PHL2001 Ethics at Work
(Prior to 2005, called IDS2001.)
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Handbook entry- a brief description of the subject can be found in the handbook entry. The handbook also provides information about the unit leader, the semester and mode in which the unit is available, the contact hours and the assessment requirements.
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MUSO site - there is a WebCT site for this unit where assessment tasks, lecture notes and other unit resources will be posted. Once enrolled, students taking this unit are advised to check the WebCT site regularly.
Subject description:
This is a modular subject comprising a core module taken by all students, and a bunch of professional modules, from which students choose two.
The core module provides the conceptual framework for ethical decision making. It also covers some issues that are common to all the professions: for example, the tensions that may arise between duties to an employer or client on the one hand, and duties to the wider community on the other.
The professional modules look at particular problems that arise, either in the practice of a profession or from the pressures that are generated by rapid social and technological change. It is expected that students will choose one module that is appropriate to their anticipated profession and one that can provide a comparative study. The professional modules offered are these:
- Business Ethics
- Media and Communications Ethics
- Legal Ethics
- Health Care Ethics
- Engineering Ethics
- Information and Technology Ethics
- Science and Research Ethics.
The common strategy for all modules involves participation in a 'board of inquiry' investigating an issue with broad ethical implications. The inquiry will always be conducted through an electronic discussion group accessed via the My.Monash portal or through a web browser. Students must, therefore, be prepared to make regular use of internet communication.
The basic materials for the modules include a study guide, with notes and readings for each of the modules, extensive internet resources, and archived records of inquiries already completed. Students will receive a printed copy of the basic notes, but the full materials will only be available in electronic form, either on disk or on the intranet. There are no prescribed texts, but particular texts may be recommended for individual modules.