Ethical Dilemma In The Movie: Antwone Fisher

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In the film Antwone Fisher (2002), we witness the evolving therapeutic relationship of a psychiatrist, Dr. Jerome Davenport, and his client, Antwone Fisher. As a member of the military, Antwone is mandated to report to therapy sessions with Dr. Davenport after an altercation with a fellow serviceman. The relationship between Antwone and Dr. Davenport evolves beyond their mandated sessions and allows for the exploration of personal issues for both individuals. As a result of this, many ethical dilemmas occur that force Dr. Davenport to make decisions both in line with and against various principle ethics. Over the course of their therapeutic relationship, Dr. Davenport violates client confidentiality as it is described by the American Counseling …show more content…

Davenport’s various violations of the Code need to be considered from another point of view as an example of responsible disobedience. As Dr. Davenport and Antwone are both members of the military, there is a certain camaraderie experienced between them that the general public does not experience. Taking this into consideration, Dr. Davenport may be expressing responsible disobedience as he violates various standards in the Code in an attempt to respect the intricacies of the military culture (Cottone & Tarvydas, 2007). Because the military is a culture of its own, it is difficult to say whether any or all of the situations that resulted in an ethical violation were justified. It is easy to say that Dr. Davenport violated principle ethics during his work with Antwone but virtue ethics may support Dr. Davenport as he interpreted the standards in the context of the military culture (Cottone & Tarvydas, 2007). Inviting Antwone to Thanksgiving dinner is a particular example of how an ethical code violation may exemplify virtue ethics. While Dr. Davenport is extending the therapeutic relationship beyond its conventional parameters, this may not appear to be so from a military context. Members of the military often consider themselves a part of the same family (Whitehouse, McQuinn, Buhrmester, & Swann). Inviting Antwone to dinner may have appeared, to Dr. Davenport, as an acceptable decision being as they were close on both a professional and familial

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