Invitation for Public Seminar on Ethics, June 8th, 2012
neha madhiwala
Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights (CSER, Mumbai)
Caregivers as researchers
Public seminar
Date: June 8th, 2012 (2.00 to 6.30 pm)
ICSSR Conference Hall, Mumbai University Campus, Kalina
Research is critical to the development of any discipline. In any applied discipline, it is usual for practitioners to don the role of researchers. For those professionals who work as caregivers, assuming these two roles can be challenging. For the most part, professional training that such caregivers receive does not prepare them to balance these roles. While there may be some attention paid to their professional duty and ethics as caregivers, typically, these are not discussed in the context of research. Research is often viewed as a necessary part of professional role, enriching the knowledge base of the discipline, improving teaching and practice. Caregivers also enjoy several important advantages - they usually have easy access to research participants, their experience gives them greater insight into the subject matter, they may be advantageously located in institutions/communities where they want to conduct research. However, these very advantages can pose several dilemmas. Are they exploiting long-standing relationships with clients/client communities for their own advantage; is their research interest conflicting with their duty to provide care; are they too involved to be able to achieve the distance and perspective required to do research; will their credibility as caregivers be diminished by their involvement in what is popularly understood as 'experimentation'?
This seminar will focus on the ethical/moral questions which confront practitioners/researchers and how they resolve them. Caregivers may assume the role of investigators, collaborators or gatekeepers in a research programme and may have to decide on the organisational commitments towards research. The objective of the seminar to provide a forum for discussion and debate about the popular concerns about the research activities of care-giving professionals and institutions and how these concerns may be addressed.
About the speakers
Geeta Balakrishnan, PhD is the Principal at Nirmala Niketan college of Social Work in Mumbai. She is an eminent social worker and is the Chairperson of the Multi- Institutional Ethics Committee of the Anusandhan Trust.
Kumar Prabhash, MD, DM is Assistant Professor of Hematology/Oncology at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. Dr Prabhash trained at the Kidwai Memorial Institue of Oncology before joining the Tata Hospital in 2003. He has also received training from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.
Richard Cash, MD, MPH is Senior Lecturer in International Health and Director of the program on Ethical Issues in International Health in the department of Global Health & Population of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. He has worked extensively in India and Bangladesh and is the senior editor of “Casebook on Ethical Issues in International Health Research”.
Angus Dawson, PhD is Professor of Public Health Ethics and Head of MESH (Medicine, Ethics, Society & History), University of Birmingham, UK. His background is in philosophy, and he is specialised in teaching ethics to health care professionals and medical students. He is joint Editor-in-Chief of the journal Public Health Ethics and joint coordinator of the International Association of Bioethics’ Public Health Ethics Network (InterPHEN).
Programme schedule
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Welcome and Introductions |
2.00 to 2.15 pm |
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Presentations by speakers – Reflections on experience |
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Geeta Balakrishnan- Social work |
2.15 to 2.45 pm |
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Kumar Prabhash - Medicine |
2.45 to 3.15 pm |
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Richard Cash - Public health |
3.15 to 3.45 pm |
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Angus Dawson - perspectives in bioethics on competing interests |
3.45 to 4.15 pm |
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TEA |
|
|
Film ‘A matter of trust’ |
4.45 to 5.00 pm |
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Discussion |
5.00 to 6.00 pm |
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Chairperson’s remarks |
6.00 to 6.30 pm |
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Vote of thanks |
6.30 pm |
(An Institute of Anusandhan Trust)
'Dalkhania House', B Wing, 501, Nr SBI,
Neha Madhiwalla
Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights
501, Dalkhania House, B Wing
Behind State Bank of India,
Nehru Road,
Vakola Pipe Line, Santacruz (East),
Mumbai – 400 055.
Neha Madhiwalla
Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights
501, Dalkhania House, B Wing
Behind State Bank of India,
Nehru Road,
Vakola Pipe Line, Santacruz (East),
Mumbai – 400 055.
Neha Madhiwalla
Centre for Studies in Ethics and Rights
501, Dalkhania House, B Wing
Behind State Bank of India,
Nehru Road,
Vakola Pipe Line, Santacruz (East),
Mumbai – 400 055.