Chapter 5: Cultural-Bound Elements of Ethical Sensitivity: Case Studies from the Netherlands, Finland, and Iran

In this chapter we investigate the culture-invariant and culture-dependent nature of ethical sensitivity within the educational contexts of three countries. Our multiple case studies involve the Netherlands (n = 633), Finland (n = 864), and Iran (n = 556). Culturally bound elements of ethical sensitivity were studied with the Ethical Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire (ESSQ) (Tirri & Nokelainen, 2007; 2011), and though these countries are non-equivalent samples, we believe the results are instructive. The analyses revealed that caring by connecting to others is a central and culturally invariant dimension of ethical sensitivity in educational contexts. Given the other dimensions of ethical sensitivity, the dimension of taking the perspective of others is particularly dependent on culture, especially in light of the differences in cultural dimensions of power distance and collectivity of the countries studied.