BBH 301 -- Values and Ethics in Human Development Professions, Spring Semester, 2010

Instructor: B.C. Jones

Office: 311 Health and Human Development East, bcj1@psu.edu
Office hours: 0800-1000 MWF

Teaching Assistant: Lina Yin

Office: 128 S. Henderson
Office hours: 1200 – 1300 TTh

Class Time: 1300-1415 Tuesdays and Thursdays

Class Location: Willard 073

Text: F. L. Macrina Scientific Integrity: An Introductory Text With Cases, 2nd Ed. ASM Press 2000

This course is organized around three topics:

I. What is the nature of man’s quest for knowledge? Should some knowledge be forbidden?

II. What is moral philosophy and where do values come from?

III. What is responsible conduct of research?

Examinations and grading:

a. There will be 4 in-class, examinations, worth 50 points each.

b. There are no makeup exams except with advanced notice or illness.

c. The examinations will be written, consisting of definitions and short-answer essays.

d. Grades will be assigned as follows:

e. A=93-100, A-=90-92, B+=86-89, B=83-85, B-=80-82, C+=76-79, C=70-75, D=60-69

Academic Integrity. Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarship free from fraud and deception. Academic dishonesty
includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarizing, fabrication of information or citations, facilitating acts of dishonesty
by others, possessing unauthorized copies of examinations, submitting the work of others claimed as one's own,
submitting work used for other classes (without the knowledge of the instructor) or tampering with the work of other
students. All work submitted for this class must be original and not the result of discussions with others. Instances of
academic dishonesty threaten the atmosphere of trust and free exchange of ideas. Such instances will result in the
offending student receiving a failing grade for work discovered to be fraudulent and for egregious cases, the student may
be dismissed from the class with a failing grade.

Accessibility. Students with physical or sensory conditions which make access difficult are encouraged to consult the
Office for Disability Services at (814) 863 1807 in advance of the first day of class if possible.

Attendance Policy: We do not take attendance – it’s too time-consuming. If you do not attend regularly, however, you
will have difficulty in performing well. The material is difficult and sometimes frustrating to grasp clearly. Notes will be
projected for class and posted on ANGEL.
LECTURE SCHEDULE

DATE TOPIC

01/12 Introduction, Logistics, Basic Premises

Section I: What is the nature of man’s quest for knowledge? Should some knowledge be forbidden?

01/14 Man’s Ambivalence Toward Knowledge – Some Background Readings

01/19 Forbidden Knowledge I – Stories From Antiquity Notes

01/21 Forbidden Knowledge II – The Birth of Science Notes

01/26 Forbidden Knowledge III – Milton and Faust Readings

01/28 Forbidden Knowledge IV – Bombs, Genes, Post Modernism Notes

02/02 First Examination

Section II: What is moral philosophy and where do values come from?

02/04 Moral Philosophy Readings, Text Ch 2

02/09 Where Do Values Come From? Readings

02/11 Ethical and Moral Relativism Readings

02/16 Ethical dilemmas Readings

Section III. What is responsible conduct of research?

02/18 Ethics and Science I: Why do we do research? What are the Institutions? Text, Ch 1

02/23 Ethics and Science II: The selling of research Text Ch 2, 4

02/25 Ethics and Science III: Fraud and misconduct in research Text, Ch 1, Readings

03/02 More Ethical Dilemmas Readings

03/04 Second Examination

03/08-03/12 SPRING BREAK, NO CLASSES

03/16 Human Subjects Research I: Background and Nuremberg Code Readings

03/18 Human Subjects Research II: What are the rules and how are they enforced? Text, Ch 5

03/23 Animal Subjects Research I: Background and ethical considerations Text, Ch 6

03/25 Animal Subjects Research II: What are the risks and rules? Enforcement? Text, Ch 6, Readings

03/30 Medical Ethics I: Professional conduct Readings

04/01 Medical Ethics II: Patients’ and Clients’ rights Readings

04/06 Third Examination

04/08 Ethics in Health Policy I: Health policy and public health Readings

04/13 Ethics in Health Policy II: Addressing the needs of specific populations Readings

04/15 Checks and balances I: Peer review Text, Ch 4

04/20 Checks and balances II: Conflicts of interest Text, Ch 7

04/22 Mentorship Text, Ch 3

04/27 Collaborations Text, Ch 8

04/29 Fourth Examination