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Ethical Psychological Practice with Geographically Mobile Individuals and Groups

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The Psychology of Global Mobility

Part of the book series: International and Cultural Psychology ((ICUP))

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Abstract

The chapter offers a detailed analysis of the competing interests evident in contexts of new settlement and other forms of geographical mobility, including conflicts that occur between the welfare interests of direct recipients of research and professional services, the interests of the communities to which they belong, employers’ expectations, and the welfare of the wider community. It also analyses dilemmas confronting researchers and professionals who work with mobile populations, which relate specifically to the conflicting ethical responsibilities of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice they hold toward direct recipients of these services. Contrasting models of cultural competence as a relevant, related ethical precept are also considered. The chapter then suggests a model of ethical reasoning and decision making in the form of prima facie duty theory, as well as some training models that might assist researchers and other service providers in learning to make responsible ethical decisions when ethical dilemmas such as those described above are present. Finally, the chapter identifies and analyses various types of distress, such as burnout, ethical distress and vicarious traumatization, which workers may experience when working with vulnerable, mobile individuals and groups, and it briefly describes some ways in which researchers and other service providers may inoculate themselves against, and deal with, such distress.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Australian immigration policy and legislation relating to universal mandatory immigration detention was altered in 2008 to make mandatory detention a last resort in cases of unauthorized persons who represent a health, identity, safety or security risk or who repeatedly violate their visa conditions.

Abbreviations

APA:

American Psychological Association

APS:

Australian Psychological Society

CPA:

Canadian Psychological Society

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia

    Graham R. Davidson

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  1. Graham R. Davidson
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Correspondence to Graham R. Davidson .

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  1. College of Humanities & Social Science, School of Psychology, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand

    Stuart C. Carr

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Davidson, G.R. (2010). Ethical Psychological Practice with Geographically Mobile Individuals and Groups. In: Carr, S. (eds) The Psychology of Global Mobility. International and Cultural Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6208-9_4

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