"It's just not cricket" is a common, if old-fashioned, English expression for something being unfair…………………….but even pirates could invoke the right of ‘Parley’!?

‘It’s just not cricket!” is another one of those 'hand-me – down' sayings from my upbringing which I heard my mum use the other day. My mind is juggling all the thoughts about rights and wrongs, ethics, codes, morals etc and reflecting on my lines of inquiry I decided to jot it all down in my journal and now have transfered it here as a blog post.
I have been trying to take stock of where to go next and I thought about some of the information I’ve gathered so far and tried to put it all into some perspective.

I overheard a teacher say to a student the other day,
‘You’re too sensitive, it’s just character building! You will have to cope with worse than that in the adult world’
I wondered are we as dancers too sensitive?

For example a teacher saying to a student, “Anorexia is a disease which you should think about catching!”
Is this  just ‘dance’ etiquette accepted by professional practitioners as a way to prepare us for a very ‘tough’ industry?
Is this what is referred to as ‘character building’?
Is life sometimes just ‘unfair’?
Is it just ‘not cricket!’

Should we just accept something we think is morally wrong with a ‘stiff upper lip’, try to live through it and hope we become a better person or should we challenge it, should we have codes of conduct in the dance industry ?
Are such comments 'unethical'?
I was wondering what value codes of conduct have. This is when the film ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ sprang to mind.
Strange how the mind works and makes associations but believe it or not even pirates had a code of ethics – well more like guidelines!

So I am trying to grasp all the concepts involved in my thought process as I battle with the ethical questions my line of inquiry has raised so far and whether my inquiry is going to be beneficial and how to develop it towards a title.

Urban dictionary definition:

‘It’s just not cricket!’ - having something that is unjust or just plain wrong done to someone or something. This came from the game of cricket which is regarded as a gentleman’s game where fair play was paramount.

‘Stiff upper lip!’ - an attitude of determined endurance or restraint in the face of adversity.

‘Character building!’ -  is experiences which teach you some of life's lessons. Many character building experiences hurt and may contain a "significant emotional experience". With a little good luck, you will live through them and be a better person.

So what is ‘character’ ?

Oxford dictionary definition: the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual.

No one can force another individual to do something they believe is morally wrong. Our upbringing and experiences learn us about our own virtues and values, and how they correspond to our life and the world around us. Character is the sum of qualities that show up in a person or group, moral or ethical strength, and the description of a person's attributes, traits and abilities. Character is ‘who you are’. It defines you and guides your actions
We all choose a set of rules, morals, or principles that we believe will lead to a happy life and we subscribe to the ethics we develop as our own based on our experiences.

Quote: “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man”(William Shakespeare, 1564-1616).

So I need to be true to what I believe?

What is 'unfair'?

Oxford dictionary definition: 'not based on showing fairness, unjust, contrary to the rules of the game'.

I looked up ‘ethics’.

Oxford dictionary definition: ‘the moral principles governing or influencing conduct’.

Wikipedia definition: ‘Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice, etc’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics


I looked up ‘moral/morality’.

Oxford dictionary definition:
‘Concerned with the principles of right and wrong behaviour’.

Wikipedia definition:
‘Morality (from the Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behavior") is a sense of behavioral conduct that differentiates intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and bad (or wrong). A moral code is a system of morality (for example, according to a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc.) and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code. Immorality is the active opposition to morality, while amorality is variously defined as an unawareness of, indifference toward, or disbelief in any set of moral standards or principles.
 Morality has two principal meanings:

• In its "descriptive" sense, morality refers to personal or cultural values, codes of conduct or social mores that distinguish between right and wrong in the human society. Describing morality in this way is not making a claim about what is objectively right or wrong, but only referring to what is considered right or wrong by an individual or some group of people (such as a religion). This sense of the term is addressed by descriptive ethics.
• In its "normative" sense, morality refers directly to what is right and wrong, regardless of what specific individuals think. It could be defined as the conduct of the ideal "moral" person in a certain situation. This usage of the term is characterized by "definitive" statements such as "That act is immoral" rather than descriptive ones such as "Many believe that act is immoral." It is often challenged by moral nihilism, which rejects the existence of any moral truths, and supported by moral realism, which supports the existence of moral truths. The normative usage of the term "morality" is addressed by normative ethics’.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morals

I looked up ‘Good and Evil’:

‘In religion, ethics, and philosophy, the phrase, good and evil refers to the location on a two-way spectrum of objects, desires, or behaviors, the good direction being morally positive, and the evil direction morally negative. Good is a broad concept but it typically deals with an association with life, charity, continuity, happiness, and prosperity. Evil is more simply defined: the opposite of good. The good and evil of a context represents a personal judgment, a societal norm, or either's claim to an absolute value related to the human nature or transcendent religious standard for that context’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_and_evil

I looked up ‘Philosophy’;

Oxford dictionary definition: ‘a theory or attitude that guide’s ones behaviour’.

