Module 2: Reader 5 Overview

Module 2 / Reader 5 Overview

Before exploring this source I had identified that throughout Module 1 I had researched and highlighted the use of Ethical Consideration regarding Social Media and Professional networking. I will be able to develop and strengthen my knowledge within Ethics throughout Module 2 as I’m focusing upon a wider aspect of professional practice. ‘Reader 5’ also discusses PRACTITIONER RESEARCH ETHICS, which must be used within your Professional Inquiry.

Definition of ETHICS?

Ethics are,

‘moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity’

(Wikipedia)

Ethics are considered within 3 specific contexts, contributing to the promotion of services that benefit a larger society:

1.      Personal

2.      Professional

3.      Organizational

Throughout modern day life we do correlate Ethics or ‘Ethos’ with a ‘Code of Conduct’ or an organisation based instruction. Originating from particular professions within the Medical field. Professional Ethics are defined as approved standards of personal and business behaviour, values and guiding principle. We now use this context of ethics within a wide range of professions.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF ETHICS (Diagram Below), explains how the ethics context’s can have a ‘domino effect’ and affect each other, ranging from individual/personal ethics to an organisational. perspective towards a larger society.

The second Ethics Ripple Effect diagram includes examples of these ethic contexts:

Personally I prefer an imagery/artistic approach to learning, therefore these diagrams are perfect for me to understand the difference between the contracting practices of ethics and how they can have an effect upon each other within my profession. The second diagram highlights how the Ripple Effect can also relate to standard ‘day to day’ life. Both these sources have made me realise how ethics play a vital part within so many aspects of my life and industry and how important they are to understand and make use of.

‘Reader 5’ includes a real life Case Study, to analyse and think of the ethical issues which are included. I also thought about what I can learn from this source, linking the Case Study with ethics in Professional Practice.

Mid-Staffordshire inquiry: Unhealthy System

The Guardian / 8^th November 2010

This Case Study focuses on Robert Francis’ second inquiry regarding Stafford Hospital and the Mid-Stafford Foundation Trust’s difficulties. His inquiry will specify how the health service works. During this Inquiry Francis dissects the relationship between hospital management, the health authority and the agencies who monitored standards.

At first I found it incredibly challenging to make sense of this case study and analyse the ethics including within the source. However, I read through the extract a multiple of times, then broke down each section, annotating key words and information.

Commencing the second paragraph the source highlights the importance of Professional Ethics and the ‘Code of Conduct’ necessary for the hospital,

‘Attention will rightly be given to the potentially distorting effects of the efficiency targets necessary for the hospital to achieve foundation trust status’

(Guardian, 08/10/2010)

In relation to ‘Reader 5’ this statement identifies that Professional Ethics are used frequently as rules and regulations within most companies, government and communities including the Performing Arts Industry.  I am a member of Equity, who works as a trade union representing performers working across the live and recorded entertainment industry. Equity provided security within my career, specialising within,

·        Pay

·        Fair Treatment

·        Equal Treatment

·        Protection

·        Public liability

·        Compensation

Likewise to hospital monitoring agencies and the NHS Watchdog included within Robert Francis’ Case Study, these organisations must always consider Professional Ethics and make sure companies abide by specific rules or regulations.

Robert Francis used 2 external sources to gain new information and knowledge regarding his inquiry, the NHS’s Chief Executive, David Nicholson and Manager of Care Quality Commission (NHS Watchdog), Ms Bower. Robert’s method of research can correlate with my own exploration of my Profession Inquiry within the BAPP Programme. Throughout ‘Reader 4’ I identified the importance of SIG Groups, interviewing and communicating with different practitioners and professionals within my line of inquiry. Within this Case Study the source highlights the professional status of the interviewees, showing that they are perceived as a reliable source due to their knowledge and status.

Through identifying this, I aim to select my external sources wisely during my research. By interviewing a range of students, performers, practitioners and professionals I will be able to retrieve contrasting views and opinions regarding the nutrition and well-being of a dancer. However I will acknowledge that friends that I will interview may provide answers that are biased or what they believe I’d want them to answer.

