Illinois Department of Aging 2012 Elder Rights Conference

Illinois Department of Aging 2012 Elder Rights Conference Reaching Within Session T 9

Reaching Within: An Investigator’s Journey into the World of Ethics and Values curriculum adapted with permission from Catalysts for Change

Presented by • • • Nyla Mc. Carthy catalysts for change consulting 505 Rose St. NE Salem, Or 97301 Email: nylamccarthy@q. com • Materials copyrighted. Please contact me for usage.

Session Objectives • Explore personal and professional meanings of ethics, values, and power • Learn the independent forces which affect ethics and values • Understand the developmental stages of values/ethics formation

Objectives, continued • Examine the intersections between personal values and those which occur on the agency, professional, community and national levels • Explore your personal values hierarchy • Come to some basic agreements about universal ethical principles

Introductions • • Name Where you work What you do there 3 words which would describe you to a stranger

What do we mean by Ethics?

Moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior

What do we mean by Morals?

A person’s standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do

What do we mean by Values?

The personal, relative worth attributed to someone or something (expressed by words, symbols and/or behaviors)

Developmental Stages of Values Formation • Imprinting: birth through pre-school (first school attendance) • Modeling: through early adolescence • Socialization: the teenage years • Modification and Reform: our “adult” years and maturity

Independent Forces Which Affect Values Formation • Family: the model you grew up in: traditional or non • Friends: both formal and informal groups • Religion: Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Wiccan, etc: mainstream or not • Education: public or private school; basic or continuing; the attitudes of your educators

Independent Forces, cont. • Country of Origin: first world or developing nation • Socio-economics: access to resources and/or affluence shapes the lifestyle you lead (health care and education quality, where you live, etc. ) • Culture: heritage or adopted, dominant or minority

Independent Forces, cont. • Ethnicity: indigenous or imported, majority or minority in any given situation • Media: television, radio, film, magazines, internet; the influence of marketing and programming on a daily basis • Art/Music: exposure to different kinds, the importance of it in your life and routines

Remember: What may be of value to you may not be of value to someone else.

Examples of Common Values Personal Love Justice Honesty Friends Health Religion Kindness Sexuality Education Truth Life Family Professional Integrity Loyalty Competence Punctuality Client centered Grooming Confidentiality

Common Values, continued Agency/Corporation Service Justice Reputation Success Teamwork Integration Social conscience Cost effective service delivery Dignity and worth of people served

Common Values, continued Community Safety Identity Diversity Cleanliness Proximity of services Freedom of expression Having a voice Child friendly Habitat National Freedom Justice for all Peace Security State vs. local control Equal access to power Environmental Protections Respect for human rights

Large Group Activity • Personal Values Hierarchy • Debrief

Questions? Concerns? Thoughts?

Common Rationalizations of Ethical People • • It’s okay if I don’t gain personally. If it’s legal and permissible, it’s proper. I was just doing it for you. It doesn’t hurt anyone. Everyone is doing it. If it’s necessary, it’s ethical I’ve got it coming to me. I can still be objective.

Personal Decision Making Frameworks • Absolutist: Some things are clearly right or wrong and are spelled out as such (many faith based and professional groups define the parameters).

Personal Decision Making Frameworks, continued • Relativist: Societal norms, cultural beliefs, and/or events of the day may color your currently held dominant values.

Personal Decision Making Frameworks, continued • Subjectionist: You believe it is up to each individual to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong; ultimate self determination.

Personal Decision Making Frameworks, continued • The Rule of Reciprocity: Placing ourselves in the position of those who will be helped or harmed by an action, and thus, acting accordingly with how we would want to be treated in a similar situation (eg. The Golden Rule)

Personal Decision Making Frameworks, continued • Consequentialist: You believe an act is judged in terms of it’s immediate and direct consequences and may seek to produce the greatest possible balance of benefit (good) over burden (bad), (eg. Karma). Also known as “utilitarianism”.

Activity • Taking Your Ethical Stand

Taking Your Ethical Stand No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12 13 14 15. 16 17 18. STA A SLD D STD

Taking Your Ethical Stand • Debrief • Insights? • • Power of Peer influence Implications for services we provide Dominant culture consideration Other?