Gender in Medical Ethics: Re-Examining the Conceptual Basis of Empirical Research
Creator
Conradi, Elisabeth
Biller-Andorno, Nikola
Boos, Margarete
Sommer, Christina
Wiesemann, Claudia
Bibliographic Citation
Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy: A European Journal 2003; 6(1): 51-58
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.
Permanent Link
Find in a Libraryhttp://hdl.handle.net/10822/1005536
Date
2003Collections
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