Ethical Situations Research Articles

Framing Morals: A Study of Moral Values in Netflix Teen Movie Finding Ohana (2021)

In an era when Netflix is the go-to source of entertainment, many families are particular about choosing the best entertainment for them, especially for their children, that serves both entertainment and educational purposes. Movies are frequently infused with moral messages. Movies also depict and suspect morally virtuous behavior through their exploration of overarching themes, the attribution of specific traits to heroic and villainous characters, and the resolution of pivotal moral dilemmas. This study utilizes a descriptive qualitative approach of moral values found in the attribution of theme and characterization of Netflix’s teen movie Finding ‘Ohana (2021) We argue the attribution of themes and dynamic characterization of the main characters in Finding ‘Ohana (2021) that serves as a learning opportunity for young viewers to discover moral values lessons. As a result, the portrayal of moral values in Finding ‘Ohana includes truthfulness, respect, tolerance and cooperation, hard work and functionalism, respect for human life and dignity of persons, and value of the present. We propose that utilizing movies as tools for moral education, treating them as case studies of moral dilemmas, and stimulating imaginative thinking about ethical situations through open and egalitarian discussions between adults and teenagers could enhance the effectiveness of moral education for teenagers.
 Keywords: moral values, film, finding ‘Ohana, identity, children and YA literatures

Avoiding failures when applying principle-based ethics to difficult ethical situations in psychotherapy.

Avoiding failures when applying principle-based ethics to difficult ethical situations in psychotherapy.

Specific Trends in Pediatric Ethical Decision-Making: An 18-Year Review of Ethics Consultation Cases in a Pediatric Hospital.

This is a qualitative examination of ethics consultation requests, outcomes, and ethics committee recommendations at a tertiary/quaternary pediatric hospital in the U.S. The purpose of this review of consults over an 18-year period is to identify specific trends in the types of ethical dilemmas presented in our pediatric setting, the impact of consultation and committee development on the number and type of consults provided, and any clinical features and/or challenges that emerged and contributed to the nature of ethical situations and dilemmas. Furthermore, in reviewing clinical ethics consultation trends for nearly two decades, we can identify topic areas for further ethics education and training for ethics consultants, ethics committee members, and pediatric healthcare teams and professionals based on our experiences. Our study with nearly two decades of data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic can serve as groundwork for future comparisons of consultation requests and ethics support for pediatric hospitals prior to, during, and following a pandemic.

Is physical restraint unethical and illegal?: a qualitative analysis of Korean written judgments

BackgroundPhysical restraint (PR) is used to ensure the safety of care recipients. However, this causes an ethical dilemma between the autonomy and dignity of the recipients and the provision of effective treatment by health workers. This study aimed to analyze legal and ethical situations related to the use of PR using written judgments.MethodsThis study uses a qualitative retrospective design. Qualitative content analysis was performed on South Korean written judgments. A total of 38 cases from 2015 to 2021 were categorized. The types of court decisions and ethical dilemma situations were examined according to the four principles of bioethics, and the courts’ judgments were compared.ResultsWritten judgments related to PR were classified into three types according to the appropriateness of PR use, the presence or absence of duty of care, and legal negligence. Ethical dilemmas were categorized into three situations depending on whether the four principles of bioethics were followed. The courts’ decisions regarding the ethical dilemmas differed depending on the situational factors before and after the use of PR and the conflicting conditions of the ethical principles.ConclusionsHealth workers should consider legal and ethical requirements when determining whether to use PR to provide the care recipient with the necessary treatment.

‘I am Pleased to Share my Thoughts and Opinions’- Including Marginalised People with Disabilities in Inclusive Qualitative Research in Bangladesh Through Creative, Relational Methodologies

The rhetoric of ‘nothing about us without us’, motivates much disability inclusive research, but meaningful participation of the most marginalised is still rare. There is a tendency to recruit only people with disabilities who are perceived as ‘easier to include’. We reflect critically on recent fieldwork in Bangladesh working with local and international NGOs on a disability inclusive employment project. We focus on inclusion of the most marginalised people with disabilities: those with complex communication, psychosocial, intellectual or multiple impairments, or those who face intersecting inequalities. During a two-stage process, we engaged with 4 small groups of people in 2 sites. The participants were involved in an adapted vocational training programme, and had either both visual and hearing impairments, or were economically disadvantaged young disabled women. We discuss how creative, inclusive, participatory methodologies were combined to explore participants’ experiences of pathways to work through learning a trade. We consider the ethical, methodological rationales for our research epistemologies; including development of local research teams’ and participants’ awareness, confidence and capacities; and what worked and didn’t to enable or constrain inclusion and knowledge generation. We synthesise insights and recommendations about engagement/recruitment, situated ethics, accommodating individual needs, challenging assumptions, building communication capacities and group agency, maintaining inclusive interaction, multi-modal communication, using visual, tactile, narrative and creative methodologies, sequencing and layering methods, generating emotional knowledge, and collective analysis. We discuss the dynamic situated, emotional, interactional, and relational enablers of inclusion, and how participatory methodologies are applicable in research contexts to move beyond working with the ‘usual suspects’ to effectively engage people who are most often excluded.

