Skip to main content
Log in

Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice in Jordan: A Qualitative Study

  • Published:
Journal of Human Rights and Social Work Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study, based on grounded theory, aims to explore the dilemmas faced by social workers in practicing the ethical values and principles in the social work profession. Specifically, we sought to understand the overlapping factors leading to the imposition of dilemmas that impede practitioners’ commitment to dealing with various ethical responsibilities. To achieve this, the study was conducted with 12 social workers employed in three social institutions in the capital, Amman. Individual interviews were used as a tool to collect data from the sample. The social workers’ narratives were coded and analyzed through various analytical processes, and the data was analyzed in light of relevant literature and previous studies. Thus, practitioners’ experiences with ethical dilemmas encountered in practice were comprehensively understood. These dilemmas relate to the lack of state recognition of social work, social workers themselves, the workplace, clients, and colleagues. The findings of this study could help officials and policymakers in developing strategies and implementing methods that support practitioners in employing ethical practices throughout their careers, thereby maintaining the positive reputation of social work and meeting the needs of clients. By seriously considering the implications of this study, the results not only serve to develop academic knowledge but also produce new tools for providing feedback that may help in the professional preparation programs for aspiring social workers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

All data relevant to the study are included in the article.

References

Download references

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rula Odeh Alsawalqa.

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

The Scientific Committee of the Department of Sociology, University of Jordan No. 2/2023.

Consent to Participate

Informed consent was collected from all the participants.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Alnajdawi, A.M., Alsawalqa, R.O. Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work Practice in Jordan: A Qualitative Study. J. Hum. Rights Soc. Work (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-024-00310-6

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-024-00310-6

Keywords

Navigation