Dear all: I suggest the book *Macklin, R. (1999). Against relativism: Cultural diversity and the search for ethical universals in medicine.
Oxford University Press where the author among other interesting topics analyzes
"the debate surrounding cultural diversity and its implications for ethics. If ethics are relative to particular cultures or societies, then it is not possible to hold that there are fundamental human rights. The author
examines the role of cultural tradition, often used as a defense against critical ethical judgments, and explores key issues in health and medicine in the context of cultural diversity: the physician–patient relationship,
disclosing a diagnosis of a fatal illness, informed consent, brain death and organ transplantation, rituals surrounding birth and death, female genital mutilation, sex selection of offspring, fertility regulation, and
biomedical research involving human Ss. Among the conclusions the author reaches are that ethical universals exist, but must not be confused with ethical absolutes. The existence of ethical universals is compatible with a
variety of culturally relative interpretations, and some rights related to medicine and health care should be considered human rights. Illustrative examples are drawn from the author's experiences serving on international ethical review committees and her travels to Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where she conducted educational workshops and carried out her own research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)"
Best regards, Irene M
CHIFA profile: Irene Melamed is a pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist. Master in Bioethics and Law, University of Barcelona. Member of the Southern Cone Initiative on Child's rights. Professor of Bioethics. Vice-president of the Society for Comprehensive Adolescent Health, SASIA, Argentina 2015-2018. dramelamed AT gmail.com She is a CHIFA Country Representative for Argentina http://www.hifa.org/support/members/irene-0
