Bioethical Aspects of Ethnic Prejudice Cover Image

Bioetički aspekti etničkih predrasuda
Bioethical Aspects of Ethnic Prejudice

Author(s): Sandra Radenović, Karel Turza
Subject(s): Cultural Essay, Political Essay, Societal Essay
Published by: Sociološko naučno društvo Srbije
Keywords: ethnic prejudice; ethnic distance; physician-patient relation; bioethics;

Summary/Abstract: It is assumed that considerable ethnic distance is an empirical manifestation of the ethnonationalistic political pattern still dominant in contemporary Serbian society. The results of our research of ethnic distance on a non-representative sample of Medical School students (University in Belgrade) confirm this assumption. We discuss a specific sample –future medical professionals who are a priori expected to be free from all kind of prejudice, while the physician-patient relation implies a complete and unreserved engagement of the medical professional, disregarding patient’s race, nation, religion, sex/gender, age etc. Nevertheless, the findings indicate considerable distance among students toward certain ethnic, national and racial groups. The authors point to the importance of bioethics in the education of future medical doctors since, among other things, bioethics reflects various dimensions of specific interaction/communication in the physician-patient relation. Finally, the authors emphasize the significance of bioethics in critical reflexion of a priori and unquestionable authority of the “white coat”.

  • Issue Year: 49/2007
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 369-380
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Serbian