Addressing Ethical Issues - Assignment Example

Addressing Ethical Issues In life, individuals face ethical challenges when making decisions relating to issues affecting their life. Such challenges occur due to certain factors, which influence one’s decision pertaining to an issue or issues (Dawson, 2006). For instance, in the case study, the issue at hand is the conflict involving social and cultural influences. Sujay was born and raised in the USA while his parents, Nitin and Priya Pathak are first generation Indian – American immigrants.

Since his parents are of Indian origin, and therefore adore the Indian cultural practices and customs which values certain careers such as science, law, religion or medicine, his parents expect him to attend a college dealing with the disciplines which are revered in the Indian society. They argue that a discipline like engineering suits his caste and disregards art disciplines as of lower class. Thus, they want their son to attend an engineering college instead of Art College. However, Sujay, being born and nurtured in the American culture whereby everyone chooses what he or she likes to be in future wants to attend art school.

He likes arts, and therefore would like to pursue a career in the field instead of engineering. Due to such restrictions, Sujay feels that his parents are stifling his passion by imposing cultural norms, which were meant for them during their youthful years while in India. Thus, such norms were to be followed by the parents and not by him. This is because he was born and grew up in America where there is a different cultural norm, values, and practices and where freedom to choose a career is guaranteed (Leach, 2012).

As a counselor, I have a role to protect both Sujay and his parents from emotional, psychological, and physical trauma (American Counseling Association, 2005). This entails seeking for a solution to their problem. First, since I have little knowledge of Indian culture or the caste system, I would consult with fellow counselors and supervisors on the issue in order to understand and have more knowledge concerning the Indian cultural and social practices and norms (American Counseling Association, 2005).

Possession of such knowledge is essential since according to the ACA code of ethics, I am supposed to be insightful to the cultural differences of the families while respecting the inherent rights as well as responsibilities of guardians and parents over the wellbeing of their kids (American Counseling Association, 2005). Moreover, I would also be cautious in selecting the type of assessment to apply in the case of Sujay and his parents since they both belong to different cultures. First, I would acknowledge and appreciate the need for Suyan’s parents to uphold their Indian cultural practices and norms even when they are outside their ancestral lands.

Despite being the parents of Suyan, both Nitin and Priya need to recognize that their son belongs to a different cultural world with different practices, values, and norms, which he has to follow and up hold. Therefore, they should not be too strict on him concerning his college choice since he has a right to decide on his future. Moreover, they should understand that the world change and therefore, careers that were once adored and revered are nowadays not celebrated like ever before (Gilliland & Skarlicki, 2007).

For instance, the contemporary world now adores celebrities like musicians, footballers, and athletes who majorly come from arts discipline. Thus, the parents need to persuade their child to rethink on his position instead of forcing him to take a different career field, which does not please him. On Suyan, I would advise him to think on his parents’ advice and reconsider his stand. Moreover, I would not force him to accept the decision of the parents since according to ACA code of ethics; I should try to resolve ethical dilemmas with open and direct communication among the parties involved (American Counseling Association, 2005).

Consequently, I am supposed engage Suyan and his parents in decision-making while seeking consultation with other colleagues and supervisors in case my advice is not satisfactory the family. ReferencesAmerican Counseling Association. (2005). “ACA Code of Ethics.” American Counseling Association. Web 2013. Retrieved May 19, 2013 from http://www.counseling.org/Resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdfDawson, A. (2006). Ethical issues and guidelines in psychology. Nurse Researcher, 13(4), 85- 86. Gilliland, S.

, Steiner, D., & Skarlicki, D. (2007). Managing social and ethical issues in organizations. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Pub. Inc.Leach, M. M. (2012). The Oxford handbook of international psychological ethics. New York: Oxford University Press.