Children and Bioethics

74551-01 - Seminar: Contemporary Debates: Children and Bioethics (2 KP)

SemesterFrühjahrsemester 2025
Angebotsmustereinmalig
DozierendeSophie Ayoub (sophie.ayoub@unibas.ch)
Eva De Clercq (eva.declercq@unibas.ch)
Bernice Simone Elger (b.elger@unibas.ch, BeurteilerIn)
InhaltPediatrics turns bioethics on its head.
Children lack the legal competence and sometimes the capacity to fully understand and consent to medical treatments and participation in clinical research. As a result, the field of pediatric healthcare and research raises unique ethical questions that complicate the usual frameworks and principles of bioethics: Can parents and healthcare providers make healthcare decisions on behalf of children? Should we empower children to have a greater say as they mature? How should we balance the child’s best interest with the rights of caregivers?

This seminar explores the ethical challenges involved in pediatric healthcare and research through a lecture series on topics such as prenatal genetic testing, neonatal care, child euthanasia, pediatric palliative care, and children’s medical tourism. By engaging with these topics, students will develop a nuanced understanding of the ethical challenges in pediatric healthcare and research, and the ways in which these issues often require a shift in established bioethical frameworks and principles.

The “Contemporary Debates in Bioethics” is a lecture series offered once every semester. Each time, it focuses on another aspect of current debates and potential ethical concerns and conflicts. During the spring 2025 semester, the focus of the lectures will be on children and bioethics. If you have questions concerning the format, the learning objectives and/or your participation, please contact Sophie Ayoub (Sophie.ayoub@unibas.ch).
LernzieleAfter having attended this seminar series, you will have gained a better understanding of the ethical complexities involved in pediatric healthcare and research. You will also gain new perspectives on traditional frameworks and principles in bioethics.
LiteraturSuggested readings will be provided a few days before each session on ADAM.
BemerkungenUSB Gebäude B, Hörsaal 3
Address: Spitalstrasse 21, 4056 Basel
Time: 12:15 – 13:45 (Central Europe Time)
17.02.2025
24.02.2025
03.03.2025
17.03.2025
24.03.2025
31.03.2025
07.04.2025
14.04.2025
28.04.2025
05.05.2025
TeilnahmevoraussetzungenThe seminar series is open to both Unibas students and the general public.
Unibas students who wish to receive 2 ECTS to their transcript have to register to the course on the Course Directory and attend in-person in order to get the credit points.
If you are not an Unibas student, or do not wish to receive credit points, you may either attend the sessions in-person or over Zoom (a link will be sent a few days before each session).
UnterrichtsspracheEnglisch
ModuleAufbaumodul (Teil C) (Transfakultäre Querschnittsprogramme im freien Kreditpunkte-Bereich)
Basismodul (Teil A) (Transfakultäre Querschnittsprogramme im freien Kreditpunkte-Bereich)
Doktorat Bio- und Medizinethik: Empfehlungen (Promotionsfach: Bio- und Medizinethik)
Doktorat Pflegewissenschaft: Empfehlungen (Promotionsfach: Pflegewissenschaft)
Modul: Biblische und systematische Theologie (Masterstudium: Theologie)
Modul: Ethik des Christentums - materiale Ethik, Ethik der Lebensführung (ST/E 2) (Master Studienfach: Theologie)
Modul: Ethik des Christentums – materiale Ethik, Ethik der Lebensführung (ST/E 2) (Masterstudium: Theologie)
Modul: Praktische Philosophie (Master Studienfach: Philosophie)
Vertiefungsmodul Global Europe: Global Ageing and Health (Masterstudium: European Global Studies)
Wahlbereich Master Pflegewissenschaft: Empfehlungen (Masterstudium: Pflegewissenschaft)
PrüfungLehrveranst.-begleitend
Hinweise zur Prüfung1. Attend at least 8 lectures and participate actively. In case of unavoidable further absences, please contact us. These can possibly be compensated by an additional assignment (e.g. an additional short essay)
2. Students will be required to write a 1300-word reflection (excluding the bibliography). As part of the assignment, they will use ChatGPT to ask questions on given topics and then critically analyze these AI-generated perspectives in their text. The analysis should incorporate their personal insights, addressing the ethical issues raised and exploring potential solutions.
Additional guidelines and detailed instructions will be provided during the introductory class. This assignment aims to develop students' ability to engage with emerging AI tools while deepening their understanding of complex ethical challenges.
SkalaPass / Fail

 

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