A632.5.4.RB - How Protected are Your Protected Values?_SharpMelissa

Values that are considered absolute and inviolable are called protected values (PVs) (Hoch, et al., 2001, p.251). Protected values should be protected from trade-offs, as they are unbending beliefs (Hoch, et al., 2001, p.251). I am certain that I have several PVs, but for the purpose of this assignment, I will focus on three of my PVs and the beliefs that accompany them.

First, I am an advocate for children, no matter the cost or sacrifice. This means that I will speak on their behalf; I will fight against child abuse, and I am a Pro-Life supporter. Most would support the first two beliefs within my PVs; however, as a Pro-Life advocate, I experience pushback. While I am not the person picketing in front of abortion clinics, I make political decisions in defense of children, first. Admittedly, this not an easy decision for me. I value many of the beliefs within the Democratic party and as black woman in America, the expectation is that my vote should be Democratic. However, when I took on the self-proclaimed role of child advocate, my role includes the unborn who cannot speak for themselves. My challenge is not belief-compromise, my challenge is the reconciliation of conservative and liberal beliefs. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I am in the middle; it seems that the Democratic party is in great support of human rights, except the rights of unborn children. The pro to my stance is that I can sleep at night knowing that I am advocating for those who do not have a voice; the con is that the Party whom supports my PVs, is lacking in other important areas. So, in this case, my trade-off is choosing a candidate whose attitude I dislike, but whose policies I value.

Next, I value racial justice and unity. Some of the beliefs associated with these PVs are fair treatment of minorities, employment opportunities for all, and unity. Although I wasn’t alive to experience segregation, I do know that our country has come a long way. While we have come a long way, there is still work. As black woman in the USA, I sometimes experience racism, but I haven’t been afraid in those instances. I experienced fear the summer of 2016. 2016 was a big year for visual access to police brutality. I know that there were many cases of police brutality before 2016; however, seeing the actions of the officers on social media, really impacted me. I felt confused and displaced; I feared for my father, brothers, and nephews; I was angry, and I felt alone. I didn’t know how to reconcile my worlds: a world where some of my closest relationships are with Caucasian people, a world where I respect police officers and trust that they will help me when I’m in need, a world where everyone is not a racist.  My PVs were at war within me. My friends and I were hurting; some of my friends wanted to blame all police officers; some friends wanted to blame “white” people; some of my friends defended the police officers, period, and other friends wanted to forget about all of it. It’s hard for me to come up with a pro/con list for these beliefs because I don’t see that there are cons when seeking unity. Perhaps my trade-off is listening to those I do not agree. Sometimes it’s hard for me to fully listen to others when I wholly disagree with them; however, in listening, I may gain perspective that I wouldn’t have otherwise gained.

Finally, I value my Faith. I am a Christian and within the Christian faith, there are many things I believe, but I will only focus on a few of my beliefs.  I believe in living a life of integrity; I believe in treating others well, and I believe in God’s guidance through the decision-making process. Merriam-Webster (2019) defines integrity as an unimpaired condition; integrity is the firm adherence to a code of moral or artistic values and the state of being undivided (Integrity). Disclaimer: I value integrity; however, my actions are not always reflective of Webster's definition.  Considering all the deception and self-protection that surrounds us, integrity seems quite countercultural. Still, I value integrity. I enjoy making good choices whether others are watching me or not. So many employees’ work is dependent on a supervisor’s observation; their reasons for working are limited to someone else’s attention. Integrity maintains honesty in all situations, even unpopular situations. I am not saying that I always honor this value; however, I seek to live in integrity, daily. Choosing integrity over dishonor is not always easy; sometimes it’s easier to go with the flow, especially in group settings. For example, one colleague may say, “just take it, no one will know the difference"…but I will know. In situations as such, the con is exclusion by others or someone talking about me. While I don’t like being talked about and I want to get along with others, the cons are not strong enough to push me away from the pursuit of integrity. In addition to integrity, I value treating others well. I try to treat all people the same, no matter their status. This is challenging when I’m in the presence of status-focused individuals; still, I desire to treat them well also. Treating others well does not mean that I don’t get angry; it simply means that I try not to let anger drive my actions. The con for this belief is that I sometimes holdback when I should express my anger; the pro is that I give myself time before acting out in anger.

Seeking God’s guidance through the decision-making process is a PVs. I believe that God cares about my decisions and that He wants to help me navigate through this world; therefore, I’m glad to ask for help and I accept the guidance as it comes. The pro to this belief is the peace I have knowing that I am not living life alone.  Still, sometimes I don’t want to follow God’s guidance when the decision seems beyond Him…perhaps this is my con. According to Hoch, et al., (2001), our protected values should be protected from trade-offs (p. 251); this is how I feel about my PVs. Because these values are so protected, I cannot think of trade-off that is worth the trade. 

Overall, I feel just as strongly about my PVs as I did when the exercise began. While I am unwavering in what I believe, I am willing to listen to and learn from others. 

Hoch, S., Kunreuther, H., & Gunther, R. E. (2001). Wharton on Making Decisions (1st ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Integrity . (2019, February 10). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster : https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/integrity