Cultural Bias, Self-Awareness, and Professional Code of Ethics The article by Kocet (2006) in the studies for this unit reflects on some changes in language and the expansion of definiti

Introduction

The real world abounds with complicated situations where ethical behavior requires careful judgment.

In this activity, you will again assume the role of a case manager at Curt Swann Middle School, a public school in Riverbend City, a mid-sized city in the Midwest.

Several Swann faculty and staff members have asked you to get involved with Lexi, a 10-year-old girl in the 4th grade. Lexi has been exhibiting behaviors recently that make her teachers suspect that she may be on the autism spectrum.

 

Scenario 1

Before you talk to Lexi, you should read the incident report written by Lexi’s teacher.

 

Teacher’s Report

REPORTING TEACHER: Duncan Jones

STUDENT(S) INVOLVED: Lexi Reed

DATE: May 3

Lexi had to be removed from class this morning after being disruptive during English class. We were discussing today’s reading and she made repeated verbal outbursts when I and other students were trying to speak. I gave Lexi three verbal warnings to wait her turn, but the outbursts persisted, escalating into disrespectful talkback.

This disruptive incident fits into a larger pattern of misbehavior for Lexi this school year. Lexi has displayed a great deal of difficulty taking her turn in conversations, and has tended to derail class discussions to talk about one of her few pet topics. Lexi has also consistently had trouble following complicated instructions and respecting personal space this year, and has demanded that other children follow specific rules when interacting with her.

 

Scenario 2

Lexi Reed’s behaviors appear to indicate that she may be on the autism spectrum. You should talk to her parents about the possibility of therapy, treatment, and medication to help her.

Gina Reed

You think Lexi might be autistic? Oh, dear. I… I’m sorry, this is a lot to take in. I mean, i’ve known that she could be a little high-strung, but I always just figured that she’d grow out of it. I’ve actually talked to my Rabbi about this quite a bit; she always advises me to just take it one day at a time.

I guess you’re the expert, so I’m not in much of a position to tell you you’re wrong. This does make some sense; we’ve certainly noticed that Lexi could use some help with her social skills. I don’t know. Maybe I’ve been fooling myself about how serious the problem was.

If you think that seeing a doctor or a therapist would help her, I’m certainly open to that. I love my daughter, and I want her to have every advantage she can! I don’t want anything holding her back; she’s such a bright girl. I know Adam won’t be thrilled at the idea, but I think it might be the right thing to do. God knows therapy did a lot for my mother when she was younger.

I’ll tell you one thing, though- I think I draw the line at medication. You think Lexi has behavior problems, that’s nothing compared to what I’ve seen with some of the overmedicated kids we see in our social circle. It’s like the whole pharma industry is just out there circling, waiting for their chance to pump your kids full of drugs and leave them glassy-eyed robots. Not my Lexi, no way.

Adam Reed

I’m sorry, I just don’t believe you that my daughter has autism. There’s no way that’s possible. She’s a good girl, she’s a smart girl, and she’s a normal girl. She’s a little headstrong, but that’s a discipline problem. And I’m on that. Gina and I, we’ll get her straightened out. I mean, you’re right, she shouldn’t be talking out of turn in class. That’s unacceptable behavior. But it’s not crazy behavior. It’s not a sign that she’s sick. It’s a sign that she needs discipline and self control.

You mentioned therapy. Look. We aren’t sending my little girl to therapy or any doctor because there’s nothing wrong with her. Gina and I will talk to her, tell her she can’t act up like this any more or she’ll lose her allowance and get grounded. I promise you, that will take care of it. That girl loves her freedom. She sees that at risk, you’ll have the best-behaved student you’ve ever seen. I’ll pray on this.

After reading the teacher’s report, and hearing from the Reeds, it’s time to think about the implications of what you heard, and what your next steps should be to help Lexi get the support she needs.

What services would you recommend for the Reeds?

Your response:

This question has not been answered yet.

