Stewardship of research resources

Most accounts of research ethics focus on the importance of a handful of ethical and epistemological norms for the conduct of science, such as honesty, integrity, transparency, accountability, objectivity, collegiality, fairness, social responsibility, but have little to say about another, less well-known norm that also deserves attention: stewardship of research resources. Many of the behaviors and practices that are widely regarded as unethical or ethically questionable involve wasting or misusing money, time, and other resources. While good stewardship of resources may not be as crucial to the ethics of science as other norms, it is an important consideration that scientists should keep in mind when managing their own resources or mentoring students and trainees in the responsible conduct of research. Additional investigation into the ethics of stewardship may help us better understand how this norm interacts with other research norms and guides scientific conduct.     

Ethical and psychosocial issues raised by the practice in cases of mistreatment of older adults

Intervention regarding older adult mistreatment raises many questions for practitioners. They have to interact with the victim, the abuser, and, in many cases, with both of them at the same time. In such cases, five themes emerge from the literature review on psycho-social and ethical issues in practice: practitioners' pre-construction and axiological frameworks, victims' capacity, confidentiality versus collaboration between practitioners or between agencies, social and family responsibilities and the balance between competing values in practice. Practitioners are well placed to offer a critical reflection on their practice and on ways of improving it. The goal of our qualitative study is to identify issues and ethical dilemmas in elderly mistreatment situations as represented in the discourses of practitioners in reference to interventions in their psychosocial practice. Sixteen practitioners from the public and community (non-profit organization) sectors were interviewed using a practice history approach. This paper presents the main ethical and psychosocial issues raised by practitioners and some ideas to improve the practice. It is motivated by the crucial question haunting the practitioners' minds: "How far should we go?"     

价值理想的认识与实践:马克斯·韦伯的伦理教育

在我们这个似乎已实现了“价值自由”的时代,马克斯·韦伯很少被人视为一位伦理教育者。本文尝试从韦伯身处的时代和社会背景出发,以其关于学术与政治之伦理意义的论述为重点,结合其书信和传记,来揭示韦伯思想中之伦理教育的面向。面对威廉二世时代的精神危机,韦伯力主社会科学虽具有抽象的观念性,但能够向人们揭示文明与历史中的超越性价值,并通过对其客观化实践的描述,令人们看到这些价值理想如何落实于现实,并产生复杂的变化与后果;由此,学术能够令人明确自身的价值立场及其实践后果,从而培养人的自我清明和求真务实的品质,在日常的工作与生活中朴实地践行自己的理想。另一方面,韦伯还告诫我们,要警惕主观理想潜藏的暴力性,认清实践的复杂性和悖谬性,将信念与清醒的现实责任感结合起来。     

Promoting Compassionate Concern in Social Work: Reflections on Ethics, Biology and Love

This paper challenges proceduralized, rule-bound approachesto ethics and considers how social workers and teams can developan attitude of compassionate concern and become more effectivein dealing with ethical problems in their day-to-day practice.It introduces the work of Humberto Maturana, a widely respectedtheorist, whose work has received little attention in socialwork. The paper argues that Maturana’s biology of cognitionprovides an approach to ethics that takes into account the spontaneousnature of everyday work in which social workers undertake theirethical actions. It stresses the importance of emotions, particularlylove, and considers the way in which ethical action is shapedby culture. It emphasizes the importance of engaging in reflectionon professional practices and team, professional and organizationalculture in order for social workers to improve their awarenessof ethical dilemmas and promote ethical practice. For thoseteaching ethics, this paper suggests an alternative to the rationalconsideration of moral dilemmas and proposes approaches to trainingthat can help social workers become more attuned and responsiveto ethical conflicts.     

