Value Conflicts Research Articles

Axiological reflection for nursing ethics education: The missing link in understanding value conflicts.

Texts from various areas of the world highlight the importance of moral values like compassion and integrity in healthcare. Such values are held in high esteem by healthcare organisations and are actively 'taught' within nursing ethics education to ensure their presence within the future workforce. With such an emphasis, it is easy to overlook that moral values are not the only values that people, including nurses, hold. Other personal values - which may or may not conflict with moral values - are simultaneously present within individuals. Therefore, moral behaviour cannot be predicted solely by the presence/absence of certain moral values. Instead, it depends on how these integrate into an individual's broader values system.Using Schwartz's axiological Theory of Basic Human Values as a framework, I argue that moral values are but one part of an individual's greater personal values spectrum, which also includes, for instance, hedonism, achievement, and power. Within this spectrum, values are ordered hierarchically, influencing behaviour based on relative priority. When a conflict arises between moral and other personal values, the prioritisation of moral values is a requirement for moral behaviour.I discuss how socialisation in suboptimal clinical practice environments can cause moral values to be deprioritised and argue that the development of practical reasoning skills is paramount to learning to balance one's values and guide decision-making. I advocate for the integration of (meta-)axiological reflection - characterised by introspection and aimed at developing a deeper understanding of one's personal values spectrum - within nursing ethics education. This involves exploring the origin, meaning, and perceived relative importance of one's different personal values. By incorporating specific reflective exercises, students can increase self-awareness/insight and enhance their ability to recognise situations where conflicts between their moral values and other personal values may occur, which is likely to benefit moral decision-making in clinical practice.

Ecosystem service assessment of coyote stories reveals tradeoffs from human–coyote interactions in rural Vermont, United States

AbstractThe ecosystem system services framework has potential to help clarify wildlife management challenges at the single species scale, but existing methods struggle to capture the complex values and tradeoffs at play in human–wildlife interactions. We worked with community scientists to gather and use stories (n = 150) as a source of ecosystem services data about living alongside eastern coyotes (Canis latrans var) in rural Vermont, United States. Our a priori ecosystem service assessment showed that human–coyote interactions can have simultaneous positive and negative human well‐being impacts at both the sample scale and for individual interviewees. Our research identified emergent themes that lent insight into how interviewees justified different kinds of relationships with coyotes. We applied a tradeoffs lens to evaluate three policy options based on their potential to mitigate ecosystem disservices and maximize ecosystem services from human–coyote interactions. We found that ecosystem services assessment rooted in a dataset of stories revealed policy‐relevant understanding of value conflicts and alignments at the sample scale without overshadowing the nuances of individual interviewees' experiences.

Postdigital Citizen Science and Humanities: Dialogue from the Ground

AbstractWhilst much global research takes place in universities, many researchers in the sciences and humanities do not work within these institutions. Some citizen researchers run their own companies or provide independent consultancy, having left their roles in universities through a conflict of values, where they experienced hostile, hierarchical, or restrictive practices. In a world where many postdigital and biodigital challenges do not sit neatly under one discipline or sector, collaboration with community experts to research potential solutions is crucial, as demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Universities count knowledge exchange partnerships as a key part of their activities, linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, yet a closer look at how this works in practice reveals different forms of ‘lockdowns’ that prevent equitable research collaborations. In this collective article, we offer a postdigital perspective on citizen science and humanities research from the ground. This includes a provocation to knowledge-producing institutions via recommendations that emerged from our collective citizen researcher workshop held in Zagreb in Spring 2024. There is now a pressing need to review institutional policies and practices around citizen research, towards more inclusive knowledge exchange partnerships, if we are to collaborate successfully to address many global challenges.

Entanglement in an Endangered Situation: Paiwan Society and the Conservation of the Mountain Hawk-Eagle

Abstract The mountain hawk-eagle has a special status among the indigenous Paiwan people of Taiwan. This article examines the historical evolution of the use of this eagle’s feathers amid social transformations within Paiwan culture. It also addresses the bird’s endangered status and proposed conservation strategies to protect it. Wildlife management collaborations between indigenous communities and conservationists have sparked conflicts in values and worldviews that are challenging to reconcile. While the Paiwan wish to continue using the eagle’s feathers in important cultural rituals, this increased demand exacerbates hunting pressures on the species. This article seeks to find a better balance between preserving cultural practices and ensuring species survival. Drawing on four years of fieldwork among the Paiwan, it demonstrates the complexities of navigating entangled human–animal relationships in the context of species endangerment.

