Applicability of the principle of respect for autonomy: the perspective of Turkey

Abstract

Turkey has a complex character, which has differences from the Western world or Eastern Asia as well as common points. Even after more than a century of efforts to modernise and integrate with the West, Turkish society has values that are different from those of the West, as well as having Western values. It is worth questioning whether ordinary Turkish people show an individualistic character. The principle of respect for individual autonomy arises from a perception of oneself as an individual, and the person’s situation may affect the applicability of the principle. Patients who perceive themselves to be members of a community rather than free persons and who prefer to participate in the common decisions of the community and to consider the common interest and the common value system of the community concerning problems of their life (except healthcare or biomedical research) rather than to decide as independent, rational individuals may not be competent to make an autonomous choice. Expectations that such patients will behave as autonomous individuals may be unjustified. The family, rather than the patient, may take a primary role in decisions. A flexible system considering cultural differences in the concept of autonomy may be more feasible than a system following strict universal norms.

Validation of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire in Turkey and its relation to cultural schemas of individualism and collectivism

“…Since Turkey is a country where collectivistic and individualistic values are enmeshed with each other (see Imamoğlu & Karakitapoğlu-Aygün, 1999;Kagitcibasi & Ataca, 2005;Kara, 2007), Turkish people can be expected to harbor both of these cultural thinking styles. It is also known that cultural thinking styles can influence one's basic values and moral judgments (Miller, Bersoff & Harwood, 1990;Shearman, 2008;Smith & Schwartz, 1997).…”

Aging, Informed Consent and Autonomy: Ethical Issues and Challenges Surrounding Research and Long-Term Care

“…Stewart et al [49] illustrated this point of view nearly two decades ago "For some cultures, involving the patient's family in treatment decisions is the norm; clinicians may need to take into account their patients' views on this topic" (p. 319). Kara [50] demonstrates that in the case of Turkey that versions of autonomy and individual informed consent currently exist in accordance with the level and involvement of emotional family togetherness with respect to decision making on healthcare matters [51]. The need for cultural sensitivity in patient care is made quite clear by Dell'Osso [48] "Culture expresses and interprets conditions of health and illness differently.…”

Nilai-Nilai Yang Penting Terkait Dengan Etika

“…Untuk etika yang berorientasi divinity ini pada dasarnya cenderung ke arah kolektivis (Shweder, 2000), namun juga bersifat melekat pada kedua etika sebelumnya sehingga dinilai sangat penting baik pada budaya individualis maupun kolektivis (Miller, 2007). Menjadi catatan penting lain yang mengacu pada penjelasan Morelli dan Rothbaum (2007) serta Kara (2007) bahwa ketika berbicara mengenai etika yang berorientasi autonomy dan community, pembaca akan disuguhkan dengan upaya pembedaan budaya di negara Barat dan non-Barat. Dalam hal ini, budaya di negara Barat seringkali diasosiasikan dengan budaya individualisme yang berarti berorientasi pada etika autonomy dan negara non-Barat yang diasosiasikan dengan budaya kolektivisme yang berarti berorientasi pada etika community dengan lebih menekankan pada konteks harmoni, penghormatan, serta pemenuhan tugas dan tanggung jawab yang tidak dapat dilepaskan dari keberadaan individu lain.…”