Our research extends the current understanding of cognitive moral reasoning research by considering the often‐overlooked element of context, specifically the issue presented in the ethical dilemma, and the issue of gender agreement between the subject and the dilemma actor. We rely on gender identity and cognitive moral reasoning theories to provide the theoretical underpinnings of our exploration to deepen our understanding of the contextual forces affecting cognitive moral reasoning. Our results generally confirm earlier research findings and provide valuable information regarding (...) our understanding of the impact of the dilemma context and the gender agreement or disagreement between the subject and the actor in an ethical dilemma, with significance found for four of our five hypotheses, with half of the significant results in the direction predicted. Implications for future academic research and business practice are discussed. (shrink)

The response to feeding needs in advanced dementia patients is a subject of ethical inquiry. Advanced dementia is the debilitating result of a range of neurodegenerative diseases. As this terminal illness progresses, patients develop mild to severe dysphagia that can make swallowing difficult. Of the two available options, artificial tube feeding or oral hand feeding, an estimated one-third of these patients will receive artificial tube feeding. However, observational studies have failed to validate the clinical benefits of tube feeding. Ethics of (...) care, the feminist philosophical perspective, and Ubuntu philosophy offer arguments for the choice of oral hand-feeding as a preferrable first option by caregivers as far as possible. These moral theories acknowledge that human beings can be dependent for long periods, mostly early and later years of life. Both views reflect an approach that draws people into a system of interdependent caring relationships. They encourage hand feeding as a way of exhibiting solidarity and respecting human dignity even at the end of life. (shrink)