Cross-cultural ethics

Author(s):

Ammar, A.; Bernstein, M.

Format:

Book section

Publisher:

Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2014.

Language:

English

Abstract:

Biomedical ethics is not absolute. Almost every conceivable medical act in the surgeon's armamentarium is subject to ethical relativism. It would be morally (and medically) wrong to withhold a blood transfusion from a patient undergoing a difficult operation for giant aneurysm, but it would be equally wrong for the same surgeon to give a transfusion to the same patient if he/she were a Jehovah's Witness and had stated his/her explicit wishes up front. What might be considered immoral in one culture/situation may be morally acceptable or even desirable in another. Salient factors in ethical relativism include religion or belief system (as in the example above), ethnic culture (e.g., Hmong people's attitude toward certain conventionally accepted treatments), geography (e.g., legality of assisted suicide depending on the jurisdiction), and others. This chapter presents some of these issues to stimulate a sense of increased cultural awareness and sensitivity. © 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. All rights reserved.

ISBN:

9783642549809 (ISBN); 3642549799 (ISBN); 9783642549793 (ISBN)

Identifier:

HmongStudies0054