Overview
Heritage Resources Management 334 / Philosophy 334: Professional Ethics in Heritage Resources Management examines the ways that ethical issues and moral theories shape heritage practice as well as critical methods for analyzing and evaluating a variety of positions on these issues. These issues and theories are approached through an understanding of moral reasoning as well as the various principles in ethics that have been accepted as framing heritage practice. It also deals with formal ethical guidelines and less formal rules that govern practice. Through this course, students will gain an understanding of the reasons and imperatives for ethical behaviour in professional life, and the unique ethical dilemmas that heritage practitioners face in regards to collection, preservation, representation, and exhibition. This course is divided into two parts. Part I, “An Introduction to Professional Ethics in Heritage Resources Management,” presents conceptual and foundational issues, while Part II, “Ethical Issues in Heritage Resources Management,” discusses ethical issues that are specifically raised in heritage resources practice. Although it is unlikely that all moral and ethical dilemmas can be resolved, it is the intent of this course to offer the structural background in traditional and modern philosophies of ethics and morals, as well as a variety of approaches to some key questions or problems.
HERM 334 is a required course in the Heritage Resources Management program, but welcomes all students.
Outline
Part I: An Introduction to Professional Ethics in Heritage Resources Management
- Unit 1: What Is a Profession?
- Unit 2: Heritage Resources Management and Ethical Codes
- Unit 3: Moral and Ethical Principles for Heritage Resources Management—The Foundations of Ethical Practice
- Unit 4: Institutional versus Personal Ethics—Policies, Procedures, and Virtue Ethics
- Unit 5: Legal, Cultural, and Ethical Responsibility—Cultural and Intellectual Property
Part II: Ethical Issues in Heritage Resources Management
- Unit 6: Standards of Ethics in Conservation and Heritage Management
- Unit 7: Cultural Relativism—Appropriation, Human Remains, and Indigenous Heritage
- Unit 8: Feminist Ethics and Heritage Resources Management
- Unit 9: Censorship and Heritage Ethics
- Unit 10: Conflicts of Interest, Looting, and Repatriation
- Unit 11: Reconciliation, Heritage Discourse, and Justice
Learning outcomes
This course is designed to make you aware of the ethical theories and their application in terms of the work of heritage, museum, and collections professionals. It will allow you to become a clear critical thinker, academic problem-solver, and ethically aware professional. The specific dilemmas, challenges, and contexts that are examined in each unit of this course guide you to consider how there are a variety of ethical and/or moral principles that are specific to a variety of professional roles. It will allow you to approach such challenges critically and respectfully. When you have completed this course, you will be able to do the following:
- Analyze and identify key ethical principles or moral maxims in relation to heritage or museum professions and discuss as well as evaluate these in specific terms relating to work contexts.
- Become aware of the many cultural and social contexts and issues that create dilemmas and effectively approach these from the perspective of ethical methods and analyses.
- Evaluate a set of ethical or moral ideas in an academic context, as well as a work environment, and employ these in your academic assignments.
- Develop and present arguments or analyses that are relevant to specific ethical or moral issues in relation to reconciliation.
- Critique, defend, and assess ethical judgments related to Indigenous rights, gender equity, and inclusiveness and diversity from an integrative perspective and justify these judgments.
Evaluation
Your final grade in Heritage Resources Management 334 / Philosophy 334: Professional Ethics in Heritage Resources Management will be based on your marks from the four assignments. To receive credit for this course, you must achieve a minimum of 50% on each assignment and a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent). The chart below summarizes course activities and the credit weight associated with each assignment.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1: Critical Essay | 30% |
| Assignment 2: Case Study | 35% |
| Assignment 3: Course Project—Part A | 15% |
| Assignment 4: Course Project—Part B | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.