Values, Ethics, Child Rights, and Social Development

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts of business ethics, moral theories, Kohlberg's levels of moral reasoning, applied ethics, international and national child rights laws, and Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development.

Ethics (Albert Schweitzer)

Our concern for good behavior, characterized by an obligation to consider not only our personal well-being, but also that of other human beings.

Ethos

The Greek etymological origin of ethics, meaning human character, referring to the philosophical science dealing with the rightness and wrongness of human actions.

Morality

Originating from the Latin word 'Mores' (meaning traditions or folkways), it refers to personally held ethical beliefs, theories of obligation, and social elements that reinforce ethical decisions.

Moral Standards

Principles based on religious, cultural, and philosophical beliefs about good and bad behavior that provide a moral compass for personal decision-making.

Value System

A set of formalized personal principles and codes of behavior practiced or adopted by an individual or organization to regulate conduct.

Instrumental Values

Values that indicate the methods or paths an individual adopts to achieve life's aims, such as valuing money for what it can purchase.

Terminal Values

Values that signify the ultimate goals or destinations a person wants to achieve in life through their behavior, such as happiness, health, and self-respect.

Values Conflict

A difference of opinion created by long-held beliefs and worldviews that cannot be easily resolved with facts because the differences are belief-based.

Virtue Ethics

An ethical theory developed by Aristotle centered on living life according to a commitment to achieving a moral ideal, asking 'what kind of a person should I be?' rather than 'what should I do?'

Utilitarianism

An ethical theory associated with David Hume holding that an action is right if it results in the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people in a society.

Universal Ethics

An ethical theory formulated by Immanuel Kant asserting that actions must be taken out of duty and obligation to a purely moral ideal based on logic, reasoning, and motive rather than consequences.

Ethical Relativism

The view that ethical principles are defined by societal traditions, personal opinions, and circumstances, meaning moral rightness or wrongness varies across different societies.

Ethical Dilemma

A situation requiring a choice between two or more options where no option is clearly right or wrong, and selecting one acceptable option prevents selecting another.

Sleep-Test Ethics

An intuitive decision-making approach (also called Wake Up Call) holding that an individual who has made a morally sound choice following their heart will sleep soundly.

Pre-Conventional Level

The lowest level of Lawrence Kohlberg's moral development model, where individuals make moral decisions based on obedience, punishment avoidance, and personal self-interest.

Stage 1: Obedience and Punishment Orientation

The first stage of Kohlberg's moral development, in which individuals obey authority figures primarily to avoid punishment.

Stage 2: Self-Interest Orientation

The second stage of Kohlberg's moral development, where right behavior is defined by acting in one's own best interest to satisfy personal needs.

Conventional Level

The second level of Kohlberg's moral reasoning, where moral choices are driven by societal expectations, family approval, and maintaining law and order.

Stage 3: Conformity ('Good Boy/Nice Girl')

The third stage of Kohlberg's moral development, characterized by seeking social approval and satisfying the expectations of family and peers.

Stage 4: Law and Order Orientation

The fourth stage of Kohlberg's moral development, where an individual abides by legal, religious, and social rules to uphold duty and maintain social order.

Post-Conventional Level

The highest level of Kohlberg's ethical reasoning, where morality is defined by individual rights, social mutuality, and self-chosen universal ethical principles.

Stage 5: Human Rights Orientation

The fifth stage of Kohlberg's moral development, focusing on social contract, critical examination of laws, and safeguarding individual rights and welfare.

Stage 6: Universal Human Ethics

The final stage of Kohlberg's moral reasoning, based on universal principles of justice, human dignity, and the demands of individual conscience.

Applied Ethics

A branch of philosophy conceptualized by Michael Porter that applies philosophical reasoning to identify morally correct actions across six domains of human activity.

Decision Ethics

Personal standards of right and wrong that serve as an individual's foundation for making ethically sensitive choices.

Professional Ethics

The personal and corporate standards of behavior expected from individuals in professional environments.

Clinical Ethics

Ethical principles focused on basic health needs, respecting patient dignity, maintaining competence, and protecting nurse-patient confidentiality.

