Morality Research Articles

The Moral Compass of Identity: Ethical Predispositions Predict the Importance Consumers Ascribe to Their Group and Individual Identities

The Moral Compass of Identity: Ethical Predispositions Predict the Importance Consumers Ascribe to Their Group and Individual Identities

Knowledge, practices,and barriers to access of emergency contraceptive pills in married women and men:a multicenter clinic-based cross-sectional study from Karachi, Pakistan.

Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are significantly underutilized in many parts of the world, especially in South-Asia. Within Pakistan, despite the population surge, the utilization of ECPs remains alarmingly low. The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practices regarding ECPs amongst married women and men in Karachi, Pakistan and the possible barriers hindering access to and use of these contraceptives. A multi-centric cross-sectional study was conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. Interviews were conducted with participants using validated questionnaire involving different sections on demographics, knowledge, practices, and barriers to ECP use. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages while continuous variables were characterized using mean and standard deviation. A chi-square test of variance was used for association between knowledge scores and different categorical values. A p-value of < 0.05 at 95% CI was statistically significant. Over half of the respondents (52.5%) were not using any method of contraception. 11.1% of respondents had used ECP at some point in their life. 337 (85.8%) participants had low knowledge, 55 (14%) had moderate while only 1 (0.25%) had high knowledge regarding ECPs. There was no significant association of knowledge scores with gender, age, employment status or parity. However, participants who had received counseling for family planning in the past or had previously used ECPs had significantly higher knowledge regarding ECPs. A majority 58% (221) of the participants expressed concerns about the potential side effects and 128 (33.9%) of them believed that ECPs were in contradiction to their religious and moral values. Our study in Karachi, Pakistan, highlights critical challenges in ECP awareness, utilization, and family planning. Although the results show improved ECP usage than studies previously done in Pakistan, there is a further need to increase the reach of ECPs through a variety of methods. Persistent myths and misconceptions and a severe lack of awareness further hinders their use.

Managerial strategies to reduce stress and brain drain in tourism through moral values

Purpose: This research explores effective managerial practices to reduce brain drain in tourism by promoting moral values such as compassion and empathy. It investigates how a supportive work environment can decrease employee stress, improve job satisfaction and retain skilled professionals.Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a structural equation modelling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS) longitudinal model over three periods in 2023–2024. Invitations were sent to 47 inland hotels, with only 6 participating. It aimed to provide tools for employees to cope with pandemic-related crises. Managers distributed the questionnaires, yielding 267 responses out of 290.Findings/results: The research highlights how managerial practices focussed on moral values such as compassion and empathy can reduce brain drain in tourism by alleviating employee stress. It shows that values-driven training programmes foster a supportive work environment, leading to greater job satisfaction and talent retention. Limitations call for further longitudinal studies.Practical implications: A key limitation was the lack of longitudinal studies on training’s impact on values within the same population. Additionally, focus groups were needed because of employees’ unavailability for scheduled meetings.Originality/value: It was observed that the training helps not only overcome stressful situations but also provided a sense of commitment and excellence towards the company, helping to connect workers and customers. Similarly, it contributed to reducing the level of stress by improving its customer-facing training, which helped to overcome unforeseen changes in the hotel.

Examining Parents' Opinions on Safe School

The aim of this study is to examine the views of parents on safe schools and to develop solutions to the problems encountered in a safe school environment based on these views. The research was conducted with phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods. The study group of the research consists of 16 parents selected by criterion sampling and maximum sampling method. The research was carried out with volunteer parents who have at least one student in primary school, secondary school, high school age, high school, bachelor's or master's degree graduates in Fatih district of Istanbul province. The data of the study were collected by semi-structured interview technique and analysed with descriptive analysis method. According to the results obtained, parents' views on safe school were categorised under 6 themes. These themes are safe school ecosystem, social relations and educational safety, health and safety balance in education, resources and implementations for safety and governance, communication and solidarity, safe behaviour and moral values. As a result, it has been determined that parents' views on safe school environment are mainly gathered around physiological and psychological safety for students and school climate based on mutual trust of stakeholders. Based on these results, it is recommended that policy makers and implementers in education should prioritise measures to ensure school safety.

