Introduction: practical social work ethics, professionalism and ethical space

It appears as if ethics are now an integral part of almost everything we do, as if they are everywhere. We are now encouraged to carefully consider the implications of the choices we make as consumers, including their impact upon other people or the environment. What are the moral ramifications of eating meat or buying battery farmed eggs, purchasing low-cost clothing or television sets made in the Majority World? Is it unethical to avoid public transport and drive alone and are our personal beliefs or attitudes towards disability or ‘race’, among many other constructs, continually open to question? Many more examples persist, but in general the ethical and moral implications of our day-to-day activities, relationships or personal beliefs now remain a central part of Western (late) modern life.