A Model of Ethical Decision Making From a Multicultural Perspective

Abstract

Because shifts in the world's ethnic and racial demographics mean that the majority of the world's population is non-White (M. D'Andrea & P. Arredondo, 1997), it is imperative that counselors develop a means for working ethically with a diverse clientele. In this article, the authors argue that the current Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the American Counseling Association (1995) does not adequately address the demands of working with non-White, non-Western clients. Using a universalist philosophy, an ethic of care (C. Gilligan, 1982; R. M. Kidder, 1995; J. G. Ponterotto & J. M. Casas, 1991), the context of power (M. Hill, K. Glaser, & J. Harden, 1995), and the process of acculturation, the authors offer a model for ethical decision making from a multicultural perspective.