The Ethical Charter of Social Work: Between Professional Standards and Professional Commitment

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the relationship between professional rules and professional commitment within the framework of the code of ethics in social work, through a critical analytical approach that examines the normative nature of the code and explores its limits within professional practice. The study is based on the assumption that this relationship does not rely on a direct correspondence between ethical texts and professional behavior, but rather emerges within a complex interactive context shaped by values, institutional constraints, and practical realities.

The analysis reveals that professional rules, due to their general and abstract nature, remain open to interpretation and contextual adaptation, making their application a non-linear process influenced by the social worker’s level of awareness and the surrounding professional context. Furthermore, professional commitment is not merely formal compliance with rules, but a dynamic process involving professional judgment and value balancing in complex situations.

The study also concludes that the normative nature of the code of ethics is limited by its ability to interact with real practice, and that activating professional rules requires supportive professional and institutional conditions, including ethical training, professional supervision, and decision-making skills. Accordingly, the study emphasizes that professional ethics in social work should not be viewed solely as normative texts, but as a practice shaped through the interaction between values and reality.