Safety management class..

Pt. 3- Normative Decision Making: Moralities over Legalities

Maynard-Moody & Musheno

Street-level Decision-making

Tension between citizen-clients’ needs and the limits of rules is common to street-level work Usually rules (law) fit workers perception of citizen-clients Tension exists when there is conflict between the needs & identity of client as determined by worker & the demands of the rules Workers stories reflect the conflict, not conformity

Discretion, control, accountability are rarely articulated in worker’s stories Moral judgments made in face-to-face encounters influenced by identities of both parties Rules used to justify moral judgments

Worthiness

Client’s needs not determined in relation to fairness and justice, but worthiness as perceived by worker Workers purveyors of mainstream values & character rooted in notion of moral worthiness & productive citizenship Workers don’t adhere to 1-size-fits-all model of administering policies & laws to clients

Clients perceived as having flaws & strengths

Responses to Citizen-Clients

1. By the book: workers provide normal, routine, bureaucratic treatment (non-stories)

2. Extraordinary services: provided to those deemed worthy (subject matter of stories)

3. Pragmatism: what is practical given constraints

4. Punitive services: providing less than what is practical or strict services to those deemed unworthy

Chapter 8: Who are the worthy?

Worthiness Extending extraordinary care is expected in the helping professions, e.g. counseling, teaching

Worthy clients have needs beyond criteria for services e.g. poor vs. well-to-do voc rehab clients or students

Police will generally bend or break rules to aid “the worthy” rather than provide long-term services

Good people from tough circumstances sometimes deemed worthy of a break

Those not responsible for their circumstances are often deemed worthy e.g. the disabled

Personality might offset perceived worthiness

Worthiness Motivation can garner worthiness regardless of personal responsibility for one’s status

Breaks given to those attempting to overcome barriers i.e. “we pull for the underdog”

Unmotivated deemed unworthy Manipulative and demanding are not typically provided extraordinary services regardless of need Workers take hold paternalistic view of clients needs which must be realistic Worthy clients are seen as a good investment “likely to repay or contribute to society”

Chapter 9: Responding to the Worthy

The Worthiness Continuum Moral judgments can produce distinctions between treatment of comparable citizen-clients in relation to their perceived worthiness Judgments based on identities of worker & client help determine worthiness/unworthiness Responses of workers also along a continuum

Will often bend rules and even break rules to assist worthy Giving a break can cover a wide range of options, e.g. overlook drugs to not charge for shooting Providing extraordinary services can in essence mean providing new unauthorized services

Can come at expense of other clients e.g. time spent, money etc.

Assigning Worthiness & Outcomes

Workers start by providing routine services Courtship of un-equals: period in which worker tests client to determine worthiness Workers get some intrinsic value from helping worthy clients

Become advocates Use system and interfacing agencies and connections to aid worthy client

Providing extraordinary services i.e. delaying case closures (26), can place worker and supervisor in jeopardy if monthly quota not met

However, workers seek to profoundly & permanently change & assist worthy clients