Assignment 5:

Ethics and Health Education/Promotion

Bellini, Alexandra
PBH 602.62

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion
 Ethics is the study of morality. Moral philosophy or ethics dates back to the teachings of

Socrates. (Sperry 2007) said that mortality “is the activity of making choices and of deciding,

judging, justifying and defending those actions or behaviors called moral.” On the other hand,

ethics is “the science of how choices are made or should be made. Ethics helps guide our

decision making and assists us in making better choices” (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.138).

Pigg(2010) has stated that “ethics defines acceptable and unacceptable behavior within

the norms of a particular group, whereas morality sets standards for right and wrong human

behavior” “Professional ethics focuses on the “actions that are right and wrong in the workplace

and are of public matter. Professional moral principles are not statements of taste or preference;

they tell practitioners what they ought to do and what they ought not do” (Cottrell et al.,

2018,p.138). Ethical behaviors are expected from professionals. Acting and living ethically

promotes trust and contributes to moral credibility. Ethics guides us to make good decisions.

Leading by example, living the life we promote is an important tool when working with

students. As educators we all have ethical values and behaviors that society expects us to follow.

As teachers we help students learn and develop valuable life lessons, and we do this by setting a

good example, while displaying integrity and sound moral judgement.

Ethics are a critical quality in making an educator. Ethics play an important role in a

teacher’s personal and professional life. A teacher’s approach is influenced by their ethics. Ethics

also play a role in how a teacher interacts with their students. When I think about my favorite

teachers I don’t necessarily think of their ethics but rather how they treated me and made me

feel, the kindness they showed towards me or the fairness they displayed comes to mind.

Teachers are held at a higher moral standard than most and must behave ethically and morally

both privately and professionally. “When fame and fortune fade, only our reputation remains as

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion
important but fragile reflections of our true nature. Individually we must aspire for a reputation

which reflects a life of personal integrity” (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.138). In a professional setting

people are guided by professional ethics. Professional ethics “focus on the actions that are right

and wrong in the workplace and are a public matter” (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.138). As health

educators our goals are to serve students and guide them in a positive direction.

Ethical theories provide the guidelines that health education specialists use to determine

if actions are acceptable or not. Ethical theories fall into two categories, either deontological or

teleological. These theories depend on whether or not the means justify the end. Most would

argue that neither theory can answer all moral questions. Both theories offer different guidance.

Deontological theories are also referred to as formalism or nonconsequentialism.

Deontological theories “are those that claim that certain actions are inherently right or wrong, or

good or bad, without regards for their consequence” (Reamer,2006,p.65). Lying to someone is

wrong even if it will bring benefits to that person. “Deontology theories involve making

decisions based on a moral code or rules (Pozgar,2013), that is to say, the end (the consequence)

does not justify the means (the act). (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.140). Deontology “are those that

claim that certain actions are inherently right or wrong, or good or bad, without regard for

consequence.” For example, when a doctor lies to their patient, for in their mind good reason,

this is seen as wrong regardless of the benefits this lying may bring. Deontology theories involve

making decisions based on moral codes.

The Teleological theories “evaluate the moral status of an act by the goodness of the

consequence (Reamer, 2006). “If the act produces good or happiness, it is morally okay; if it

does not, it is immoral” (Cottrell et al.,2018,p.140). This theory states that the end does justify

the means unlike the Deontological theory. Teleological theories evaluate the moral status of an

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion
act based on the goodness of the consequences. The belief here is that if a certain act brings

good, then it is morally ok. If on the other hand it does not bring good then it is immoral.

Thiroux’s five principles of making ethical decisions create a common ground for all

ethical theories. Deontologists and teleologists don’t agree on the rationale that should be used

when making moral decisions. Thiroux has identified five principles that can be used regardless

of the theory one subscribes to, they provide a foundation for making ethical decisions.

The first principle is the value of life, it is the most basic of the five. “Without living

human beings, there can be no ethics” (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.141). This principle talks about

how no life should be ended without a strong explanation/reasoning. People should respect and

worship their life for what it is and accept the idea of death. Basically this principle promotes

revering life and accepting death.

The second principle of goodness (rightness). “Good” and “right” are at the core of every

ethical theory. This principle of goodness includes “two parallel principles of ethics: (1) the

principles of nonmaleficence and (2) the principle of beneficence or benevolence” (Cottrell el al,

2018,p.141). “It describes the principles of doing good, demonstrating kindness, showing

compassion, and helping others” (Pozgar, 2013, p.9). A teen might want to go out driving in the

snow as a new driver but the parents know that it’s not the best decision. The parents have a

different idea and concept than their child in this example. The parents are acting with a sense of

beneficence, and the principle of nonmaleficence. Beneficence states that one should always do

good while nonmaleficence states that one should always try to prevent and avoid doing bad.

This theory demands that people promote goodness over badness and cause no harm or badness

and prevent badness or harm.