The Right to (Not) Appear: A Conversation on Institutional Obligations and Ethics of Care in Researching Illiberalism

As other papers in this special issue highlight, researchers of far-right movements have always been faced with the need to carefully balance visibility and invisibility to protect both their academic and personal selves. In this conversation, we share our experiences of what happens when preoccupations with dissemination and impact occlude the need for the right of research and researchers not to appear. This right touches upon a series of ethical questions and obligations that extend beyond simply our formal legal obligations to funding agencies and employers. As scholars arguing for a situated and participatory ethics have argued, ethical obligations must always be attuned to the affective entanglements that impact (in every sense of the word) both research subjects and researchers themselves, and that unfold often in unexpected fashion. How, then, can we reconcile such situated ethics and an ethic and culture of care with institutional obligations, and the requisites of an academic career? The conversation forum presented here draws on multiple exchanges the four authors had over the course of 2023 to 2024, edited for continuity and clarity.

An (E)Affective Bind: Situated Affectivity and the Prospect of Affect Recognition

Several prominent criticisms have recently challenged the possibility of algorithmically determining or recognising human affect. This paper ethically evaluates one underexplored avenue for overcoming such deficiencies in categorical affect recognition technologies (ARTs). Specifically, the emerging literature on “situated affectivity” offers valuable guidance on three fronts. First, it conceptually substantiates existing criticism by stressing the contextual dimensions of human affect. Second, in highlighting the breadth of information required for more accurate ARTs, it suggest that they may necessitate penetrating forms of surveillance the ethical literature has already provided good reason to resist. Third, it corroborates postphenomenological insights concerning the socially co-constituting character of technology; and thereby grounds the need for a “situated ethics” sensitive to the ways that ARTs might reconstruct human affectivity (and reinforce existing power hierarchies). The deep worry is that this concern is likely to persist even if concerns over accuracy and surveillance are mitigated. A detailed consideration of this novel ethical concern suggests that the ethically acceptable use of ARTs may only be possible in highly contained settings. Yet doubts over such containment places advocates of ARTs in a "double bind” they need to address.

Professional Ethics in Counselor Education: Ethical and Unethical Situations from The Sopranos TV Series

The aim of this study was to present examples of ethical and unethical situations through therapy scenes and therapy-related scenes of The Sopranos TV series and to create a supportive teaching material for ethical decision-making processes. The ethical codes of American Counseling Association (ACA) and Turkish Counseling and Guidance Association (TCGA) were taken as reference in the evaluation of ethical situations. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. Research data were collected from therapy scenes and therapy-related scenes in all episodes of The Sopranos series (6 seasons and 86 episodes). As a result of this research; ethical and unethical behavior examples were determined in counseling relationships, multiple relationships, boundaries, confidentiality, dangerous clients and professional competence. This study shows that the therapy and scenes related to therapy in The Sopranos can be used as experiential learning materials while teaching professional ethics in counselor education.

Implications of Professional Codes of Ethics for the Role of Lawyers in the Contemporary Legal System

This research examines the impact of the Code of Professional Ethics on lawyers' practice in an ever-changing legal environment. By considering changes in technology, communications, and the contemporary legal environment, this research explores how lawyers interpret and apply codes of ethics in situations involving moral and ethical conflicts. Through in-depth analysis, this research documents how lawyers adapt to the dynamics of the modern legal environment while maintaining ethical integrity in their legal practice

Medical Professional Ethics in the Digital Era: Legal Implications for the Use of Technology in Health Services

This research examines the impact of the Code of Professional Ethics on lawyers' practice in an ever-changing legal environment. By considering changes in technology, communications, and the contemporary legal environment, this research explores how lawyers interpret and apply codes of ethics in situations involving moral and ethical conflicts. Through in-depth analysis, this research documents how lawyers adapt to the dynamics of the modern legal environment while maintaining ethical integrity in their legal practice

Moral distress and moral sensitivity in clinical nurses.