Regula Et Mensura: Philosophical Exploration of Moral Position in The Indonesian Legal System According to The Thoughts of Thomas Aquinas

The relationship between law and morals in the perspective of legal thought focuses on the conflict between positivism and natural law. The main problem concerns whether or not there is a relationship between the two rules which influence the existence and validity of legal rules so that they bind members of society. The aim of this research is to find out the legal system in Indonesia and how the position of moral values is towards the legal system in Indonesia and its practice in the justice system in Indonesia. The research method used in this writing is a normative juridicial method, namely legal research conducted by examining library materials and examining laws and regulations related to the problem. The results of this study indicate that the moral position is very influential on the legal system in Indonesia and in its enforcement, because the morale of law enforcement officials is needed to archive true justice. Good law enforcement requires implementation that is directed at the process of archiving goals which includes the actualization of values/morals towards law enforcement officials or often referred to as the legal structure that underlines and becomes a reference for the behavior of law enforcement processes, which is aimed at at achieving legal goals. To elements of good law enforcement.

Makna Pendidikan dalam tradisi pembacaan Al-Qur’an tujuh surah pilihan di Pondok Pesantren Al-Munawwir Komplek Al-Fatimiyah Putri Krapyak Yogyakarta

This study aims to explore the meaning of education in the tradition of reading seven selected surahs of the Al-Qur'an at the Al-Munawwir Islamic Boarding School, Al-Fatimiyah Putri Krapyak Complex, Yogyakarta, which serves as a medium for learning to read and memorize the Al-Qur'an. This tradition functions not only as a spiritual avenue but also as an effective teaching method for students to master reading and memorizing the Al-Qur'an correctly. The research employs a qualitative descriptive method with an ethnographic approach. Data collection was conducted using three techniques: observation, interviews, and documentation. Data analysis utilized a descriptive-explanatory approach, where the researcher provides an in-depth description of an object, phenomenon, or concept while explaining how it works and the reasons behind it. The findings indicate that this activity significantly enhances students' abilities to read and memorize the Al-Qur'an, particularly the seven selected surahs, while teaching the correct reading rules, including makharijul huruf and tajwid. Additionally, this tradition plays a role in shaping the character and discipline of the students, despite challenges in understanding the meaning and purpose of the activities. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that the tradition of reading the seven selected surahs of the Al-Qur'an at the Al-Munawwir Islamic Boarding School, Al-Fatimiyah Krapyak Yogyakarta, is a highly effective educational medium, supporting the spiritual and academic development of the students and imparting beneficial moral values in their daily lives.

Surgical Ethics in the Safavid Era, 16th Century AD.

Medicine-and specifically surgery and surgical ethics-have long been part of the history of science. Surgical ethics play a pivotal role in ensuring successful outcomes and maintaining the highest standards of patient care. It includes the ethics of surgeons, the responsibility of surgeons, surgical errors, and the competence of a surgeon. Many works have been written about surgery, including during Iran's Safavid period (1501 to 1736)-a period in which a surgeon needed to have a set of moral principles in addition to practical surgical skills. One of the most valuable is Dhakhīrıh Kāmılıh, written by military surgeon Hakim Mohammad in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this work, Ḥakim Muhāmmad dedicates a chapter specifically to the topic of surgical ethics, aiming to provide moral and legal recommendations for surgeons in addition to explaining surgical techniques and methods. Some of these recommendations include improving surgical skills through observation and practical training, paying attention to hygiene to prevent the spread of infection, and giving patients hope for recovery. Dhakhīrıh Kāmılıh is a landmark text in the history of surgical ethics.

