Service Description

WORKSHOP 1 This session introduces the workshop series and helps connect ethics and an inclusive environment. Participants learn an intuitive model called the "Circles of Ethics," using it to link ethical decision-making and the closeness we feel towards people "inside our circle." The problem: When we feel “close” to someone, we tend to reason differently. Specifically, we tend to use care and compassion more often when we address moral dilemmas involving those whom we love. While this phenomenon is both understandable and, to a certain extent, inevitable, it leads to unfairness and exclusion in the workplace. For example: If we feel “closer” to members of a certain cultural, religious, or racial group, we are likely to treat members of that group with more compassion and care. WORKSHOP 2 Most people feel they are ethical. They remember what they learned from their parents, the faith tenets, or other critical sources of moral information. What we may fail to understand is that ethical decisions often result from millisecond intuitions. We then use reasoning to justify decisions already made. This session introduces the problem. In particular, Dr. Wildermuth will explain Jonathan Haidt’s moral intuition and reasoning model and discuss a problem called “moral fading” (moral fading means removing the “ethical colors” of an ethical dilemma). The session will further introduce key ethical concepts such as moral dilemmas and Dr. James Rest’s components of moral behavior (sensitivity, reasoning, values, and courage). WORKSHOP 3 This session continues the discussions of sessions 1 and 2. This time, we will introduce an exercise on the unconscious bias which demonstrates how we may, unintentionally, see people from certain groups. WORKSHOP 4 In this session, participants will learn various lenses they can use to explore a moral dilemma. These lenses will be connected to a moral decision-making model. Next, participants will explore their personal values and build their own Code of Ethics. WORKSHOP 5 In the final session, participants will use their Code of Ethics and the moral decision-making model previously learned to analyze and solve together fictional but realistic moral dilemmas (note: we will need information from the organization on the types of moral dilemmas they would like participants to explore; otherwise, we can ask participants to come up with their own examples of moral dilemmas to discuss during the session).