Health care providers are expected to have a certain moral sensitivity (MS) to make an ethical assessment. Moral distress (MD) is a common phenomenon in nursing. It can negatively affect nurses physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between MD and MS among nurses using a cross-sectional descriptive design. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was a methodological study that analyzed validity and reliability of the Measure of MD-Healthcare Professionals. The second stage was a descriptive- predictive analysis that investigated the relationship between MD and MS. The MD intensity and frequency scores of the participants were high and moderately high, respectively. There was no direct effect on the total score and frequency of MS and MD. However, a direct and significant negative effect of MS was seen on the intensity of MD. Based on the results of this study, MS should be considered as a measure in studies aimed at understanding MD among clinical nurses. Empowerment programs should be established to increase the awareness of health workers about ethical and moral situations and to support them to cope with the problems they experience in these areas.

Characteristics of ethical dilemma and behavior in the support process of older adults and their families among nurses at a community general support center in Japan

Objectives This study was aimed at clarifying characteristics of ethical dilemmas and behaviors in the support process of older adults and their families among nurses at community general support centers.Methods A self-administered questionnaire survey was mailed to 449 nurses at community general support centers in Tokyo. Question items enquired their age, employment license, years of experience as a nurse, the presence of ethics-related organizations, number of cases in which nurses faced difficulties in supporting older adults and their families in decision making over the past year, the ethical dilemmas they experienced and their situations, and ethical behavior in the process of supporting older adults and their families.Results From the 143 responses (response rate: 31.8%), 135 (valid response rate: 30.1%) nurses were analyzed. Overall, 43.0% and 27.4% of the participants were in their 50s and 40s, respectively. Of these, 77.0% and 23.0% were nurses and public health nurses, respectively. In total, 52 (38.5%) respondents had an ethics-related organization. The average number of cases in which the respondents faced difficulties in supporting older adults and their families in decision making over the past year was 8.3 (standard deviation, 12.5). Of these, the average number of cases in which they faced difficulties in making ethical decisions was 4.1 (standard deviation, 6.0). Regarding the perception of ethical dilemmas, 113 (83.7%) answered "often" or "sometimes." Ethical dilemma situations included "the intentions of the user and family were different, and I had trouble deciding what to respect" 95 (84.1%); "the user's intention was different from my judgment as a professional, and I had trouble deciding what to respect" 64 (56.6%); and "the intention of the user and neighbors were different, and I had trouble deciding what to respect" 56 (49.6%). Ethical behaviors included "I observe the management rules in my organization regarding personal information data" 116 (85.9%); "I provide easy-to-understand explanations appropriate to the user's situation" 115 (85.2%); and "I decide on a support policy with several staff members when self-decision making is difficult due to the user's situation" 113 (83.7%).Conclusion More than 80% of the nurses perceived ethical dilemmas. Characteristics of the situations were that users and their families, users and professionals, and users and their neighbors had different intentions. Further research should be conducted on ethical issues related to community-based integrated care.

Moral learning through caring stories of nursing staff.

Implementing person-centred care (PCC) in nursing homes is challenging due to a gap between theory and practice. Bridging this gap requires suitable education, which focuses on learning how to attune care to the values and preferences of residents and take moral, relational, and situational aspects into account. Staff's stories about the care they provide (i.e. caring stories) may deliver valuable insights for learning about these aspects. However, there is limited research on using staff's narratives for moral learning. This study aims to provide insight into the perspectives of nursing staff on using their caring stories to learn about PCC. In this qualitative research, we conducted two rounds of interviews with 17 participants working in nursing homes. We wanted to obtain nursing staff's perceptions of working with their caring stories and the impact on PCC. Participation was voluntary, and participants provided written consent. The study protocol is approved by The Institutional Review Board of the Medical Ethical Committee Leiden-Den Haag-Delft. Working with caring stories enables nursing staff to provide PCC and improves job satisfaction. It increases awareness of what matters to residents, fosters information rich in context and meaning, and enhances voice and vocabulary. Through in-depth team reflections, nursing staff discussed the significant moments for residents, which centralizes the discussions on the moral quality of care. Working with caring stories fosters dialogue on PCC and enhances reflection on ethical situations in daily encounters, contributing to the moral development of nursing staff. Putting nursing staff's narratives at the centre of learning suits their daily practice and intrinsic motivation. Therefore, the outcomes of this study are an addition to the existing literature about using narratives in long-term care. Using nursing staff's narratives contributes to PCC and positively impacts nursing staff. We recommend using staff's caring stories as a vehicle for moral learning in the transition to PCC.

