Ethical Issues in Health and Social Sciences: Rights and Dilemmas

This report delves into the ethical complexities within health and social sciences. It begins by examining individual rights, entitlements, and obligations within a diverse society, focusing on issues like honour-based violence and forced marriage, and their impact on social injustice. The report then explores various ethical approaches, including utilitarian, justice, and virtue approaches, to practice situations involving conflicting values and ethical dilemmas. It further analyzes ethical and professional principles that influence decision-making in health and social care, emphasizing the importance of moral constraints and principles such as justice, autonomy, and non-maleficence. Finally, the report highlights the importance of critical self-reflection on one's own values and moral compass and how they influence future professional practice, providing a comprehensive overview of ethical considerations in the field.

Ethical Issues in Health and
Social Sciences

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Demonstrate knowledge of individual rights, entitlements and obligations within a diverse
society..........................................................................................................................................3
Interpret and apply various ethical approaches to practice situations involving conflicting
values and ethical dilemmas........................................................................................................5
Ethical and professional principles influencing decision-making in health and social care.......6
Critical insights into one’s own values and moral compass........................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Ethical is defined as issues which are reflected in society and individuals are being affected
on large scale (Siegler and et.al., 2020).
The report will analyse demonstration of knowledge of individual rights, obligations and
entitlements within a diverse society will be analyzed on large scale. Along with this,
interpretation of various ethical approaches and practice solutions involving conflicting values
and ethical dilemma will be described. Ethical and professional principles influencing decision
making in health and social care will be analysed. And furthermore, a reflective approach to
develop critical insight of values and morals will be analyzed by encompassing of how they
influenced future professional practice.
MAIN BODY
Demonstrate knowledge of individual rights, entitlements and obligations within a diverse
society
Ethical issues relating to health and social care – The ethical issues relating to health and
social care are defined on the basis of Honour based violence and force marriage. As health and
social care is the most important things which is considered in the society and through this the
main aspect which is the ethical issue is considered on the basis that how it affects the honour
based violence and force marriage (Navalta and et.al., 2019). Honour based violence is a crime
or accident which may have been committed to defend or protect honour of the family or the
whole community on large scale. Honour based violence is the collection of practices which
controls the behaviour of the families and this and this affects whole society at large scale. The
main issues in the honour based violence are that process goes illegal and in this the very form of
existence of the human becomes non – existential. Forced marriage is marriage which one or
more of the parties is married without or against the consent of the will of partners.
Human Rights – The human rights which are related to Honour based violence and force
marriage are the rights which helps in syncing and knowing what are the major human rights
which the individuals should consider apart from their part in the society by being and living as
an independent citizen (Freeman, 2017). The human rights which are considered in both these
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aspects are Human Rights under Article 16 of the Human Rights Convention defines the rights
which are for the force marriage and this has made process of how the force marriages can be
stopped by the law. This is illegal if individuals are forced to marry. The law sanctions the fact
that this is illegal and the human rights take action towards what the individual is going through.
Honour based violence also follows human rights laws which helps the individuals to take
actions against what is to be done on the basis to fight for their rights and this has made the
major takeover for the ethical issues to be solved on large scale.
Social Injustice – Social injustice is the balance between society and the individuals which helps
in comparing the distribution of the wealth differences and is linked with the health and social
care. Individuals face social injustice in the society and this has affected them on the large scale.
Social injustice is also seen the factors such as honour based violence and force marriage and this
influences society on large scale (Cinnamon, 2017). In the honour based violence and force
marriage, social injustice is mostly observed within the society and this has made the factor and
the aspect to be considered for the major issues. Social injustice is majorly observed in the force
marriage as the individuals are forced to get married without their consent. This is injustice to
themselves as well as the society. Honour based violence is also key source to social injustice
which happens in the society and this has created the problem and key issues of how individuals
are treated in the society.
Case Study and Scenarios – The scenarios which depict the honour based violence and force
marriage issues are described as –
Maaryam was a young child who moved from Bangladesh to UK. She lives with her parents
because she has learning disability and this has created the concern for her parents to get her
married therefore, her parents decided to get her married forcefully which made the key concern
for her to not get married that soon. Therefore she now is not able to analyze what is to be done
and thus, faces the issue of depression and this makes the key concern for her to take help from
the psychiatrist. Thus, this is the case of force marriage of Maaryam.
Thus, these four aspects depict the issues which are to be solved under the issues
regarding the society and individual.
