Relational Care Ethics from a Comparative Perspective: The Ethics of Care and Confucian Ethics

Wada, Yoshimi

doi:10.1080/17496535.2014.894109

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“… 13. Nevertheless, issues of what may be common and what may be divergent between care ethics and moral systems apparent in Majority world contexts are very much matters of ongoing debate (e.g. see Dalmiya, 2009; Metz, 2013; Wada, 2014). …”

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Troubling Children’s Families: Who Is Troubled and Why? Approaches to Inter-Cultural Dialogue

McCarthy

Gillies

2017

Sociological Research Online

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This article draws on multi-disciplinary perspectives to consider the need and the possibilities for intercultural dialogue concerning families that may be seen by some to be 'troubling'. Starting from the premise that 'troubles' are a 'normal' part of children's family lives, we consider the boundary between 'normal' troubles and troubles that are troubling (whether to family members or others). Such troubling families potentially indicate an intervention to prevent harm to less powerful family members (notably children). On what basis can such decisions be made in children's family lives, how can this question be answered across diverse cultural contexts, and are all answers inevitably subject to uncertainty? Such questions arguably re-frame and broaden existing debates about 'child maltreatment' across diverse cultural contexts. Beyond recognizing power dynamics, material inequalities, and historical and contemporary colonialism, we argue that attempts to answer the question on an empirical basis risk a form of neo-colonialism, since values inevitably permeate research and knowledge claims. We briefly exemplify such difficulties, examining psychological studies of childrearing in China, and the application of neuroscience to early childhood interventions in the UK. Turning to issues of values and moral relativism, we also question the possibility of an objective moral standard that avoids cultural imperialism, but ask whether cultural relativism is the only alternative position available. Here we briefly explore other possibilities in the space between 'facile' universalism and 'lazy' relativism (Jullien, 2008(Jullien, /2014. Such approaches bring into focus core philosophical and cultural questions about the possibilities for 'happiness', and for what it means to be a 'person', living in the social world.Throughout, we centralize theoretical and conceptual issues, drawing on the work of Jullien (2008Jullien ( /2014 to recognize the immense complexities inter-cultural dialogue entails in terms of language and communication.

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Troubling Children’s Families: Who Is Troubled and Why? Approaches to Inter-Cultural Dialogue

McCarthy

Gillies

2017

Sociological Research Online

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“…For systematic comparative analysis, theoretical frameworks of the (Western) feminist ethic of care and Confucian ethics were used to elicit Western–Eastern contrasts, and cultural differences between England and Japan. (For a detailed theoretical comparison between the ethics of care and Confucian ethics, see Wada 2014. )…”

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confidence: 99%

Older people's exercising of choice in long-term care: a comparative analysis of England and Japan

Wada

2015

Ageing and Society

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There has been an increasing emphasis on choice for older people in long-term care in both England and Japan. However, despite the emphasis on the importance of choice, the perspectives of older people have been given little attention. Considering national and local policies in Bristol, England and Kyoto, Japan, the article explores how older people are exercising (and not exercising) choice in care practice through examining the perspectives of the older people themselves, as well as key informants in the field. Empirical data were collected from interviews with older people and key informants in the two countries, and were analysed using qualitative and comparative approaches. Choice in policy is regarded as a mechanism of the market with an assumption of the independent autonomous individual who can exercise ‘rational choice’. However, the findings have reflected older people's relational decision-making, which does not conform to the rational model of decision-making, and illustrates the value of ‘interdependence’. The findings from care practice have shown that choice was considered an important value in involving older people's views and ensuring their needs are met sensitively and respectfully. The findings also suggested that consideration of the psychological aspects of choice is an important aspect of ‘care’, facilitating the inclusion of older people's views in the process of making judgements, in order to meet their needs.

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“…There are reasons for calling the East Asian societies a ‘familistic welfare regime’ (Ochiai, ). In this ‘East Asian care regime’ (Soma, Yamashita, & Chan, ) based on Confucianism, the ethics of care are not based on equality, but rather on the central Confucian principle of reciprocity (Wada, ). This has been shown to maintain authoritarian attitudes (Rappa & Tan, ) and gender inequality (Leung, ).…”

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Child protection in China: Changing policies and reactions from the field of social work

2017

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This article offers a general review of the development of national policies on child protection in China. It offers an in‐depth analysis of related legislation enacted between 2010 and 2015 that have had an impact on child protection and related historical, cultural and legal issues. Furthermore, in the study we examined the emerging role of social work in preventing and responding to child abuse and neglect in China. Major findings of the research include: (i) policies concerning child protection have been highly influenced by Confucianism and its perspective of the child as family property; (ii) child protection regulations on accident reporting, custody transfer, and surrogate care are gradually being refined and improved, although the legal system for child protection is still incomplete and needs further substantiation; and (iii) the involvement of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and social workers has enhanced the child protection system. Key Practitioner Message: • Policies concerning child protection have been subject to an immense impact by Confucianism, placing strong responsibility on family members in providing childcare although the child is viewed as part of the family's property; • After 1949, the newly founded socialist political structure began to exert a significant influence on welfare and child welfare policies. Because the Confucian perspective emphasised family and parental responsibility, government in China has traditionally not been heavily involved in policies that interfere in the internal workings of families; • Since the shift toward an open‐door policy in 1979, child protection policies in China have begun to develop, with a child welfare network gradually spreading to cover the majority of children. Moreover, child protection is generally supported by the legal system, within which regulations on accident reporting, custody transfer and surrogate care are gradually being refined and improved. However, despite the huge progress achieved in recent years, there are significant deficits in its implementation and monitoring; • The involvement of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) and professional social work services has promoted a child protection system.

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Relational Care Ethics from a Comparative Perspective: The Ethics of Care and Confucian Ethics

Cited by 9 publications

References 27 publications

Troubling Children’s Families: Who Is Troubled and Why? Approaches to Inter-Cultural Dialogue

Troubling Children’s Families: Who Is Troubled and Why? Approaches to Inter-Cultural Dialogue

Older people's exercising of choice in long-term care: a comparative analysis of England and Japan

Child protection in China: Changing policies and reactions from the field of social work

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