Students and the Consumer Credit Market: Towards a Social Policy Agenda

The rise in access to complex consumer credit arrangements has taken place against a backdrop of a call for increased individual responsibility. Consumers are required to behave in a way which recognizes both their rights and responsibilities. But how much responsibility should they be expected to shoulder in critical areas of complex choice? Students represent a particular group of novice, sometimes vulnerable and often targeted consumers, who may display limited financial capability and responsibility. In addition to arguments for a more nuanced understanding of individual responsibility in different environments, the role of commercial agents and their marketing practices, which can have major implications for social policy, should also be considered. From the perspective of both students and relevant agencies and organizations, this article examines the nature, role and limitations of individual responsibility in managing credit and debt. While the social and economic system confers rights on lenders, their responsibility in marketing remains limited. It is argued that a framework for more responsible marketing of credit is a critical element of social policy acting as a bridge between individual responsibility and regulation. Qualitative research is used to illustrate the argument for marketing's social responsibility from the point of view of students entering credit arrangements to meet short‐term needs but with long‐term implications.     

The relative amenability of dull and bright children to child guidance 1

Supervision is an activity filled with ethical dilemmas related to the power held by the supervisor, a power that should be exercised with care. This article explores some of these dilemmas through the analysis of supervision vignettes viewed from the perspective of social constructionism, in particular, from the insights of French philosopher Michel Foucault. It concludes with suggestions to exercise supervisory power ethically.     

Environmental ethics for social work: Social work's responsibility to the non‐human world

Gray M, Coates J. Environmental ethics for social work: Social work's responsibility to the non‐human world This lead article in this Special Issue begins discussion on an environmental ethics for social work and raises arguments as to whether and, if so, why social workers have duties, obligations, responsibilities and commitments to the non‐human world. It provides an overview of the field of environmental ethics in searching for a moral stance to affirm an environmental social work. To what extent should social workers engage in fundamental geopolitical issues concerned with climate change, global warming, environmental degradation, pollution, chemical contamination, sustainable agriculture, disaster management, pet therapy, wilderness protection and so on and, if so, why and how? Are these issues incidental and peripheral and only of concern when they impact upon humans or do social workers have a responsibility beyond human interests? What is the significance of the ‘non‐human’ for social work? The article explores the terrain of the burgeoning field of environmental ethics to determine whether convincing ethical grounds for environmental social work might be found beyond hortatory claims of what the profession ought to be doing to address environmental concerns.     

Ethical oxymora for risk assessment practitioners

We define working conditions faced by some practitioners of risk assessment that contradict their formal training and career expectations. Panels of expert risk scientists are used to assess the importance of these ethical oxymora. We offer recommendations aimed at helping risk scientists deal with these contradictions.

An oxymoron is a figure of speech combining contradictory ideas into a useful expression (e.g., sweet sorrow, silent thunder). In this paper we argue that some practitioners of quantitative risk assessment face working conditions that strongly contradict their professional ethos. In the first part of the paper, after briefly defining quantitative risk assessment, we describe four ethical oxymora faced by risk analysts. Second, we describe how we used panels of expert risk scientists to assess the importance of these ethical problems. We offer recommendations aimed at helping risk scientists deal with these oxymora in the last part.     

The systematic application of ethical codes in the counseling of persons who are considering euthanasia

As health psychology develops, psychologists and counseling professionals are becoming progressively more involved with patients who have chronic terminal illnesses such as AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. Consequently, they will be consulted increasingly by patients, caregivers, and lawyers in cases where euthanasia is being considered. There are numerous ethical dilemmas that could arise when counseling persons who are contemplating euthanasia. Professionals must consider carefully issues such as informed consent, bodily autonomy, respect for a person's dignity, patient welfare, as well as responsibility to society. The national psychological, social work, and medical associations of North America have each adopted a code of ethics. These codes may be used by counseling professionals to assist in the resolution of ethical dilemmas that may arise as a result of working with persons considering euthanasia. This paper discusses the relevance of these codes to the counseling of terminally ill patients.     