Whilst interviewing these two Industry Professionals, the context of Personal Ethics can be identified as well as Professional Ethics. Even though they are of a high status of their profession, these practitioners will also share their personal beliefs regarding morality and right and wrong.

Within the latter section of the Case Study the source highlights what Francis wishes to identify,

‘We know what went wrong. What has to be established is why it was not stopped, how it was that the whole chain of accountability, from the primary care trust to the strategic health authority, the old Health Care Commission and the new Care Quality Commission to the very top of the NHS executive and the Department of Health itself, failed to realise so many venerable people were at risk.’

This statement focuses on Organisational Ethics, as it incorporates and interlinks a larger community of departments within one specific topic. Therefore as a reader this Case Study puts into perspective how frequent and major a problem the health service can be.

Overall this source has been incredibly useful as it’s broadened my understanding of the different aspects of Ethical Consideration and how they apply to outside industries as well as my own profession. Along with the source above, ethics are always shown on the media whether it be on the news, in the paper or online.

History of Ethics

The phrase Ethics is widely held to have its origins in the Greek work ‘ethos’.

Aristotle's ethics builds upon Plato's with important variations. Aristotle's highest good was not the good itself but goodness embodied in a flourishing human life. His ethics are based on eudaimonia, variously translated as ‘happiness’, ‘prosperity’, ‘flourishing’, or ‘success’. A ‘great-souled’ citizen who lives a life of virtue can expect to achieve eudaimonia, which Aristotle argues is the highest good for man. Following Plato, Aristotle gives a significant role in moral life to the virtues, fixed habits of behaviour that lead to good outcomes. The main virtues are justice, courage and temperance. The highest form of life is, however purely intellectual activity.

Later Greek schools of philosophy, such as the Epicureans and Stoics, debated the conditions of the good life. Epicurus taught that the greatest good was pleasure and freedom from pain. The Epicureans emphasized the quiet enjoyment of pleasures, especially mental pleasure, free of fear and anxiety. The Stoics thought the greatest good not pleasure but reason and everything in accord with reason, even if painful. Hence they praised the life of reason lived in accordance with nature.

A theme of Ancient Greek ethics then is the role of the virtuous life in achieving eudaimonia, or the good life and Aristotle, Epicurus and the Stoics all argued that virtue was necessary for happiness, albeit in different ways and with different conceptions of those terms.

Within modern history, research ethics was branched from the medical ethics, owing to the extensive research done in the 20th century. Ethical guidelines were usually created in response to an ethical lapse or a scandal.

An ethical scandal in USA known as the Tuskegee Syphilis study was discovered in the 1970’s. Tuskegee is a small village in Alabama inhabited by African Americans with high prevalence of Syphilis. A study was started in the 1930’s to follow up the disease. During the World War II, Fleming discovered the Penicillin which was its treatment. Enrolled subjects were not summoned to Army in order not to give them their established treatment. This took 40 years to be discovered. Thus, in 1974, the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioural Research was established.

In 1978, it submitted The Belmont Report that sets the fundamental ethical principles:

·        Beneficence

·        Justice

·        Respect

Religion and law are both closely associated with morals and ethics.

Evolution of Ethics

I found this section of ‘Reader 5’ very interesting to read as it involves the theories of Aristotle and the Ancient Greeks. It explains that the character or traits of an individual were incredibly important, looking into what makes a good human and what virtues someone could have. Aristotle believed that virtues were the perfect medium between two extremities. For example:

Confidence – A mean between arrogance and timedness

Assertiveness – A mean between controlling and a push over

Courage – A mean between cowardice and foolhardiness

After the Greeks, other philosophers such as Hobbs (1651) viewed Ethics as a unique social good. Hobbs explained this methos as,

‘A practical solution to social harmony and good through the vehicle of a social contract’

(Hobbs, 1651)

Hobbs believed that every human should abide by a set of moral rules to create peace and co-operative social order. If these rules were not taken into consideration it would result in conflict with one and all. This belief/social contract would work upon the basis that humans would agree with the rules due to everyone else supporting the idea.

