Embodied Ethical Decision Making

Abstract

The intention of this article is to introduce research questions and some initial findings about the place of embodiment in ethical decision making. This approach to ethics has yet to be discussed in the literature of dance/movement therapy, and with few exceptions, has only been hypothesized in the ethics literature of other fields. Because this is a new area of exploration, data were gathered primarily in dance/ movement therapy educational contexts, such as graduate classes and conference workshops. I have also drawn from the literature in dance/ movement therapy and related fields to help establish the meaning and relevance of three concepts central to this discussion, embodiment, decision making and empathy. The findings indicate that ethical decision making can be enhanced with an embodied approach. Questions for future research to develop the practice of embodied ethical decision making and to understand the bases of ethical practices of dance/movement therapists are suggested.

The Dance of Becoming: Pedagogy in Dance/Movement Therapy in the United States

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Informed Consent and Fresh Egg Donation for Stem Cell Research

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