Biomedical Ethics: An African-Centered Psychological Perspective

Abstract

Biomedical ethics examine questions of right and good action that arise in biological and medical settings. In the biomedical, ethical universe, continental Africans and the diasporic descendants tend to react differently than the ordinary Westerner. African American psychology is particularly concerned with the ethical dimensions and cultural competence of systems of health care. The quantity and quality of psychological health care delivered to African Americans raise deeply pervasive and troubling ethical questions. The significance of African consciousness, skin color, religion, education, racism, and the sociopolitical and economic posture of African people cannot be ignored. In a world culture where the rationing of resources is determined along a color line, the medical and mental health status of continental and diasporic Africans is adversely affected. A psychological perspective on the biomedical ethics of the African communities, particularly in America, is urgently needed. This exposition is intended to stimulate scholarship toward that end.