Department of Social & Policy Sciences, Unit Catalogue 2008/09 |
SP50152 Ethical issues in research, policy and practice |
| Credits: 12 |
| Level: Masters |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: CW 100% |
| Requisites: |
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Aims: * To provide students with a critical understanding of some of the current ethical issues in research, policy and practice in relation to death, dying and loss. * To give students a critical understanding of the main conceptual debates surrounding decision-making in death, dying and loss. * To enable students to apply these conceptual perspectives to the analysis of ethical issues in this field. Learning Outcomes: By the end of the unit students will have: * Studied key texts relating to a range of ethical issues in research, policy and practice in death, dying and loss; * Critical understanding of the significance and implications of ethics in relation to this field; * The ability to identify appropriate theoretical and conceptual issues relevant to research, policy and practice in this field. Skills: * Ability to develop rigorous arguments through precise use of concepts and models * Synthesise information from a variety of perspectives for a relevant understanding of conceptual and practical approaches. * Appreciate and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a range of approaches. * Identify and access relevant information sources. * Communicate complex issues and perspectives through written and oral media. * Develop skills of time management, workload prioritisation and related planning skills. * Develop good writing and presentation skills. Content: This unit will focus on concepts such as autonomy and dependence, professional expertise and lay knowledge, informed consent, confidentially, privacy, power and accountability in relation to a range of ethical debates in research, policy and practice in the field of mortality. It will use these concepts to consider current key debates. These will include: * Research ethics * The ethics of policy making * Ethical issues in practice * Beginning and end-of-life decision making (eg, abortion, euthanasia and organ donation) * Investigative procedures in relation to sudden death * Violent death (eg, suicide, murder) and the media * Acts of terrorism and other 'man-made' disasters * Natural disasters * Use of human remains for science and museums * Disposal of human remains. |