Please see a previous blog of mine from reader 1 where ethical considerations are introduced:
http://meganlouch.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/part-1-professional-communication.html
Below I have started to look at the Ethics involved in my particular work place - a touring, musical theatre production:
Collage made using app: Pic Stitch
Reader 5 suggests that there are 3 areas of ethics:
PERSONAL (Myself: dancer)
family values, morals, religion, culture, conscience
PROFESSIONAL (Equity: union)
code of conduct at work, research/inquiry ethics at university
ORGANISATIONAL (Contract: job, house policy: theatre)
specific to an organisation or environment e.g. Middlesex University, Dirty Dancing
*All of the above are in place to promote: GOOD PRACTICE & SOCIAL GOOD*
Case study 1 looks at ETHICS VS RESPONSIBILITIES........
I think this would be interesting to apply to my work in a musical theatre production. Do we have a responsibility to the paying audience? Do we have a responsibility to the production itself and the writers? Would we work overtime or fulfil roles outside of our job description for example, for the "good of the show"? What tensions could this cause? Conflict within the company depending on individual ethics and morals? How would we or who would resolve this? Would ethics over rule in a situation where a company weren't in agreement of a responsibility or moral compass?
How do ethics vary between professions?
I looked at 2 examples here:
- applying for new jobs: in a performing environment, it is often forbidden to attend auditions for other productions if it means you will miss a show, or be late to warm up. However after speaking with friends in the education industry, they are granted the time off to attend interviews for other employment.
- Sickness: I had conjunctivitis on a previous production and wasn't allowed in the building for 3 days because of make up application, contact in dance routines, sweating, children in the building etc. Would this strictness also apply in other environments?
History of ethics
Comes from the Greek word 'ethos' and is concerned with the notion between good and bad. The roots of the word lie in moral philosophy and concerns itself with the right way to carry out actions in order to maintain a civil society.
Theories and approaches to moral dilemmas e.g. Lying
Consequentialism: "an act is morally right if that act maximises the good."
Utilitarianism (JS Mill, 1861) is at the heart of this theory i.e. Greater good for greatest number.
Deontology: "rule based approach where ethical action is based on duty". This supports the idea of Kant (1779) in which moral rules are absolute and actions are based on reason rather than religion.
Virtue: focuses on "being rather than doing". A persons character and how a persons actions reveal their character are at the focal point of virtue. It supports Greek philosopher, Aristole's, focus on individual character when it comes to ethics, what makes a person good?
Case study 2 talks about going against your VIRTUE to abide by certain RULES. A man adhered to his duty as a professional (deontological approach) over his virtue as a human being. His work won
awards but unfortunately the man committed suicide due to a guilty conscience. Would he still be
alive if he had taken a consequential approach - however much it went against his professional ethics? But would he still have won the awards for his work? Obviously in this case, it is a matter of life or death, but - Is it more important to be successful or to be true to yourself? Would love to hear any thoughts on this.
Ethics and morals
Immigration has led to the combining of cultures as well as some tensions on views that come with these opposing religions/beliefs/morals. Opinions and laws such as arranged marriages and homosexuality are concepts which have changed over time in this country. Homosexuality was made legal in 1967 and civil partnership was granted in 2005. It is quite common for people to come to this country because of having such freedom.
My trip to Dubai
I went to Dubai in 2014/2015 with a production and we had to change elements of the show that could've been considered offensive such as contact and costumes. The theatrical folk are often quite tactile and we also had a fair few relationships within the company. We were particularly warned in regards to holding hands and kissing in the street, as well as the clothes we chose to wear out and about. Being a young group of western girls in a hot country, we had to actively think about covering up by wearing longer skirts, kimonos to cover our shoulders etc. There was one day where me and 2 fellow company members (1 boy and 1 girl) went shopping via the public transport. After a few minutes of standing on the train carriage we noticed everyone staring at us. It wasn't until a lady pointed towards a small sign of a woman and we looked around to see only women, that we clicked our male friend shouldn't be on this cart. We wasn't aware such a thing existed and was completely oblivious to the fact that men and women in close proximity, like you'd be on a busy train carriage, would be frowned upon. All 3 of us were extremely apologetic and luckily the male friend was able to get off at the next stop and hop back on a different carriage with their understanding.
The theatrical environment is also a very social one and most are partial to an alcoholic beverage. We were shocked that alcohol wasn't sold in any supermarkets or restaurants. You could only get it within hotels or particular bars. We were celebrating new year there and were also warned about getting home after the party. It is apparently quite common for taxi drivers to escort people straight to the police station if they're considered drunk in their vehicle. Similarly if you're caught drunk or drinking on the street, it is an arrest-able offence. I was grateful for the opportunity to travel to Dubai but it is not somewhere I'd go to again soon as I didn't feel completely comfortable there in terms of what I was and wasn't allowed to do.
Culture in Musical Theatre: communities, education, employment
It would be interesting to look at culture in musical theatre. I certainly have a lot of gay friends, mixed race friends, friends of vast ages etc and I believe this is because the theatrical community is very accepting of different cultures and ethnicities. It draws people from all walks of life in because the arts encourages self expression. I believe theatre is also a great way to teach and learn about different cultures. If you think about the musical 'Hairspray' for example we see the divide between black and white in the 60's, the divide between fat and thin; and then the integration that is achieved through song and dance.
