Testing the Predictors of College Students’ Attitudes Toward Plagiarism

Journal of Academic Ethics - The purpose of this study was to investigate factors contributing to college students’ attitudes towards plagiarism. This study tested a hypothesized model that...     

Afro-communal virtue ethic as a foundation for environmental sustainability in Africa and beyond

This paper addresses the question: Can an Afro-communal virtue ethic provide a plausible foundation for environmental sustainability? Drawing on Thaddeus Metz’s perspective and contributions to the Afro-communal ethic tradition, this paper examines the extent to which his proposal provides plausible grounds for environmental sustainability. Metz, in several essays, advances the need for an ethic of communion, which rests on the ubuntu (humanness) virtue principles of shared identity, solidarity, and participative empathy. This paper argues that Metz’s view is a version of virtue ethics, of which flourishing, care and goodwill are important aspects. While this African ethical construct has some limitations, this paper nevertheless maintains that it entails some virtues that have promising normative implications for environmental sustainability. Metz’s views on an Afro-communal virtue ethic is relevant to motivating behavioural changes in the environmental sustainability quest through its capacity to provoke salient virtuous attitudes and values of responsible inter-generational and intra-generational Earth stewardship. Though an African ethical construct, this paper argues that the potential foundational import of Metz’s proposal for environmental sustainability reaches far beyond the geopolitical boundaries of Africa.     

Missed first appointments: Prevalence and associated factors in first-time attendees at an outpatient psychiatric clinic in Nigeria

In Nigeria, outpatient care forms the bulk of the psychiatric service. While there are no published data, empirical observations indicate that default may be high and exerting a huge toll on the cost of care. The aims were to determine the first-appointment default rate among newly seen outpatients in a psychiatric clinic and to identify factors associated with it. The study was a survey of all newly seen patients from 1 January 2006 to 31 January 2006, and who were given a follow-up appointment. A total of 223 new patients were seen. Of these, 151 (67.7%) turned up for their appointment, 61 (27.4%) defaulted, and 11 (4.9%) were referred. Defaulters were more likely to be Christians, younger in age, and in employment. On using correlation statistics, respondents’ religion and occupational status demonstrated a linear relationship and a significant association with follow-up attendance/non-attendance. The rate of non-attendance at first follow-up is of clinical concern, and the possible contribution of religion to this may be enormous. Clinicians and health policy makers need to be sensitive to this. The introduction of community psychiatric services and collaboration between orthodox and traditional/religious practitioners may help reduce default rates.     

Is skin bleaching a moral wrong? An African bioethical perspective

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics - Focusing on black communities in Africa, in this paper, I attempt an African bioethico-aesthetic deconstruction of the falsehood in colorist definitions of...     

Teaching ancient African philosophy

In this article, I critically examine the pedagogical problems in the teaching of ancient history of African philosophy in continental and diaspora Africa. I argue that the teaching of ancient history of African philosophy poses ab initio some peculiar problems arising from a number of factors: scepticism about the existence of such a classical philosophy; the problem of language and the controversy in the historiography of African philosophy. An examination of these issues as well as a discussion of their possible resolutions constitutes serious challenges both at the pedagogical and philosophical levels. I establish the particularistic, mythological, comparative, historical, and philosophical dimensions of ancient African philosophy which are instructive in the teaching of the course in tertiary institutions in continental and diaspora Africa. I provide advice on some common issues that are sensible to acquaint learners with in the teaching of the course in the homeland and diasporas, regardless of the variations in topics, emphasis, contents and texts. Consequently, I suggest a course scheme in ancient history of African philosophy that may be minimally adopted at the tertiary level.     

Global justice in the context of transnational surrogacy: an African bioethical perspective

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics - The ongoing debate on how best to regulate international commercial surrogacy defies consensus, as the most cogent normative and jurisprudential...