BAPP Task 5c: Applying the theories in Professional Ethics

The task 5c of the Module 2 of the BA (Hons) in Professional Practice at the Middlesex University consists of after consulting the reader on Professional Ethics especially the requirements for carrying out practitioner inquiry, answer the following questions writing about what you have learned about the ideas surrounding ethics in a professional context after reviewing reader 5.

For me reading and learning the Reader 5 on Professional Ethics was not only very interesting but also enormously inspiring, for example the fig. 1 of how ethics operate in society in the order of personal, profession, organisation and finally generating a whole society.

Ethics have been in our society since the Greek Civilisation, where philosophers such as Plato or Aristotle developed their ethical theories, based of moral philosophy:

“Concerned about the right or the good way to carry out actions”

Middlesex (2017)

Following on from Greeks, many philosophers such as Hobbes, who viewed ethics as a practical solution to social harmony and good through the social contract, Immanuel Kant, that he believed that moral rules are absolute and based this on reason rather than on religion or JS Mill that developed a theory of moral obligation that proposed to choose that which will tend to produce the greatest good for the greatest number

In the arts, ethics are also essential in order to develop your work in a healthy and moral environment. Through the years there are some relevant ethical points that you need to respect as an artist in all forms such as:

- Treat colleagues with respect

- Don´t be selfish

- Don´t tread on other artist´s spaces

- Don´t steal other people´s ideas

- Be professional

- Thanks those who support you

These are only a few examples of them, but of course there are many depending on which form you are. Below you will find an image that I found perfect to represent the biggest problem of an artist in my opinion, their ego, and how they believe that all the world has to bow their creations. However, as an artist need to represent the society of their time, in fact an artist need to serve the society itself for the understanding of future generations.

Jacob’s Ladder by William Blake

How does what you have learnt fit into the theorical ethical framework?

As a dancer, and most importantly as a human being I always take ethics and moral first, in my opinion, where not humans anymore, just domesticated animals. After this reader I complemented my knowledge especially through the theories by Kant and Hobbes, that relate quite a lot for my professional practice that I will apply from now on.

How does what you you have discovered fit in with the ethics of professional inquiry?

Within my professional inquiry, there are some ethical points that are essential for the development of it, such as thanking those who support me (Through interviews, advices…) or  don´t steal other people´s ideas (That especially is applied for my resources and how I am applying them when writing my work always referencing to them)

Gonzalo

BAPP Task 5b: Codes of Practice & Regulations in my Professional Environment

The task 5b of the Module 2 of the BA (Hons) in Professional Practice at the Middlesex University consists of finding out what are the codes of practice & regulations which steer the ethical framework in the place of work or professional community. These could come from statutory sources or from professional sources. After this research we need to blog how our findings differ from your assumptions and thoughts above.

Firstly, as a dancer of The Latvian National Ballet, there are official codes of practice & regulations that you need to respect, in the photo below you can see the public rules and regulations that are established in my professional environment, also as a worker of that institution we have more specific ones that are specified in our contracts, however because of confidentiality reasons, I cannot publish them.

Public Rules and Regulations of the Latvian National Opera

When you observe these regulations, it is interesting for me to see, how many of them seem obvious to me, common sense rules. However, they need to be specified because not all the people see them as such. For example, if you arrive late to the performance, you cannot enter to the auditorium, but you can see the performance in the Opera Café until the interval (So you don´t disturb the performance) or how photography, food, drinks and pets are completely forbidden. Also, there are other things that, in my opinion it is very useful that they are regulated so the audience know how to behave with this issues, such as the dress code when attending to the show or when to applaud in the performance.

BAPP Programme Handbook

Also, at the moment because of this BAPP Course at the Middlesex University, I´m learning other codes of practice & regulations that you need to respect in the academic world that are written in our Programme Handbook, such as attendance, academic support, the format of the written work that do or how to analyse the feedback and grades that we receive both from our tutors and external examiners

In my opinion, it is essential that you respect and apply the codes of practice & regulations in your environment (Professional, Academic or Personal), it is the only way to make things going smooth and successful.

Gonzalo