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Global ethics for social work? In English we use the term‘ethics’ when talking about norms and standards relating to howpeople should treat each other, what actions are right or wrong andwhich qualities of character are good or bad. It is a confusingterm, as it has both a plural and a singular sense. In its pluralsense, ‘ethics’ is used to refer to norms or standards relating toright/wrong conduct or good/bad qualities of character. Forexample, we might say of someone that ‘her ethics are very narrow’.Sometimes we use the term ‘morals’ to mean the same as ‘ethics’ inthe plural sense. ‘Ethics’ in its singular sense refers to a set ofnorms, a theoretical system (e.g., Kantian ethics) or a subjectarea that covers norms of right/wrong conduct and qualities ofgood/bad character. In this sense, the term ‘ethics’ may be usedinterchangeably with ‘moral philosophy’. Sometimes we use the term‘morality’ to mean the same as ethics in the singular sense. Afurther complication is added by the fact that the terms ‘morals’and ‘morality’ are often used to mean the same as ‘ethics’ (plural)and ‘ethics’ (singular). However, some theorists make a distinctionbetween morals as externally imposed normative standards orprevailing societal norms, and ethics as internally generated(personal) norms. In this book we do not make this distinction, anduse the terms ethics and morals interchangeably. In some languagesthere is apparently no direct equivalent of the term ‘ethics’.Gyekye (2010) gives the example of sub-Saharan African languages.This does not mean, however, that there are no normative conceptsof right and wrong conduct or good and bad character in thoselanguages and societies. But it does mean that these facets ofhuman existence and behaviour are conceptualised in different ways.The construction of ‘ethics’ as a discrete area of study, and theseparation of the ethical from the practical, technical, political,cultural and religious dimensions of life is perhaps more commonlyunderstood and accepted in the global North and West than in theSouth and East. On the other hand, in all parts of the world thereis a recognisable normative discourse covering questions such as:‘What kinds of people should we be?’ ‘What kinds of lives should welive?’ and ‘How should we act?’ The questions are recognisable,although the answers given will vary enormously between differentsocieties, as will the extent to which the answers are inextricablylinked with culture, religion and political ideology. Whilst theuse of the term ‘ethics’ may leave us open to accusations ofWestern and Northern imperialism (as with the human rightsdiscourse of the United Nations declarations), we wish to use theterm in a broad, inclusive and critical sense. We acknowledge,however, that ‘ethics’ is a construction that may have more meaningin some parts of the world than others. In a social work context,just as theories, models and practices of social work have beenexported from the global North and West to the South and East, sothe concept of social work ethics as a separate area of study andpractice is also being exported. So it will be very important foracademics and practitioners across the world to take a criticalapproach to the subject area itself (considering what constitutesthe domain of the ethical) as well as the content of this subjectarea (Western conceptions of individual rights, confidentiality,privacy and non-discrimination).