People In Vulnerable Situations Research Articles

Respect for people in situations of vulnerability: A new principle for health-care professionals and health-care organizations

T some extent all of us are vulnerable. Every human—indeed everything living—is capable of being hurt, wounded, or damaged. Some situations make us more vulnerable than others. Some situations of vulnerability bear on others’ moral responsibilities. Article 8 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (2005) acknowledges the moral importance of taking human vulnerability into account “in applying or advancing scientific knowledge, medical practice, and associated technologies.” The Declaration also states that “Individuals and groups of special vulnerability should be protected and the personal integrity of such individuals should be respected” (2005, Article 8). The meaning and intended application of the Declaration’s Article 8 was the topic of a multiyear reflection by UNESCO’s International Bioethics Committee (IBC), which culminated in June 2011 in the release of the Report of IBC on the Principle of Respect for Human Vulnerability and Personal Integrity. In its Report, the IBC regards human vulnerability as a permanent risk to the physical and mental integrity of the human (2011, Articles 6 and 41). This vulnerability is an inescapable feature of all human lives and is a risk that shapes

Respect for people in situations of vulnerability: A new principle for health-care professionals and health-care organizations

Respect for people in situations of vulnerability: A new principle for health-care professionals and health-care organizations

Walking on eggshells

This article takes up some of the ethical issues at stake when qualitative inquiry involves people in vulnerable situations, such as the young, the very old, the sick or disabled or minority groups – people, in short, who are often labelled as “the other”. Ethical issues and dilemmas appear at every juncture of the research process and also when the researcher decides what to publish and why. The article starts with some of the issues and experiences the author brings to the table after working in the field of inclusive education and disability research for over three decades. Next it offers some notes on qualitative inquiry and then it moves on to explore the ethics, ethical issues and dilemmas inevitably part and parcel of all such inquiry. Then it applies examples from the author’s fieldwork to the discussion of ethical issues and dilemmas in qualitative encountered in qualitative research with people in vulnerable situations. Examples are in particular drawn from the authors recent study that involved interviews with Icelandic parents of disabled children. The ethical issues and dilemmas touched upon include those related to gaining access, the interview situation itself, including the building of rapport and the fine line between gathering the data, data analysis, ethical issues related to what to select from privileged knowledge, and other things that concern the writing up of sensitive data. Finally, some thought is given to publications, their interpretations by the reader and their use or abuse.

“What people want, where people live”: New housing policy in the Netherlands

The policy document “What people want, wherepeople live” outlines Dutch housing policy forthe coming decade, and gives a glimpse of theyears beyond. The policy document paints a broadbrush picture of the social, economic and administrativedevelopments in recent years. It is recognisedthat five core policy tasks are important toDutch housing policy in the years ahead:increasing the options for the citizens whilegiving due regard to social constraints,creating opportunities for people in vulnerablesituations, housing combined with tailor-madecare, improving the quality of urban life andmeeting the desire for a greener residentialenvironment. The policy document presents an administrativemodel for meeting these challenges. The role ofthe housing associations is also addressed.