Paper Example on Philosophy of Helping: A Moral Obligation to Assist the Homeless

My philosophy of helping has been shaped by my personal as well as professional experiences. Many reasons force people to live on the streets. While some reasons could be an outcome of poor decisions on the part of the homeless people, others find themselves homeless because they lack employment. I have experienced what homelessness means having lost my job at some point in my career. My professional experience working with the homeless population in New York City has exposed me to a range of challenges faced by that population regardless of the causes, voluntary or otherwise that forced them to become homeless. Understandably, some homeless people are freely marginal and always prefer that mode of life. Nonetheless, they form the homeless population deserving of a place to live. The challenges faced by the homeless people in New York City and my experience without a job have been a driving force in coming up with my helping philosophy. Therefore, my philosophy of helping is that homeless people are worthy of assistance as a moral obligation and must be offered a place to exist.

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There are some primary beliefs, values, and ethics that control my approach to life and they are reflected in my philosophy of helping. The simple principles of ethics have always assisted me in having a more satisfying life be it on a personal or professional ground. Nonetheless, my vow to act using ethical principles has time and again been faced with the pressure to act otherwise. The pressures at work could make us act in a manner that is not consistent with our values. Moreover, pressure from seniors at work could threaten the obligation to act in the right manner. For instance, some have held the belief that constantly helping the homeless keeps them comfortable with their styles of life. Nonetheless, I have never subscribed to such thoughts.

My philosophy of life is a value-based ethic that assists me in differentiating the correct thing to do from the wrong one. As such, it gives me genuine and practical control of my life and decisions. My ethical values such as honesty, credibility, and obligation assist in guiding me along a path of handling ethical challenges more efficiently by disregarding any conduct that fails to kowtow with my feelings of right and wrong, my top sensible interests without necessarily sacrificing the interests of others. Accordingly, ethics is about my decisions as I work with the homeless. Many times I encounter choices that have an impact on the quality of life of the homeless population in New York. The choices that I make have consequences, not just for me but for the homeless people too. Through my philosophy, I am constantly aware of the accountability of my actions.

My value system underpins the importance of moral obligation while undertaking social work. In professional social work, there are not less than five main values that cover honesty, individual pride, considerate service, social justice, and human interactions. These primary values are integral to the efficiency of social work activities and plans. These values serve different purposes. For instance, they form the moral groundwork of work as a social worker and offer guidance to social work practices. Since my value system stems from a base of moral obligation, it impacts my role as a social worker by recognizing my professional responsibilities and legitimate conflicts of interest. Through my value system, I understand that I am accountable for my actions and should act in the interest of bettering the lives of others.

My choice to become a professional social worker was informed by the fact that social work is a profession focused on offering help. The main mission of this profession is to improve the welfare of human beings and assist in meeting the basic as well as difficult needs of all individuals, with a specific concentration on the vulnerable, burdened, and living poorly. It is a career that gives an individual meaning, accomplishment, variety, and diversity of alternatives. This is a profession that cannot be compared to any other since we concentrate on the people and their setting. Social workers encounter external aspects that affect an individual’s state and stance. Furthermore, social workers make opportunities for evaluation and intervention, to enable populations to deal well with their reality and transform it when needed. Social workers help others handle not just what they consider a situation but what they can do to improve it too.

Conclusion

In conclusion, my philosophy of helping is that the homeless are worthy of being assisted as a moral obligation and need a place to exist. Besides, my helping philosophy is a reflection of some beliefs, values, and ethics that guide my attitude to life. Without it, I could end up making the wrong decisions. Accordingly, my value system has impacted my role as a professional social worker in different ways. Lastly, the aspect of helping has been central to my decision to become a professional social worker.