Care and Estrangement in Mother-Child Relationship in Sula

Motherhood is one of the unavoidable themes of Toni Morrison’s Sula.However,motherhood manifests itself more as split and disconnection than affection and comfort in this novel.From the perspective of the ethic of care,we will find that motherhood is rather complicated and fraught with conflicts.The onus of parenthood care has traditionally fallen on the mother.The reality is that mother care is not as guaranteed and unconditional as readers used to believe.The performance of mother care is actually subject to many hindrances even though the mother may entertain a profound love towards her child.In this story,we may find that racial oppression,financial hardship,emotional burden,children’s depressing response,etc.,all exemplify these hindrances.Lack of care,thus,can lead to the disconnection and estrangement between mother and child.This novel dispels the myth of unconditional maternal love and presents to us the complicatedness of motherhood.

Examination of a Benchmark for Ethical Care Competence in Basic Nursing Education

Objectives: With rapid advancements in medical care, nurses are confronted with ethical issues on a daily basis. If new nurses are introduced to the clinical setting without having acquired sufficient ethical judgment skills in basic nursing education, they are unable to respond to the ethical dilemmas they face. This results in learned helplessness, which can lead to burnout and turnover. Therefore, it is imperative to develop educational programs where there is a natural progression from basic to continuing nursing. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a nationwide survey using the Nursing Student Care Ethical Competence Scale to present a benchmark for the assessment of this skill and facilitate continuity in nursing education. Methods: From February to March 2019, we conducted a questionnaire survey of 4930 final-year nursing students enrolled in nursing colleges, junior colleges, and technical schools nationwide. The survey consisted of 29 items on ethical behavior, 26 items on ethics knowledge, and seven items on personal attributes. For the analysis, we calculated percentiles for the five standards of nursing students’ ethical care competence: safe care provision, respecting self-determination, protecting personal information, providing the best care, and upholding patients’ dignity. Results: Responses were obtained from 1505 nursing students (collection rate 30.5%, valid response rate 30.5%). The 80th percentile (minimum value-maximum value) was 128 (38 - 145) points for the ethical competence of nursing students, 37 (11 - 40) points for safe care provision, 28 (4 - 31) points for respect for self-determination, 23 (5 - 25) points for protection of personal information, 23 (5 - 25) points for best care provision, and 13 (3 - 15) points for respect for personal dignity. Discussion: The 80th percentile was established as the benchmark for ethical care competence. Conclusion: Based on these criteria, nursing students can objectively assess their ethical behavior, allowing them to understand their strengths and weaknesses, articulate their challenges, and learn autonomously.

For a Pedagogy of Care

Today, philosophy as well as other sciences identifies care as a primary concept to reflect upon, and if we contemplate our own experience, the ontological and existential primacy of caring becomes apparent. Starting from these premises, it is fundamental to reinterpret education from the perspective of the concept of care. To contribute to the development of this pedagogical debate, the aim of this paper is to identify the ways of behaving which qualify the competence of an educator as capable of providing care. This is a central pedagogical question; indeed, since the practice of care occurs in relationships where the educator is the subject responsible for ensuring that the relationship is permeated by care. As such, a core task of pedagogical reflection is identifying the relational postures which shape good care.

Free Play and"Loving Care":A Qualitative Inquiry of Chinese Kindergarten Teachers' Professional Ethics

Purpose:Chinese kindergarten teachers commonly held"loving and caring for young children"as a core professional ethic,but many reported fatigue and burnout because of this ethical practice.This study presents a unique account of how children's free play has helped transform teachers'professional ethics and increased their professional satisfaction.Design/Approach/Methods:Followinga purposivesampling,we interviewed eight Chinese teachers who actively promoted children's free play.The analysis of the interview transcripts led to an in-depth interpretation of the teachers'experiences through a dialogue with various concepts and theories.Findings:A major finding was that children's free play facilitated the change in teachers'understandings of their professional ethics.Their observation and support of children's free play brought them the unprecedented joy of teaching,which helped them redefine loving and caring for children andgave risetoa new codeof professional ethics.

New Ethics and Old Roles:The Identity Dilemma of May Fourth New Women

五四新女性是在学校这一现代教育平台由新文化启蒙话语塑造而成,她们的意识形态认同来自新文化,是以个人主义为核心的正义伦理;而她们的性别认同及相应的关怀伦理,却使其对"旧道德"下的女性同类有更多同情。为实现个人权利、维护神圣恋爱,她们"忽略"名分、委屈尊严,在新旧道德的模糊地带与有妇之夫结成特殊婚姻。而非正常婚姻关系的缺憾,爱情中隐含的性别等级,个人自由与关怀伦理的对立与冲突等,都导致她们陷入认同危机。新女性身份认同的困境,体现了"五四"正义伦理的道德局限,而五四文学表达的某种匮乏,亦源自这个局限。