Exploring bias risks in artificial intelligence and targeted medicines manufacturing

BackgroundThough artificial intelligence holds great value for healthcare, it may also amplify health inequalities through risks of bias. In this paper, we explore bias risks in targeted medicines manufacturing. Targeted medicines manufacturing refers to the act of making medicines targeted to individual patients or to subpopulations of patients within a general group, which can be achieved, for example, by means of cell and gene therapies. These manufacturing processes are increasingly reliant on digitalised systems which can be controlled by artificial intelligence algorithms. Whether and how bias might turn up in the process, however, is uncertain due to the novelty of the development.MethodsExamining stakeholder views across bioethics, precision medicine, and artificial intelligence, we document a range of opinions from eleven semi-structured interviews about the possibility of bias in AI-driven targeted therapies manufacturing.ResultFindings show that bias can emerge in upstream (research and development) and downstream (medicine production) processes when manufacturing targeted medicines. However, interviewees emphasized that downstream processes, particularly those not relying on patient or population data, may have lower bias risks. The study also identified a spectrum of bias meanings ranging from negative and ambivalent to positive and productive. Notably, some participants highlighted the potential for certain biases to have productive moral value in correcting health inequalities. This idea of “corrective bias” problematizes the conventional understanding of bias as primarily a negative concept defined by systematic error or unfair outcomes and suggests potential value in capitalizing on biases to help address health inequalities. Our analysis also indicates, however, that the concept of “corrective bias” requires further critical reflection before they can be used to this end.

Moral judgment is sensitive to bargaining power.

For contractualist accounts of morality, actions are moral if they correspond to what rational or reasonable agents would agree to do, were they to negotiate explicitly. This, in turn, often depends on each party's bargaining power, which varies with each party's stakes in the potential agreement and available alternatives in case of disagreement. If there is an asymmetry, with one party enjoying higher bargaining power than another, this party can usually get a better deal, as often happens in real negotiations. A strong test of contractualist accounts of morality, then, is whether moral judgments do take bargaining power into account. We explore this in five preregistered experiments (n = 3,025; U.S.-based Prolific participants). We construct scenarios depicting everyday social interactions between two parties in which one of them can perform a mutually beneficial but unpleasant action. We find that the same actions (asking the other to perform the unpleasant action or explicitly refusing to do it) are perceived as less morally appropriate when performed by the party with lower bargaining power, as compared to the party with higher bargaining power. In other words, participants tend to give more moral leeway to parties with better bargaining positions and to hold disadvantaged parties to stricter moral standards. This effect appears to depend only on the relative bargaining power of each party but not on the magnitude of the bargaining power asymmetry between them. We discuss implications for contractualist theories of moral cognition and the emergence and persistence of unfair norms and inequality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Social media use and mistrust in authority: an examination of Kohlberg’s moral development model

Purpose The study explores how social media impacts institutional trust through the lens of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development. Specifically, this study aims to understand how moral relativism and moral intuitionism can moderate the relationship between social media use and perception of social authorities. Design/methodology/approach The study analyzes a large data set from the World Values Survey, covering responses from approximately 52,000 individuals across 45 countries between 2017 and 2022. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to test for interactions between social media use and stages of moral development on trust in social institutions. Findings The study finds that different stages of moral development significantly moderate the relationship between social media use and institutional trust. Specifically, higher moral development buffers the negative effect of social media use on trust in three main social institutions: law enforcement, parliament and the legal system. In contrast, individuals with higher levels of moral relativism and moral intuitionism are more susceptible to the negative influence of social media on institutional trust. Research limitations/implications The study relies on self-reported data from the World Values Survey, which may introduce response biases. In addition, while the large-scale data set offers insights into correlations, it does not allow for conclusive causal inferences. Originality/value This research contributes to understanding technology’s impact on modern societies by highlighting the role of individual moral development in shaping perceptions of key social institutions. The study uniquely integrates Kohlberg’s moral development theory with the influence of social media, offering a novel perspective on how personal moral systems can moderate the effect of digital media use.

Метод погружения в эпическую ситуацию как средство формирования и коррекции ценностной ориентации подростков

Russian heroic folk sagas (byliny) have been a central element of Folk Education as a distinct genre of folklore that actively shaped and refined the listener’s value system, influencing their perception of the world and their moral compass. The folk epic storytelling was a multifaceted cultural practice, incorporating pedagogical and psychotherapeutic functions.This practice promoted Christian teachings, instilled social norms, fostered a sense of national pride, emphasized the importance of family and tradition, and encouraged care for the less fortunate, including widows, orphans, and the impoverished. Based on an entertaining form of students’ acquaintance with important events of Russian history, heroes and traditions, an epic situation immersion method confronts the task of moral choice, which they solve together with the epic heroes. This method contributes to students’ cognitive abilities, imaginative development, moral character, and appreciation for their country and ancestors.

