Customer Reviews

Real World Ethics: Frameworks for Educators and Human Service Professionals (Professional Ethics in Education Series)

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I purchased this book for my college class. Let me say that the author is more concerned with telling you about his life and himself instead of teaching ethics! For instance he doesn't give you an 'ethics dilemma' until page 65 (Chapter 4) and even then you have to read about him and his life until page 105 to get to the conclusion of the dilemma! I didn't want to buy a biography I wanted a book that was going to help me learn about ethics!

Granted some people in my class have gotten a few sentences of wisdom out of the book, but the constant long-winded blathering about the author himself gets me side-tracked and too frustrated with meaningless crud that it's hard for me to see any real wisdom. The author also makes you feel like you cannot understand ethics unless you read every book he's referencing to. (Which are about 4 pages full of references in the back of the book.)

If you find yourself in search of a good ethics book this is not it. I'd rather beat my head upside the wall then read another page of this book. I quit after he started to "answer" question 2 in the dilemma and he starts off praising his wife then talking about Spock from Star Trek. What does that have to do with ethics? Let alone solving the dilemma given in that chapter of the book? In question 1 of the dilemma he spends the first 3 paragraphs talking about himself before he gets to the other 3 paragraphs that actually deal with the dilemma given!

Chapter 2 is filled with his course syllabus, sorry but I don't care, nor do I see what that has to do with ethics. It seems like Mr. Nash (the author) was more concerned with writing a biography than a good ethics book that will help in class and in real life.

If you find yourself purchasing this book for class, I understand your pain when you read this book.

I sympathize with punkgoth vixen. This is not a good book as a primary text for an ethics class. It is, however, an excellent book for those of us who teach ethics. I plan to use many ideas I got from the book in my classes.

One of the Absolute Best Ethics Books of all Time: A Must Read!

This is the best ethics book I've read regarding the complexity of ethical decision- making and strategies to teach applied ethics. It helps students understand the reasoning that motivates their ethical decision-making improving their chances of making sound ethical decisions they can live with and that may prevent them from getting sued!

Students now more then ever are interested in learning about ethics. My students routinely tell me the knowledge they gained reading this text and discussing it in class is the most useful knowledge they gained in college. They are also proud of this achievement and cite it as a highlight in their academic career. Nash knows college students well and it shows. He is beyond qualified to speak with authority about ethics as he does in this text.

Nash has taught in the academy for over forty years, working with educators of all kinds, including student affairs professionals. In 2003, he was named an Official University Scholar in the Social Sciences and the Humanities at The University of Vermont, only the second faculty member in the history of the College of Education and Social Services to be so honored.

He specializes in philosophy of education, ethics, higher education, and religion, spirituality, and education. He holds graduate degrees in English, Theology/Religious Studies, Applied Ethics and Liberal Studies, and Educational Philosophy. He holds faculty appointments in teacher education, higher education administration, and interdisciplinary studies in education. He administers the Interdisciplinary Master's Program, and he teaches ethics, religion, higher education, and philosophy of education courses, as well as scholarly personal narrative writing seminars, across four programs in the college, including the doctoral program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. He has supervised over 100 theses and dissertations.

My perspective on this book is unique and important for anyone considering buying it. I used this text as a student and now as a professor. The best educational experience of my life was reading this book and studying ethics with the author when I was a doctoral student. Inspired by this, I became a professor of ethics myself and teach mainly from this text. At the end of this review, I include ideas for teaching from this text.

Nash details what he calls: (a) First Moral Language- the language of background beliefs, (b) Second Moral Language -the language of Moral Character, (c) Third Moral Language the-language of moral principle. Nash provides a detailed case analysis to teach students how to use each language. Written for other scholars, the language in this book is philosophical. It takes time to absorb, but it is well worth it.

This book is a great success with a long track record of proof. Check out these facts:

*To date over fifty of Dr. Nash's former students are teaching Real World Ethics to graduate and undergraduate students in ethics courses across the country.

*Real World Ethics has sold several thousand copies, going through three printings and a 2nd edition, and plans are in process for a 3rd edition. "'Real World' Ethics" has been a consistent best seller for Teachers College Press.

