This essay is based on a story where you get an eye on pedagogue’s different approaches to the pacifier in preschool. A pedagogues approach towards, for example, the pacifier affects how you choose to act and in the story it is seen that pedagogues can have different approaches to how to act against children´s use of pacifiers in preschool. In the reflection section, I discuss pedagogue’s different approaches to the pacifier and how one´s approach is formed. Discourse ethics has taken a large part in the essay as it can be used as a tool in the discussions between pedagogues when they have different approaches. How can different approaches affect the children and how these approaches can work in relation to power is something that is discussed in the essay. I will also analyse more deeply the power perspective to get an insight on such power that may not be so visible in everyday life, but which is found in all meetings between people. I have interviewed pedagogues in preschool to gain a better insight into how collegial relationships in preschool can be affected by different approaches towards the use of pacifiers, and what pedagogues regard as being important to consider when approaches collide. At the end of the reflection I discuss different performances and discourses about the pacifier in order to get an idea of ​​what can affect the approaches of pedagogues, and to show that it is not always easy to choose an approach when you do not know what is the "best" way.

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Den här studien presenterar, tolkar och analyserar Seyla Benhabibs kommunikativa etik samt undersöker vilka implikationer denna får för religionsdialog som praktisk diskurs. Med utgångspunkt från den kommunikativa etikens båda grundläggande principer om universell moralisk respekt och egalitär ömsesidighet samt idén om det radikalt situerade moraliska subjektet arbetar författaren fram ett förslag på normativa utgångspunkter för religionsdialog mellan kristna och muslimer i Sverige. Aspekter av genus och makt kommenteras särskilt. Studien visar på hur den kommunikativa etiken ställer långtgående krav på dialogens förutsättningar, förberedelser likväl som på dess deltagare. Samtidigt framträder en etik som inte väjer för kontroversiella frågor och obehagliga samtal. I studien framhålls dialogens upprätthållande och kontinuitet som det överordnade målet. / This study presents, interprets and analyzes Seyla Benhabib's discourse ethics, and investigates its implications for religious dialogue as practical discourse. On the basis of the fundamental principles of universal moral respect and egalitarian reciprocity, as well as the idea of ​​the situated moral self, the author proposes ten normative starting points for inter-religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims in Sweden. Aspects of gender and power are commented in particular. The study shows how discourse ethics impose far-reaching demands on the conditions of the dialogue, on the preparation of it as well as on its participants. The continuity of dialogue is emphasized as the overall goal.

Un intérêt grandissant pour le rôle du citoyen dans la prise de décision concernant la vie publique se développe depuis les dernières années. Le développement et la mise en oeuvre de divers mécanismes de participation citoyenne, comme les conférences citoyennes, témoignent de cet intérêt. Nombre de ces expériences ont fait l'objet d'une évaluation, mais essentiellement au niveau de l'efficacité ou du succès de l'exercice. Peut-on les évaluer sur le plan de l’éthique? Quels sont les défis éthiques posés par les mécanismes de participation citoyenne? Ce mémoire évalue une expérience de conférence citoyenne portant sur les avancées de la biologie humaine à l’ère de la génomique mise sur pied par le Groupe de recherche en bioéthique (GREB) de l’Université de Montréal en 2005. À l’aide du concept de l’éthique de la discussion, telle que proposée par quatre auteurs québécois, une analyse qualitative est effectuée sur six documents rédigés dans le cadre de la conférence. Deux catégories de résultats sont discutées. D’abord, les divers éléments relatifs à la conférence citoyenne qui ont soulevé notre attention. Ensuite, les préoccupations des participants en lien avec la science, la société et la participation. Une meilleure compréhension des aspects éthiques auxquels on devrait accorder une attention particulière contribuera à l’amélioration du mécanisme de conférence citoyenne et à son utilisation à long terme. / In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the role of citizens in public decision-making. This interest is reflected in the development and implementation of various citizen participation mechanisms, such as citizen conferences (also known as consensus conferences). Many of these experiences have been evaluated, but mainly in terms of their effectiveness or success. What are the ethical challenges posed by citizen participation mechanisms? This study looks at a citizen conference on advances in human biology in the era of genomics, held by the Groupe de recherche en bioéthique (GREB) of the Université de Montréal in 2005. The concept of discourse ethics, as developed by four Quebec authors, is used to conduct a qualitative analysis of six documents from the conference. Two categories of results are discussed: noteworthy aspects of the citizen conference and participants’ concerns with regard to science, society and their participation. A better understanding of key ethical issues will help to improve citizen conferences and their long-term use.

