ABSTRACT
Again using the metaphor of the drama, in this chapter the author links the roles and behaviors of actors in a nonprofit agency to the definition of our civilization. He articulates an ethical framework that integrates a charitable view with a justice view and, thereby, provides the ethical basis for a resolution of these competing perspectives. Values serve many purposes. They constitute one's belief in what is good and right. They spell out the elements in human relationships that are to be preferred. The collective interest of board members, volunteers, staff, and administration in value and ethical issues is prompted by the joint obligation they have assumed to deliver a social service under the auspice of a family agency. The actors in the service drama are the worker, the client, and in a more indirect fashion, the administrator and board members. Pragmatism is the philosophical preference of agency-sponsored social service programs.
