ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the different points in the structure of social work in which 'values' have been placed. More characteristic of the treatment is the collection of readings entitled Social Work and Social Values. The values, as a simple list, are not readily comprehensible, but problems of differentiation and of the discussion of relevance for particular circumstances indicate that they are best seen as summary statements of a multifunctional kind. 'Values' are considered essential to the definition of social work, and they are also seen as its sole base or one of its indispensable bases. E. C. Lindeman envisaged social work as science at work in the interest of human values: 'what takes place between the social worker and the citizen constitutes a moral equation'. The chapter concludes that social work values require sharper analysis before they can be truly celebrated, and that the literature on values in social work offers many avenues for deeper exploration.