Specific aspects of this theory are used within current day as within life we have to abide by the law (set of rules), however not everyone had decided to agree with every rule and regulation, therefore we have experienced disagreements, conflict and war.

Within the Performing Arts Industry, Creative Companies and Casting Directors must attain a specific code of conduct regarding their cast:

·        Pay (rehearsals, shows, overtime)

·        Timetable

·        Events

Some companies do not consider certain ethics as there are frequent situations where by a performer has been under-paid or simply not paid at all for a contract or job. However Unions such as Equity, supports these issues and will fight to stop this gross misconduct.

Theoretical approaches to Ethics

What is Theoretical Ethics?

‘The theoretical study of the main concepts and methods of ethics.’

(University of Wisconsin)

Link: https://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/resources/ethics-in-a-nutshell/ - theoretical

Three Theoretical forms of Ethics have been created throughout the Ancient Greeks through to the 1800s!

Consequentialism 

This is an act in which morality of an argument is judged only upon its consequences.  An act is acceptable only if it maximizes the good.

‘The notion of the greatest happiness for the greatest number is at the heart of consiquentialism’

(Reader 5)

Deontology

This act is a huge contrast to consequentialism.  It reflects the study of the nature of the duty and obligation.  Deontology is a ‘rule based’ theory and an approach to Ethics focuses on the rightness or wrongness of actions themselves, as opposed to the rightness or wrongness of the consequences of those actions or to the character and habits of the actor.

Virtue

Virtue ethics is personal rather than action based.

Virtue ethics not only deals with the rightness or wrongness of individual actions, it provides guidance as to the sort of characteristics and behaviors a good person will seek to achieve.

Here is an example of how each ethics would reflect upon misconduct:

Action: THEFT

Consequentialist – may be acceptable for a greater good

Deontologist – Not acceptable

Virtue Ethics – Their character and moral behavior shares equal importance as actions

Ethics and Morals

Reader 5 addresses the topic of Ethics and Morals within modern day as there are a range of practices that are acceptable within certain culture but not in another e.g. homosexuality and arranged marriages.

Throughout the 1950's, the Wolfendon committee was set up to oversee the legal position of prostitution and homosexuality, which are both related to private morals. The committee believes that the aim of criminal law is,

'To provide specific safeguards against exploration and corruption of others, particularly those who are specially vulnerable because they are young, weak in by or mind, inexperienced'

(The Wolfendon Report, 1957)

The conflict between social and personal morals are frequent within modern day. The Hart-Devlin debate, regarding the law and morals, expresses Devlins opinion that morality originated from Christianity, and that any act that conflicts with public ethics can have a negative effect on the greater society. On the other hand, Hart argued that,

'The law's purpose is more about a necessity to prevent certain harmful acts such as theft, violence and killing.'

(Hart, 1963)

Professions Considered

A profession is something more than a job, but a career for an individual wanting to be part of society, who:

• Becomes competent in their own chosen sector through training
• Maintains their skills through continuing professional development
• Commits to behaving ethically to protect the interests of the public

EMERGING or MARGINAL PROFESSIONS

This type of profession includes a group of members who vary in educational background, E.G. Journalists. However, individuals teaching Journalism at a University or College have relatively equal standards of education.

Throughout a multiple of professions there are cases of conflict between personal ethics and professional codes of conduct.

An example of this is within a library one of their regulations was that members could view and select a wide range of intellectual sources and knowledge. One of the local authorities who employ the librarians argued to ban writer, David Irving’s book regarding the holocaust, however many librarians protest as it went against their ethical practice.

