ABSTRACT
The commonly applied concept of informed consent, as discussed in Chapter 4, is essentially a Western notion, rooted as it is in the foundation of individual autonomy. Yet is this conception of autonomy universally accepted? If it is not, ought our applications of research ethics to be subtly revised in order to be more context sensitive, while still retaining such widespread and important elements as beneficence, justice and respect for persons? We will argue that while we do not want to slide down the slippery slope towards ethical relativism, researchers, ethics committees and regulatory bodies should think carefully about whether or not currently accepted models of ethics are universally applicable. Indeed, we will argue that they are not and, further, that considerations such as ‘community involvement’ in decision-making are not necessarily incompatible with individualised respect for persons. Moreover, we will argue that respect for persons is not confined to acknowledging autonomy and may require an understanding and appreciation of the values of societies to which individuals belong. We contend that the uncritical application of ‘ready-made’ models of research ethics in all situations is flawed, not only ethically, but methodologically as well.
