Doing Bioethics through literature : Jodi Picoult

Abstract

It has been said that “the shortest distance between two people is a story.” Do people learn more with the use of stories? How effective and meaningful is it to convey a message through narratives? Does teaching the subject of bioethics through literature give better results, than teaching it in the traditional manner? How important is it for medical professionals and medical students to get to know the story of their patient? These were a few of the questions which were tackled in this study. The participants were Maltese youths, and the research took place in Youth Centers and other informal groups, from different parts of the island. The overall result, from the discussions and meetings held with these youths, suggests that people have difficulty remembering abstract rules of thumb but can easily remember a good story. Moreover stories do a better job in tutoring because they tap into the emotional and personal; they have the power to inspire, to build understanding, to energise, to teach, to entertain and to move people into action.