Gender in medical ethics: re-examining the conceptual basis of empirical research.

Full Abstract

Conducting empirical research on gender in medical ethics is a challenge from a theoretical as well as a practical point of view. It still has to be clarified how gender aspects can be integrated without sustaining gender stereotypes. The developmental psychologist Carol Gilligan was among the first to question ethics from a gendered point of view. The notion of care introduced by her challenged conventional developmental psychology as well as moral philosophy. Gilligan was criticised, however, because her concept of 'two different voices' may reinforce gender stereotypes. Moreover, although Gilligan stressed relatedness, this is not reflected in her own empirical approach, which still focuses on individual moral reflection. Concepts from social psychology can help overcome both problems. Social categories like gender shape moral identity and moral decisions. If morality is understood as being lived through actions of persons in social relationships, gender becomes a helpful category of moral analysis. Our findings will provide a conceptual basis for the question how empirical research in medical ethics can successfully embrace a gendered perspective.

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Author information

Author/s: Conradi, Elisabeth (E); Biller-Andorno, Nikola (N); Boos, Margarete (M); Sommer, Christina (C); Wiesemann, Claudia (C);

Affiliation: Department of Political Sciences, University of Goettingen, Germany. econrad@gwdg.de

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Medicine, health care, and philosophy (Med Health Care Philos), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-; vol 6 (issue 1) : pp 51-8

Dates: Created 2003/04/24; Completed 2003/05/16; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 12710564, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Humans
Male
Morals
Psychology, Social
Sex
Social Justice - ethics

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