A Survey of Attitudes Toward Social Justice Obligations in the Field of Bioethics

Background: This study examines the views of bioethicists in the US and Canada on incorporating social justice into their work and the field more broadly.

Methods: Through an iterative process with leaders in bioethics, we created a survey and distributed it via bioethics listservs and individual emails.

Results: Ultimately, we received responses from 355 bioethicists in the US and Canada. Respondents showed strong support for integrating social justice concerns, with 80% endorsing its inclusion in bioethics and 75% believing it should be a key aim of bioethics scholarship. However, engagement with specific social justice topics varied, and perceptions about institutional support for doing so were mixed. Early-career bioethicists were more likely to support integrating social justice into bioethics.

Conclusion: Our findings highlight the importance of prioritizing social justice within bioethics and underscore the need for institutional support to advance these efforts.