ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an analysis of the perceived barriers to the devising of a code of ethics for social workers in the Arab society. The “ethics boom” is a current global concept that guides the professional conduct of practitioners of many fields, including social work. The Arab society places high importance on the moral and ethical conduct of individuals. Consequently, cultural and religious values, ethics, and moral principles are incorporated into the general code of practice of social workers. Another cultural barrier to the practice of social workers in the region is the social expectations regarding the nature and scope of interaction among people of different genders. The systemic teaching of social work as an academic field of study in the Arab world started in Egypt in the 1940s. The chapter concludes with suggestions for how social workers in the Arab society can devise a code of ethics based upon their social and cultural context using an international framework.
