For Essays Guru M5D1 Responses

Chris,

How do the professional ethics of social scientists compare to those of the military?

            There are several distinct differences between ethics of social scientist and the military, which we will examine.  First ethics of social science mainly focus on the treatment of human subjects as related to experiments or studies.  It is compulsory for a social researcher conducting research-involving humans to apply for ethical clearance (Mollet, 2007).  This ethical clearance is basically a set of rules such as the human must be respected, the benefits must be weighed and maximized and the harms must be minimized (Mollet, 2007).  This differs from the military in that the military is more concerned about ones actions as related to honor or service and the way one lives while serving.  Some example would include would be can I take action vs. should I take action.   This is where legal crosses over in to ethical decisions in that one might legally be able to take action but should not as it would not reflect well on the service or program they represent.

There are special considerations when dealing with peoples from different cultures, especially in underdeveloped countries. How are the situation and ethical challenges faced by social scientists like and/or unlike those of military professionals working in these countries?

            I this case the both the entities would take into account the culture in which they are working/deployed to.  This is important as one needs to have some knowledge of the cultures ethical standards as to not overstep ones bounds or if the ethical behavior were extreme it would need to be reported to a supervisor or up the chain of command.  In the case of the military we have seen this in our two most recent wars or even at the detention facility in Guantanamo Bay.  We have changed our behaviors around known terrorists that are detained to have more ethical clearance much like the social scientists.

Tanya,

Social science is a major category of academic disciplines, concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within a society.  A social scientist’s job involves studying society, which includes behavior and relationships. These scientists strive to learn how individuals and groups make decisions to gain insight into their behavior patterns. They gather and analyze data and draw conclusions about the manner in which human beings develop socially, culturally, and even physically. Social scientists also use their studies to figure out how human activities and behaviors relate to the environment in which people live.  Military members live by a strict code of military ethos and values. Ethics are standards by which one should act based on values.  Values are core beliefs such as duty, honor, and integrity that motivate attitudes and actions.

Social Scientists have to treat people in undeveloped countries with ethical values.  Sometimes people will treat a person bad because they feel they are nothing or beneath them.  In the military they have to abide by certain rules too.  To treat people in underdeveloped countries with respect unless otherwise deem due to military duties. Military members have to learn professional military values and the importance of disciplined, professional conduct in combat.