Week 2: Student Response to Discussion One and Two and Assignment

TuesdayJun 12 at 11:34am

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Explain what it means to be ethical as it relates to personal, academic, and professional growth.

Ethics are a way to have the ability to know the difference between right and wrong. Further, it gives a person the ability to live a better life. Having a holistic look at the world and how people from around the globe see right and wrong is valuable in a variety of settings (BBC, n.d.). In the workplace, it is valuable to know how to treat your coworkers and possible subordinates. If you happen to be in academic situations knowing what is considered right and wrong and a better way to behave is also valuable. In a person’s personal life knowing how to treat others invaluable because it will help with maintaining and growing relationships.

Provide at least one ethical dilemma you have encountered, and describe how the issue was resolved.

When I was a union represented there was a president that was acting unethically. He was using funds for his gain and turning people against each other. During this time some other organizers or union representatives did some hiring to counter his actions. These behaviors were also questionable. I was a part of this and did not feel good about this whole situation. I was not happy with taking sides and building alliances for political reasons. I felt this was removing me from helping members of the union. Additionally, the actions were just as bad as the president of the union in which we were against. For me, this was resolved by diving back into my work. Supporting union members and enforcing contracts. I realized, in the long run, it was all a mess, and now I have a full understanding of the implication of getting involved with political alliances at work.

Describe how your general education courses have influenced your ethical values.

Through my general education courses, I have had the ability to understand different cultures and our history as humans. Mistakes that were made and the thing that has worked. Though this feels that I have a holistic understanding of the world and how to be a better worker, leader, and person.

Explain why a college-educated person might have different duties to society than someone not as educated.

People that have been through earning a college degree have opportunities that others do not and though this we can influence others to make change for themselves as well. When individuals change, society is better as a whole. When a society changes the world will change. I have seen many things in my time that I thought was impossible. The acceptance of same-sex marriage and the first African American president to name a few. We live in exciting times, but we all must understand our differences and grow as a society.

BBC. (n.d.). Ethics - Introduction to ethics: Ethics: A general introduction. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml