On December 3rd, CERC was honored to have Prof. Claudia Ruitenberg to deliver a talk titled “Bifocal Ethics in Educational Leadership and Policy”, chaired by Prof. Liz Jackson. The talk was well attended and attracted audience from diverse background.
In this seminar, Prof. Ruitenberg advocated a “bifocal” ethics for educational leaders, which require them to see issues both from distance and up close. When seeing from distance, it requires leaders to be just and consistent with their decisions (operates in an ethical economy of exchange); while up close, it requires leaders to be more caring and even willing to break some rules (operates in an ethical economy of excess). Importantly, the “bifocal” ethics is not to provide leaders clear and certain instructions on how to make ethical decisions, but to ask them to embrace the uncertainty of ethical decision-making.
Prof. Ruitenberg’s talk sparked vibrant discussions among the audience. Questions were raised about whether educational leadership operates differently in different cultural contexts. Acknowledging the cultural differences, Prof. Ruitenberg also explained that the struggle between being fair or being caring is a phenomenon exists across cultures and hence the “bifocal ethics” is also not limited to the North American context. Other questions were also asked from diverse perspectives, including philosophical question about the notion of “pure gift” and practical concern about application of “bifocal ethics” in K-12 education.
Prof. Ruitenberg’s talk, bridging philosophical arguments and educational practices, strengthens CERC’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration. CERC will continue to provide a vital platform for leading researchers in diverse fields.