The Christian Trilateral Situation Ethics – An Attempt to Delineate a New Christian Ethics

The article builds on the author’s previous research into characteristics of a new Christian ethics, the Christian Trilateral Situation Ethics (CTSE). Hitherto, these papers have dealt with the CTSE secondarily and only in relation to the various topics associated with it, such as J. Fletcher’s situation ethics and sobornost. This article is focused solely on the CTSE and its main attributes, which may constitute the CTSE as a new type of ethics within Christian ethics. In that respect, the article proposes answers to the questions whether such ethics deviates from the valid Catholic magisterial teaching and whether it entails elements of antinomianism. Furthermore, it also aims to demonstrate the application of some of the CTSE’s principles in hypothetical situations. The main objective of the article is thus to bring the CTSE closer to its final validation as a new system of ethics whilst keeping in mind the many questions that still need to be answered before the final characterization of the CTSE is given.

ANALYSIS OF INTERPERSONAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE STUDENTS IN INFORMATICS LEARNING IN TJKT DEPARTMENT AT SMK NEGERI 1 SINTANG

Interpersonal intelligence is intelligence in a person's interactions with other people. Meanwhile, emotional intelligence is a person's ability to control their emotions intelligently. This research aims to evaluate Student’s interpersonal and emotional intelligence in the Informatics subject majoring in TJKT at SMK Negeri 1 Sintang. This research used the Mix Method, qualitative and quantitative descriptive forms, with teachers and 49 students as the subject. The object of this research is interpersonal intelligence and emotional intelligence. The data collection techniques used are observation techniques, direct and Indirect communication techniques, and documentation. Meanwhile, data collection tools are observation sheets, interview sheets, questionnaires and documentation. The research results show that interpersonal intelligence 1) empathetic attitude 79%, 2) prosocial attitude 80%, 3) self-awareness 69%, 4) understanding of social and ethical situations 81%, 5) effective problem solving skills 71%, 6) communication effective 76% and 7) effective listening 79%, while emotional intelligence 1) Self-awareness 79%, 2) Managing emotions 77%, 3) Empathetic attitude 78%, 4) Using emotions productively 79%, 5) Building relationships 89% . So it can be concluded that students' interpersonal intelligence and emotional intelligence have a significant relationship to learning outcomes.

Christian improvisation

My thesis in this article is that Christian improvisation is a helpful way to understand the practice of Christian leadership ethics. We sometimes find ourselves in ethical situations with no clear script or guideline to prescribe actions. In such cases, the ethical practice is analogous to that of improvisation. I argue that Christian theology and practices can help form a character prepared for improvisation. Moreover, Christian theology can foster an imagination useful for improvisation as it helps us interpret the ethical situation in light of a greater story and creatively imagine new ways of responding.

Two Christian-Aristotelian Ethics: The Ethics of Aquinas and Augustine vs. the Situation Ethics of Joseph Fletcher

First, we shall examine theoretical similarities and differences between two ethics: that of a Christian-Aristotelian Ethics as commented upon by Aquinas and Augustine and that of a Christian-Aristotelian Ethics as developed by Joseph Fletcher in his Situation Ethics. The deep similarity is that both ethics find that the highest virtue is that of love. The key difference is that for a Christian-Aristotelian Ethics developed by Aquinas and Augustine there are some actions and feelings that are evil in themselves and which have no Golden Mean whereas for a Christian-Aristotelian Ethics as developed by Fletcher there are no actions which are evil in themselves. This question of whether there are actions evil in themselves is the primary reason for writing this paper. Second, we shall examine (a) the positive practice of the virtues, arguing that there is little to no practical difference between a Christian-Aristotelian ethics as developed by Aquinas and Augustine and a Christian-Aristotelian situation ethics as developed by Fletcher in the positive practice of the virtues; and we shall examine (b) the practical differences between these two ethics in deciding whether there are some actions that are evil in themselves by reflecting upon the four conditions of the principle of the double effect. The paper will conclude by favoring a Christian-Aristotelian Ethics as developed by Aquinas and Augustine. Keywords: Christian-Aristotelian Ethics, Aquinas, Augustine, Joseph Fletcher

Findings from a survey looking at attitudes towards AI and its use in teaching, learning and research

