This document discusses ethics and intercultural business communication. It defines ethics and morality, and discusses the cultural relativism view that cultures determine their own ethical standards versus a meta-ethic view of universal ethics. It also examines questions around cultural practices like human sacrifice that may be considered unethical. The document outlines classical ethical approaches like egoism, utilitarianism, and the golden rule. It discusses principles for ethical communication including humaneness, dialogue, and speaking with and to others. Overall the document provides an overview of key concepts and approaches to ethics within intercultural communication.
This document discusses ethics and intercultural business communication. It defines ethics and morality, and discusses the cultural relativism view that cultures determine their own ethical standards versus a meta-ethic view of universal ethics. It also examines questions around cultural practices like human sacrifice that may be considered unethical. The document outlines classical ethical approaches like egoism, utilitarianism, and the golden rule. It discusses principles for ethical communication including humaneness, dialogue, and speaking with and to others. Overall the document provides an overview of key concepts and approaches to ethics within intercultural communication.
This document discusses ethics and intercultural business communication. It defines ethics and morality, and discusses the cultural relativism view that cultures determine their own ethical standards versus a meta-ethic view of universal ethics. It also examines questions around cultural practices like human sacrifice that may be considered unethical. The document outlines classical ethical approaches like egoism, utilitarianism, and the golden rule. It discusses principles for ethical communication including humaneness, dialogue, and speaking with and to others. Overall the document provides an overview of key concepts and approaches to ethics within intercultural communication.
is considered right and wrong”. Martin et al. (2002: 363) • “moral standards by which actions may be judged good or bad, right or wrong”. Hall (2005: 334) • ethical judgments are more about “degrees of rightness and wrongness in human behavior” Johannesen/communication ethics (in Martin et al., 2002: 363) distinction • morality refers to the right or wrong of any behavior in and of itself • as a subset of morality, ethics deals with rightness and wrongness specifically in our interaction with others
• Decisions: All of us are guided by some ethical
principles, even if we are not aware of them. ethics within the cultural context • Cultural relativism: Each culture determines on its own what is right or wrong. • Meta-ethic: There is some overarching ethical ideal or system that can be applied to all cultures. • multicultural world: we want to say “every culture should adopt its own ethical stance.” questions about practices • Human sacrifice, even if the sacrifice is willing • Slavery, even if those enslaved feel that it is “right” that they be enslaved or be serfs of some royalty • Wife-burning, where widows willingly throw themselves on their husband’s funeral pyres • Oppression of women in terms of denial of education, or forcing to wear veils, etc. scenarios • John R. Baldwin (2013) Ethics: Can we determine right and wrong across cultures? Social Action and Civic Engagement: Can we make a difference • A. There is NOT a universal ethic • B. There is a universal ethic—but what is it? different types of ethics • Shuter: • Communicator ethics: “That which contributes to the well-being of others, to their happiness and fulfillment as human beings” (Nilsen, in Shuter, p. 449) • Message ethics: The right or wrong of communication behaviors (aspects of the message) • Receiver/audience ethics: What ethical guidelines guide those who receive the messages? Classical approaches to ethics - The Five “Goldens”
• Hall (2005) - Griffin’s A First Look at Communication
Theories): “five golden approaches” • (1)The golden purse (ethical egoism) • (2)The golden consequence (utilitarianism) • (3)The golden law (categorical imperative/divine right) • (4)The golden rule • (5)The golden mean three principles for ethical communication Martin et al. (2002):
(1). The Humaneness Principle
(2). The Dialogic Principle (3). The Principle of speaking “with” and “to” Civic and Political Engagement • How we relate to others also involves the very practice of our profession and education • the goal of educating students not only to be successful in their careers, but to be citizens engaged with the world around them • such engagement - ethically responsible or imperative ACTIVITIES/ILLUSTRATIONS • 1. Be able to recognize the main statement of these ethical stances: ethical egoism, utilitarianism, “divine right,” categorical imperative, cultural relativism, golden mean • 2. What is a communicative approach? Dialogic approach? Humaneness principle? • 3. What are some stances that guide your ethical stance? • 4. Smart believes that ethics based only on humanistic and not religious principles will be insufficient. What do you think? • 5. Can you tell the main difference between the three principles of ethical communication presented by Martin et al. (2002)?