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Interpret and apply various ethical approaches to practice situations involving conflicting values
and ethical dilemmas
Ethics are the major key concerns for the society and for the individuals on large scale. Without
ethics the individuals in the society will suffer and this will affect the whole society on large
basis. Ethical dilemma is the term which describes the situation in which difficult decisions are
to be made between the choices which entail the moral principle of what is to be done. There are
major five approaches which are described on the basis to practice the situations involving
conflicting value and ethical dilemmas.
Ethical approaches are described as follows –
Utilitarian Approach – The utilitarian approach is the approach which answers the dilemma of
the options to produce the least harms and the biggest benefits. This creates the dilemma for the
individuals and this makes the individuals aware of the situation and then take decisions which
helps in creating the major decisions which helps in resolving the ethical dilemma and this
resolves the conflict on large scale (Awad and et.al., 2021). This approach also helps in
individuals taking the initiative towards what is to be done and they are then able to make the
decisions for the purpose of how the things are to be taken and considered for being
advantageous on the factor.
Justice Approach – This approach provides the individual opportunity to reflect on the action
and to analyze whether it is fair or not and gives the justice as the end result. The conflicting
values will be defined on the basis of how the individuals deal with the ethical dilemma in which
they are grabbed and how they solve the issue when they are in any problem which creates
confusion and through this individuals are not able to reach the end result (Hickey and et.al.,
2020). The justice approach is the approach which also reflects the ethical dilemma and this
creates the factors of how the individuals are able to make the decisions which are based on
individual thinking capacity and the individuals in this are able to decide what the major aspects
of individuals’ decision are making process.
Virtue Approach – The internal and moral values in this approach is how the individuals hold
on. This reflects on the major view of how an individual is. The main thing which is observed in
this approach which is the virtue approach is that the individual is able to make the initiative of
how they are as a person and this helps them analyze their core strengths and weaknesses which
are observed in the whole process. The virtue approach is the approach which makes the process
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of how the individual identifies the performance of his own and this is initiated as how the
individual reacts in the situations of ethical dilemma and how they solve the conflicting values
(Sison and et.al., 2018).
Thus, these ethical approaches help in analyzing the conflicting values and the ethical
dilemma which helps in practice which makes the most of the use of the approaches and through
this, it is depicted that what are the major key essentials and the values which the individuals
need and the conflicts which are to be resolved on large scale. Along with this, the strength
which the individuals and the society holds. This is the main thing which is analyzed on the basis
that these approaches help in resolving the dilemma and the conflicts which helps in making the
efforts to be resolved on large basis. The conflict can be resolved through this analysis of what is
to be done and this makes the purpose of how the various individual behaviours are assisted. The
main key reason for these approaches is to resolve the kind of conflict which creates difficulty in
surpassing the individual behaviour on large scale. And because ethics is the key reason to how
individuals have to pay key concerns for the behaviour and the changes which they depict the
individual care concern in society and being as an individual effectively and efficiently in
significant manner.
Ethical and professional principles influencing decision-making in health and social care
Ethical principles influencing decision-making in health and social care have effect of
ethical approach that one follows in relation with ethical decision-making. In this there are
different ethical approaches that one can consider and these approaches are-
Utilitarian ethics- Utilitarian ethics approach involves that a decision that results in positive
effect on greatest number of people is ethical (Braye, Orr and Preston-Shoot, 2017). This
approach is mainly based on outcome of the decision. In relation with
Deontological ethics- This is based on philosophy that morality of the action is based on
whether action itself is right under different circumstances and series of rules. In this decision is
ethical when action is appropriate under different circumstances.
Consequentialism- This is another approach according to which whether action is right or
wrong this is dependent on what consequences are produced by actions. More good
consequences an action produce, the more good action is.
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In relation to decision regarding honour based violence and force marriage, on the basis
of all these three approaches of ethics, honour based violence and force marriage are unethical
(Braye, Orr and Preston-Shoot, 2017). This is because actions of honour based violence and
force marriage are wrong and illegal and consequences of the action are also wrong.
Professional principles is another element influencing decision-making in health care in which
Relationship between ethics and professional codes has considerable impact on decision making.
This requires that professional codes are based on ethical code and practices and when on the
basis of these professional codes decisions are made, they are ethical and right decisions.
Limits of these codes involve where professional codes does not consider ethical principles and
as a result, decision associated with professional codes become wrong and unethical.
Moral constraints for health equity are also involves in principles influencing decision-
making in health and social care (Bunn and et.al., 2018). Moral constraints in pursuit of health
equity regarding honour based violence and force marriage involves rights of patients, equity of
resources, confidentiality of patients, safety of patient, and conflict of interest. In relation with
case of Maaryam, these are applicable and because of her learning disability healthcare workers
have different moral constraints.
