Slice-o-Life: Ethical Choices for an Engaged University

Slice-o-Life: Ethical Choices for an Engaged University
by Mike Madias, Clinical Sociologist and Columnist

August 12, 2002

Columnist Mike Madias I am writing news stories about situations that place the management of a large urban university in a bad light. The stories say that the current administration fails to fill the immediate needs of its students and of neighbors in the city.

But, my work begs the question. I assume that a research oriented university has an obligation to engage in action and not just observation, and that, given a choice action should trump observation.

Last year, this university's medical school received a five-year $11 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to study "the practical application of research on drug addiction treatment."

What does this mean? Perhaps it is a study looking at past studies and evaluating them. Perhaps it is a study of how some institution could use drug addiction treatment for some practical application. Who knows?

My guess is that it is a long trickle down before the fruits of this $11 million grant have any material effect on a pregnant kid from the neighborhood who is also a drug addict.

Tonight there will be a birth of a premature baby, who is addicted to cocaine, and developed the dependence on the drug from its time as a foetus within the womb of its cocaine addicted mother. This will happen in the emergency room of the university hospital, where the attending doctor is likely to also be a faculty member.

An individual doctor, nurse or social worker may feel a personal responsibility. Thousands of people associated with the university give philanthropic service to members of the community. But, other than saving a mother and an infants life in the emergency room, does the school of medicine have a direct obligation to the community in an effort to deal with the problem of drug addicted pregnant women in general?

Medical research is often about action. It is about treating a malady with a new technique, medicine, or vaccine. Results play into the community from the tip of a hypodermic or the point of a scalpel.

But often research pulls away from action. Social science research tends to weigh in on the side of observation. Even medical research, like this $11 million dollars, can be about observation.

Pure research is fine. It is the dream of ivory tower Faustus-like scholars. But if someone is in a tuberculosis ward, that might not be the best place for pure research. Amongst the ill, intellectual and moral triage would select for action.

I suggest that my city, unlike its preened sister city of with a Big 10 university, has such physical, social, and educational maladies that it becomes immoral to stand aside and watch the patient convulse. The situation calls for action.

There was a man who was beset by thieves, beaten, and left for dead by on the sidewalk along the maon thouroughfare of my city. Along comes a delivery truck, bringing a fresh shipment of rugby shirts to the Old Navy store. The driver sees the man lying there and feels sympathy for him. The driver stops the truck and gets out. He walks over to the man laying on the sidewalk, and says to him, "Don't worry, I am sure a good Samaritan will come by soon to help you."

I think that the university executives care about tmy city. They give a damn, I am sure. But I am not convinced that they understand. ***

Photo of Mike Madias courtesy of the author

A clinical sociologist living in the Metropolitan Detroit area, Mike's work has appeared in The Detroit News. He may be reached by e-mail at News4629@aol.com.