FOCUSING ON VALUES IN THEORETICAL MODELS OF SOCIAL WORK

 Values are at the basis of a large part of social work. They are states or modes of action considered to be desirable, assessments and orientations included in the systems of preference and reference of individuals, groups, and communities. Although the values represent beliefs or convictions that are not based on scientific arguments, they lead and direct the professional activities in social work, being an integral part, often with a directive role in the theoretical and methodological models that guide the action in this field. Starting from the outline of the definitions of values and the delineation of the types of values, this paper deals further with the ways in which the significance and the roles of values are highlighted in the theoretical and methodological models of intervention developed over time in social work.