Interfacing triple bottom line sustainability and metropolitan governance: An empirical exploration of stakeholder value co-creation and conflict

The importance of metropolitan governance and stakeholder collaboration in sustainable urban development (SUD) is well recognized. However, collaboration among stakeholders is dynamic, and the relationship between metropolitan governance and stakeholder dynamics, including value co-creation and conflict, remains underexplored. This study aims to address this gap by examining the causal relationships among metropolitan governance, stakeholder value co-creation and conflict through the lens of the triple bottom line (TBL) of sustainability. Using a questionnaire survey, this study collected 467 valid responses through a combination of probability and quota sampling and analyzed the data using Structural Equation Modeling. The results indicated that stakeholder value co-creation is positively influenced by TBL dimensions and metropolitan governance, thereby simultaneously promoting SUD and generating potential conflicts that constrain SUD. The study further evaluated the effectiveness of stakeholder value co-creation as a mediating variable and found that it has a unique suppressing effect on the relationship between environmental sustainability and conflict. The findings suggested that environmental sustainability-driven governance initiatives are crucial to containing conflict and fostering value co-creation among stakeholders. Theoretically, this study enriches the discourse on SUD literature by quantifying the interactions between TBL, metropolitan governance and stakeholder dynamics. Practically, it provides certain implications for relevant practitioners by proposing an argument that governance initiatives can be aligned with the shifting priorities toward environmental sustainability.

Evolution of Value Systems in the “Era of Great Changes”: General Challenges and Problems

The article examines the evolution of the system of traditional values in the era of fundamental changes in the social system. Values of different levels are considered: formational, belonging to a certain social system and changing with the change of the system, as well as civilizational, deep values, generated in a certain religious and cultural space and preserved in the system of ideals and norms of behavior of many generations.Values reflect and express a certain state of the whole society. With the change of the social system through formational evolution in the West or through “catch-up modernization” in non-Western countries, changes occur in the system of values as an interconnected set of ideals, ideas and norms. Traditional values, as a rule, retreat before the values of “today”, generated by society itself or borrowed from outside. Conflicts of identity and self-identity of the individual and society arise.In the first decades of the 21st century, in the context of the beginning of the change of the world order, new meanings of development are being developed and sought. The processes of globalization (technological revolution, global migration, flows of goods and information), as well as the West’s desire to maintain the dominant order, while nonWestern countries strengthen their importance in the world system, give rise to conflicts of values at different levels. However, not every civilizational challenge becomes a threat to traditional values. In non-Western societies, there is an adaptation of their value system to changed conditions while maintaining fidelity to the ideals and norms of their cultural and religious tradition.

The Value of Information is Context Dependent: A Demonstration of Decision Tools to Address Multispecies River Temperature Management Under Uncertainty

Trade‐offs among objectives in natural resource management can be exacerbated in altered ecosystems and when there is uncertainty in predicted management outcomes. Multi‐criteria decision analysis and value of information (VOI) are underutilized decision tools that can assist fisheries managers in handling trade‐offs and evaluating the importance of uncertainty. We demonstrate the use of these tools using a case study in the Sacramento River, California, USA, where two imperiled species with different temperature requirements, winter‐run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and Green Sturgeon Acipenser medirostris, spawn and rear in the artificially cold Shasta Dam tailwater. A temperature‐control device installed on Shasta Dam maintains cool water for Chinook Salmon; however, uncertainties exist related to the effects of temperatures on the spawning and rearing of both species. We consider four alternative hypotheses in models of early life‐stage dynamics to evaluate the effects of alternative temperature management strategies on Chinook Salmon and Green Sturgeon management objectives. We used VOI to quantify the increase in management performance that can be expected by resolving hypothesis‐based uncertainties as a function of the weight assigned to species‐specific objectives. We found the decision was hindered by uncertainty; the best performing alternative depends on which hypothesis is true, with warmer or cooler alternative management strategies recommended when weights favor Green Sturgeon or Chinook Salmon objectives, respectively. The value of reducing uncertainty was highest when Green Sturgeon was slightly favored, highlighting the interaction between scientific uncertainty and decision makers' values. Our demonstration features multi‐criteria decision analysis and VOI as transparent, deliberative tools that can assist fisheries managers in confronting value conflicts, prioritizing resolution of uncertainty, and optimally managing aquatic ecosystems.