Business Ethics

A form of applied or professional ethics examining moral principles and ethical issues arising within commercial environments.

Organizational Ethics

The ethical standards guiding how an organization responds internally and externally to administrative or market stimuli.

Social Ethics

Ethics operating among nations and global communities to establish acceptable codes of conduct and ensure overall societal care.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)

The widely-ratified international human rights treaty containing 54 articles that outline civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights for all children under 18.

Article 3 (UNCRC)

The UNCRC article specifying that all institutions concerned with children must prioritize the best interests of each child.

Article 12 (UNCRC)

The UNCRC article granting children the right to express their opinions on decisions affecting them, requiring adults to take those views seriously.

Article 19 (UNCRC)

The UNCRC article declaring that governments must protect children from all forms of violence, abuse, and neglect.

Article 28 (UNCRC)

The UNCRC article establishing every child's fundamental right to receive an education.

Article 31 (UNCRC)

The UNCRC article asserting the right of all children to rest, play, relax, and join in cultural and recreational activities.

Article 32 (UNCRC)

The UNCRC article safeguarding children from performing hazardous work or labor that interferes with their education or health.

Presidential Decree No. 603

Enacted on December 10, 1974, in the Philippines as the 'Child and Youth Welfare Code', applying to individuals below 21 years of age and recognizing the child as a paramount national asset.

Samahan (PD 603)

An aggregate of persons in commercial, industrial, or agricultural enterprises organized under local ordinances to safeguard youth workers and prevent child exploitation.

Republic Act 7610

Enacted on June 17, 1992, as the 'Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act' to safeguard children in situations prejudicial to their development.

Republic Act 9208

Enacted in May 2003 to eliminate trafficking in persons (especially women and children) and defining pornography across print and electronic information technology media.

Social Development

The progressive growth and changes in human social interactions, built upon an innate predisposition in infants to communicate and relate with others.

Socialization

The process by which parents, educators, and social institutions guide a child's behaviors, values, and skills to conform to appropriate societal roles.

Psychosocial Theory

A developmental theory formulated by Erik Erikson stating that personality grows across eight stages marked by psychosocial crises between individual needs and societal demands.

Stage 1: Basic Trust vs. Mistrust

Erikson's first psychosocial stage (Infancy, 0 to 1 ½ years) where consistent caregiver nurture yields the virtue of hope, whereas unpredictable care breeds mistrust.

Social Referencing

An infant's reliance on the emotional signals and expressions of caregivers to assess and navigate unfamiliar situations.

Stranger Anxiety

A developmental fear of unfamiliar adults that commonly emerges in infants around 6 to 9 months of age.

Separation Anxiety

Distress displayed by infants around 8 to 9 months when removed from their primary attachment figure.

Stage 2: Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Erikson's second psychosocial stage (Early Childhood, 1 ½ to 3 years) where encouraging independence leads to the virtue of will, while harsh control induces self-doubt.

Self-Concept vs. Self-Esteem

Self-concept refers to the objective mental representation or picture one has of oneself, whereas self-esteem represents the subjective value and positive evaluation assigned to those traits.

Stage 3: Initiative vs. Guilt

Erikson's third psychosocial stage (Play Age, 3 to 5 years) where initiating activities and play builds the virtue of purpose, whereas over-control leads to guilt.

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority

Erikson's fourth psychosocial stage (School Age, 5 to 12 years) where earning recognition for tasks develops the virtue of competence, whereas failure or restriction causes feelings of inferiority.

Stage 5: Ego Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's fifth psychosocial stage (Adolescence, 12 to 18 years) focused on establishing a personal identity and leading to the virtue of fidelity.

Stage 6: Intimacy vs. Isolation

Erikson's sixth psychosocial stage (Young Adult, 18 to 40 years) centered on building loving relationships and acquiring the virtue of love.

Stage 7: Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson's seventh psychosocial stage (Adulthood, 40 to 65 years) involving guiding future generations and nurturing community, yielding the virtue of care.

Stage 8: Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's final psychosocial stage (Maturity, 65+ years) where reflecting on life with fulfillment delivers the virtue of wisdom, whereas regret causes despair.