Title: Personal values, belief and attitudes - Personal values, belief and attitudes
Headings: Personal values, belief and attitudes
Personal values, belief and attitudes
What are values?
Activity: What are some of my values?
Where do values come from?
Dominant values
Exploring your values
Race
Gender
Religion
Culture
Language
General
Values clarification
Scenario 1
Scenario 2
Scenario 3
What is a belief?
Pre-existing beliefs
What is an attitude?
The influence of attitudes
The problem with attitudes
Awareness of personal attitudes
Activity
Activity
Taking into account personal values and beliefs
Professional values
Activity: Professional values
Respecting the beliefs, attitudes and values of others
Impact of values and philosophies on service provision
Activity: Identifying the impact of values and philosophies on service provision

Content: Personal values, belief and attitudes - Personal values, belief and attitudes
Personal values, belief and attitudes
As human beings, we all have our own values, beliefs and attitudes that we have developed throughout the course of our lives. Our family, friends, community and the experiences we have had all contribute to our sense of who we are and how we view the world. As community services workers, we are often working with people who are vulnerable and/or who may live a lifestyle that mainstream society views as being different or unacceptable. If, as community services workers, we are to provide a service that meets the needs of our target groups and helps them to feel empowered, we need to be aware of our own personal values, beliefs and attitudes and be prepared to adopt the professional values of our industry—and not impose our own ideas on our clients. What are values? Values are principles, standards or qualities that an individual or group of people hold in high regard. These values guide the way we live our lives and the decisions we make. A value may be defined as something that we hold dear, those things/qualities which we consider to be of worth. A ‘value’ is commonly formed by a particular belief that is related to the worth of an idea or type of behaviour. Some people may see great value in saving the world’s rainforests.