Abstract

I begin this chapter by examining the relationship between values and professional ethics as well as the ethical values of master therapists.  I then evaluate components of the most recent versions of ethics codes of the APA, American Counseling Association, and National Association of Social Workers that bear on multicultural and international practice.  I review the guidance that each code offers to practitioners who work with culturally diverse persons and/or in international settings.  I highlight how the wording of ethics codes either facilitates or impedes effective multicultural and international practice.  I also report progress on the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists (Gauthier, 2005), a draft document that presents a common framework to guide scientific and applied work worldwide.  Next, I summarize the prevailing models of ethical decision making and describe an alternative approach built upon the tenets of social constructionism.  Social constructionism in ethical decision making is well suited to the ethical ambiguities and conflicts of multicultural and international practice because it places considerable weight on universal values, collaborative interaction, contextual factors, and language.  I end the chapter with two case examples that illustrate how social constructionism can guide the resolution of ethical dilemmas frequently encountered in multicultural and international practice.