To speak out or say 'nowt' - that is the question!
In the fourth independent review of the courses on offer through Family Tree Academy, Dutch professional genealogist John Boeren looks at the course dealing with ethical dilemmas we all encounter from time to time.
https://familytreeacademy.thinkific.com/courses/how-to-tackle-ethical-dilemmas-for-genealogy
https://familytreeacademy.thinkific.com/courses/how-to-tackle-ethical-dilemmas-for-genealogy
This course is interesting for all genealogists, whether new or seasoned. As a genealogist with more than 30 years of experience, I recently became interested in the WHY question rather than the HOW and WHAT questions. To say it in a different way: What are the psychological aspects of genealogy? One side of this complex question deals with why people are interested in their family history and dead relatives. The other side raises questions about ethical dilemmas that every genealogist encounters, whether being a hobby genealogist or being involved in genealogy for professional reasons.
How To Tackle Ethical Dilemmas For Genealogy is a video course. After a short explanation about the contents of the course, an introduction of the instructor followed.
The main part of the course is a 45 minute video that has all the features of a webinar. The instructor explains what ethical dilemmas are and which dilemmas we can encounter while searching for ancestors. She gives many examples of questions that genealogists can have, for example: are stories by family members reliable, how to handle information about illegitimacy, adoption and extramarital affairs, or what to do when DNA results show unexpected facts? Should you always tell the truth to family members or friends when findings might lead to awkward situations?
After the general introduction, two questions are further explored in 8 minute long videos. The first one deals with the situation when photos that you added to your on-line family tree, are used by someone else without asking. A panel of four persons and the instructor discuss options. In the second video the panel talks about adoptees. Should they look for their biological parents? I like the webinar-panel combination very much, because I can replay the videos several times to hear again what the instructor or one of the panel members has to say about a specific example. The use of a panel not only makes it more lively, it also makes it clear to me that different people have different opinions.
As a bonus I got the slides of the course, so that I can review them later. Even better, I also got an article by the instructor that was published in the February 2019 edition of Family Tree Magazine.
In the end the course made me think - again - about how important it is that genealogists share their experiences with peers. Especially in situation when ethical dilemmas are involved, it is always good to see how colleagues or friends think about the questions involved. As the instructor says: the answer is hardly fully right or fully wrong.
How To Tackle Ethical Dilemmas For Genealogy is a video course. After a short explanation about the contents of the course, an introduction of the instructor followed.
The main part of the course is a 45 minute video that has all the features of a webinar. The instructor explains what ethical dilemmas are and which dilemmas we can encounter while searching for ancestors. She gives many examples of questions that genealogists can have, for example: are stories by family members reliable, how to handle information about illegitimacy, adoption and extramarital affairs, or what to do when DNA results show unexpected facts? Should you always tell the truth to family members or friends when findings might lead to awkward situations?
After the general introduction, two questions are further explored in 8 minute long videos. The first one deals with the situation when photos that you added to your on-line family tree, are used by someone else without asking. A panel of four persons and the instructor discuss options. In the second video the panel talks about adoptees. Should they look for their biological parents? I like the webinar-panel combination very much, because I can replay the videos several times to hear again what the instructor or one of the panel members has to say about a specific example. The use of a panel not only makes it more lively, it also makes it clear to me that different people have different opinions.
As a bonus I got the slides of the course, so that I can review them later. Even better, I also got an article by the instructor that was published in the February 2019 edition of Family Tree Magazine.
In the end the course made me think - again - about how important it is that genealogists share their experiences with peers. Especially in situation when ethical dilemmas are involved, it is always good to see how colleagues or friends think about the questions involved. As the instructor says: the answer is hardly fully right or fully wrong.
