Framework for Intellectual and Ethical Maturity

1. Framework for Intellectual and Ethical Maturity From: Dimensions of Ethical Decision Making Anna Witter-Merithew & Kellie Mills Stewart For Ethics of Interpreting, SCCC B. Aron

2. Models of Intellectual and Ethical Maturity Terminology: • Critical Reflection: the ability to reflect on life experiences and analyze them for the purpose of isolating important principles and learning that emerges and continues to unfold over time. • Ethics: derived from the Greek word ethos, meaning custom, usage, or character. Ethics is the science of ideal human character or the science of moral duty. • Ethical Fitness: “the capacity to recognize the nature of moral challenges and respond with a well-tuned conscience, a lively perception of the difference between right and wrong and an ability to choose the right and live by it.” ~Kidder • Ethical and Intellectual Maturity: a state of understanding and knowledge that enables an individual to consistently and responsibly function in a n ethically fit manner.

3. Case Study: “Creating a Life to Save a Life” • In England, the Whitaker family faced a terrible situation: their son, Charlie, suffered from a rare disorder that prevented his body from producing red blood cells. Without daily medications and frequent transfusions, Charlie would simply die. With them, he continues to live, but under close medical care. For a while, it looked as though Charlie’s parents had figured out an answer to this dilemma. They proposed to use in vitro fertilization to have another child, but with an added twist. They would, as is usual in this procedure, have the eggs fertilized outside the womb in a laboratory dish, but they would then include an additional step. Using new screening techniques, they would screen the embryos to see which would be most able to donate blood-making cells to Charlie. That would be the one that they would choose to implant and bring to term. In contrast to the United States and many other countries, in England someone proposing such a procedure must obtain government permission- In this case, from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority. The Authority rejected the request by the Whitaker family, saying that it was not right to create a human life with the express intent of saving another life. • Contributed by Lawrence Hinman, University of San Diego @http://ethics.acusd.edu/

4. Discussion Questions: • Do you agree with the Authority’s decision, why or why not? • What are the significant moral considerations in this case? What consideration is decisive for you? • Who should make these decisions? Who should have the right to make the final decision in such cases? • What personal values and beliefs contribute to your thinking?

5. 4 Stages of Intellectual and Ethical Development ~William Graves Perry Jr. 1970, 1999 • William Graves Perry Jr. , a psychology professor & advisor to college students and researcher at Harvard University etc developed and outlined four distinct stages of intellectual and ethical development of college students, which we can build to understand ethical development within the field of interpreting. In the following slide is a description of the 4 stages.

6. 4 Stages of Ethical and Intellectual Maturity • Basic Dualism • Multiplicity • Relativism Subordinate • Relativism

7. First Stage: • Basic Dualism: The student views the world in polarities. The student is dependent on authorities to hand down the truth and to teach him right from wrong. Students or learners in this stage of ethical development look toward teachers, friends, rules, or colleagues to provide the direction for decision-making…”tell me the right answer.”

8. Second Stage: • Multiplicity: The student begins to carve out his or her own opinions and desires. He or she develops the personal freedom due to recognition of diversity of opinion and multiple perspectives that exist in society. Students begin to test the beliefs and values taught to them by parents and family. In a college or educational environment, the student’s acquired beliefs are challenged and begin to cement or reform.

9. Third Stage: • Relativism Subordinate: The student begins to develop an analytical and evaluative approach to ethical choices because the teacher insists on evidence and support of the student’s opinions. Students begin to develop the skills to answer the question, “Why do you believe that?” They begin to develop the necessary analytical skills to determine ethical choices based on a rationale supported by evidence and reasoning.

10. Fourth Stage: • Relativism: The student comprehends that “truth” is relative. Students recognize that the meaning of an event depends on the context in which the event occurs and the framework the “knower” uses to understand that event. The individual has learned and developed the skills to look beyond his or her own “truth” to determine the available ethical choices appropriate for the people involved in a particular setting and context. The individual now realizes there is no “one rule fits all” approach to ethical decision-making. Individuals learn to take responsibility for the way situations are viewed and interpreted which leads to different choices.

11. Can You apply “ethical maturity”? • How would an individual in each of Perry’s four phases respond to the situation in the case of the ? • Basic Dualism • Multiplicity • Relativism Subordinate • Relativism

12. Intellectual and Ethical Maturity Continuum HIGH Stage FourFull Relativism/State of Constructed Knowledge Experiential Learning & Critical Reflection Stage ThreeRelativism Subordinate Stage TwoMultiplicity Stage OneBasic Dualism’State of Received Knowledge LOW

13. Factors Impacting Ethical Reasoning~Csongradi, 2004~ Moral/ Ethical Problem Facts Media Economy Data Information Data Economy Information SOCIETY Ethical Theories Institutions Others Media Facts VALUES Perspective PRINCIPLES SELF Laws Rules Codes Obligations Reflection Data Media Facts Information economy Reflection School Family Friends Religion Data Facts Economy Media Information Moral/ Ethical Action MORAL/ETHICAL KNOWLEDGE

14. Ethical Fitness: A Part of Competent Autonomy • Competent Autonomy vs. Default Autonomy • The difference between competent autonomy which is based on professional merit and • default autonomy which is without merit and results from isolation, insufficient training, and market trends and conditions.