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having an advancing dramatic impact on Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) in Higher Education. (Popenici & Kerr, 2017) observed an emergence of the use of AI in HE (Higher Education) and pinpointed challenges for institutions and students including issues of academic integrity, privacy and “the possibility of a dystopian future” (p. 11). Potential benefits of AI in HE includes creating learning communities through chatbots (Studente & Ellis, 2020), automated grading, individualized learning strategies and improved plagiarism detection (Owoc et al., 2019). It is unclear how often, and in what manner, students are engaging with AI during their learning and in creating submissions for assessments tasks and if this engagement is creating unrealistic outcomes. It is also unclear how educators are engaging with AI during their teaching and curriculum/assessment design and how this may be impacting the learning outcomes of their cohorts. This research study was conducted to investigate the perceived immediate and long-term implications of engaging with AI of both staff and students on learning and teaching within the University of Adelaide. The design of the research study is underpinned by a blended approach combining Situational Ethics and Planned Behavior Theory to understand the ethical considerations and behavioral activities and future intentions of staff and students regarding the use of AI. Situational Ethics provides a framework for examining the contextual nature of ethical decision-making regarding AI (Boddington, 2017; Memarian & Doleck, 2023). Planned Behavior Theory provides understanding of individuals' motivation and rationalization to engage with AI (Wang et al., 2022). By employing a mixed qualitative and quantitative design, collecting data via online surveys, the study's findings shed light on the ethical challenges and attitudes associated with AI implementation in higher education and provided insights into the factors that influence staff and students’ individual intentions to engage with AI technologies in Learning and Teaching. Participants from all faculties across a wide diversity of student cohorts and staff responded to the surveys. Initial findings reveal educators are suspecting a greater student use of AI than the data demonstrates. The most frequent use of AI by students is for checking grammar and this is more prominent in the international student cohort. Students trust their human educators more than AI for course content and feedback on assessments. Educators are comfortable using AI but feel also they need greater support and training. The majority of students (70%, n=126) are not concerned about the implications of using Generative AI in higher education, regarding issues related to privacy, bias, ethics, or discrimination. However, demonstrating an active concern in this field, the most common use of AI by university staff is to test its capabilities to complete assignments. These and other findings from the study can provide guidance to staff and students by describing current practices and making recommendations regarding assessment, curriculum design, and Learning and Teaching (L&T) activities.

Disaster Prevention and Management: A Critical Review of The Literature

This article explores disaster management, focusing on ethical considerations and fair allocation of relief resources in public health disasters. Disasters require emergency resources to aid and protect affected populations, raising ethical questions about fair allocation of relief funds for speedy recovery. Research in crisis situations presents moral dilemmas, balancing the ethical obligation to protect study participants' interests with the necessity for research. This literature review examines these topics in disaster response and recovery, emphasizing virtues such as caution, courage, justice, stewardship, vigilance, resilience, selfless charity, and communication in catastrophe response. Using the PRISMA method, relevant peer-reviewed articles were selected, highlighting the need for further research in disaster mitigation and management. The paper emphasizes the importance of justice and ethics in crisis situations, underlining the fundamental role of ethics in driving societal changes. Intending to enhance disaster management, this study introduces ethical concepts to stimulate discussions among disaster responders and managers. As an original contribution, this paper provides valuable insights for disaster management students and educators, significantly contributing to understanding the relationship between disaster prevention and management, and offering relevant recommendations to enhance disaster management outcomes.

Reimagining the researcher-participant ethics relationship: a participant-centred, values-based ethics approach in comparative and international education

ABSTRACT Conventional approaches to ethics in comparative and international educational research often entail researchers seeking institutional ethics approval; attempting to manage fieldwork’s practical ethical dilemmas using institutional and disciplinary protocols; and ‘writing up’ methodology, primarily an account of the institutional ethics approval process. This approach largely excludes participants’ conceptions of ethics, manifested through their ethical values, virtues, worldviews, knowledge, perspectives, traditions, norms, epistemologies, etc. This paper proposes a participant-centred, values-based approach which deepens the conventional approach by positioning participants’ values alongside institutional and disciplinary ones; centring participants’ values during fieldwork’s ethical dilemmas; and articulating a situated ethics account. This alternative approach deepens researchers’ capabilities for situated ethical action, and underscores the need for continuous negotiation of ethics with participants towards meaningful ethical partnerships. Such partnerships are ultimately facilitated by institutional ethics committees’ flexibility in enabling, and even encouraging, researcher-participant ethical negotiations at various stages of research.