*Uniformly excellent reviews of the book have appeared in such professional journals as: "The School Administrator," Journal of Childhood Teacher Education," "Educational Studies," "Journal of College Student Development," and "NASPA Journal," among many others. Reviews have been uniformly excellent.

*References to the book appear in the Citation Index consistently over the last fifteen years. This is an index that keeps track of how often a scholars work is cited in other publications.

Searching the Internet you will find many excellent and positive reviews from professors using this text. It's what students say that matters most to me. Here are a few quotes from two of my former undergraduates speaking of the effectiveness of "Real World Ethic" Frameworks for Educators and Human Service Professionals (Second Edition).

"My experience in this course was more thought provoking than any other that I have ever had. I have thought about things in such different ways than ever before. I have never once thought about what my background beliefs are, let alone why they are what they are, and how they were formed. (I think every college student needs the opportunity to answer these questions.) Certain correlations to my background beliefs and events in my life have become clearer to me and have made me feel less misinformed about myself."

"I have learned how to hold back my immediate reactions to hear people from beginning to end. It is very hard to shut that reaction part of your brain off, while turning the other listening side on. It has already and will continue to help me greatly in the future."

Professors reading this book will no doubt improve their ethics courses and instruction. Students will gain valuable information and experience working on ethical decision-making. Anyone reading this book will develop an ethical decision-making toolbox for their personal and professional lives no matter where they live or what they do for a living. Enjoy!

Sample Course Proposal- Three-Week E-Course

Dr. Andrea Silva McManus

©2006. Please let the author know if you use this material at: amcmanus@uvm.edu

A. Course Title: Teaching Students to Think Ethically: Real World Ethics, Moral Manifesto's and Knowing and Valuing our Student's Stories

B. Course Description: This course focuses on the ethical self-knowledge crucial to effective and meaningful ethical decision-making. Student affairs professionals are confronted with ethical dilemmas and decisions consistently and need a specific skill set to reason through them. This course provides a forum to create an understanding of personal ethical perspective through the study of Robert J. Nash's Three Moral Languages detailed in "Real World Ethics": Frameworks for Educators and Helping Professionals. By the end of this e-learning course, students will arrive at a deeper understanding of their own background beliefs, how they formed and their process of ethical thinking. Each student will write a moral manifesto/ethical biography as the final course product. Students think critically and think deeply about their current belief systems including how these systems formed, and how to use them in a secular pluralist society. Participants will have the opportunity to dialogue about their current student affairs practice. Students have the opportunity to make recommendations for faculty and student affairs staff to work together to increase what I like to call `ethical intelligence' on their campuses.

C. Learning Objectives:

*Explore background beliefs, how they formed and how to make ethical decisions in a secular pluralist world.

*Deepen moral discernment and ethical antennae.

*Demonstrate understanding of the three moral languages.

*Learn how to talk respectfully and compassionately talk using Nash's (1999) concept of the moral conversation where how we talk with each other is just as important as what we talk about.

*Develop strategies for student affairs staff and academic faculty members to work together to increase college students "ethical intelligence."

*Have the opportunity to do discuss and practice Scholarly Personal Narrative writing and speak in a personal voice. See Nash's Liberating Scholarly Writing: The Power of Personal Narrative Writing, Teachers College Press, 2004.

Considering using the Following Resources:

Ihle, Sherri, McManus, Silva, Andrea, Teaching Ethical Decision Making and the Moral Conversation to Students, in press, ACPA E-Journal Developments

McManus, Silva Andrea, Finding Purpose in College: A Journey of Meaning Making, Castleton State College Spartan, 2007.

McManus, Silva, Andrea., Robert J. Nash's "Real World" Ethics, the Moral Conversation, and ACPA's Statement of Ethical Principles and Practices: A Recipe for Success, ACPA E-Journal Developments, Spring 2007.

Nash, Robert J., Fostering Moral Conversations in the Classroom, Journal of Excellence in College Teaching, Volume 7, Number 1, Pp. 83-106, 1996

Nash, Robert. Liberating Scholarly Writing: The Power of Personal Narrative. New York: Teachers College Press, 2004.

Nash, Robert J., [Excerpt from Spirituality, Ethics, Religion and Teaching: A Professors Journey, Real World Ethics in a Nutshell, Peter Lang Publishing, Pp. 136-146. 2002.