Morality in Our Mind and Across Cultures and Politics.

Moral judgments differ across cultures and politics, but they share a common theme in our minds: perceptions of harm. Both cultural ethnographies on moral values and psychological research on moral cognition highlight this shared focus on harm. Perceptions of harm are constructed from universal cognitive elements-including intention, causation, and suffering-but depend on the cultural context, allowing many values to arise from a common moral mind. This review traces the concept of harm across philosophy, cultural anthropology, and psychology, then discusses how different values (e.g., purity) across various taxonomies are grounded in perceived harm. We then explore two theories connecting culture to cognition-modularity and constructionism-before outlining how pluralism across human moral judgment is explained by the constructed nature of perceived harm. We conclude by showing how different perceptions of harm help drive political disagreements and reveal how sharing stories of harm can help bridge moral divides.

Особенности воспитательного процесса по формированию у младших школьников духовно-нравственных ценностей (Часть 2)

The article discusses the problem of implementing the requirements for the construction of the educational process, during which Russian spiritual and moral values are formed in schoolchildren at the first level of school. The article reveals the state requirements for the education of civic feelings in primary schoolchildren, their acceptance of the spiritual and moral values of the multinational Russian state, reflected in the decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, as well as in the planned learning outcomes presented in the Federal State Educational Standard of Primary General Education (FSES PGE). Particular attention is paid to taking into account the psychological capabilities of children of primary school age and the conditions for creating a special educational environment in an educational organization.

Etika Pengobatan/Rekayasa Genetik dalam Islam sebagai Implikasi untuk Terapi Gen dan Teknologi DNA serta Tantangan Kontemporer

Gene therapy offers the potential for treating genetic diseases and improving quality of life, but it also raises significant ethical challenges, including issues of genetic manipulation and eugenics. By identifying fundamental principles of Islamic ethics, this study explores how genetic technology can be integrated within an appropriate moral context. Through literature analysis and scholarly perspectives, this article highlights the need for dialogue among scientists, medical practitioners, and religious communities to establish guidelines for the use of this technology. The findings indicate that a balance between technological innovation and the preservation of Islamic ethical values is essential to ensure that scientific advancements provide benefits without violating moral principles. The article also recommends further research to explore the practical applications of gene therapy within the framework of Islamic ethics.

Reconciling market and moral logics on a minimum wage: Supermarket work in Australia during the first two years of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic

Essential workers generate and maintain basic services that populations must receive, without interruption, to sustain a healthy, functional society. When SARS-COV-2 spread around the world, mundane low-paid work in essential non-healthcare industries such as supermarkets, became high risk, makeshift and unpredictable. Drawing on recent scholarship in the sociology of work, we conducted 32 interviews to capture how supermarket workers in Australia navigated the trade-offs and moral choices entailed in performing essential roles in non-health settings during a pandemic. We found that, as key assumptions about the resilience of globalised modernity and its supporting systems were tested, supermarket workers found themselves at the centre of experiments and public debates about the effectiveness and appropriateness of different infection control measures. Compensating for a lack of preparedness by governments and corporations, they were forced to accept, and then tasked with resolving inconsistencies between the political economy of low paid work and the moral economy of social provision. Given the experiences of those who found themselves in essential roles outside healthcare, there is an urgent need to reconceptualize what ‘successful’ pandemic preparedness and response entails. Reflecting on their experiences, these workers told us that expressions of solidarity and concern, from those not sharing their position of biological and financial precarity, were of little value. Drawing on the market logics that define their employment as essential and replaceable, the workers we spoke to observed that fair renumeration for risks and better protections were the most important considerations in recasting how societies prepare for future pandemics.