15. Competent Autonomy • Autonomy: “an individual’s ability to independently carry out the responsibilities of the position without close supervision.” ~Blanchfield & Biordi, 1996 • Autonomy means the “freedom to act on what you know”~Kramer and Schmalenberg, 1993 • Autonomy is linked to competence because competence involves not only knowing, but also “knowing that you know.”

16. Awareness of Five Factors • Complexity of communication demands • Predictability of outcome • Cognitive requirements necessary to provide the tasks • Technical requirements associated with the tasks • Level of risk/liability and potential for a negative outcome

17. Ethical Fitness • “Ethical Fitness is the capacity to recognize the nature of moral challenges and respond with a well-tuned conscience, a lively perception of the difference between right and wrong, and an ability to choose the right and live by it.” ~Kidder, 1990

18. Right vs. Right Dilemmas (6 scenarios) • It is right for D/deaf people to have the highest skilled interpreters available and it is right for novice/student interpreters to have opportunities to get “real-world” interpreting experience in an effort to become highly skilled one day. • It is right for the privacy of consumers to be protected and it is right for interpreting practitioners to learn from our professional experiences by discussing situations from time to time in an attempt to avoid future conflicts.

19. Right vs. Right Dilemmas 3. It is right for D/deaf people to have access to interpreters 24 hours a day and it is right for interpreters to take time off from work or have a personal life. 4. It is right for D/deaf children to be among their D/deaf peers and to develop a common identity with other D/deaf children and it is right for parents to want their children to be educated in local public schools and live at home.

20. Right vs. Right Dilemmas 5. It is right for interpreters to prepare for assignments well in advance and it is right for D/deaf people to have the choice to participate in events spontaneously on short notice. 6. It is right for interpreters to charge a fee commensurate with their training, experience and national certification and it is right for those hiring interpreting services to seek themost cost effective option available.

21. Right vs. Wrong • It is right for interpreters to desire financial success and work hard to achieve it, but it would be wrong for interpreters to take advantage of consumers for financial gain. • It is right for interpreters to want to advance themselves personally or professionally, but it would be wrong to personally benefit from or use information obtained from an interpreting assignment for self-interest.

22. Right vs. Wrong 3. It is right for interpreters to seek opportunities for growth and to further develop their interpreting skills, but it would be wrong to take an assignment without being qualified to handle it. 4. It is right for interpreters to attempt to maximize their time and billable hours during a workday, but it would be wrong to schedule assignments so close together that consumers were not well-served.

23. Right vs. Wrong 5. It is right for interpreters to want to work certain types of highly desirable assignments, but it would be wrong for interpreters to undercut colleagues or referral services when soliciting these high profile assignments. 6. It is right for interpreters to believe they are qualified for certain assignments, but it would be wrong for interpreters to misrepresent his or her credentials in order to be hired.

24. 4 Right Vs. Right Paradigms ~ Kidder • Individual vs. Community • Short-term vs. Long-term • Justice vs. Mercy • Truth vs. Loyalty

25. Individual versus Community 1.This paradigm refers to those situations in which the interests of an individual are in conflict with the interests of a community. • Example: the rights of a criminal in the justice system vs. the rights of the community to be informed about the actions of criminals within the community.

26. Short-term vs. Long-term 2.This paradigm refers to those situations when the short-term goal is inn conflict with the long-term goal. • Example: interpreters who choose to begin working before completing an ITP because the “job is available now”, vs. completing their training in order to enter the field as a more qualified practitioner. The immediate goal of employment is in conflict with thelong-term goal of a qualified workforce.

27. Justice versus Mercy 3. This paradigm refers to those situations when the desire to be fair and judicious is in conflict with the human capacity for forgiveness and mercy. • Example: a journalist who plagiarizes someone’s work and whether that person should lose the ability to work as a journalist forever, or does he deserve a second chance to do the right thing?

28. Truth versus Loyalty 4. This paradigm refers to those situations where the importance of telling the truth may conflict with the desire to remain loyal to someone or something. Example: an employee who knows their employer is acting unethically about an important matter and the struggle with whether to tell the truth to the authorities or to remain loyal to their employer.

29. Summary on Ethical Maturity • Ethical maturity comes from experience in reflecting and evaluating various perspectives related to what constitutes appropriate and ethical behavior. • Ethical fitness is a pre-requisite for competent autonomy. • Individuals move from basic duality which focuses on right vs. wrong paradigms to constructed relativism which involves consideration of a broad range of factors when deciding what is the most appropriate response to a situation.

30. ~FINI~