Why Not Phase Out Animal Experimentation? Considering Objections from Freedom of Inquiry and Cross-Border Displacement.

Animal experimentation raises value conflicts between animal protection and other goods, such as freedom of inquiry or health and safety. If governments can phase out the practice by non-prohibitive incentive-setting, the pro tanto moral rationale for doing so is obvious. So why should they not? This article first sketches a fictional scenario in which a government adopts a phase-out plan for animal experimentation. It then considers two moral objections to this plan: First, the plan unduly restricts freedom of inquiry, and second, it merely displaces animal experimentation across borders and thus fails to reduce animal suffering. Both arguments are refined premise by premise to articulate their strongest versions. The two objections can help to narrow down desiderata for good phase-out plans. However, they do not provide a compelling case against phase-out planning as such because they miss its incremental and constructive nature. Unless better arguments can be provided, it appears that government inaction on phasing out animal experimentation lacks moral justification.

Uncommon Ethical Initiatives Nurses May Want to Consider When Value Conflicts Arise

A most excruciating situation for particularly patients and, families arises when they and/or their providers must make end-of-life decisions, these decisions may be most difficult for staff as well because they may have wholly opposite than these parties. In this piece I present a case and three few less commonly taken but sometimes most effective approaches to this situation that staff may take and hat are the best ethical approaches possible. These are allowing all decision-makers to present not only their views but the rationales underlying them, switching the question from what the decision should be to who should decide, and providers initially telling these parties that they support them as in seeking an appeal regardless of what they themselves believe.

Reigniting the Flame: Moving from Burnout Toward Resiliency at an NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center

<i>Introduction</i>: Resilience and burnout are current healthcare buzzwords. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts to create programming to improve healthcare worker resilience while minimizing burnout symptoms in the workplace environment have increased exponentially. Informal, grassroots effort gave rise to a robust resiliency committee and the development of a Division of Employee Resiliency entirely dedicated to building employee resilience and preventing burnout at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Buffalo, NY. <i>Methods</i>: Qualitative data was obtained through conversations with multidisciplinary staff members to understand organizational strengths and growth areas. The Mini-Z 2.0 survey was offered to all employees to understand the experience of joy at work, supportive environment, and pace and stress. <i>Results</i>: Qualitative findings indicated that while serving patients and focusing on the mission are consistently identified strengths, concerns about workload, recognition, work relationships, fairness, autonomy, and values conflicts exist. Quantitatively, scores on the Mini-Z suggests that employees do not experience a joyful workplace, working in a under supportive environments, do not have manageable stress and pace, and experience burnout symptoms. <i>Discussion</i>: A strategic approach combines individual interventions with programmatic and organizational initiatives designed to support systemic change. As burnout and moral distress remain high due to evolving stressors and challenges, tracking burnout, and implementing system-level change, based upon quantitative data and qualitative accounts, may improve workplace culture, promote individual resilience, and improve patient outcomes.

Embedded values-like shape ethical reasoning of large language models on primary care ethical dilemmas

ObjectiveThis article uses the framework of Schwartz's values theory to examine whether the embedded values-like profile within large language models (LLMs) impact ethical decision-making dilemmas faced by primary care. It specifically aims to evaluate whether each LLM exhibits a distinct values-like profile, assess its alignment with general population values, and determine whether latent values influence clinical recommendations. MethodsThe Portrait Values Questionnaire-Revised (PVQ-RR) was submitted to each LLM (Claude, Bard, GPT-3.5, and GPT-4) 20 times to ensure reliable and valid responses. Their responses were compared to a benchmark derived from a diverse international sample consisting of over 53,000 culturally diverse respondents who completed the PVQ-RR. Four vignettes depicting prototypical professional quandaries involving conflicts between competing values were presented to the LLMs. The option selected by each LLM and the strength of its recommendation were evaluated to determine if underlying values-like impact output. ResultsEach LLM demonstrated a unique values-like profile. Universalism and self-direction were prioritized, while power and tradition were assigned less importance than population benchmarks, suggesting potential Western-centric biases. Four clinical vignettes involving value conflicts were presented to the LLMs. Preliminary indications suggested that embedded values-like influence recommendations. Significant variances in confidence strength regarding chosen recommendations materialized between models, proposing that further vetting is required before the LLMs can be relied on as judgment aids. However, the overall selection of preferences aligned with intrinsic value hierarchies. ConclusionThe distinct intrinsic values-like embedded within LLMs shape ethical decision-making, which carries implications for their integration in primary care settings serving diverse populations. For context-appropriate, equitable delivery of AI-assisted healthcare globally it is essential that LLMs are tailored to align with cultural outlooks.

