1
Ethical Biography
RUNNING HEAD: ETHICAL BIOGRAPHY
Ethical Biography
Name
Course
Instructor
Institution
Ethical Biography
Abstract
A professional serving in an area that has to do with the ethical treatment of others is not born with the gifts of empathy, compassion and caring. These are traits that one learns throughout time. However, they are not things that one can learn from a book either. You can only learn ethical behavior from personal experience and the experiences with others. This report is my personal ethical biography: a look within myself to explain how my own life has forged in me my character, my views of others, and my decision-making process. Not analyzing ourselves first would be highly irresponsible; after all, people are who they are because of themselves and their circumstances. Here is a view of the circumstances that made me who I am.
Introduction
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. My family is Hispanic, and my background includes a Catholic foundation for spirituality, and the defined roles that Hispanic families normally adopt. In part, these roles are associated to Judeo-Christian tradition: The man is the head of the household, the woman is “his neck” and so on. Suffice to say that I am a woman who grew up within these variables. The reason for this long-winded introduction is simple: those were the parameters upon which my character was built, and they are important factors that determine who I am today, and what I view as “right or wrong”
Therefore, to me, the “wrong” things of daily life refer to all the choices and behaviors that people, and myself included, choose that go against the common good of society, as a whole. Criminal activity, of course, is at the top of the list. However, smaller-scale behaviors are also as influential as crime. For example, common courtesy is a simple behavior people can opt to exhibit to create a harmonious environment.
Unfortunately for me, in Puerto Rico, common courtesy is not part of the daily attitude of most of the people. The high amount of people concentrated in a small space is one thing. This combines with a corrupt government, a terrible infrastructure andsuper-hot weather to make for a fiery and explosive environment that I could no longer stand. This is one of the reasons why those of us who are raised better have made the decision of moving elsewhere.
It is not just the USA where we go: we go anywhere in the world where people are more kind and decent than back home. I am now living in Virginia, teaching my kids manners, common courtesy and respect. Thankfully, the community where I live shares those same values and we have been able to live in peace for years. That is what I would call “the right things” of daily life.
Formative Influence: 4 Ethical Behaviors
Work Ethic (Ethical Commitment)
My family could be described as Catholic, middle-class, and humble. Not all of my family members went to college, but they have compensated their lack of academics with a surplus of life skills that have come in handy for them to find good jobs and/or start small businesses. Therefore, while you will not find many doctors or lawyers in the family, you will be sure to stumble upon a good number of mechanics, hairdressers, wedding cake makers, and catering professionals. I think it is a fair balance; not once in my life have I ever needed a lawyer, but I sure have needed hairdressers from time to time.
The point of all of this is to establish that my family has instilled into me the importance of working. Everyone has always been hard-working. Not one person stays home getting any kind of government benefits, and thank God, everyone is healthy enough to make an honest living. That all transferred onto me. I cannot go a day without working. I am never late or absent for work, any my worth ethic is that I must earn every penny I make before I dare to gloat about anything I own. Still, I never gloat about anything. I think if God has given me the opportunity to walk, breathe, stay healthy, and earn a living, all praise goes to Him, and not me. I am just a pawn in a bigger game.
Importance of Family:Boundaries and Individual Rights
When it comes to family, like I stated before, I grew up with established roles. My Dad was the ultimate authority of the family, just because he was “the man” of the house. Still, here’s a little secret: my Mom was really the one in charge. Like many Hispanic women she is really strong and has a very marked personality. She cleans, cooks, and keeps the ducks in a row. She may have made my Dad feel that he was in charge, but she ultimately decided everything, even how the bills were to be paid. None of us ever had a wrinkled shirt, or a missing sock.
Regardless of who did what, each individual was cherished and respected in the household. My Dad was “the man,” but still valued the position of my mother, her initiative, and her skills. Same with us kids. We all knew we wanted a good life for ourselves, even if it took to leave the island if the work and study opportunities became scarce. They did.
You can imagine how hard it was for me to uproot and move to the U.S. when things were no longer working for me in PR as far as career-building. I felt like I was abandoning them. Either way, my parents assured me that they understood and that it will just be the same life, with a lot more flying around to see one another. As I write this, I realize I am one of those individuals who had to leave everything behind to start over. Having my parents respect and support my decision made all the difference. This is how I also do the same for others. Whether I agree with their choices or not, I recognize their right to make them.
Sensitivity
My culture has also shaped my ability to be sensible and feel empathy for others. It has done it in a way that is ironic. There is so much crime (murders) in Puerto Rico caused by the world of narcotics, that seeing the news was beginning to desensitize me. People there tend to just accept the high crime rates, and they are indeed desensitized because if they paused for a moment to cry for one death, they would have to cry for nearly 1,100 more that occur per year! My parents would warn me about it. They constantly would tell me that this is may be a typical expectation in Puerto Rico due to the crisis with drugs, but that the rest of the world is not like that.
They were partly responsible for putting the idea in my head of moving away from all of that. They would say that, if I saw how the rest of the world lived, I would realize that people can be good, and have normal emotions, and not have the low standards of behavior that exist in the main part of the island, which is rife with crime and drugs. The way that I live now is different. I am able to have friends and it is a refreshing thing to open a newspaper and see something other than a drug dealing crime. I have a renewed sensibility toward everyone, which makes me feel empathy and a desire to be kind as much as possible.
