making: Laying a philosophical foundation
Senior: Alright, let’s get back on track. You said you wanted to make ethics more real and practical in your interactional work, and that you wanted to become more effective as well — correct?
Junior: Yes.
Senior: OK, I can give you something to try. It might help you make ethics more real for you. If you don’t like it, discard it — although I hope you will give it a decent try.
Junior: I’ll try it as long as it’s clear and user friendly.
Senior: Sounds reasonable. Now before I present you with this particular instrument, I want to review some philosophical concepts. My purpose is to create the best possible context that can help you to use this instrument successfully. I believe that if you understand the philosophy behind this tool, then you may be more inclined to use it.
Junior: That’s fine with me. My work has taught me that context is everything.
Senior: Well, I don’t know if I’m glad to hear that, but let’s focus on this tool’s philosophical foundation. While I don’t know to what degree you were exposed to classical ethical theory in your professional formation, I will presume that in whatever ethics course or workshop you completed you were exposed to a situational approach to ethical decision-making.
Junior: Yes, ethical decision-making made up
the bulk of my ethical instruction. My instructors presented me with a
wide assortment of ethical dilemmas and I was taught how to apply an
ethical deci-
sion-making model (Lowenberg & Dolgoff, 1992) to
formulate ethically grounded decisions to these situations. In addition,
I learned about several ethical philosophies: the
consequentialist/utilitarian approach of Jeremy Bentham (1988) and John
Stuart Mill (1991), and, of course, Kant (1964) and his deontological
rule based approach. I remember being taught how to play with these
theories, as well as with my own values and the Child and Youth Care professional codes,
to brainstorm decisions to various ethical dilemmas; while I found this
material both useful for ethical analysis and intellectually
stimulating, I kept asking myself how I could integrate and apply it all
to any interactional moment with a child. Professional codes of ethics
have helped me to recognize and to value particular standards of care
and professional work. I hope I have successfully incorporated these
standards into my practice, but to what degree? I really don’t know.
Senior: So, in addition to becoming familiar with a situational orientation to ethical theory, you also incorporated professional ethical standards into your sense of professional identity.
Junior: Yes, and I recognize this more and more as I work with the kids and the team. I guess, as you pointed out earlier, that I am advancing in my own professional development as a Child and Youth Care worker. I see myself becoming less egocentric and more focused on who I am and who I want to be professionally. I am also becoming more aware of how I make particular decisions “in the moment” as I respond to whatever needs or issues I perceive. It’s almost as if I am observing myself from an out-of-body perspective as I interact with the kids and the team.
Senior: Aha! Some Child and Youth Care developmental transition appears to be happening here. Let me ask you something: In your ethical education, did you learn anything about Virtue Ethics as another philosophical model?
Junior: Not really. It may have been mentioned, but without much emphasis or detail.
Senior: Well, in order to complete this context making Ineed to inoculate you with a brief shot of virtue ethics. This is particularly important, because a Virtue Ethics model may make ethics more real for you.
Junior: O.K. Inject me then, but the briefer the better.
Senior: Virtue Ethics has a long history, which stems from Aristotle (1976) and, of course, religion. Its basic premise argues that in striving for human excellence people guide their actions and decisions according to internally embraced qualities of character. The list of these desired qualities is long, but in general they encompass basic traits of prudence, integrity, courage, respectfulness, and benevolence. I would add that this model has more contemporary and relevant applications to the Child and Youth Care field. Schools are now introducing more character education into their curriculum, and we can’t talk about this model without acknowledging Vorrath and Brendtro’s (1974) and Brendtro’s et. al. (1990) work developing values-based “positive peer” cultures, with all its variations, over these recent decades.
Junior: Good point. I see relevance here for the field and for myself, but where does the practical application come in?
Senior: If you employed the
Virtue Ethics model in your work with young people and your team, you
would not be concerned about finding a universal “principle/rule” to
apply, nor an “outcome” to evaluate (Punzo, 1996). When you deal with
ethical dilemmas, you would probably still reflect on all your relevant
ethical and professional curriculum; but when in the continuous living
and breathing of Child and Youth Care work, you could incorporate within yourself a
notion of what a “virtuous Child and Youth Care worker” is — then aspire to act on this
idea ALL the time in your ongoing interactions of your work. Please
realize that, according to Aristotle (1976), valued qualities of
character mean little if they are not incorporated into your identity
through habitual practice. Remember, we’re taking a practice and process
orientation here in order for you to become a more effective and
complete worker. Finally, if this model is to have practical
value, it requires more clarity in its conceptualization. To just say “I
aspire to become a virtuous Child and Youth Care worker” is not enough. You need to spell
it out for comprehension, appreciation, and utilization.
Junior: OK, let’s have it!
The Virtuous Child and Youth Care Worker: See if it has meaning for you
Senior: Reviewing various lists of virtuous qualities, I came up with five characteristics I believe apply to major aspects of Child and Youth Care practice. They are: self-awareness, compassion/care, prudence, integrity, and courage.
Junior: Your project finally looks like it’s taking some shape, but how do you define these qualities to make them clear and real?