Bioethics and the value of disagreement

What does it mean to be a bioethicist? How should the role(s) of bioethics be understood in the context of a world of intense value conflict and polarisation? Bioethics is—in...

Addressing critical gaps in protected area coverage for bird habitats in China

Currently, protected areas cover approximately 14% of the Earth's land surface, yet 12.2% of the world's bird species remain unprotected by any designated areas and face significant threats. This study investigates the current status of bird conservation in China, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of existing protected areas, analyze why certain bird species are not adequately protected, and propose strategies for optimizing protected area configurations. Utilizing citizen science data and the zonation optimization algorithm, we comprehensively assessed the conservation value of birds in China. We then employed anthropogenic stressor data to evaluate the conservation of threatened bird habitats through a binary conflict intensity model. Finally, we conducted a spatial overlap analysis to determine the coverage and effectiveness of Chinese nature reserves in regions with high conservation value and high conflict risk. Our findings indicate that only 10.0% of the highest conservation value bird habitats are covered by protected areas, and just 7.3% of these protected areas effectively safeguard these critical habitats. Additionally, only 5.9% of bird habitats impacted by human activity conflicts are within protected areas, and merely 22.0% of the total protected areas can effectively conserve high conflict risk habitats. Overall, China's current protected area system has substantial shortcomings in safeguarding bird habitats and requires further optimization and expansion to maximize conservation benefits.

Peculiarities and ways of resolving the military-political conflict

The purpose of the article is to analyse the causes of the war that spread across the entire territory of Ukraine in February 2022. The main purpose of the study is to substantiate the essence of international economic and political conflicts, as well as scientific and theoretical approaches to resolving the political conflict that is the root cause of the russian-Ukrainian war. Various methods were used in the research, including the comparative-historical method, the method of source analysis, as well as induction, deduction, synthesis and analysis. This made it possible to gain a deeper understanding of the essence of political and political-economic conflict, as well as to divide political-economic conflicts into conflicts of values, interests, and identification, determining their essential causes. An armed conflict that turns into a war is the most dangerous form of political conflict, as it causes a transition to destructive actions on the territory of the country, involves the involvement of a large number of participants and significant losses among the military and the civilian population. The historical and modern reality in Ukraine since 2014 is characterized by the presence of political and armed conflicts that arose as a result of serious contradictions that were not resolved within the framework of the post-Soviet system. It is because of this that armed, political, economic and inter-ethnic conflicts became more frequent in the 21st century. For a long time, domestic science believed that state power and politics were aimed at finding a balance of the interests of seizing natural, energy and human resources, which was supposed to completely eliminate the conflict. However, the authorities of Ukraine did not cope with the invasion of certain territories, which has been going on for more than eight years. The article analyzes the prerequisites and nature of a full-scale invasion of the territory of Ukraine as a political conflict, and suggests key ways to resolve it. The conclusion states that Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO is a significant prospect for ensuring future guarantees of peace and protection against further or new invasion of the Russian Federation on our territory.

Interorganizational Collaboration in Contexts of (Mitigating) Value Conflict

Interorganizational Collaboration in Contexts of (Mitigating) Value Conflict

Normative Challenges of Risk Regulation of Artificial Intelligence

Approaches aimed at regulating artificial intelligence (AI) include a particular form of risk regulation, i.e. a risk-based approach. The most prominent example is the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act). This article addresses the challenges for adequate risk regulation that arise primarily from the specific type of risks involved, i.e. risks to the protection of fundamental rights and fundamental societal values. This is mainly due to the normative ambiguity of such rights and societal values when attempts are made to select, interpret, specify or operationalise them for the purposes of risk assessments and risk mitigation. This is exemplified by (1) human dignity, (2) informational self-determination, data protection and privacy, (3) anti-discrimination, fairness and justice, and (4) the common good. Normative ambiguities require normative choices, which are assigned to different actors under the regime of the AI Act. Particularly critical normative choices include selecting normative concepts by which to operationalise and specify risks, aggregating and quantifying risks (including the use of metrics), balancing value conflicts, setting levels of acceptable risks, and standardisation. To ensure that these normative choices do not lack democratic legitimacy and to avoid legal uncertainty, further political processes and scientific debates are suggested.