Wikipedia definition: ‘Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language’.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy

I looked up ‘Etiquette’:

Oxford dictionary definition: ‘the customary code of polite behaviour in a society’.

Wikipedia definition: 

‘Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group’.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette

So why should we apply this in a professional sense?
What does all this mean in relation to me as a dancer?

Practitioners often take actions that require moral reasoning and articulation of values.
This is defined as professional responsibility -
                                                                ‘How should I behave?’,

                                                                ‘What should I do?’,
                                                                ‘What is my responsibility?’
                                                                ‘What moral import will my actions have?’

 

Moral philosophy when applied to a particular profession is useful in uncovering the values that drive practices.

‘Professional Ethics’ then can basically be defined as rules or standards for governing the relations between people to benefit all concerned with mutual respect for the needs and wants of all parties involved and ‘professional ethical behaviour’ can be defined as;
                to conduct all relations between parties in honesty and good faith ,

                 to honour fully, in word and spirit, all agreements once made, and

                 to confine critical comment to a reasoned and temperate discussion of 
                 actions and practices.

So what value is having a code of conduct?

Codes can be especially valuable in circumstances where action by the practitioner could cause harm to someone and where rights of individuals are conflicting or there are competing interests or where professional etiquette is required when dealing with others. Setting standards is a way to determine good practice for the benefit of all and reflect the moral foundation of professional life. It can promote harmony between people, appreciation and mutual respect. However a code can only work if it is actively used, interpreted, reviewed and revised over time. It cannot be a matter of personal taste or choice to follow the code in professional behaviour and those who do not should be held accountable for their actions. Adherence to the code should be encouraged by incorporation into the educational process.

Code of Conduct on a Pirate Ship:

Anyone who has watched Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' knows all about 'The Pirate Code', laid down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew.

The character Elizabeth Swann declares,
"Parlay! I invoke the right of parlay! According to the Code of the Brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you must take me to your Captain! I know the code!"

Pintel replies,
"She wants to be taken to the Captain. We must honour the code."

Just a modern myth created by Disney?
Apparently not ! Pirate codes did exist, but there was no single code which all pirates recognized and subscribed to.

Pirate codes often contained similar rules, no matter which captain and crew developed them but they were basically unique to each;

·         Fighting between crew members could be punished by death or marooning both
     men.

·         Pirates who brought women disguised as men aboard ship were threatened with
     death.

·         Sexual assault was punished with death.

·         Drinking during watch was punished by death.

·         Gambling for money was forbidden.

·         Musicians had to play every day, with rest only on Sunday.

 

      "Parlay" - Urban dictionary -  (6) 'Parlay' entitles the invoker free passage to negotiate with the ship's captain until negotiations are complete.

So even pirates had rules / guidelines to follow –  as Jack Sparrow himself remarks,

     "Keep to the Code. Aye, the Code."

 

So a code of ethics in professional practice is a good thing then?!

Well, if it’s good enough for 17th century pirates surely it’s good enough for dance practitioners ?
It promotes fairness and holds people accountable for particular kinds of behaviour, giving a professional culture that assures people that the group is serious about protecting others from ‘unethical’ behaviour.

My conclusion  - it is most definitely ‘cricket’!
We need dance practitioners to play by the rules of the game!

My next question then is, what are the rules of the game and how many and what codes of conduct are there in the dance profession,it seems from my initial research it is a bit like the pirate's code - a little piece meal, each 'ship' having it's own set of rules with no regulated rules that all practitioners subscribe to or recognise, therefore certain practitioners can choose to ignore the 'code'. 

As Barbosa the pirate says,
" The code is more what  you'd call 'guidelines' than actual rules!"

 I will now go and see what codes and guidelines are actually out there. Perhaps the problem in the dance profession is that they are not regulated and so cannot be enforced, maybe the 'code' needs to be introduced through the educational system? Dancers given the right to invoke the right of "Parlay" (that'll be the French for 'to speak' )?

[ Had a sudden fit of the giggles when I had an image of my ballet master as a Barbosa character with a parrot on his shoulder – me crying "Parlay - I demand you take me to the Principle, I know the code".
" Aye but they be mere guidelines my dear! Welcome to the dance profession Miss Harris!"]

Reference:

Concise Oxford English Dictionary
Wikipedia - http://www.wikipedia.org/

Urban Dictionary  -  http://www.urbandictionary.com/-

Ethics in Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (ERIC Digest) – Gerald S. Fain (1992) - http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-4/ethics.htm

Read more at Suite101: Pirate Codes, Laws, Rules, and Guidelines: Lawless Pirates Actually Made Rules for their Ships http://www.suite101.com/content/pirates-codes-laws-rules-and-guidelines-a108722#ixzz1HFIkKGTX
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325980/quotes