To be responsive to the needs of today's pluralistic society, physicians require an understanding of the essential link between culture, power and ethical practice. Using a case example, the authors argue that medical educators need to: (a) critically consider how the educative process joins medical knowledge and power; (b) develop pedagogy that can bring questions of power, culture and ethics ...

* "Culture" can be understood as the way in which people make sense of the world by deploying shared meanings, attitudes, assumptions and values. * Doctors will frequently encounter patients whose lives are guided by ethical systems and values that are different from their own. * Individuals may differ in their beliefs about decision-making, regardless of their cultural background. * Doctors sh...

Considerable academic effort is being expended in considering how to regulate various activities on the internet, particularly those as relate to obscene material, breaches of privacy and challenges to intellectual property rights. Post and Johnson (1997) offer the following solution which is typical; 'We believe that the most obvious answer to this question -existing territorial sovereigns -ma...

This paper first uncovers the subtle spiritual narcissism that has characterized historical approaches to religious diversity and discusses the shortcomings of the main forms of religious pluralism that have been proposed as its antidote: ecumenical, soteriological, postmodern, and metaphysical. It then argues that a participatory pluralism paves the way for an appreciation of religious diversi...

In this article emphasis has been placed on the legitimacy of an increasing variety of culture as the epicenter of the spiritual life of a society. A renewed civil society should be aware of the standardization of spiritual life, of the unification of ideas and thoughts, and of people becoming anonymous. The more new ideas and thoughts that appear, the richer becomes society. Free competition o...