How To Discuss Ethics With Cultural Sensitivity?

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     I wasn't insinuating that you support slavery or that you were suggesting that OP should support slavery, I was just arguing the point you made about cultural practices trumping ethics in all cases: "I'm guessing you would never tell someone their cultural views were wrong in real life, so just treat this the same way." All I was saying is that sometimes it is right to question someone's cultural views, because cultural views are not always ethical. You're speaking in absolutes when you say they would "never" tell someone their cultural views are wrong in real life. In an ethically-charged scenario, use of absolutes will get you into trouble. There's usually an exception to every rule. I used the extreme example of slavery (which I acknowledged was extreme in my previous post) to try and drive that point home. i.e. Slavery is an example of a time when it was appropriate to tell people that their cultural views were unjust and wrong.

     Basically, I disagree with your point about leaving your views out of it, and about never telling someone that their cultural views are wrong in real life. Sometimes standing up against injustice means speaking out against cultural practices (like slavery, as an extreme example). In my opinion, circumcision of young males is not a huge injustice, so I wouldn't personally object to it as a cultural practice, but I'm sure there are some doctors who would object on ethical grounds. And I think that they have every right to object, as long as they can refer their patient to a doctor to provide the procedure. If doctors weren't able to reason through problems to determine what is right and what is wrong, they might as well be replaced by pill-dispensing robots. That's what I was trying to get at... maybe my slavery example detracted from my main point.

Ok, I think you really extended what I said far beyond the context I meant it in.

 

Assuming that there isn't anything ethically and/or legally concerning about another culture's views, than you shouldn't be forcing yours on anyone else. 

 

I'm not talking about slavery, racism, oppression of women, etc. I'm talking about simple, everyday choices like celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. Or circumcision, as suggested here  

[EM4me]

Hi everyone. As the title suggests, I am unsure how to discuss ethics without sounding culturally biased.

 

For example, on the topic of circumcision in newborns, I see a violation of the infant's autonomy because the parent's decision is being enforced, which may or may not reflect the child's values. However, I understand circumcision also to be a culturally-based practice in some groups of people that should be respected. Therefore, what would be a culturally sensitive way to discuss the ethical dilemma?

 

 

Ok, I think you really extended what I said far beyond the context I meant it in.

 

Assuming that there isn't anything ethically and/or legally concerning about another culture's views, than you shouldn't be forcing yours on anyone else. 

 

I'm not talking about slavery, racism, oppression of women, etc. I'm talking about simple, everyday choices like celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah. Or circumcision, as suggested here  

 

I don't think that's an appropriate assumption to make considering OP made the ethical concern apparent in the original question...

[EM4me]

I agree on everything you have said except I would reformulate the end: "If doctors were't able to reason through problems to determine what is right and what is wrong to them, they might as well be replaced by pill-dispensing robots". 

 

IMO, physicians should hold themselves to high ethical standards but are not to put themselves at a moral high ground. Objecting to different cultural practices on moral or ethical grounds should only be translated in practice as a refusal to be directly involved in many cases, such as male circumcision or PAS for instance. 

 

If little harm is done by executing a certain practice, and if that practice is important to the people involved (Jews and Muslims), then we should have no right in labeling it as reprehensible or in trying to suppress it. 

 

Absolutely! I agree 100%. Thanks for the revision! That's definitely what I meant to say. And you're right, doctors shouldn't hold themselves up on some moral pedestal, and should never label or judge their patients. But if they disagree with something that a patient has asked them to do, they should also have the right to refuse to perform the procedure - but, they should be careful not to make the patient feel unwelcome or look down upon them in any way. They should still maintain a respectful doctor-patient relationship and work with them to find another doctor that is willing to perform the procedure that they've requested. Just because the doctor refuses to do it himself/herself, that doesn't mean he/she can try to prevent it from happening all together. 

[medhope15]

Cultural norms shift with time. Things we accept or promote today may be seen as foolish in the future and vice versa.

Imagine interviewing for med school 50 years ago and an ethical question came up about LGBT population for instance, I guarantee the range of responses and acceptable answers would be very different. Were people 50 years ago horrible insensitive creatures? no, just had a different cultural context, upbringing, historical context. Have to respect and empathise with the fact that people just grow up in different "norms". You can discuss pros/cons/risks of procedures of treatments from a medical standpoint but you shouldn't harass someone because they oppose your viewpoint about something sensitive esp bc they may have been raised in an environment where they just weren't encouraged to think any different or critique popular opinion.

 

I would be very careful and PC. Med schools and many med students I've worked with are probably the most PC people I've encountered. Again, there has been a big shift in the last several years to appreciate the humanistic part of medicine, respect people etc do cultural sensitivity training, esp in really big cities. You might have a strong opinion about a topic which might even have some evidence or seem like common sense, but not saying the PC thing in the interview can ruin your chances IMO. Again based on interactions I've had with med students, they almost fear taking a drastic stance or opinion that is less popular than that of their peers. I mean think of the med school application process - many apply multiple times, do other degrees in the meantime, spend money on MCAT retakes, devote countless hours to volunteer/shadow. Once you finally get lucky and get in, are you going to risk being seen as the odd one out by peers and faculty because you like to challenge the status quo or raise your voice on issues others ignore? no way! you worked too hard to risk it. In an interview in terms of the circumcision issue I would go very very PC; don't want to offend your interviewer. Most people today (and I've been around on this planet much longer than the typical UG student), esp in healthcare will hold that it should be a respected practice and will get very very offended if you compare it to FGM. Even if on the surface it seems similar, the cultural and historical contexts behind each are very different. Last thing you want is to ruin a shot at a career as an MD because you felt "brave" or hard headed to say something un-popular about circumcision to a circumcised interviewer hahaha

[Cotton Ginny]

As a Jewish mother who was present when my infant son shrieked in agony when he was subjected to this procedure, (without any anesthesia) and who was in pain for several days afterwards (think about urine on an open wound)...circumcision is a barbaric procedure with no medical value.  If a culture demands that its boys be mutilated just so they can be culturally and religiously acceptable, there should be laws that protect the infants from the "culturally sensitive" demands of parents.  While I admit that female genital mutilation is a much more extreme and traumatic practice, the two are on the same continuum.