There are three main types of ethics, which are personal, professional, and organisational. A good practice and understanding of all three can lead to a balanced society for the better. Personal ethics can include religion, values and personal beliefs. Factors that vary depending on the individual. Professional ethics can include a code of conduct, which is explained in task B. Lastly, organisational ethics, which can be a professional networks particular ethos.
Ethics can be stemmed back to the early 300 BC, where philosophical thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle made moral decisions on the basis for what is right and wrong. This will have been beneficial to the social good of society. Other theorists have contributed to the basis of this, for example, Hobbs (1651), who considered the practice of ethics as a method of bringing social harmony about. These sets of moral rules shall aid the positivism and equality to society. In addition to this, JS Mill proposed the idea of doing what is morally good and beneficial for the highest number, otherwise referred to as the 'greatest good for the greatest number'.
Reader 5 sets out an example of modern day ethics and morals. In various societies, arranged marriage is normality, and with immigration occurs, those values are brought over to the UK, where the liberal perception is that it is unethical, however in other cultures, it is acceptable.
Ethical problems can be assessed through a normative or a descriptive question. For example, asking the question of was it right or wrong before the statement would be normative question, as opposed to asking an individual if they personally have done something, which would be a factual question. Other terminology associated with ethics are;
Metaethics: an analytical process which aims to gain understanding as to what moral codes mean.
Theoretical Normative Ethics: a factor which includes a moral judgement being decided.
Applied Ethics: discovering reasonable solutions to moral issues.
In terms of ethical arguments, the judgments that are initiated move over the facts of the situation taken place, and then on to the attitudes and behaviour involved. When a conclusion has been reached, it can then be challenged or appealed if; the argument between the premises and the conclusion was not made logically, or there might be another perspective or outlook on the scenario in hand.
In terms of carrying an inquiry out, ethical practice plays a vital vole. Carrying out research can involve participation from target groups, for example, students, teachers, the community, which requires responsibility from the researcher themselves, which most commonly is to ensure that the safety of the participant is is of minimal risk. When conducting the inquiry, the ethical considerations that need to be considered are;
Information regarding the participants
(What their contributions shall be, age etc)
Why they have been chosen
(What do they offer that shall benefit the research project)
How they have gone about being chosen
(In relation to the topic of inquiry)
How the participants were contacted
(consent forms, communication with Gatekeepers etc)
How is their exit from the inquiry going to be managed if that is what they wish
Is their data safely stored
(what methods are used to ensure it is protected)
Personally for me, as stated in reader 5, it is harder for a student to be seen as having much authority when conducting research, however it is suggested by Oliver (2003), that carrying out research in a particular field can add to their knowledge and status. Only if, the inquiry is carried out professionally. There is pressure for the researcher to carry out their research accurately as it shall be a reflection of their practice.
Reader 5 has enabled me to further understand as to why ethics plays such a vital role when carrying out research. Case studies are also a good example of understanding, as they involve you to have your say on what ethics were invloved and why they were important in that particular inquiry.
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