Running Head: PERSONAL CORE VALUES AND ETHICS 1

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Personal Core Values and Ethics

Corrie S. Hawes

CCSD 543: Legal and Ethical Issues in College Student Affairs

Professor Kandy Mink Salas, Ph.D.

April 10, 2018

  
 
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Introduction

Articulating one’s personal ethics and core values is no small feat. The way in which

each of us operates on a normative, day-to-day basis feels natural because it is what we are each

used to. But thoughtfully considering the reasons and motivations underneath our everyday

thoughts, feelings and actions challenges us to deliberately contemplate who we really are and

why we are that way. Through utilizing an acronym, I will examine my core values and ethical

framework by exploring theoretical perspectives and personal experiences of faith, family and

altruism.

In an effort to assist in remembering my values and ethics, I chose an acronym that would

be extremely easy for me to remember: FFA. The letters FFA remind me of home, my father and

my childhood experiences as FFA stands for the nation​al organization, Future ​Farmers of

America, in its normative American cultural sense. My father was the President of his high

school’s FFA club before I was born, was a farmer when I was young and later inspired me to

get involved with FFA leadership when I was in high school. I also grew up in a farming

community in central California, surrounded by friends, family and neighbors that lived and

breathed the mission of the Future Farmers of America: “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn,

Earning to Live, Living to Serve” (​Who We Are | National FFA Organization, 2015). As I

articulate my personal core values and ethics throughout this paper, FFA will stand for my three

most important and essential personal values in life: Faith, Family and Altruism.

I. Faith

Personal Faith Framework

The dictionary defines the word Christian as, “one who professes belief in the teachings

of Jesus Christ” (​Christian, n.d.). Essentially, being a Christian is being a Christ (Jesus) follower.
  
 
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I made the decision to follow Christ with my life at the age of seven by confessing my sin,

asking for Christ’s covering, gracious forgiveness, believing that what the Bible says is true and

inviti​ng Christ (the Holy Spirit) into m​y heart. Although my family context of growing up in the

church and in a Christian home prompted me toward this decision, I still feel that my decision to

accept Jesus as my Lord was individually my decision as I was by myself when I asked Him to

enter into my heart. When I was nine years old my value of being a Christ follower emerged

again as I publicly professed my faith in Jesus through baptism.

During college and into early adulthood, assignments and teachings began to challenge

some of the early learned values and religious beliefs that I grew up with. One particular

assignment from my undergraduate Sociology of Religions course forced me to think through

why Christianity was the “right” religion. I discovered through researching many other religions

that Christianity was the only faith that had convincing evidence of someone dying and actually

rising again to life. Later on as a Sociology graduate student I read a gender and sexuality

textbook that challenged my beliefs again. As I read about things that I had never heard

about—such as intersexuality and transgenderism—I doubted just why God would create

someone outside of the traditional gender norms that I was used to. During one class, a guest

speaker who was transgender shared about his experience of transitioning. These experiences

forced me to reconcile the reality of his experience with my personal faith.

As years passed by into my present season, I have found that time has helped me

reconcile those experiences of doubt and confusion with peace in simply not having or

understanding all of the answers. My faith in God and His attributes bring me to a place of

acceptance; I know that God is perfect in his creation, will and decisions. Even when I do not

understand exactly why things are the way they are, I still value the Word of God, the Bible, and

believe that, “[God] is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17,
  
 
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New International Version). The authors of the Bible, spiritual mentors and various sermons and

lectures that I have heard throughout my adult life inspire me to continue to shape my most

important life value of faith upon Christ. A sermon that I heard on Sunday summarized this value

well: “God is the sun and I am simply revolving around Him” (C. Lewis, Sermon, April 8, 2018).

Theoretical Faith Framework

As I analyze my core value of faith through an ethical, theoretical perspective, I resonate

with Divine Command Theory, even in the midst of its limitations. According to Wilkens (2011),

Divine Command Theory is “...the belief that God is the source of moral truth...if right and

wrong comes from God, nothing else matters” (p. 197). Although this theory is very limiting to

to those that do not believe in God, I find that it helps to personally align my moral judgement

and reasoning on a foundation upon which I can make sense of ethical decision making.

However, although my value of faith personally aligns with Divine Command Theory, I value

the idea of not imparting this theoretical framework on other professionals or students.

As a student affairs professional, I am learning that higher education demands a lot of

personal investment from employees, especially within the role of a counselor. While applying a

personal value of Divine Command Theory, I can seek guidance from the Holy Spirit as a

counselor while working with students during a time of crisis because I believe in God’s word

that states that, “...the Helper, the Holy Spirit...will bring to your remembrance all that [Christ]

said to you” (John 14:26, New American Standard Bible). Times of crisis can bring uncertainty

and confusion to students. But I can have assurance through my faith that Christ will be with me

in those moments, leading me as I lead students, just as Wilkens (2011) states, “When we are

confident that God said it, and we are committed to God, ‘that settles it’” (p. 197).

