Building Context: Guiding Principles for Urban Bioethics and their Application via Qualitative Research
The field of bioethics originated from failures in medical research and provided a framework for medical decision-making and research ethics with the advent of its four core principles (justice, autonomy, non-maleficence, and beneficence). However, these core principles often overlook more complex issues related to health. In this thesis I take a critical look at traditional bioethics to demonstrate why more specific fields of bioethics, like public health ethics and urban bioethics, are necessary. I then look at the origins of urban bioethics to better understand the necessity for the field and the principles necessary for its implementation. Solidarity and agency are established principles of urban bioethics, and I will argue the need to add respect for community to the urban bioethics toolbox. Based on these principles; I argue the urban bioethicist has to understand the context of individuals and communities to properly apply agency, solidarity, and respect for community. The most appropriate way to build this context is through qualitative research. Qualitative research is uniquely suited for this task based on the nature of the field and the information it offers related to each of the principles of urban bioethics.
Medical ethics, Agency, Community, Solidarity, Urban bioethics
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