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Although individual liberty is a fundamental condition for ethical social work, the forms of individualism associated with market-based societies can undermine the very quality of life which social work seeks to improve. This article uses the example of the recent New Labour regime in the UK to argue that its reforms of the social services - aimed at reconciling individual independence and choice with social justice - were damaging for civil liberties, social bonds and the cultural milieu upon which good practice relies.
Keywords: individualism, contract, culture, citizenship, Big Society
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