Intercultural Ethics Research Articles

Intercultural Ethics: Sameness and Otherness Revisited

Intercultural Ethics: Sameness and Otherness Revisited

Social Ethics in Western Europe

The article highlights the distinctiveness of European social ethics by beginning with an analysis of how theological ethicists have engaged with “Europe” as both idea and political project. Themes discussed include the role of religion in the public square, pluralism, and the limits of tolerance and intercultural ethics. Also considered are ethical questions arising from Europe's power as a significant economic bloc, as well as ethical responses to war and other forms of political violence. The article concludes with a comment on method.

Integration in intercultural ethics

Normative theories of the ethical stances sojourners should adopt with respect to their host cultures typically encourage sojourners to either adapt themselves to the norms of the host culture or maintain their own ethical norms while simultaneously “respecting” the norms of the host culture. This paper argues for an alternative approach which suggests that cross-cultural dialogue on ethics can lead to the creation of synergetic “third cultures” which integrate positive aspects of each of the original cultures in novel ways. The paper examines the concept of integration at three different levels: (1) the individual/psychological level; (2) the interpersonal/intercultural level; and (3) the formal level.

Universalist, relativist, and constructivist approaches to intercultural ethics

Three approaches to the problem of how intercultural dialogue on ethics can be effectively conducted among people who embrace different cultural beliefs and values are examined. Universalist approaches contend that it is possible to formulate a set of norms which apply to all cultures equally, but fail as a framework for intercultural dialogue on ethics because there is in fact no agreement across cultures about what is “universal.” Relativist approaches are based on the idea that each culture has its own particular values and norms, which are incommensurable with those of other cultures, but also fail because they provide no real way for people from different cultures to effectively work together in resolving common problems. The paper argues in favor of a third approach, constructivism, which suggests that since the rules necessary to govern cross-cultural interactions do not yet exist, they can only be created through a dialogical process in which the participants attempt to critique existing norms and arrive at a more adequate set of norms which are capable of resolving the specific problems they face.

Commentaries on “Professional Ethics Across National Boundaries” by Jean L. Pettifor

Original Articles and ReviewsCommentaries on “Professional Ethics Across National Boundaries” by Jean L. PettiforProfessional Ethics Needs a Theoretical BackgroundGerhard BlickleGerhard Blickle Universität Bonn Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:September 01, 2006https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.9.4.273PDFView Full Text ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMore References Airaksinen, T. (1998). Professional ethics. In R. Chadwick (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (Vol.3, pp.671-682). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar American Psychological Association (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Blickle, G. (2001). Ethics in organizations. In N.J. Smelser & P.B. Baltes (Eds.), International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences (pp.4792-4796). Oxford: Elsevier. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Blickle, G. (2003). Ethics. In Fernandez-Ballesteros, R. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of psychological assessment (Vol.1, pp.373-378). London: Sage. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Ethics Committee of the American Psychological Association (1996). Rules and procedures. American Psychologist, 51, 529– 548. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Eyde, L. D. et al., (1993). Responsible test use. Case studies for assessing human behavior . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Haney, W. , Madaus, G. (1991). The evolution of ethical and technical standards for testing. In R. K. Hambleton & J. N. Zaal (Eds.), Advances in Educational and Psychological Testing: Theory and Applications (pp.395-425). Boston: Kluwer. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Kurzman, P. A. (1998). Workplace ethics: Issues for human service professionals. In R. Chadwick, (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (Vol.4, pp.555-560). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Lindsay, G. (1996). Psychology as an ethical discipline and profession. European Psychologist, 1, 79– 88. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Lowman, R. L. (1998). The ethical practice of psychology in organizations . Washington, DC: APA. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Pettifor, J.P. (2004). Professional ethics across national boundaries. European Psychologist, 9, 264– 272. First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar Popper, K. R. (1945). The open society and its enemies (2 Vols). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar Pritchard, J. (1998). Codes of ethics. In R. Chadwick, (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (Vol.1, pp.527-533). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Rawls, J. (1971). A theory of justice . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar Steele, D. A. (1998). Honor codes. In R. Chadwick, (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Applied Ethics (Vol.2, pp.605-615). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byProfessional Ethics in Context12 October 2012 | Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, Vol. 9, No. 4Editorial1 September 2006 | European Psychologist, Vol. 10, No. 2 Volume 9Issue 4December 2004ISSN: 1016-9040eISSN: 1878-531X InformationEuropean Psychologist (2004), 9, pp. 273-274 https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040.9.4.273.© 2004Hogrefe & Huber PublishersPDF download

Pragmatic approaches to intercultural ethics: The basis for fostering communication among nationalist groups

This research is part of a more extensive programme that deals with intercultural ethics from different perspectives. All of them share a common inspiration sprung from UNESCO’s Intercultural Ethics Project. The main goal of this paper consists in offering pragmatic/theoretical tools in order to analyse a cultural and political issue which is currently very important in Spain: the confrontation between those promoting Spanish national culture and those promoting the Basque one. I approach this confrontation in terms of discursive praxis, reaching the conclusion that only if both groups are capable of self-understanding will they be capable of reciprocal-understanding, and only then will it be possible to maintain peace in our country.

Intercultural Discourse Ethics: Testing Trompenaars' and Hampden-Turner's Conclusions about Americans and the French

Are culture driven ethical conflicts apparent in the discourse of the protagonists? A multi-year, multi-cultural study of managers by Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner resulted in two conclusions relevant to business ethics. The first is that intercultural business conflicts can often be traced to a finite set of cultural differences. The second is that enough similarities exist between cultures to provide the grounds for conflict resolution. The research reported here gives credence to their study when applied to an ethical conflict viewed from French and American perspectives.

Human sciences in the first semester of the dental undergraduate course at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm.

The first 9 weeks of the dental undergraduate education at the Karolinska Institutet comprises a transition course, designed to introduce students to university studies leading to professional qualifications in patient-related health sciences. 1 week has been set aside for the theme Man and Society, highlighting the importance of the human sciences for the development of behavioural skills necessary for achieving professionalism and a holistic patient concept. Some essential ethical questions are addressed: intercultural communication, empathy, professional demeanour and the development of professional competence, and group dynamics. In this context, more specific subjects are considered, such as the emergence of the multicultural society and its implications for health services, interpersonal skills and patient communication in the health and medical fields. There are several reasons for including this theme, which forms the basis for the ethical and communicative strands throughout the entire curriculum. As 30-40% of freshmen dental students are of non-Swedish origin, it is essential to include cultural awareness seminars. Another reason is that within the EU, cultural and communicative skills are recognised proficiencies for health professionals; it is also acknowledged that effective delivery of health care may be impeded by misunderstandings in communication and conflict in ethical beliefs. Group discussions are scheduled during the week in order to allow the students to discuss their own experiences related to the theme. The students are also given a written assignment in relation to one of the seminars; the report is assessed as a part of the examination. The week is concluded by a plenum discussion summarising the group discussions. To date, 4 course evaluations, with a response rate of 92.5%, show that 97.3% of the students were positive to the theme as a whole or to specific seminars held during the week, especially intercultural communication, ethics and empathy. The students also believe that the theme is of great importance for dental health professionals.