Ethical principles influencing decision-making in health and social care involves-
Justice- This involves fair treatment with people and this has considerable effect on health and
social care decision. This means every health and social care service taker needs to be treated
fairly.
Autonomy- This is concerned with right of a person and a decision is ethical when it safeguards
autonomy of a person. In case of Maaryam her autonomy should be kept safe.
Non-maleficence- Non-maleficence is concerned with duty of healthcare professional to do no
harm and also to ensure that no harm is caused because of negligence (Bunn and et.al., 2018).
Beneficence- This is obligation of healthcare professional to act for benefit of patients and health
and social care service users.
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It can be said that there are several ethical and professional factors and principles that
affect decisions in health and social care including ethical principles and professional code of
practice.
Critical insights into one’s own values and moral compass
Values and morals are very important for successful professional practice and every
professional practice have different values and moral. Health and social care professionals also
have different values and morals for professional practice. In relation with honour based violence
and force marriage, it is a very sensitive case and this is why it is very important to follow
different morals and values of health and social care practice (Pandya-Wood, Barron and Elliott,
2017). I am required to consider values and morals for professional practice of health and social
care. Certain values linked with honour based violence and force marriage involves fairness, this
means that every individual need to be treated fairly and in a right way. I will require ensuring
that everyone is treated fairly and equally when they are in need of health and social care service.
Confidentiality is also an important issue to be considered for professional practice, it is very
important that information of those who are victim of honour based violence and force marriage,
their identity is kept confidential (Pandya-Wood, Barron and Elliott, 2017). Competent is also
one of the important factors in which, professionals are required to be very competent in what
they are doing. I am working on developing my competence for profession in health and social
care and this will enable me to carry out my activities effectively. Integrity and privacy are also
very important elements and professional codes and this is why it is very important to learn and
develop these elements for carrying out professional practices (Joynes, 2018). This means that it
is very important that professionals in health and social care are required to have different skills
and competencies, so that they can carry out their activities successfully and ethically when they
practice. Having adequate and appropriate knowledge and understanding of different codes and
principles enable them to ethically practice and provide quality health and social care services to
service users.
Values and morals are very important for the purpose of carrying out health and social
care practices and this is why it is important that professionals learn and develop knowledge of
different codes and principles (Joynes, 2018). Along with this practicing different competencies
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and principles by professionals are important so that ethical health and social care practices can
be carried out.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it is concluded from above report that demonstration of knowledge of individual
rights, obligations and entitlements within a diverse society was analyzed on large scale. Along
with this, interpretation of various ethical approaches and practice solutions involving conflicting
values and ethical dilemma was described. Ethical and professional principles influencing the
decision making in health and social care was analysed. And furthermore, a reflective approach
to develop critical insight of values and morals was analyzed by encompassing of how they
influenced future professional practice. Thus, this is how social and health care of individuals
was considered for the large scale.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Awad, I. and et.al., 2021. Is the smartphone always a smart choice? Against the utilitarian view
of the ‘connected migrant’. Information, Communication & Society.24(4).pp.611-626.
Braye, S., Orr, D. and Preston-Shoot, M., 2017. Autonomy and protection in self-neglect work:
the ethical complexity of decision-making. Ethics and Social Welfare. 11(4). pp.320-
335.
Bunn, F and et.al., 2018. Supporting shared decision making for older people with multiple
health and social care needs: a realist synthesis. BMC geriatrics. 18(1). pp.1-16.
Cinnamon, J., 2017. Social injustice in surveillance capitalism. Surveillance &
Society.15(5).pp.609-625.
Freeman, M., 2017. Human rights. John Wiley & Sons.
Hickey, C. and et.al., 2020. Planetary justice: what can we learn from ethics and political
philosophy?. Earth System Governance.p.100045.
Joynes, V.C., 2018. Defining and understanding the relationship between professional identity
and interprofessional responsibility: implications for educating health and social care
students. Advances in Health Sciences Education. 23(1). pp.133-149.
Navalta, J.W. and et.al., 2019. Ethical issues relating to scientific discovery in exercise
science. International Journal of Exercise Science.12(1).p.1.
Pandya-Wood, R., Barron, D.S. and Elliott, J., 2017. A framework for public involvement at the
design stage of NHS health and social care research: time to develop ethically
conscious standards. Research Involvement and Engagement. 3(1). pp.1-21.
Siegler, M. and et.al., 2020. Violence, trauma, and trauma surgery: Ethical issues, interventions,
and innovations. Springer Nature.
Sison, A.J.G. and et.al., 2018. Business ethics: A virtue ethics and common good approach.
Routledge.
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