Resolving Beecher's Paradox: Getting beyond IRB reform

Protection of persons participating as research subjects is an essential element of ethical research conduct. There is growing concern that the existing system of institutional review boards (IRBs) and informed consent may not be adequate and is in need of reform. When science and medicine are “merged”; in clinical research, confusion of roles and conflicts of interests arise in relationships between patient‐subjects and physician‐investigators. IRBs have always had a primary role in protection of research participants. Their efforts to protect research subjects may make it more difficult for investigators to conduct research. This tension has lead to the development of an adversarial relationship between IRBs and investigators. Investigators and IRBs are also subject to external pressures that could impact efforts to protect research subjects. Efforts are underway to address these concerns. IRB reform, while needed, is not likely to be sufficient. Adoption of a new paradigm in which IRBs, investigators and research sponsors collectively accept protection of research subjects as their primary and shared responsibility may provide a more effective and efficient model that will be better able to deal with difficult ethical and social issues in clinical research.     

Beneficence versus respect for autonomy: an ethical dilemma in social work practice

Ethical dilemmas are an integral part of the practitioner's reality and impact upon the quality of care provided to the resident. The establishment of ethical principles aims to guide the worker through difficult scenarios involving morals, values and beliefs. Often, these precepts contradict one another and are strongly bound to the practitioner's and the resident's standpoints. The ethical principles of beneficence and respect for autonomy pose a conflict in judgment regarding an elderly woman's care in an 816-bed long term care facility. The contributing parties to the conflict are the medical staff, social worker and the resident. The ethical dilemma will be analyzed according to the utilitarian and deontological theories. Resolution to the conflict is offered at the conclusion.     

社会工作伦理教育:现状与反思

社会工作实践中几乎所有的实践工作原则都涉及伦理原则,或者是建立在伦理原则的基础之上,伦理方面的内容融入到了所有阶段的社会工作教育中。目前,在中国的社会工作教育中出现了严重的重知识、重技术,轻伦理现象。伦理知识的缺乏导致社会工作实践中伦理困境的频繁出现,而伦理困境解决的草率性和不一致性,已经严重影响到社会工作的专业化与职业化。加强中国社会工作伦理议题的研究,重视本土的社会工作伦理困境的探讨、将社会工作伦理教育纳入整个社会工作课程体系是社会工作教育及实践发展的重要环节。     

The Precautionary Principle in Context: U.S. and E.U. Scientists' Prescriptions for Policy in the Face of Uncertainty*

Objective. Our objective is to explain how scientists interpret less‐than‐certain scientific findings to inform policymakers' choices on controversial science policy issues. We focus on two particularly difficult policy cases concerning global climate change and low‐dose radiation protection. Methods. Our method is to analyze data from a unique multination survey of scientists to analyze the ways their views about what is scientifically correct are translated into judgments about appropriate policy. The surveys asked scientists, randomly drawn from U.S. and E.U. subscribers to the journal Science, to indicate the “most likely” relationships between greenhouse gas emissions and average global temperatures and between radiation dose and incidence of cancer in humans. Follow‐up questions asked for their judgments about appropriate policy targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emission and safety standards for radiation exposure. The data permit analysis of the relationships between scientific certainty and policy judgments in these two cases. Results. Our results shed light on when and how scientists reach precautionary policy conclusions, demonstrating that scientists' application of precaution is dependent on context. In the case of radiation protection, greater certainty is associated with less precaution. But with respect climate change, we found the opposite relationship. Conclusions. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for the role of scientists, and scientific advice, in the policy process.     

Critical Commentary: Happy Shopper? The Problem with Service User and Carer Participation

This critical commentary assesses the consequences and impactof forms of seemingly widespread, constructive and altruisticservice user and carer participation (SUCP) within social work.In particular, and whilst drawing from Gramsci's understandingof hegemony and Levitas's critical interpretation of socialexclusion, it is proposed that SUCP serves the interests ofgovernment, affiliated organizations, including those withinsocial work and social care, and, perhaps more generally, thedisparate needs generated by the neo-liberal-inspired socialcare market. Arguably, there are also related substantive aspectsof SUCP that are problematic on ethical grounds—includingthe possibility that participation inadvertently increases socialinequalities by justifying and promoting hegemonic agendas.Some suggestions are briefly made regarding how to move SUCPforward, including difficult questions that must be asked aboutwhether or not SUCP can confront forms of structural disadvantageand oppression.     

