Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs by Raechele L. Pope & Amy L. Reynolds & John A. Mueller

Author:Raechele L. Pope & Amy L. Reynolds & John A. Mueller [Pope, Raechele L.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781119376484
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2019-01-13T16:00:00+00:00

COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND MULTICULTURAL ETHICS

Young (2001) highlighted the role of community in addressing ethical issues. When considering the diverse needs, perceptions, and values of the many communities that currently constitute higher education today, such community collaboration and consensus seems even more important. According to Fried (1997), forging a new paradigm in ethical decision-making means focusing on “the power of relationships, nonlinear information, the unpredictability of change, and the power of context” (p. 9). This process requires that multiple points of view and belief systems be considered simultaneously in order to render a just, meaningful, and effective solution to any ethical dilemma. Ethical principles and standards are only meant to serve as guides for difficult and sometimes contradictory circumstances.

Before relying on these standards and professional codes, there need to be extensive conversations and dialogue within our diverse and sometimes fragmented communities (Fried, 1997). When a community of students, staff, and faculty can reach consensus about core values and visions on the campus that include exploration of the relevance of culture and context in all conversations, then ethical concerns and dilemmas will be more of an exploration and extension of those earlier discussions. Unfortunately, these conversations rarely happen and when an ethical dilemma occurs on a campus in either a private or campus-wide manner, there is little common ground upon which to resolve the issues. Therefore, there is more reliance on the principles and codes, and less on the community and the process of making meaning of contradictory values, goals, and needs. Consider the ethical challenges faced by campuses regarding the decision of whether to bring controversial and provocative speakers to campus. A campus may profess valuing free speech and decide to honor an invitation from a student group to bring in such a speaker; however, if there have not been any prior conversations about the ethics of bringing speakers to campus who may denigrate certain members of the campus community, it is unlikely that there will be productive conversations once the decision has been made. Canon (1996) emphasized the importance of creating an environment or community that promotes ongoing exploration of ethical issues and concerns. He stated, “the resolution of ethical problems is an imprecise task requiring personal reflection, community concern, and, above all, tolerance for ambiguity and appreciation for the complexity of the human social condition” (p. 107).

Therefore, addressing ethical issues and resolving ethical dilemmas is much more than doing the right thing and making appropriate and ethical decisions. Creating mutuality, respect, and trust should be one of the fundamental goals of ethical dialogue. Such goals fit well with the creation of a multiculturally sensitive and inclusive community. Ultimately, the creation of campuses that are truly ethical and multicultural may require more of a focus on the process of building a community of common dreams, values, and expectations rather than concentrating on outcomes such as ethical decisions or racial makeup of the campus.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.