Nash, Robert J. Article on Fostering Religious Pluralism to be identified.

D. Outline of Course Content

1st Week: Focuses on exposure to the Three Moral Languages and their use and effectiveness in ethical decision-making. Deepening awareness of moral discernment and ethical dilemmas is stressed. Basic concepts of applied ethics are introduced.

Tasks

1.Participants will have the choice to review a film, play, book, or medium of their choice and answer the following questions from the film worksheet to be provided to them.

1.How did you feel after watching this film? What is your emotional reaction to the film? Where do these feelings come from? What background beliefs did the story tap into for you?

2. What is the message(s) of the film, or view of life and the world that is presented in the story as it unfolds? Consider how the film addresses themes such as: the nature of reality or what is really real; what's wrong with the world and what's the solution; the fragmentation of life in our busy, pluralistic world; the significance and meaning of relationships and love; the significance and meaning of being human; whether there is right and wrong, and how we determine it; the meaning of life and history; and what happens at death.

3. In what ways were the techniques of film-making (casting, direction, script, music, sets, action, cinematography, lighting, editing, etc.) used to get the film's message(s) across, or to make the message plausible or compelling? In what ways were in ineffective or misused?

4. Most stories actually are improvisations on a few basic motifs or story lines common to literature. What other films come to mind as you reflect on this movie? What novels or short stories?

5.With whom did you identify in the film? Why? With whom were we meant to? Identify. Discuss each main character in the film and their significance to the story?

6. What insight does the film give into the way postmodern people see life, meaning, and reality? How can you use the film as a useful window of insight for us to better understand our friends and neighbors who do not share our deepest convictions and values?

7. What are the main characters background beliefs? Who were the significant moral actors that influenced the development of these beliefs?

8. Do the characters background beliefs change during the course of the film? Please describe regardless of whether the answer is yes or no.

2. Read Randy Cohen's Ethicist Column in the Sunday Washington Post newspaper Make a post describing whether you agree or disagree with his decision. Describe in detail why you agree or disagree. Pull out as many examples of Randy's First and Second Moral Language beliefs as you can from reading the article.

3. Read assigned article for the week and seed discussions as well as respond to instructor posts.

2nd Week: Students will analyze a past, present or possible future dilemma they have faced, are facing or can imagine facing using the three moral languages. They will describe whether they would have made the same decision again if it were a past dilemma or identify what decision they would make about a current or possible future dilemma. These will be shared with the class for comment and suggestion.

Tasks

1.Continued response to discussion seeds on blackboard.

2. Read Randy Cohen's Ethicist Column in the Sunday Washington Post newspaper Make a post describing whether you agree or disagree with his decision. Describe in detail why you agree or disagree.

3. Read assigned article for the week and seed discussions as well as respond to instructor posts

3rd Week: Students write their moral manifestos and personal code of ethics and share with the class.

Tasks

1.Finishing the moral manifesto/ethical biography is and sharing it with classmates is the task for this week.

2.Share plans for increasing opportunities for college students on their college campuses to increase their ethical intelligence.

E. Biographical and Content Information

Dr. Andrea Silva McManus is a faculty member at the New England Culinary Institute in Essex Vermont and Champlain College in Burlington Vermont. She teaches applied ethics courses, philosophy of food, religion, spirituality and meaning making for college students, critical issues of leadership and service learning courses to undergraduates. She completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Vermont in May 2005 under the advisement of Robert J. Nash. She wrote a scholarly personal narrative dissertation titled Reclaiming A Lost Self Through Scholarly Personal Narrative Writing: A Meta-Analysis for Educators. This dissertation includes guidance and advisement from the graduate student perspective regarding writing an SPN. She competed courses in ethics, religion, and educational philosophy and did an extensive independent study on fostering religious pluralism in secondary schools. She earned her Masters Degree in College Student Personnel Services at Miami University and has significant experience in student affairs. She and Robert Nash have presented on SPN writing at ACPA for the past few years. Andrea is working on her first book (and looking for a contract) to be targeted to the student affairs profession regarding how to teach college students to think ethically. Also, she is currently enrolled as a Masters Degree Student at the Vermont College of Fine Arts where she is working on a creative non fiction degree.