Construction of Graduate Talent Training Mechanism based on Multi-Disciplinary Crossing and Integration

It is an urgent requirement for the high-quality development of universities and society to build an effective graduate talent training mechanism. The importance of building a graduate talent training mechanism based on multi-disciplinary crossing and integration is discussed. Under the background of "double first-class" construction, innovation ability has become the key to measure the quality of graduate training, and multi-disciplinary cross-training is an important way to improve this ability. To optimize the environment of interdisciplinary integration, the author puts forward some strategies, such as the integration of science and education, the cross-disciplinary training mode, the improvement of interdisciplinary course elective mechanism, the construction of the training ideological mechanism of deep integration of industry, university and research, the establishment of teaching evaluation system and the creation of the training mode of "reality teaching and learning training". At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of school-enterprise collaborative graduate training mode, including resolving the conflict of values and interest pursuit, strengthening the top-level design, and co-construction evaluation mechanism. It has a certain reference significance for the mechanism of graduate personnel training.

Moral value conflicts in the German debate about genetically engineered foods

Moral value conflicts in the German debate about genetically engineered foods

Moral trade-offs reveal foundational representations that predict unique variance in political attitudes.

Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) explains variation in moral judgements on the basis of multiple innate, intuitive foundations and has been subject to criticism over recent years. Prior research has tended to rely on explicit self-report in the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ). In contrast, we seek to capture intuitive choices between foundations in a novel task - the Moral Foundations Conflict Task (MFCT). Across four studies, responses on this task reflect foundations measured by the MFQ (study 1), are not altered under cognitive load or reduced cognitive control (studies 2a and 2b); and explain unique variance in political orientation and related constructs (study 3). Furthermore, using responses and response times generated on the MFCT, we present a computationally explicit model of foundation-related intuitive judgements and show that these patterns are consistent with the theoretical claims of MFT. These findings show that the MFCT outperforms the MFQ and can contribute to the understanding of moral value conflicts, furthering debate on the nature of moral values.

Multiculturalism, Islamophobia and the Muslim Minority in Australia: A Reflection

Australia’s approach to multiculturalism has been a journey of evolving policies and societal shifts. The country’s immigration policies in the 1960s marked a significant departure from the restrictive ‘White Australia’ policy, leading to a more diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious population. Recognizing the potential for value and norm conflicts, the Australian government adopted multiculturalism as a state ideology, aiming to foster social cohesion and reduce inter-community conflicts. This policy has been largely successful in managing conflicts, as evidenced by the relatively low incidence of political, ethnic, and religious violence, including terrorism, compared to other nations. The positive impact of multiculturalism is evident in the thriving Australian Muslim communities, which, along with other ethnic and religious groups, have been able to preserve their cultural heritage. These communities contribute significantly to the social and economic fabric of the nation. However, despite the overarching success of multiculturalism, challenges persist. The Muslim minority in Australia has faced Islamophobia, manifesting in both overt attacks and subtle forms of discrimination. This has been a complex issue, with some Muslim groups maintaining a degree of exclusivity and engaging in identity politics, while also recognizing and embracing the broader multicultural ethos that has become an integral part of Australia’s identity. The Australian government has continued to refine its multicultural policies, with initiatives aimed at promoting anti-racism, access, and equity since 2010. These efforts are part of a broader commitment to diversity, belonging, and inclusion, which encompasses Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well. The policy landscape is complemented by state and territory policies that further support multiculturalism. Despite the progress, the experiences of Australian Muslims highlight the ongoing need for vigilance against discrimination. Reports indicate that Australian Muslims are a diverse group, facing stereotypes and prejudice that can perpetuate social tensions. The Australian Human Rights Commission has emphasized the importance of sharing the stories of Australian Muslims to foster understanding and address Islamophobia. The Commission’s findings underscore the need for a national anti-racism framework and strong leadership to combat discrimination and support social cohesion. While Australia’s multicultural policy has been a beacon of successful integration and social harmony, it is clear that the journey is not complete. The nation continues to grapple with the dual realities of a celebrated multicultural society and the undercurrents of intolerance that challenge it. The experiences of the Australian Muslim community serve as a reminder of the work that remains to be done in ensuring that multiculturalism is not just a state ideology but a lived reality for all Australians. The path forward lies in education, awareness, and institutional change that upholds the values of diversity and inclusion for every individual in the nation.