Professional/Ethical Hero: Characteristics
The definition of a professional or ethical hero is that of someone who serves as an example to others in terms of self-moderation and other ethical behaviors. (Schwartz, 2015)
I have to say that I have had several models, but I will use my Dad as an example. Like previously stated, my Dad grew up with the pre-designed social roles expected of Hispanic marriages: he was raised thinking he would be the “man” of the house, and the leader of his family. However, destiny put my mother, a very complex and powerful lady, in his own journey.
Traits
Rather than try to subdue my mother to follow some ancient rule of family roles, my Dad gladly accepted that she was the real leader of the family, and very respectfully embraced her personality, allowing her the individuality, personal space, and personal development that she required. He was always kind and very gentlemanly. That is, to me, the definition of a true “man” by the standards of a “head of household.”(MacIntyre, 2008)
Because of him, I was able to define the parameters of my future husband. A few months ago, I married another “real man.” I am glad to say that being raised by a gentleman made me recognize what is a gentleman in other males. Now, I have my very own. He also allows me to develop and fulfill my potential without the restrains of “gender roles.” I am not as complex and difficult as my mom, but I do have a Spanish temper not to be reckoned with. Still, when you live a life of balance, nothing really comes between you and your happiness.
Role Model
My Dad is a man, so it is hard to say he was my role model because I was raised to be “all-girl.” He had very little to do with my upbringing, as he let my mother take care of everything because she knew what she wanted. Still, he was always talkative, always welcoming, and always ready to tell me things the way they were. He was one of the first to suggest that I explore life elsewhere, as he said he would hate for me to get married and have children to be raised in the island. He said he rather travel to visit his grandkids than seeing them everyday, worried that they may fall prey to the drug epidemic. He cried one of the times he told me, and that just told me that my Dad was my guide in life, and a potential role model to many males out there.
My Dad could also be a role model to people in the profession because he can help others understand that relinquishing and sharing the control of a situation does not mean losing your role as a leader. You can still be a leader and not be the “man in charge.” You can still have your word matter without it having to be “the last word.” You can always negotiate and delegate control of something while remaining a true leader. Being a leader in a service organization is about flexibility and allowing others to fulfill their own potential. It is not about us. It is about them. My Dad led by example by still being “Dad” and yet allowing us to be ourselves and in charge of our own decisions. That is not an easy thing to do.
Ethical Decision-Making Style
All this said, my ethical decision-making style is based on compassion. I have seen both sides of civilization throughout my life: the depravity of a drug-infested society that kills and destroys itself, and the tranquility of a life of harmony and balance. I now know that this is all part of the complexity of the human experience. For that reason, I am incapable of judging others and unable to forge a decision of others based on their superficial traits and behaviors. I tend to decide my opinion of others once I have met the individual and learn about his or her struggles. That’s correct: I define people based on the way they deal with their own struggle. Struggle defines the character of people. To me, using the environmental tools and social support systems to help yourself, rather than to escape yourself, is the most essential building block of “character.”
I also understand that there will be moments in life where I will be posed with a conflict, making me go against my ethical make up. This happened one time to me, when I had to refuse to give a service to someone who looked suspicious and dangerous. I hated doing that, because I was judging the person based on his appearance. However, it was the overall impression that his appearance caused in me that made me listen to my instincts. His appearance was not a fashion statement, nor a sign of mental instability. I felt, deep inside, that his appearance was sending off signals of danger.
He wanted to show that he was capable of hurting someone; he identified fully with a gang and, as such, I preferred to transfer the service to another professional. I felt bad because I caught myself saying “I am a woman, and I am small.” However, that was not me labeling myself or making excuses. I later on realized that this was a true factor because some gang members do prey on the vulnerability factors of some women, one of them being that they are physically smaller than some of men.
This said, my ethical decision making is based on treating everyone equally, so long as it is the safe thing to do. I refuse to judge based on superficiality, unless there is danger involved. I embrace all backgrounds and I am willing to understand a person’s behavior based on the environment that they come from. Most importantly, I am willing to understand the differences of people because I was able to experience first-hand the fear of a living in a chaotic culture versus the peace of finding a way to tranquility. These are milestones that not everybody experiences and, as such, I know how to respect both ends of the spectrum.
Professional and Ethical Development: A Conclusion
The future of my career in service depends entirely on my ability to expand my skills in
order to serve everyone with the highest standards of quality and compassion. I need to undergo constant professional development to keep up with the latest social trends and shifts in paradigm that occur in every generation, and which come with social changes. Everything is connected. Basic emotions, such as pride, ambition, frustration, and the need for love can change with the right words, the right approach, or a simple, honest listening ear. (Aadland, 2016) This is why it is important to understand the state of mind of society, as a whole, to be able to help people the best way possible.
References
Aadland, E. (2016) Values in Professional Practice: Towards a Critical Reflective Methodology
Journal of Business Ethics97 (3) pp: 461-472.
Retrieved from
MacIntyre, A (2008). A Short History of Ethics: A History of Moral Philosophy from the
Homeric Age to the 20th Century. New Jersey: Routledge.
Schwartz, M.S. (2015)The Development of a Model Code for Ethics
Professionals.Professional Ethics (11) pp: 3-16. Retrieved from
Retrieved from