Ce travail doctoral s’intéresse principalement  aux concepts d'éthique commerciale, du développement durable et de la responsabilité des entreprises.  Cette recherche souligne l'émergence d'un monde globalisé où les pays, les citoyens et les entreprises sont connectés les uns aux autres, par des liens économiques, politiques, sociaux et technologiques. La mondialisation de nos sociétés et de nos économies posent des défis complexes à multiples facettes. Afin de faire face à ces défis, les entreprises doivent assumer les nouveaux rôles, et redéfinir leurs responsabilités. Ces responsabilités proviennent de l'évolution des attentes sociétales concernant les entreprises et leurs devoirs. C'est pourquoi le discours social sur la responsabilité des entreprises met en évidence les attentes sociétales émergentes. En outre, au sein des entreprises, le discours de la responsabilité illustre la réaction des entreprises face à ces nouvelles attentes. Enfin, ces discours influencent le développement cognitif des consommateurs et, par conséquent, impactent leurs attitudes et leurs comportements. Les défis du développement durable et de la responsabilité des entreprises sont complexes, conflictuels, et parfois contradictoires. Il est impératif d’accentuer nos efforts sur notre capacité à écouter, à délibérer et à créer ensemble des principes applicables universellement. Ainsi, je suis une approche discursive et mobilise la théorie de l’agir communicationnel de Habermas (1981) en tant que cadre global théorique. Ma thèse contient trois études de recherche, chacune se concentrant sur un axe de la responsabilité : la société, les entreprises et les consommateurs. Le premier article présente une analyse thématique sur la responsabilité sociale des entreprises et sur le développement durable. Une analyse de contenu a été réalisée, elle nous a permis d'obtenir les thèmes - manifestes et latents - de la responsabilité. Le deuxième article porte sur les déclarations sociales parmi les grandes entreprises françaises. Le discours sur la responsabilité est étudié à travers la méthode d'analyse de contenu des rapports annuels des sociétés de CAC-40. Le dernier article a pour objectif de comprendre l'adoption de comportements éthiques par les consommateurs. L'article présente d'abord un modèle quantitatif de décision éthique des consommateurs et puis le valide empiriquement par les méthodes d'équations structurelles / I position my doctoral thesis in the broad field of organization science; it stands within the domains of business ethics, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. I appreciate the emergence of a globalized world whereby countries, people, and businesses are connected to each other through economic, political, social, and technological ties. The globalized economies and societies pose complex and multifaceted challenges. To cope with these challenges, businesses will have to assume newer responsibilities and roles. These responsibilities originate from the evolving societal expectations about businesses and their duties. Hence social discourse on business responsibility should highlight the emerging societal expectations. Further, within businesses, the responsibility discourse should give an insight to the reaction of businesses to these emerging responsibilities. And, finally these discourses should affect the consumers’ cognitive development, and consequently impact their attitudes and behaviors. The challenges of sustainability and corporate responsibility are complex, conflicting and at times contradictory. It is imperative to bank on our ability to communicate, to discuss and to co-create universally applicable rules. Therefore I adopt a discursive approach in my thesis, and use Habermas’ theory of communicative action (1981) as an overarching theoretical framework. The thesis contains three research studies, each focusing on one aspect of responsibility, thus covering the three levels of responsibility discourse: societal, corporate and individual. The first article presents a thematic analysis of the business responsibility discourse in popular CSR and sustainability books. Content analyses is used to elicit the apparent and latent responsibility themes of the sample books. The second article focuses on the patterns of social disclosure among large French corporations. The responsibility discourse is analyzed through content analyses of the annual reports of CAC-40 companies. The last article is aimed to comprehend the adoption of ethically conscious behaviors by the consumers. The article first presents a quantitative model of consumers’ ethical decision making and then validates it empirically by structural equation modeling.

