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Leigh Turner

Publications and source records attributed to Leigh Turner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Social science and bioethics: the way forward.

It is no surprise that bioethics and sociology developed an adversarial relationship: bioethicists value the clear descriptions of ethically charged situations provided by social scientists, but doubt the ability of those trained in social science to logically derive and discern 'the good'. For their part, social scientists - experts in observing and collecting data about the way the world is- find bioethicists ignorant of the ways elegantly crafted solutions to ethical problems get altered when incarnated in varied social and cultural settings. This discipline-centred self-affirmation can be a satisfying exercise, but it offers nothing to the project of promoting more moral medicine and health care. The articles collected in this volume demonstrate the value of collaboration between social scientists and bioethicists. Focusing on four themes found in recent sociological research in bioethics - ethics of research, the creation of moral boundaries, bioethics and social policy, and the bioethical imagination - this anthology offers practical models of co-operative work where the strengths of each discipline are brought together to advance our understanding of bioethical issues and to show the way toward just and effective social policy.

Bioethics↗
PubMed2005

From the local to the global: bioethics and the concept of culture.

Cultural models of health, illness, and moral reasoning are receiving increasing attention in bioethics scholarship. Drawing upon research tools from medical and cultural anthropology, numerous researchers explore cultural variations in attitudes toward truth telling, informed consent, pain relief, and planning for end-of-life care. However, culture should not simply be equated with ethnicity. Rather, the concept of culture can serve as an heuristic device at various levels of analysis. In addition to considering how participation in particular ethnic groups and religious traditions can shape moral reasoning, bioethicists need to consider processes of socialization into professional cultures, organizational cultures, national civic culture, and transnational culture. From the local world of the community clinic or oncology unit to the transnational workings of human rights agencies, attentiveness to the concept of culture can illuminate how patients, family members, and health care providers interpret illness, healing, and moral obligations.

Advance Care Planning↗
PubMed2004

Life extension research: health, illness, and death.

Scientists, bioethicists, and policy makers are currently engaged in a contentious debate about the scientific prospects and morality of efforts to increase human longevity. Some demographers and geneticists suggest that there is little reason to think that it will be possible to significantly extend the human lifespan. Other biodemographers and geneticists argue that there might well be increases in both life expectancy and lifespan. Bioethicists and policy makers are currently addressing many of the ethical, social, and economic issues raised by life extension research. However, the emphasis on philosophical argument supporting or condemning efforts to increase human longevity means that much less attention is currently being given to the factors that might play a role in generating interest in efforts to increase human longevity. This analysis considers three factors that might play a role in heightening public interest in efforts to develop biomedical technologies capable of retarding or reversing aging processes. While discussions of life extension research can seem quite futuristic and impractical, there are some powerful existential factors that might well generate considerable public support for life extension strategies if effective biomedical interventions emerge. Rather than providing philosophical justifications supporting or condemning efforts to increase human longevity, this essay seeks to promote a better understanding of the factors generating contemporary interest in prolonging life and postponing death.

Attitude↗
PubMed2004

Bioethics in pluralistic societies.

Contemporary liberal democracies contain multiple cultural, religious, and philosophical traditions. Within these societies, different interpretive communities provide divergent models for understanding health, illness, and moral obligations. Bioethicists commonly draw upon models of moral reasoning that presume the existence of shared moral intuitions. Principlist bioethics, case-based models of moral deliberation, intuitionist frameworks, and cost-benefit analyses all emphasise the uniformity of moral reasoning. However, religious and cultural differences challenge assumptions about common modes of moral deliberation. Too often, bioethicists minimize or ignore the existence of multiple traditions of moral inquiry. Careful consideration of the presence of multiple horizons for moral deliberation generates challenging questions about the capacity of bioethicists to effectively resolve complex cases and social policy disputes.

Bioethics↗
PubMed2004

Bioethic$ Inc.

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Bioethics↗