II. Family

Personal Familial Framework

  
 
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I know that family is essential to my core values when I try to envision my life without

my husband, parents, sisters, nephews and nieces or in-laws; I simply cannot picture my life!

When prompted in class to consider what I would do if I was given one year to live, it was easy

to think about traveling the world, camping and lounging on the beach. But then picturing the

reality of traveling without my family felt completely empty. I would have no desire to travel the

world without the people that I love the most by my side because I deeply value them.

I grew up in a family context where communication, honesty, forgiveness and grace were

normal and expected. Because of that norm, I now value those attributes grately. I have

especially grown used to expecting those types of values within my marriage as my husband,

Casey, and I work daily to love one another more through open communication, real honesty and

constant forgiveness and grace. It is as if these attributes are the code of honor with which we

hold our relationship and one another to; communication, honesty, forgiveness and grace are the

ethics of our marriage.

Theoretical Familial Framework

As I analyze my core value of family and the ethical standard of communication, honesty,

forgiveness and grace within a familial context, it is difficult to fully grasp how theory can apply.

My family values are so deeply rooted within me that it feels difficult to distance myself enough

from them to actually analyze them. However, these values are a small indication of a much

broader theme as the text points out: “Instead of direct answers, they provide the germ of a

process for making decisions” (Wilkens, 2011, p. 13).

The theory of Behaviorism is one that can be utilized to further unpack my familial

values of communication, honesty, forgiveness and grace. As Wilkens (2011) writes, “If we are

careful observers, we can see the correlation between what people do and what is going on in

their environment, and thus determine what it is in the environment that causes a particular
  
 
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behavior” (p. 61). In other words, the aforementioned characteristics that I currently value for

myself and for my marriage are not just freely determined by myself—completely separate from

my environment—but may be greatly determined by the environment in which I grew up in. For

example, as I heard my parents pray before meals (within my childhood environment), I began to

value that tradition and look forward to it as an adult. Furthermore, the theory of Behaviorism

might apply for the generations that came before me. For example, at my grandmother’s recent

funeral, my uncle shared that my grandmother had her priorities set correctly: she valued God

first, family next and serving others last. Behaviorism might say that after experiencing an

environment where I could see, hear and feel this value played out by my grandmother and then

my father, that it has impacted my values today. It truly is no coincidence that my grandmother’s

priorities just happen to be the three themes that I settled on for this paper!

III. Altruism

Personal Altruistic Framework

Altruism is defined as the “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others”

​ tated a bit differently, altruism values focus on others instead of focus on self.
(Altruism, n.d.).​ S

Although my values of faith and family inform an altruistic value for my life, the morals set in

place by the American culture that surrounds me pushes me towards this value as well. For

example, soldiers, military, firefighters, law enforcement, and medical personnel are praised,

admired and thanked regularly for their service to others. In general, it seems that our American

culture would agree with the author’s cultural claim that, “Sacrifice is valued over selfishness”

(Wilkens, 2011, p. 43).

The value of altruism has not only been instilled throughout my childhood environment

and faith experiences, but through my career path as well. During high school, college and

adulthood, I have been given the opportunity to serve so many through administrative assisting,
  
 
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ministry capacities, mentorship and counseling settings. My strengths of winning others over,

positivity, developer, communication and empathy all lead me to constantly care for others while

helping them succeed, feel comforted and welcomed into any setting. Although my own

selfishness is constantly pulling me in another direction, I desire to value others more than

myself and daily rely on my faith to renew my mind and heart back to service for others.

Theoretical Altruistic Framework

As I analyze my core value of altruism, I am drawn to Wilkens’ description of the

concept: “Altruism is the idea that we have obligations to other people and should act for the

benefit of society” (2011, p. 43). This focus toward benefiting others aligns well with my ethical

framework for life. I especially feel my alignment with altruism when I consider the opposite

theoretical framework of Ethical Egoism which says that “...we should not fear selfishness but

rather embrace it as the highest principle of morality” (Wilkens, 2011, p. 44). Ethical Egoism

grates against everything that I value and believe. Even if it means sacrificing my own desires,

goals and needs for the sake of helping others, I value that choice.

Conclusion

Through thoughtfully considering and analyzing my personal motivations I have

examined my ethics and core values of Faith, Family and Altruism (FFA) from both a personal

perspective, as well as a theoretical framework. Within this assessment, it is evident that each of

these values will inform the way in which I live. As I grow toward becoming a student affairs

professional I aspire to infuse these values into my work with students daily.
  
 
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Resources

​ etrieved from
Altruism (n.d.). In ​Merriam-Webster Online. R

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/altruism

Christian (n.d.). In ​Merriam-Webster Online.​ Retrieved from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Christian

Who We Are | National FFA Organization (2015). Retrieved from:

https://www.ffa.org/about/who-we-are

Wilkens, S. (2011). ​Beyond Bumper Sticker Ethics: An Introduction to the Theories of Right and

Wrong.​ Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.