在全球化的處境之下，有許多問題無法繼續依賴傳統的方式來解決，特別是關於正義，以及需要人類擔負起共同責任的問題。於是，建立一套放諸四海皆準的倫理學便成了當務之急。 當代哲學家阿佩爾承繼了康德倫理學的基本架構，並在語用學轉向的思潮下，將它由獨我論式的倫理轉化為以「先驗語用學」來終極奠基之「論述倫理學」。論述倫理學以「論辯」為其核心概念，主張在進行論辯時，有應當遵循之「不可規避的」若干預設。一旦否定了那些預設，便不可能藉由溝通達成共識，甚至會導致「實行上的自我矛盾」。阿佩爾的論述倫理學也強調它具有應用的面向，亦即它也處理了在歷史的現實情境中，如何促成實質的道德規範的問題。藉由提出後約定俗成式的道德，來將責任落實在既有的諸般制度之上。 本文試圖闡述論述倫理學的先驗奠基與普世應用的雙重特性，這使得它足以作為一套普遍的「巨型倫理學」，而能替全球化帶來的問題提供解決之道。

Un intérêt grandissant pour le rôle du citoyen dans la prise de décision concernant la vie publique se développe depuis les dernières années. Le développement et la mise en oeuvre de divers mécanismes de participation citoyenne, comme les conférences citoyennes, témoignent de cet intérêt. Nombre de ces expériences ont fait l'objet d'une évaluation, mais essentiellement au niveau de l'efficacité ou du succès de l'exercice. Peut-on les évaluer sur le plan de l’éthique? Quels sont les défis éthiques posés par les mécanismes de participation citoyenne? Ce mémoire évalue une expérience de conférence citoyenne portant sur les avancées de la biologie humaine à l’ère de la génomique mise sur pied par le Groupe de recherche en bioéthique (GREB) de l’Université de Montréal en 2005. À l’aide du concept de l’éthique de la discussion, telle que proposée par quatre auteurs québécois, une analyse qualitative est effectuée sur six documents rédigés dans le cadre de la conférence. Deux catégories de résultats sont discutées. D’abord, les divers éléments relatifs à la conférence citoyenne qui ont soulevé notre attention. Ensuite, les préoccupations des participants en lien avec la science, la société et la participation. Une meilleure compréhension des aspects éthiques auxquels on devrait accorder une attention particulière contribuera à l’amélioration du mécanisme de conférence citoyenne et à son utilisation à long terme. / In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the role of citizens in public decision-making. This interest is reflected in the development and implementation of various citizen participation mechanisms, such as citizen conferences (also known as consensus conferences). Many of these experiences have been evaluated, but mainly in terms of their effectiveness or success. What are the ethical challenges posed by citizen participation mechanisms? This study looks at a citizen conference on advances in human biology in the era of genomics, held by the Groupe de recherche en bioéthique (GREB) of the Université de Montréal in 2005. The concept of discourse ethics, as developed by four Quebec authors, is used to conduct a qualitative analysis of six documents from the conference. Two categories of results are discussed: noteworthy aspects of the citizen conference and participants’ concerns with regard to science, society and their participation. A better understanding of key ethical issues will help to improve citizen conferences and their long-term use.