In regards to employment, i actually feel it's becoming more difficult as a female, white, dancer in the West End at the moment. It is filled with musicals such as The Lion King, Aladdin, Beautiful, Book of Mormon, Motown; Hamilton is coming. Employment options for me personally I feel are more limited at the moment.
Devlin - Hart debate
I find the Devlin-Hart debate interesting in regards to law & religion. Devlin (1959) believed that private actions should be regulated and public morals should always be adhered to in order to reduce harm on society. Hart (1963) argues that there will never be total, common morality and that the purpose of the law is to prevent actions such as theft and murder. I have my own morals and values which I personally would always stand by, but I'm more in agreement with Hart when it comes to work. I feel that as long as people abide by the rules at work, and their personal actions/emotions don't affect others in the working environment; then it is their choice what they do in their personal time and space. Hobbes (1651) introduced the 'social contract' in which moral rules exist to prevent war and benefit society. A contract that works on the premise that rational people accept and understand such rules for mutual benefit. This links in with the notion of a conventional man who is shaped by society as apposed to the natural man. It makes me wonder if I go against personal/communal moral rules in order to achieve individual benefit. A good example for a dancer is auditions: getting an appointment through your agent or queuing to be seen is the courteous, moral, English thing to do. Would you crash an audition or push in down the line to ensure being seen or have a better opportunity to pick up the routine?
Professions considered.....
"Professions are occupations with shared characteristics."
"Professionals profess and know better than their clients."
(Reader 5)
- Extensive training
- Significant intellectual component
- Service to society
Other features include
- license to practice
- Members
- Judgement
- Commitment to building high levels of competences over time
E.g. JOURNALIST: Social Media, blogging, newspaper, magazines, television. All are considered forms of journalism but the people occupying can have varying educational backgrounds/knowledge and can do it at their own will.
TEACHER OF JOURNALISM: to be a teacher of journalism, all would need a similar standard of education - a degree and PGCE perhaps. They'd also have to apply for such a job and prove their worth.
*Therefore being a teacher of journalism is a stronger, more established profession.*
Is dance/theatre a profession or occupation?
What makes a dancer a 'professional'?
(Reader 5)
Professional ethics
Express importance of carrying out functions in a 'good' way to create a civil society. Various functions/roles have certain attributes that are expected for them to be considered 'good'. For example, a King is required to be authoritative and a warrior to be courageous. Methods such as evaluation and appraisal could be used to measure whether these qualities are evident. Appraisals are often used in education and employment to check that people are on target and are meeting expectations. The more established a practice or profession becomes, the more likely they will develop their own set of rules and norms in order to uphold STANDARDS. In dance we have licenses and bodies such as public liability insurance, DBS checks, International Dance Teachers Association, Equity. At my particular work, it may be that the dance captain, company manager or producers watch the show to make sure we are meeting our attributes and delivering certain standards. They may asses whether we are giving energy to the movements, executing them correctly, performing to the audience, demonstrating skills such as strength and flexibility etc.
Analysing ethical problems......
Ethics and morals are entwined and morals form normative questions as opposed to descriptive i.e. Questions open to opinion and perspective, rather than fact.
Metaethics: analytical activity to discern what moral terms are understood to mean.
Theoretical normative ethics: making moral judgements and developing theories such as virtue ethics (persons character) and moral obligation (permissible actions).
Applied ethics: acceptable resolutions to moral problems. Would this involve compromising certain rules and regulations?
Ethical arguments.....
It is important to look at the PREMISES when making a conclusion towards a claim - these include the facts (situation) and the norms (behaviour). We must also acknowledge objectivity and subjectivity. MORAL RELATIVISM (Macintyre 1967) expresses the importance of CONTEXT. "There are no universal moral norms" (reader 5). What is considered right/good changes over time and between cultures/societies. It is interesting to look at the act of 'polygamy', an act that is illegal by law and immoral in the church. However did this act grow out of times during the war when there was a shortage of men, was polygamy used to protect women as well as the human race? Contextually, I can see validity and show a level of understanding - but I can't say I would agree with it in today's society or if my partner was to commit such an act against me.
"University lecturers report that their fresh faced new students take it as obvious that there is no such thing as the truth and that morality is relative. In educated circles, it is only the naive that believe in objectivity." ('This is what the clash of civilisations is really about' by Julian Bagginni, The Guardian, 14th April 2007)
I consider myself a logical person in a world of unknown - something I've stated finding difficult before. The professional inquiry was a scary thought to me at first - I wanted the perfect question and the perfect answer. I am learning to enjoy exploration and to be more open in my studies.
Research ethics
What are the motivating factors behind my inquiry?
- To increase appreciation and understanding of other departments
- To learn and develop skill set
- To increase my value as a company member in the musical theatre environment
- To expand my professional networks and circles
-
Does this create 'social good'? YES. Shows:
- Interest in others
- Enthusiasm to learn
- Positive communication
- Willing to help and be helped
Who will benefit from my inquiry?
- Me and my company through collaboration and team work
- Other dancers in the Musical Theatre industry
- Dancers in training or that are wanting to work in Musical Theatre
Research should be: RELEVANT, TRUTHFUL, ACCURATE, RESPECTFUL and I, the researcher, should: VALUE PARTICIPANTS TIME, MINIMISE HARM
The below are in place to protect society and promote good practice. Check them out:
Data protection act
https://www.gov.uk/data-protection/the-data-protection-act
Human rights
https://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/human-rights/what-are-human-rights/human-rights-act
Equality act
https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/advice-and-guidance/equality-act-guidance
Health and safety
http://www.hse.gov.uk
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