Curricular Unit:Code:
Ethics and Professional Deontology780EDPR
Year:Level:Course:Credits:
1UndergraduateCriminology6 ects
Learning Period:Language of Instruction:Total Hours:
Portuguese/English78
Learning Outcomes of the Curricular Unit:
(i) To have knowledge and ability to understand concepts, theories and knowledge in the area of Ethics;
(ii) To develop skills to support solutions and opinions expressed in the analysis of relevant social, scientific and ethical aspects;
(iii) To develop a critical attitude and self-criticism, as well as to adopt ethical values.
(iv) To apply the knowledge and understanding acquired capacity in order to allow for proper assessment and resolution of dilemmas in the field of criminal investigation;
(v) To improve oral and written communication skills;
Syllabus:
1st Unit – 1. Basic notions of ethics and deontology. 1.1. Definitions of ethics and deontology. 1.2. Distinction and relation between ethics, morals and law. 3. The “golden rule of ethics”.
2nd Unit – 2. Human Rights and ethics. 2.1. Fundamental rights and human dignity. 2.2. Importance of historical memory.
3rd Unit – 3. Ethics and deontology in criminal investigation. 3.1. Respect for the rule of law. 3.2. Respect for privacy and confidentiality. 3.3. Ethical and deontological criteria for the exercise of authority. 3.4. Conflict of interests. 3.5. Personal values and professionalism. 3.6. Truth, impartiality and proof.
Demonstration of the Syllabus Coherence with the Curricular Unit's Objectives:
1 – Presentation of the basic definitions of ethics and deontology. Clarification of the link and distinction between them and morals and law.
2 – Presentation of the links between ethics and Human Rights. Clarification of the link between the fundamental rights and human dignity. Links between the notion of “rule of law” and HR to facilitate the understanding of them as the pillars of justice systems in democratic societies. Emphasis on the relevance of historical memory to understand current societies.
3 – Presentation of the principles and criteria to be respected in a criminal investigation according to ethical patterns.
Teaching Methodologies (Including Evaluation):
Teaching methodology will include theoretical lecturing, research, reading and discussion of specific references, as well as thematic debating and critical reflection. Assessment will be periodical and based on two written tests: one on units 1 and 2 (50%); another on unit 3 (50%). The final grade results from the arithmetic average of the tests’ grades.
Demonstration of the Coherence between the Teaching Methodologies and the Learning Outcomes:
Theoretical approaches to the relevance of personal ethics and of its relationship with social reality enables the mainstreaming fulfillment of the syllabus. Debates during classes about issues on ethics and on the ethical evaluation of specific situations enable the fulfillment of outcome i)-iii) in what concerns to skills necessary to solve problems and evaluate social, scientific and ethical issues. Discussion of case studies in the domain of Human Rights and criminology give students the skills to understand the relevance of Human Rights as a frame to a professional performance based on deontology (learning outcome i).
Reading:
Almeida,C.R. et al (2020). Humanizar o humano: entre o desprezo e a dignidade. Revista Flecha do Tempo,1,33-50.
Benedek, W.; Moreira, V.; Gomes, C. M. (coord). (2014). Compreender os Direitos Humanos. Manual de Educação para os Direitos Humanos. Coimbra: Coimbra Editora.
Código do criminólogo: https://elearning.ufp.pt/access/content/group/40d95d28-c120-40a8-be48-b9274b01afae/TEXTOS/codigo-deontologico-criminologo.pdf
Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos: https://dre.pt/declaracao-universal-dos-direitos-humanos
Lei n.º 70/2019 - Regula o exercício da profissão de criminólogo
Rates& Lins(2021)Fil.da educação e desenv. da pes. humana por meio da const. de conceitos éticos.Rev.Programa de Ed.13(30) 409-425
Zanon, A. (2020). O princípio da alteridade de Lévinas como fundamento para a responsabilidade ética. Perseitas, 8. pp. 75-103.