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Ethical guidance or epistemological injustice? The quality and usefulness of ethical guidance for humanitarian workers and agencies.
Sheather, Julian; Apunyo, Ronald; DuBois, Marc; Khondaker, Ruma; Noman, Abdullahal; Sadique, Sohana; McGowan, Catherine R.
  • Sheather J; Médecins Sans Frontières, London, UK juliansheather@gmail.com.
  • Apunyo R; Save the Children International, Juba, South Sudan.
  • DuBois M; Department of Development Studies, School of Oriental & African Studies London, London, UK.
  • Khondaker R; Save the Children International, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
  • Noman A; Save the Children International, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
  • Sadique S; Médecins Sans Frontières, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
  • McGowan CR; Save the Children Fund, London, UK.
BMJ Glob Health ; 7(3)2022 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1745708
ABSTRACT
This paper explores the quality and usefulness of ethical guidance for humanitarian aid workers and their agencies. We focus specifically on public health emergencies, such as COVID-19. The authors undertook a literature review and gathered empirical data through semi-structured focus group discussions amongst front-line workers from health clinics in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh and in the Abyei Special Administrative Area, South Sudan. The purpose of the project was to identify how front-line workers respond to ethical challenges, including any informal or local decision-making processes, support networks, or habits of response.The research findings highlighted a dissonance between ethical guidance and the experiences of front-line humanitarian health workers. They suggest the possibility (1) that few problems confronting front-line workers are conceived, described, or resolved as ethical problems; and (2) of significant dissonance between available, allegedly practically oriented guidance (often produced by academics in North America and Europe), and the immediate issues confronting front-line workers. The literature review and focus group data suggest a real possibility that there is, at best, a significant epistemic gulf between those who produce ethical guidelines and those engaged in real-time problem solving at the point of contact with people. At worst they suggest a form of epistemic control-an imposition of cognitive shapes that shoehorn the round peg of theoretical preoccupations and the disciplinary boundaries of western academies into the square hole of front-line humanitarian practice.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Altruism / COVID-19 Type of study: Qualitative research / Reviews Limits: Humans Language: English Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Bmjgh-2021-007707

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Altruism / COVID-19 Type of study: Qualitative research / Reviews Limits: Humans Language: English Year: 2022 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: Bmjgh-2021-007707