FOR AN INTERCULTURAL ETHICS FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TO IMMIGRANTS

challenges for the professionals in the social world

Abstract

This paper is situated in the field of professions and researches, especially in the social world and its ethics references at the time of intervene with immigrants. The social work worries about the human welfare and the quality of life. However, the professional activity presents a constant tension with the institutional, the professionals and the users’ petitions. By this point of view, the human action generates problems and ethic dilemmas. The consequences of this tension are the difficulties to implement and perform the fair and virtuous social policies, especially with the immigrants. The principle of universalism, responsibility and social justice are violated with respect to the primary health care of immigrant. This situation generates problems, dilemmas and inconsistencies ethics and moral in the relationship among professionals, users and institutional standards. Social workers have been used the instrumental applied ethics, based in the effectiveness, efficiency and rationalization of resources to solve tensions and contradictions. This article seeks to promote an
“hermeneutic of the responsible conviction” ethics with civic and intercultural character. By this, the institutional context subserves the intercultural dialogue which is more symmetrical and diverse with the implementation of actions focused on health attention. This proposition has an especially attention in Chile, where the rights and duties of the immigrants are violated mainly in the primary health care.