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Ethical dilemmas in context: Some preliminary questions
Author(s) -
Bond Meg A.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/bf00931043
Subject(s) - dilemma , context (archaeology) , action (physics) , ethical dilemma , public relations , face (sociological concept) , community psychology , health psychology , sociology , social psychology , work (physics) , engineering ethics , psychology , political science , epistemology , law , public health , social science , medicine , paleontology , philosophy , physics , mechanical engineering , nursing , quantum mechanics , biology , engineering
Summary I have tried to build on O'Neill's thought‐provoking paper by examining two influences that shape and define ethical dilemmas in the community: our personal agendas and the broader context. The first influence is the way in which our personal and professional values shape our agendas for community work. The way these agendas frame the choices for action are a force to be recognized separate from the question of who constitutes our community constituency. Our values may push us into proactive roles and we must face the way our actions make personal/political statements. The broader context of the community situation and the ways in which resource limitations frame the ethical question also need to be actively recognized. Otherwise there is a danger of making the psychologist the victim by posing the ethical dilemma as a question of how they alone should find a solution. The nature of our personal agenda must be clear before we ask “responsible to whom?” The broader context must be considered before we ask “responsible for what?”