Virtues in welfare work: professional ethics in education and practice

The increasing experience of moral distress and ethical pressure among professionals in welfare work, and the public attention it receives, has been reflected in a similar intensification in research in professional ethics. The objective of the empirical and theoretical research underlying this chapter has been to contribute to this development. The authors pursue a dual aim: theoretically, to discuss a theory of professional ethics for welfare professionals based on practical wisdom, and empirically, to demonstrate how the appropriate ethical proficiencies can be developed in practice based on findings from an educational action research project in Denmark. Professionals can attain a higher level of ethical reflection and perception through a combination of theoretical teaching and practice experiences processed through collaborative reflection and dialogue about ethical dilemmas. We emphasise that progress of ethical perception and competencies is a multifaceted process in the education of welfare professionals. Furthermore, the authors advocate a continuing development of ethics-focused educational programmes that aim to enhance awareness of ethical virtues as an important aspect of professional competence.