I position my doctoral thesis in the broad field of organization science; it stands within the domains of business ethics, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. I appreciate the emergence of a globalized world whereby countries, people, and businesses are connected to each other through economic, political, social, and technological ties. The globalized economies and societies pose complex and multifaceted challenges. To cope with these challenges, businesses will have to assume newer responsibilities and roles. These responsibilities originate from the evolving societal expectations about businesses and their duties. Hence social discourse on business responsibility should highlight the emerging societal expectations. Further, within businesses, the responsibility discourse should give an insight to the reaction of businesses to these emerging responsibilities. And, finally these discourses should affect the consumers' cognitive development, and consequently impact their attitudes and behaviors. The challenges of sustainability and corporate responsibility are complex, conflicting and at times contradictory. It is imperative to bank on our ability to communicate, to discuss and to co-create universally applicable rules. Therefore I adopt a discursive approach in my thesis, and use Habermas' theory of communicative action (1981) as an overarching theoretical framework. The thesis contains three research studies, each focusing on one aspect of responsibility, thus covering the three levels of responsibility discourse: societal, corporate and individual. The first article presents a thematic analysis of the business responsibility discourse in popular CSR and sustainability books. Content analyses is used to elicit the apparent and latent responsibility themes of the sample books. The second article focuses on the patterns of social disclosure among large French corporations. The responsibility discourse is analyzed through content analyses of the annual reports of CAC-40 companies. The last article is aimed to comprehend the adoption of ethically conscious behaviors by the consumers. The article first presents a quantitative model of consumers' ethical decision making and then validates it empirically by structural equation modeling.

The purpose of this study is to seek to an answer to the question of what constitutes a tenable model for global ethics. This is done in part by a critical engagement with four different models of global ethics; two proposals from political philosophy and two contributions from theological ethics. The models analyzed in the study are: (1) the capabilities approach as developed by Martha Nussbaum, (2) Seyla Benhabib’s discourse ethics and model of cosmopolitan federalism, (3) David Hollenbach’s model of the common good and human rights, and (4) the model for responsibility ethics and theological humanism as developed by William Schweiker. These models contain different understandings of global justice, human rights, and sustainable development. The study works with six primary problems: (1) Which are the main moral problems associated with different processes of globalization? (2) What should be the response to these problems, in the form of a normative ethical model? (3) What is the relation between global ethics and universalism? (4) What kind of institutional vision for the international arena does a tenable global ethic promote? (5) Given the human diversity and global pluralism, what would be a reasonable view of the human being included in a global ethic? (6) What kind of ethical theory is sustainable for global ethical reflection? These questions also form the basis for the analysis of the models. The study uses a set of criteria in order to assess the answers that the models offer for these questions. These criteria also constitute the framework within which the author’s contribution to the discussion of global ethics is phrased. The criteria are founded on an idea of what characterizes global ethical reflection. The contention is that a tenable global ethic should be relevant, and it should also be related to a reasonable view of human beings and a plausible ethical theory. Together these support the criterion of communicability, which argues that a global ethic should above all be communicable, i.e. capable of enabling cross-cultural communication. A central argument which this study makes is that a kind of ethical contextualism is more reasonable than an epistemological universalism.

The topic of this study is one specific area where the tension between instrumental rationality and value rationality becomes prominent: the question whether we have a rational responsibility for nature or not. Such a responsibility cannot be derived from instrumental reason, but it is argued that it can be derived from discourse ethics and communicative rationality. The study begins with an examination of Georg-Henrik von Wright's cultural criticism. It is argued that his subjectivist view of values limits reason to the realm of instrumental rationality. Horkheimer and Adorno's theory of instrumental reason is examined. They claim that instrumental reason, through the negative dialectics of the enlightenment, have created a vacuum with regard to values. Marcuse's anthropological solution to the problem of values, and his theory of an emancipatory science and technology, are examined and rejected as Utopian. The philosophy of Jürgen Habermas is examined, and it is shown how he solves the problem of his predecessors through the dual framework of work and interaction. His hypothesis of three knowledge- constitutive interests is analyzed, and it is concluded that a general theory of communication is needed in order to solve the problem of value rationality. It is shown how Habermas later theory of communicative rationality and discourse ethics overcomes the shortcomings of his earlier theory. It is argued, among other things, that his theory of communicative rationality is compatible with a correspondence theory of truth, ontological realism and epistemological fallibilism. Discourse ethics makes a rational discussion of values and norms possible. It is argued that it solves the problem of value rationality, but without providing a definition of the good or the right. It is shown that revisabilty is an important part of discourse ethics. This is manifested in the hypothetical status of discourse ethics, and in the revisability of the norms proposed. It is argued that we are in fact able to rationally propose a norm, which demands responsibility for nature within the framework of communicative rationality and discourse ethics, although such a norm must be the result of the outcome of a rational discourse and is itself, revisable. / digitalisering@umu