Caring for Asylum Seekers in Australia: Bioethics and Human Rights. Australia's policy of mandatory detention has been criticised at home and abroad. This research will bring together both empirical and reflective material about that policy by those who have seen its effects first hand, which will make an important contribution to national self-definition. The research process itself will bring together practitioners who have worked in the field, many of whom have expressed the need for recordin ....Caring for Asylum Seekers in Australia: Bioethics and Human Rights. Australia's policy of mandatory detention has been criticised at home and abroad. This research will bring together both empirical and reflective material about that policy by those who have seen its effects first hand, which will make an important contribution to national self-definition. The research process itself will bring together practitioners who have worked in the field, many of whom have expressed the need for recording their experiences, and guidelines as to how to practice in the future when human rights issues form a part of clinical practice. As such, the project will contribute to other areas of healthcare where such issues are present, such as indigenous health, mental health, and the care of other vulnerable populations. Read moreRead less
Hamstrung by ethics creep? Investigating human research ethics in practice. This project will benefit national ethics review processes and ethical research practice. It will provide the community, funding bodies, researchers, participants and ethics committee members with confidence in both the ethics review process and day-to-day practice of health research. As health research becomes increasingly complex, it is vital that the conceptual bases used in ethical deliberations and their relationshi ....Hamstrung by ethics creep? Investigating human research ethics in practice. This project will benefit national ethics review processes and ethical research practice. It will provide the community, funding bodies, researchers, participants and ethics committee members with confidence in both the ethics review process and day-to-day practice of health research. As health research becomes increasingly complex, it is vital that the conceptual bases used in ethical deliberations and their relationship to research practice are made explicit. By making known the ways that ethics committee members and health researchers make decisions about research ethics and how this influences the conduct of their practice, we can be assured that health research in the future is being conducted in the most effective and ethical way. Read moreRead less
Getting to the meat of the matter: social and economic issues in animal welfare in Australia's livestock industries. Animal welfare in Australia's livestock industries is an issue of increasing concern to both Australian consumers and meat and livestock producers. This project will provide an understanding of both the social and economic impacts of consumer views on animal welfare and help to foster more productive dialogue between consumers and producers.
Defining disease: Addressing the problem of overdiagnosis. This project will investigate and define the limits of physical disease, to answer questions about when a presentation is a disease, and when it is simply a risk factor or mild condition. The ensuing account of disease will make a practical contribution to growing international concern about asymptomatic people being diagnosed and treated for conditions that will not cause any health problems ("overdiagnosis"). The research will provide ....Defining disease: Addressing the problem of overdiagnosis. This project will investigate and define the limits of physical disease, to answer questions about when a presentation is a disease, and when it is simply a risk factor or mild condition. The ensuing account of disease will make a practical contribution to growing international concern about asymptomatic people being diagnosed and treated for conditions that will not cause any health problems ("overdiagnosis"). The research will provide normative grounds for evaluating disease claims. Results will reduce the harm caused by people receiving treatment that they do not require, make a practical contribution to debates about the scope of health care, and yield findings that can help to reduce the cost-burdens associated with overdiagnosis.Read moreRead less
The ethics of altering children. Parents sometimes request surgery or drug therapy to change a child's physical appearance. This project will provide ethical guidance to doctors and policy makers about ethically appropriate ways to respond to such requests.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100550
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,808.00
Summary
Bioethics in the Antipodes: A history of Australian bioethics since 1980. This project aims to provide a comprehensive account of bioethics in Australia. Since the 1980s, bioethics sought to address the medical, legal and social implications of Australian research in reproductive medicine. Australian bioethics is often assumed to share a similar history to American bioethics, but the debate about reproduction, euthanasia and the nature of moral authority in secular liberal democracy is distinctl ....Bioethics in the Antipodes: A history of Australian bioethics since 1980. This project aims to provide a comprehensive account of bioethics in Australia. Since the 1980s, bioethics sought to address the medical, legal and social implications of Australian research in reproductive medicine. Australian bioethics is often assumed to share a similar history to American bioethics, but the debate about reproduction, euthanasia and the nature of moral authority in secular liberal democracy is distinctly Australian. To date, the history of these developments has not been examined. The project will use archival sources, interviews, and theoretical analysis. Potential benefits include a deeper understanding of the distinctive local and global contributions of Australian bioethics.Read moreRead less
Vulnerability, autonomy and justice. Vulnerable people require assistance and care. But what are our responsibilities in relation to the vulnerable? And how can we provide assistance and care while avoiding stereotyping or paternalism? This research will advance ethical theory and be useful in solving practical problems in health research and policy.
Addiction, moral identity and moral agency: Integrating theoretical and empirical approaches. By clarifying and evaluating scientific claims about the moral impacts of addiction on the judgment and practices of drug addicted persons and by investigating the perspectives of users and treatment professionals, our project will contribute to the development of ethical and effective public policy, treatment and education programs in the addictions area, thus helping to address the causes and reduce t ....Addiction, moral identity and moral agency: Integrating theoretical and empirical approaches. By clarifying and evaluating scientific claims about the moral impacts of addiction on the judgment and practices of drug addicted persons and by investigating the perspectives of users and treatment professionals, our project will contribute to the development of ethical and effective public policy, treatment and education programs in the addictions area, thus helping to address the causes and reduce the impact of biological, social and environmental factors which diminish life potential in drug addicted persons. The innovative features of this project will enhance Australia's international reputation in bioethics and moral psychology, extend the reach of experimental philosophy, and facilitate future interdisciplinary work.Read moreRead less
Implicit persuasion in pharmaceutical marketing: ethical implications for regulators and consumers. The rapid ageing of Australia's population has seen increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals and high rates of hospitalisation to treat adverse effects. Pharmaceutical advertising promotes medication use, yet increasing evidence suggests commercials can alter attitudes outside of awareness. Determining the extent and ethical acceptability of subconscious persuasion in drug marketing will lead to ....Implicit persuasion in pharmaceutical marketing: ethical implications for regulators and consumers. The rapid ageing of Australia's population has seen increasing consumption of pharmaceuticals and high rates of hospitalisation to treat adverse effects. Pharmaceutical advertising promotes medication use, yet increasing evidence suggests commercials can alter attitudes outside of awareness. Determining the extent and ethical acceptability of subconscious persuasion in drug marketing will lead to more appropriate regulation of advertising content and enhance the autonomy of consumer medication choice. The study outcomes will address Australia's priority research goals Ageing Well, Ageing Productively and Preventative Healthcare, and further this country's international reputation in Applied Ethics.Read moreRead less
What shall we have for tea? Toward a new discourse of food ethics in contemporary Australia. We are increasingly encouraged to make 'ethical' food choices but lack information about these issues: this project explores Australians' understandings of food ethics. Outcomes include a framework for more thoughtful discussions about food ethics and a series of recommendations for fostering public participation in food policy-making.