Senior: Yes, but hold on!
It’s not that I’m trying to tease you or anything, but you’re going too
fast! Remember our mutual appreciation for the value of context, if you
want to design for success. You are absolutely right in recognizing the
need to make these virtues more real and ultimately ripe for practice.
Before we go into more detail, I need to know that you understand these
virtues in a context where they are combined with moral agency and
clinical practice. I believe that you will become a more effective worker as a result, should you
embrace this idea. In other words, to be successful you must incorporate
these virtues into your Child and Youth Care identity. Only then will you embody this
dynamic relationship between ethical practice and clinical practice.
This means that, by aspiring to be a virtuous Child and Youth Care worker, you will
regard your continuous clinical decisions and actions as ethically
“right” actions (Ricks & Garfat, 1998) or as a function of an “informed
ethical conscience” (Jordan and Maera, 1990). In a way, we are going
back to your initial concern about making ethics more real, practical,
and effective in Child and Youth Care practice.
Do you see this?
Junior: Oh, I sense you playing with my head here, but I do notice you have returned to my original concern. Then, if what you’re saying is true, I should expect this virtues model to help integrate my moral agency with my clinical practice?
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Table 1
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Senior: Yes, indeed. Now we are ready to define these Child and Youth Care virtues, then I can present you with an instrument, which will help you generate your own examples of each virtue. Here they are:
So there you have it. Take your time to consider our discussion to see if this material means anything to you. If you do believe that this conceptualization has practical value, you could also consider how to integrate this framework into a therapeutic milieu. This model could serve as a vocabulary to guide both expectations and interventions for both kids and the team. After all, Vorrath and Brendtro (1974) used similar frameworks when they designed their own therapeutic milieus.
Instructions for Implementation: Try it and see if you like it
Junior: Finally! Now I have to digest this model.
Senior: Yes, take a look at the “Five Qualities of a Virtuous Child and Youth Care Worker” (Table 1). The purpose of this instrument is to help you generate examples from your work according to these virtue definitions. In this way you can see for yourself whether or not you are actually acting in a manner that reflects these virtues. If you find yourself not only acting on these virtues, but also reflecting on them as you perform your interactional work, it would be interesting to see if you notice a positive change in the way you interact with the kids and your team. In which case, it would be useful to receive feedback from colleagues who have taken notice. Who knows? If this model just serves to heighten your awareness and causes you to reflect in a more satisfying way about your work, that’s good too.
Conclusion: Where can we go from here?
Junior: Thanks a lot! I’ve got something new to try out in my Child and Youth Care work. This instrument definitely appears to be practical and user friendly. I should also say that this virtues orientation isn’t really new to me, although you have “repackaged” it in a way that appears to have potential practical value. I guess it’s now up to me to see if this model has value in my work. Now I have one more question for you: I’m really into empowerment as a dominant orientation in my work with young people. How would my emphasis on empowerment fit into this conceptual framework?
Senior: Oyy! Do you have the time? Do I have the energy?
Let me be brief, if that’s possible. Empowerment or self-determination would be an example of a strongly held belief system or treatment philosophy, which I presume guides your decisionmaking and actions. If so, then an empowerment orientation would permeate through this entire framework. For example, a strong belief in empowerment could lead you to act with courage in a potent way by providing necessary information, encouragement, and ecosystems advocacy to a young person who wants to do something new and with potential risk. Your decisions and actions in this regard may increase this person’s exposure to failure, as well as success. But, if you are committed to the virtue of compassion/ care in promoting well-being and growth, then you will act in conscientious and creative ways to design for success as well as prepare for possible failure. Your actions may go beyond emotional support and include relevant skill training and practice. Your belief in empowerment would also lead you to emphasize integrity in your interactions by establishing trust, openness, and honesty. In this regard, the dynamics of your relationships with young people will have a strong bearing on how well they effectively advocate for themselves.
Prudence would enter the picture when you explore — perhaps even negotiate — options, strategies, and risks with the young person... and then there’s the application of sound judgment when performing the necessary ground work with the team and other relevant ecosystems. Finally, your own personal sensibilities towards risk and self-determination play an influential role here.
Without sufficient self-awareness, you may inadvertently push the young person too far, too fast — or perhaps the reverse, and hold back this individual.
I could go on with this, but I won’t! Your question about empowerment is a good one because it provokes us to realize how easily our beliefs and orientations influence so many Child and Youth Care interactions. I can also think of other philosophical orientations — like normalization and integration/inclusion — that would give us some more fun in this regard, but let’s not push it.
Junior: Yes, let’s give this a rest for a while! Let me first find out if this model of a virtuous Child and Youth Care worker has any real practical value for me in my work. If it does, then this model may, in fact, play an interesting role in furthering my identity as a Child and Youth Care worker. Who knows, right?
References
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This feature: Greenwald, M. (2007) Ethics Is Hot ... So What! Making ethics more practical and real: A dialogue about becoming a virtuous Child and Youth Care worker. Relational Child & Youth are Practice 20 (1). pp. 27-33
