ABSTRACT
Starting with some basic considerations on reciprocity, this chapter reminds us of the fact that social work inevitably needs a guiding conception of what should be realised in this sphere of activity. To illustrate this in more detail, the Capability Approach and its understanding of well=being will be introduced as a normative framework, and some consequences of its operationalisation for social work will be addressed. Against this background, it becomes clear that the meaning and the informative value of reciprocity for social work cannot be assessed adequately without reflecting the respective normative orientation of this field of work.
