Values and Boundaries of Family and Child Welfare

							        COURSE SO FAR
• ALL HAVE EXPERIENCE OF FAMILIES
  – (Varied experiences : family within)
• DEFINTIONS OF FAMILIES
• FAMILY FUNCTIONS……… implies
         VALUES
             TODAY

• WHAT VALUES?
• WHOSE VALUES?
• WHAT ROLE IF ANY DOES THE STATE
  HAVE IN FAMILY FUNCTIONING?

……Let’s Debate…..
APPLYING SOCIAL WORK
       VALUES
             • WHICH
               SOCIAL
               WORK
               VALUES
               CAN YOU
               REMEMBER?
       APPLYING TO FAMILIES
• ACCEPT VARIETY Uniqueness/ individual differences/ respect
• RESPECT CULTURE Acceptance/empathy/ respect/ uniqueness
                   Non-judgemental/self-determination/ acc.
• DO NOT PREACH
                   CONFIDENTIALITY
• MAINTAIN……
• ENHANCE PROBLEM-          values quoted in Hepworth &
  SOLVING CAPACITY &         Larson
  SELF-DETERMINATION
• ACHIEVEMENT OF SOCIAL
  JUSTICE
• DEVELOPMENT & UTILISATION OF RESOURCES TO
  MEET HUMAN NEEDS AND DEVELOP HUMAN
  ASPIRATIONS/POTENTIAL
               AN AIM

• TO IMPROVE FAMILY FUNCTIONING
  SO NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL AND
  FAMILY GROUP MET.

 This may involve improving societal
 conditions for families or improving family
 dynamics, skills so members are more able
 to cope themselves.
    RAISES TWO ISSUES

1. IMPLIES THERE IS A MODEL OF
   `GOOD’ FAMILY FUNCTIONING.

2. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NEEDS OF
   INDIVIDUAL FAMILY MEMBERS IN
   CONFLICT WITH NEEDS/WISHES OF
   MORE POWERFUL FAMILY
   MEMBERS?
            A PARADOX

SOCIAL WORKERS ACCEPT AND RESPECT VARIETY
AND SELF-DETERMINATION BUT ALSO INTERVENE
WHEN FAMILY NOT FUNCTIONING “WELL” EVEN IF
NOT REQUESTED BY FAMILY BUT BY SOCIETY.

SO ON THE ONE HAND WE RESPECT THAT FAMILIES
WILL TAKE VARIOUS FORMS AND HAVE THE RIGHT
TO THEIR OWN LIFESTYLE AND VALUES BUT WE
ALSO INTERVENE WHEN WE/SOCIETY BELIEF THEIR
BEHAVIOUR IS NOT APPROPRIATE. WE SAY WE AIM
NOT TO IMPOSE OUR VALUES BUT IN MANY
INSTANCES WE DO E.G. WE ARE AGAINST VIOLENCE.
HOW TO HANDLE THE PARADOX
• Be clear what are values are when saying a family is not
  functioning well – easier when family clearly dysfunctional :
  more contentious in less clear cut situations
• Be prepared to reassess our value base – self-awareness,
  consider possible prejudices, cultural expectations, pressure from
  other sources.
• Be clear on whether the `dysfunction’ is directly
  affecting the problem we are dealing with – is raising it
  within our role?
• Need to know our boundaries (professional, legal) – requires
  wisdom to judge our boundaries, skill at explaining our role and
  courage to face conflict constructively when it occurs
             Handling Paradox Cont.
• During intervention to continue to show through actions
  and words respect for individuals, the worth of all
  humans, a commitment to try to understand people’s
  viewpoints and to help people understand what is
  happening to them and how they could affect change –
  Remember (i) Carl Rogers – separating behaviour from person of
  worth (ii) Beh approach –show consequences of action – client has
  choice but if they make certain choices e.g. abusing their child there
  will be consequences (iii) the importance of HOW we do as well as
  what we do.
• During intervention be clear with the family of your
  role including your legal powers when necessary – links to
  earlier point on boundaries.
                Buzz groups: 1
What would you be assessing and why if visiting:

• An underfed child from a poor family not going to
  school?
• A child caught shoplifting who comes from a family
  known to be involved in petty crime?
• A child regularly beaten for not having good grades
  by his VIP father?
          Buzz groups: 2

• What do we mean when we say we want
  better functioning families?
• What are we aiming for?
• What qualities are we valuing?
• On what knowledge base are we
  promoting them?
                The Ideal Family ? ?
View of Harriet Goldor Lerner - a Feminist, American Psychotherapist

The ideal family encourages the optimal growth of all its
members and provides a safe space where individuals can
more or less be themselves.
At their best moments, families promote a sense of unity and
belonging (the “we”) , while respecting the separateness and
difference of individual members (the “I”) . Parents make and
enforce rules that guide a child’s behaviour but they do not
regulate the child’s emotional and intellectual life.
Individual family members can feel free to share their honest
thoughts and feelings on emotionally loaded subjects, without
telling others what to think and feel , and without getting too
nervous about differences. No family member has to deny or
silence an important aspect of the self in order to belong and
be heard.                            The Dance of Deception
          Dr. Amin’s Observations
              a Malaysian Psychiatrist and academic
TRADITIONAL VALUES v.        EMERGING URBAN
Harmonising with Nature      Conquest
Balance                      Change
Extended                     Nucleur
Interdependence              Independence
Conformity/Cooperation       Competition
Patience                     Aggression / Assertion
Suppression                  Expression of Feelings & Thoughts
Rigidity of Roles & Status   Flexibility
Pragmatic                    Theoretical Orientation
Person to Person             Person to Object
Logic governed by heart       Logic Mind
Community                     Individual
Eastern                       Western
      Elizabeth Porter’s List on Virtues
                      Australian, Sociologist

•   Being Yourself – Autonomous Individuality
•   Including All – Inclusiveness, flexibility, negotiation
•   Sticking Together – Faithfulness, Loyalty, Reliability
•   Being Truthful – Truthfulness, Honest, Trust
•   Treating Others Well – Forgiveness, Justice, Mercy
•   Caring – Affectionate Care, Intimacy
•   Loving Friendships – Love, friendship
•   Needing Each Other – Interdependence
•   Having and Owing – Moral Obligations

Also see - Building Good Families in a Changing World – 1995 - UN
      Family Tasks arising from UN
               definition
   Porter believes that non-conventional forms of
  family still are expected to take responsibility for 3
  tasks if the UN definition of a family is followed.
  These responsibilities are:-
• A commitment to care
• To provide a unique sense of belonging
• To give a degree of intimacy
  When these are not present she contends a family
  ceases to function as a family in anything but a
  minimal sense – hence she gives high value to
  relationships.
         A Rights Approach

• The UN convention on Child Rights
  http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm
  or go into UNICEF website

• CEDAW

 www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/cedaw
 .htm