How would you facilitate the parents’ agreement to participate in this recommendation?

Your response:

This question has not been answered yet.

How would you define the line between ethical persuasion and unethical coercion in trying to work with the Reeds?

Your response:

This question has not been answered yet.

 

Conclusion

As you’ve seen, the various stakeholders involved in a project have very distinct needs when it comes to the information they will need over the course of the project.

As you prepare your stakeholder registry, consider what information you will need in order to create a communications plan that will help you meet the stakeholder expectations and needs.

When you return to the courseroom, you will analyze these scenarios in a discussion question.

 

Credits

Subject Matter Expert:

Jolee Darnell

Interactive Design:

Marty Elmer

Interactive Developer:

Dre Allen

Instructional Design:

Alan Carpenter

Media Instructional Design:

Keith Pille

Videographer:

Marc Ashmore

Project Management:

Marc Ashmore, Stefani Pequin

 

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Licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License

SAMPLE ANSWER

 

Cultural Bias, Self-Awareness, and Professional Code of Ethics

Introduction

We all have biases. Even if we try to be objective, it’s hard to avoid them. But what if your company has a Cultural Bias problem? If so, the best thing you can do is work together with others in order to fight back against this type of bias and help make your workplace a safer place for everyone who works there.

The most tragic reality of Cultural Bias is that it is not only the domain of any one race, color, or creed. It is the product of an untold number of factors including age, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnic background, education, religious beliefs and political leanings.

The most tragic reality of Cultural Bias is that it is not only the domain of any one race, color, or creed. It is the product of an untold number of factors including age, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnic background and education.

Cultural bias can be defined as an unwarranted prejudice against someone based on his or her culture or ethnic group affiliation (American Psychological Association).

Cultural Bias may manifest itself in a number of ways. These may include instances in which work is being judged on a different scale for one group than for another (like a student who is receiving As for their work but has to take remedial classes at a Community College).

Cultural Bias may manifest itself in a variety of ways. These may include instances in which work is being judged on a different scale for one group than for another (like a student who is receiving As for their work but has to take remedial classes at a Community College). Cultural bias also can be found in the way that healthcare providers treat patients, such as referring them to specialists or doctors based on their race/ethnicity, gender and other factors. Another example of cultural bias may be when an employer hires someone from another country but does not hire any Native Americans because there are not enough qualified candidates available locally.

The problem with Cultural Bias is that it is inaccurate and unfair and because long standing prejudices and biases are often difficult to change. This means that even when we think we are making “fair” decisions about hiring or promotion based on our own personal experiences and knowledge of other people, we are actually perpetuating cultural bias.

Cultural bias is inaccurate and unfair. It’s difficult to change, because it can be perpetuated by people who have no intention of doing so.

Cultural bias occurs when we make decisions based on our own personal experiences, rather than on the facts of a situation. For example, if you were to hire a new employee based solely on their job description (which included no mention of their race or gender), then your decision would be culturally biased because this was not an appropriate way for an employer to evaluate potential employees for the position given that these factors are relevant in making decisions about employment opportunities.

Therefore it is important that we work together to counter bias in our own workplace as well as in other areas of society where we may have influence. If you find yourself judging someone’s intelligence or competence on factors like their appearance or mannerisms; then try to put aside any preconceptions you hold about this particular person before making a judgment about them.

As a professional, you have the responsibility to be aware of your own biases. You should also understand how they can affect the way you interact with others and make decisions about them. It is important that we work together to counter bias in our own workplace as well as in other areas of society where we may have influence. If you find yourself judging someone’s intelligence or competence on factors like their appearance or mannerisms; then try to put aside any preconceptions you hold about this particular person before making a judgment about them.

Conclusion

We believe that when people come together to work toward a common goal, they can make a difference. We want to help you build your own professional network and gain access to new opportunities for growth at work. If you have any other questions or would like more information about how Cultural Bias affects us all then please feel free to contact us through our website at www.culturalbias.com