Every society has had to cope with poverty and the poor. Traditionally, most scholars have located the origins of modern philanthropies in the free-grain-distribution schemes common in ancient Greece and Rome, while most social workers see the history of philanthropic or welfare institutions as beginning with the Elizabethan Poor Laws. A few students know that the early Christian church made provisions for the poor, but few are aware of what occurred prior to the beginning of Christianity. This volume provides evidence that contemporary philanthropic and welfare institutions owe a greater...

ETHICAL DECISIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE will help you recognize ethical issues and dilemmas, reason carefully about ethical issues, clarify your ethical aspirations at the level demanded by the profession, and achieve a more ethical stance in your practice. It places ethical decision making within the context of professional ethics and provides guidelines, including two ethical screens, to help you identify priorities among competing ethical obligations.