The third principle is the principle of justice (fairness). “This principles deals with

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion
people treating other people fairly and justly in distributing goodness (benefits) and badness

(burdens)” (Cottrell, 2018,p.141). Justice can be observed in two ways, procedural and

distributive. “Procedural justice deals with whether or not fair procedures were in place and

whether those procedures were followed, while distributive justice deals with the allocation of

resources” (Cottrell el al., 2018,p.142).

The fourth principle is truth telling (honesty). With any relationship, the concept of

communication plays a huge role. The principle of honesty and truth telling are necessary in any

moral relationship. All morality depends upon agreements between people and how these

agreements can be maintained with a level of assurance that people are entering into these

agreements honestly and truthfully. When looking at communication, the main concept that

comes into play is telling the truth and being honest with whoever you are speaking too. This

might be the hardest principles to live by. Some people lie for many reasons, but there needs to

be a strong effort to be truthful. “In the end, morality depends on what people say and do”

(Cottrell, 2018,p.142).

The last principle is that of individual freedom (equality principle or principle of

autonomy). “This principle means that people, being individuals with individual differences,

must have the freedom to choose their own ways and means of being moral within the

framework of the first four basic principles” (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.142). That being said,

individual freedom is limited in the first four principles. As a health education specialist, this

principle is what we use the most. We help our students engage in healthy behaviors. (Cottrell et

al., 2018,p.335). This principle of individual freedom allows people to have freedom to choose

their own way to be moral within the framework of the other four principles.

As a health educator, I have the responsibility to educate students so that I can promote,

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion
maintain and improve the health of not only students but families and the community as well

using the code of ethics as my guide. It is a health educator’s priority to “promote wellness and

quality of living through principles of self-determination and freedom of choice for the

individuals” (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.339). The Code of Ethics has evolved over the past two

decades. Society for Public Health Education (SOPHIE) Code of Ethics, was first presented in

1976, but was not presented as a final draft until 1999. It is a guide for professional behaviors

towards the highest standards of practice for health educators. As a health education specialist, it

is important that I act ethically in my classroom, in my teaching and in my personal life. The

Unified Code of Ethics is a framework that I will follow when teaching my students. “The Code

of Ethics provides a framework of shared values within which health education is practiced. The

Code of Ethics is grounded in fundamental ethical principles that underlie all health care

services: respect for autonomy, promotion of social justice active promotion of good, and

avoidance of harm. The responsibility of each health educator is to aspire to the highest possible

standards of conduct and to encourage the ethical behaviors of all those with whom they work”

(Cottrell et al., 2018, p.338). My responsibility as a health education teacher is to encourage

students to change their unhealthy behaviors, think twice about engaging in a risky behavior and

support their ethical behavior. “The Code of Ethics that has evolved from this long and arduous

process is not seen as a completed project. Rather, it is envisioned as a living document that will

continue to evolve as the practice of Health Education changes to meet the challenges of the new

millennium” (Cottrell et al., 2018,p.337). Just as times are changing in current society, I will

have to adjust my health education curriculum while following the NYS standards where needed.

Looking at the Unified Code of Ethics there are 6 responsibilities that I need to apply to

my own teaching. “The health education profession is dedicated to excellence in the practice of

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion
promoting individuals, family, organizational, and community health. The Code of Ethics

provides a framework of shared values within which health education is practiced. The

responsibilities of each health educator is to aspire to the highest possible standards of conduct

and to encourage the ethics behaviors of all those with whom they work” (Cottrell et

al.,2018,p.343). As a health educator I have the responsibility to my students, the public, the

profession, my employers as well as to how I teach the important topics in the curriculum. The

responsibilities of Health Educators stretch far beyond the immediate community within where

we teach. We are also involved in research and the training of new Health Educators.

In addition to these six responsibilities, there are seven additional areas of responsibilities

that contain a comprehensive set of Competencies and Sub competencies that define the role of a

Health Educator. Health educators need to assess the needs of the population. When planning

these assessments, I will apply theories and/or models and ethical principles to the assessment

process. Since I will be acting ethically, it’s beneficial to add ethical principles to the assessment

process. I will also look at the different relationships between ones environment, behavior and

other factors that might influence health. Looking at the results can help in the planning process

for the needs assessment. Also, doing a little research about the community that the school is in

is important. Taking this into consideration will help with the assessment. I will also develop

goals and objectives for the needs assessment. Making my goals and objectives SMART will be

more beneficial for my students and will provide more value to each lesson and will also ensure

my teaching is where it should be.

I believe in the importance of morals and ethics and take my role as a health educator

seriously and am committed to promoting a climate that teaches and instills these values in my

students. I will strive to help my students develop strong ethics and be moral members of society.

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion
 Sources:

Cottrell, R. R., Girvan, J. T., Seabert, D., Spear, C., & McKenzie, J. F. (2018). Principles and
foundations of health promotion and education (7th ed.). NY, NY: Pearson.

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PBH 602 Principles and Philosophy of Health Education/Promotion