President Jones invited the students to consider the following:
- What do I build my ethical decisions on? (respect and dignity I
can give to another person?)
- Do I base my ethical decisions on personal values?
- Are my personal values- my ethics-roughly the same as those of my
workplace?
- Do you agree: "What fits in your personal values becomes your ethics"?
During class President Jones presented us with a case study:
- Twenty-nine year old Debora Rodriquez is a militant member of Brazil's
landless movement (MST) which is battling for redistribution of
underutilized land to 4.8 million landless families.
- Debora was offered $18,000 to pose nude for Playboy.
- Debora, who is currently living in a tent will use the money to buy a
home and items sorely needed by her two children.
- Some members of MST (some of whom oppose her posing nude) are asking
for a portion of the money.
What do you think of Ms. Rodriquez's actions? Are they morally
justifiable?
If so, why.
If not, why not?
This case study was taken from
Ethics Update
Student Comments on the case study
Almost all of my Tuesday Thursday morning students indicated that Debora
could do whatever she wished with her body as it was hers. Two
students objected. One objector said her religious beliefs could not
permit her to condone such behavior. The second student said posing
nude was just wrong.
My Wednesday evening students approached the case study from a different
vantage point. One young mother was vociferous in stating a
mother should do anything she can to help her children. She then provided
examples of her having worked three jobs this summer. Other mothers
chimed in with similar thoughts. The class consensus was that family
comes first and one must do what it takes to take care of one's family.
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