ANALYSING CASE STUDY 3: ‘THE DANCE CLASS’

Below is the case study included within ‘Reader 5’,

Case Study 3: The Dance Class

 Alicia is a student on the BA Professional Practice course in Middlesex and she is doing her last project – an inquiry into how warm ups are used during dance classes. She is doing the inquiry in a number of dance schools who run classes on a commercial basis. Already she has carried out her inquiry in two schools and found examples of good practice. She gathered this data from observing a number of dance classes, interviews with teacher / owners and a walk through of facilities in order to see if there were any educative posters / leaflets on display and available for students. In her third she is interviewing the school owner and is somewhat dismayed at his answer. He said – “Look, I run a business here. I have to pay the rent and rates here I rent out the studios to individual teachers at a very competitive rate. What they do in their class is their business. I keep my rents low to the teachers because a full studio is better than an empty one”. Alicia subsequently observed two classes. The first teacher she observed, Bing, spent less than a minute on the warm up and did not do any cool down at the end of the class. The second teacher she observed, Flint, did no warm up at all and belittled one dancer in particular. Alicia could see that this dancer was upset but she made no complaint. Alicia also noticed that the other people in the class ignored his bullying of this particular person. She interviewed Flint at the end of the class and asked if he had been aware of how he had singled out this one person for ill treatment. Flint replied, “I am only preparing her for the real world – if she can’t survive a bit of criticism in my class she is not going to last too long in a dance company”. 

I took great interest reading this source as I am within the Performing Arts profession and been so many dance classes instructed by different teachers. Personally I found the response from the Dance School Owner very eye opening! I do agree that he is not teaching or instructing the class and within his profession or job role he may only have to manage the School building itself, however morally he should have consideration over the health of the members partaking. Due to the lack of warming up within a dance class, a potential injury is more likely.

I was intrigued whilst reading Alicia’s observation of the second teacher, Flint. I have experienced allot of situations within my life where a teacher would belittle or favourite certain students. Some Teachers believe that they will only make the effort with the more advanced participants within the class which I do not agree with. Morally and ethically within his profession he should not belittle one particular student without addressing the reasoning behind his actions. Flint justified his actions by saying,

‘I am only preparing her for the real world – If she can’t survive a bit of criticism in my class she is not going to last too long in a dance company.’

I do understand Flint’s response as the Dance and Performing Arts Industry is incredibly cut throat and harsh, however if he would have addressed the student in a different manner or explained his reasoning behind the criticism then I do think the situation may have been fairer.

As a teacher I make sure that every dancer is treated equally! I would rotate lines within a class so every student can dance at the front, I always encourage students to ask questions as this skill also strengthens their confidence as well as their knowledge. Everyone within a dance class will be at a different ability therefore you should pay equal attention to everyone and share a mutual respect with every member of the class.

Research Ethics

Throughout planning my professional inquiry I must always consider ethical practice whilst carrying out an action such as an interview. Whilst doing so I will also identify the larger ethical implications connecting to my Inquiry. I will consider these questions:

What’s the influencing factor within my Inquiry?

Do I want to bring about a social good?

Who is going to benefit from my research and Inquiry?

Ethical Consideration From & Planning Inquiry

Ethical consideration regarding my Professional Inquiry must be completed as part of the Ethics Form and my Inquiry Plan. Using my knowledge of ethics, the interviews and questionnaires that I will be using will be thought through and discussed within the plan. Another factor explained will be the consideration of the individuals I would like to interview within my research.

‘Reader 5’ displayed these questions to use whilst creating my Inquiry Plan and Ethics Form which I find very useful:

Who are your participants?

How have you chosen these Participants?

Why were the participants chosen?

How will you contact them? Will you need to talk to gatekeepers to do so?

How will you make sure that your participants can leave the Inquiry if they would like to do so?

Do the participants have your contact details?

Are you storing the participant’s data safely?

Power Of The Researcher

Whilst researching literature for my Inquiry, presenting myself as a researcher plays a vital role. Even though the main objective is to gain new information for myself, also think for example the impact on the interviewee at the end of the process. There is a huge responsibility as a researcher to provide my research as accurately as possible.

‘Ethics shows the power of the researcher and the

researched’                                                                                   

(Editorial Reasearch in Drama Education 10(2) June 2005 pp119-125)