Controlling birth: science, politics, and public policy

Reproductive technologies raise a host of social and legal issues that challenge basic values and create intense controversy. If researchers wish to inform public policies related to reproductive technologies, they must understand how the scientific enterprise is being manipulated and research findings are being misrepresented to justify a particular social agenda and restrict access to contraception and abortion. To counter these distortions, scientists must defend the science advisory process, be involved in dissemination of their research findings beyond simple publication in scientific journals, and actively work to ensure that the findings are not misrepresented to the public .     

Caregivers' use of spirituality in ethical decision-making

This qualitative study examined ethical dilemmas faced by female caregivers of frail elders as well as the dominant role of caregivers' spirituality in addressing these dilemmas. Dilemmas are difficult decisions that involve conflicting values, e.g., freedom versus safety. In-depth interviews were conducted with thirteen ethnically diverse caregivers recruited from a home health agency and its parent hospital. Purposive sampling was used to obtain variation among research participants. Focus group interviews of home health staff, key informant caregivers, and interviewees provided guidance for the research design, reflection on findings and development of implications. In order to deal with ethical dilemmas, all caregivers used spirituality as (1) a philosophy of life, e.g., "This is what you do when you're family," (2) an aid to decision-making, e.g., through the use of prayer; and/or, (3) a way to transcend dilemmas, e.g., "no choice is hard." Implications include the importance of caregiver-driven assessment, professional self-reflection, and sustained formal services for caregivers.     

Ethical dilemmas in social research: no easy solutions

Correspondence to Bernard Gallagher, Research Fellow, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, University of Manchester, Dover St., Mancester M13 9PL. Summary Ethical dilemmas have been encountered in many areas of socialresearch and have at times been the subject of much controversy.Despite this, the problem of how to tackle ethical dilemmashas received little attention in the literature. As a result,researchers faced with these dilemmas have little knowledgeto draw upon, and groups associated with research, such as participatingagencies and ethics committees, may not fully appreciate allthe issues involved in dealing with ethical dilemmas. Theseissues are not only philosophical in nature but relate alsoto the methodological and practical implications of followingone, rather than another, ethical principle. The researchersencountered a number of ethical dilemmas in their research inchild protection. By discussing different approaches to solvingethical dilemmas, they intend to show that this is a complexproblem and one which, along with ethics in general, requiresgreater attention in the literature.     

Dilemmas of public participation in science policy

Public participation is ubiquitous in many contemporary democratic societies – used for many purposes, and in many contexts, with particular and growing relevance for policy-making on science and technology issues. However, there is a dearth of evidence as to its qualities and benefits. We contend that the implementation and interpretation of participation faces a number of dilemmas that – together –undermine its successful adoption. In this paper, we identify and discuss six specific dilemmas that – together – may militate against the practice and development of good quality participation in science and technology policy, notably dilemmas of Timing; of Relevance; of Representation; of Evaluation; of Criticism; and of Impact. We theoretically account for these dilemmas and discuss their likely impacts. Finally, we provide some suggestions as to how the participation community might attempt to pre-empt difficulties due to these dilemmas and demonstrate participation effectiveness.     

生态责任意识的时代诉求及其培育

生态责任意识的重要性在当今社会境况下日益凸显,而当下中国部分民众的生态责任意识十分薄弱甚至缺失,使其难以担负实现社会主义生态文明的历史重任.因此,高等教育应自觉承担起培育社会民众生态责任意识的任务,促使社会民众明确自身的生态责任、型塑生态道德人格、养成生态道德行为自觉.对于推进我国构建人与自然和谐共生的可持续型社会具有重要的理论意义和实践价值.