The attitude of the Bashkortostan clergy to spiritual and educational activities

The article examines spiritual and educational activities as one of the conditions for solving the strategic task of protecting traditional spiritual and moral values. Ministers (staff, volunteers) of religious organizations are considered as potential specialists in the field of spiritual and moral education. The Bashkortostan clergy expressed their attitude towards a new type of non-religious activity by taking part in a specially designed survey. The study showed that the clergy of the Republic of Bashkortostan, considering themselves as the carriers of spiritual and religious knowledge, are able to share their experience with parishioners. They are also ready to develop in the younger generation the skills of a religious way of understanding the world. Moreover, they are able to instill the values of religious doctrine, have experience in conducting educational events and reveal high readiness to conduct educational activities. But at the same time they understand that they are able to partially satisfy educational needs and interests in the field of religious cultures. The identified high need of the clergy for mastering spiritual and educational competencies leads the researcher to the conclusion that it is necessary to include a special course in the training of Orthodox and Muslim higher educational institutions, and, moreover, to develop a master’s program in “Spiritual and Moral Education.”

The Role of KKN-University of Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo Students in Boro Village to Improve Education in Children Through Various Activities Such as Fun Games, Finger Painting, and Spiritual Learning

The Integrated Community Service Program (KKN-T) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo in Boro Village aims to improve the quality of children's education through various creative and educational approaches. This program involves several key activities, such as fun games, finger painting, and spiritual learning, designed to develop children's cognitive, motor, and spiritual aspects. The fun games are aimed at enhancing children's social and motor skills, finger painting focuses on fostering creativity and fine motor skills, while spiritual learning is intended to strengthen their religious understanding and moral values. The method used is a participatory approach, where students collaborate directly with the local community in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the activities. The results of this program show increased participation and motivation of children in learning, both academically and non-academically

Professional codes of morality and the professional codes of conduct of military personnel in different countries

This article presents a study on moral codes and professional codes of conduct. Various professional codes of conduct were considered, including the Samurai Code of Conduct, Code of Chivalry, Pirate Code, Hippocratic Oath and Medical Oath, Red Cross Code of Conduct, Galilean Oath, Code of Apparel Industry Partnership, Ethics in Computer Programming and Software Development, Moral hacking. Special emphasis is placed on Military Ethics and the morale of the serviceman. The article recognizes the golden rule of global ethics as the most important and simple truth for distinguishing right from wrong in human behavior.

Practice of Moral Education in Secondary Vocational Schools Based on Class Culture Construction

Class culture construction is a pivotal component of moral education in vocational schools, playing a significant role in shaping students’ personal qualities and enhancing their awareness of social responsibility and collective consciousness. This study proposes a range of strategies for integrating class culture construction into vocational moral education practice, aiming to foster students’ comprehensive development and effective moral education implementation. The research highlights that class culture, as a fundamental aspect of school culture, not only provides a supportive learning environment but also subtly influences students’ moral qualities, behavior, and values. Through the development of material, institutional, and spiritual culture, this approach creates a positive and harmonious class atmosphere, thereby improving students’ overall educational experience. Additionally, strengthened teacher-student interaction and home-school cooperation further support students’ moral growth. This approach not only enhances students’ core competencies but also cultivates their sense of social responsibility and civic awareness, establishing a solid foundation for their future development.

Bystanders’ Reactions to a Woman Victim of Sextortion: Moral Outrage, Victim Blaming and Reputational Damage

ABSTRACTSextortion is a scantly investigated crime in which entrusted authority is abused to obtain sex in exchange for a service or benefit. Based on the literature on gender violence, in the present research, we examined the role of moral evaluations of the victims in predicting potential bystanders’ attitudes and behavioural intentions towards a woman who is a victim of a sextortion incident. In three experimental studies conducted with Italian participants (Study 1: n = 291; Study 2: n = 288; Study 3: n = 331), participants read a scenario describing a woman victim of sextortion and then rated the victim on moral outrage, moral evaluation, blame attribution, perceived reputational damage, and indicated their willingness to help her. The results highlighted that the victim was always perceived as less moral and more blameworthy when she caved into sextortion (vs. not). Furthermore, a sequential mediation model showed that, across all studies, caving into (vs. resisting) sextortion elicited stronger feelings of moral outrage towards the victim, as well as the perception of lower morality, which, in turn, reduced the willingness to offer help. In Study 3, this pattern was significant only when the woman reported the incident 1 year later (vs. 1 week). Current findings show that the peculiar transactional nature of sexual abuse makes sextortion victims appear to be complicit in the act. Thus, recognising the power dynamics through which sextortion can be used to exploit and abuse individuals is paramount to avoid secondary victimisation.