Voicing Unease: Care Ethics in the Professionalization of Social Care

In her work on moral reasoning, Carol Gilligan identifies two distinct models which she terms the ‘voice of care’ and the ‘voice of justice’. The ‘voice of justice’ informs a professional practice grounded in fairness and objectivity and is principally concerned with rights and obligations. It can motivate the drive for legislation and codes of ethics that provide clear rules and regulations to govern social care practice. In contrast, the ‘voice of care’ prioritises relationships, requiring practitioners to pay attention to the particularity of each moral situation. As a result, the demand to commit to upholding universal principles and rights cannot be met. This paper explores the nature of the conflict between the moral voice of care and justice, applying insights from these diverging voices to deepen our understanding of the kind of professionalization appropriate in social care.