Ethic of Justice
“The ethic of justice is an ethical frame that conceptualizes issues, holds confidence in, and enacts decisions based upon “the rule of law and the more abstract concepts of fairness, equity, and justice”” (Wood & Hilton, 2012)
Ethic of Critique
“The ethic of critique is juxtaposed to the ethic of justice in that it “critiques” moral problems caused by the ethic of justice. The ethic of justice recognizes that laws and codes may be imperfect but that leaders are to maintain these laws until changed. In contrast, the ethic of critique views laws as providing an advantage to certain groups over others. In this light, law is seen as a support of social hierarchies based upon race, class, and gender.” (Wood & Hilton, 2012)
Ethic of Care
“Similar to the ethic of critique, the ethic of care is also juxtaposed to the ethic of justice and is also consequentialist in nature. Furthermore, the ethic of care values people as opposed to principles. The ethic of care is compassion oriented and is concerned with how decisions, issues, and circumstances serve to hurt others. As such, an ethic of care is characterized by virtues such as compassion, understanding and trust.” (Wood & Hilton, 2012)
Ethic of the Profession
“The ethic of the profession acknowledges that there are guiding values (e.g. principles, codes, assumptions, mores, and expected behaviors) within each profession. Thus, adhering to these values is an obligatory duty to a leader’s craft. In particular, professional codes of ethics are paramount to honoring the ethic of the profession.” (Wood & Hilton, 2012)
Ethic of Local Community
“The ethic of local community is conceived as a neoutilitarian frame and an additional paradigm for decision making. The ethic of local community is grounded in the notion that community colleges must serve the needs, interests, and public good of the local community, defined as the service region of the institution.” (Wood & Hilton, 2012)
Reference:
J. Luke Wood & Adriel A. Hilton, (2012), Five Ethical Paradigms for Community College Leaders: Toward Constructing and Considering Alternative Courses of Action in Ethical Decision Making, Community College Review, 40(3), pp. 196-214, accessed via Sage Publications.