CASE Library

Explore The Issues that Matter.

We excitedly invite you to browse, search, and explore our newly redesigned library of over 300 case studies which render some of the most complex and controversial moral and political issues of our time. These cases were formerly used for official NHSEB competitions at the Regional, Divisional, and National Championship levels. They are freely available for public use under Creative Commons licenses.

The NHSEB Case Library is an excellent tool for competitive preparation, internal or intramural competition, or beyond the context of the Ethics Bowl activity completely—as a classroom resource for Grades 9-12 and beyond.

Featured Cases

NAVIGATING THE LIBRARY

NHSEB’s Case Library is now fully browsable by individual case, or by Case Set—using the filters below. Or, if you already know a bit about what you’re looking for, the entire library of over 300 Ethics Bowl cases is newly indexed, referenced, and searchable by title, topic, keyword, year, and category. Each individual case entry contains the full text of the case and discussion questions as they originally appeared for competitive use, all references assembled in hyperlinked footnotes, and additional contextual resources curated by NHSEB HQ.

CASE SET COLLECTION

FIND AN ETHICS BOWL CASE

ATTRIBUTION AND CITATION

All National High School Ethics Bowl cases are the intellectual property of the Parr Center for Ethics, and all are freely available for public use under Creative Commons licenses once retired from use in NHSEB competitions. This library represents thousands of hours of work from our Contributing Authors, Editors, and others. Please do not reproduce NHSEB cases or sets—in part or in whole—without attribution, or modify the text of individual cases or sets. If you reproduce or make reference to NHSEB cases from this library (e.g., in classroom materials, academic papers, etc.), please attribute and/or cite those materials:

National High School Ethics Bowl (Ed.), <YEAR>. “<Case Title>.” National High School Ethics Bowl Case Library. UNC Parr Center for Ethics: Chapel Hill, NC. http://nhseb.org/case-library

Browse The Library

Tips for Good Living

Ronald and Tina have co-owned a beloved café for 10 years. Their current payment system for their workers has baseline hourly pay, which is almost three times as much as the federally required minimum, and is then combined with income from tips. Local activists in the area sparked a debate in which they argue for a "living wage" model. This model operates on the idea that tipping is discriminatory. Ronald and Tina have worries that they would not be able to sustain the proposed model, and that it may actually result in a pay cut for their workers.

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Married to the Name?

Marriage has become a widespread and enduring practice across the world, but many worry about the aspect of marriage where the woman assumens the husbands last name. In 1981, Quebec adopted a policy that effectively prevented women from taking their husbands’ last name on legal documents, but could still use it socially. While this could be seen as a protection of women’s rights, it was also seen as paternalistic as well, not giving women the choice to choose which name they want.

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2018-2019 National Case Set Katie Leonard 2018-2019 National Case Set Katie Leonard

Love Island

Love Island is a reality television show in which contestants compete for a cash prize. In the 2016 season of the show, (then) Miss Great Britain, Zara Holland appeared. Holland, during the show, engaged in sexual activity with another islander in the Hideaway Bedroom, which was caught on camera, after which she was stripped of her crown. Some think that this decision was rooted in sexism. Do public figures, such as beauty pageant winners, have a moral responsibility to maintain a certain image, in virtue of being role models? If so, what sort of image are they responsible for maintaining?

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2018-2019 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2018-2019 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

Data Violence

Some software developers and commentators have claimed that complaints about data violence are overhyped. However, others find this response to be little more than an attempt to avoid responsibility for the way in which their own actions help to reinforce and reproduce biases and injustices. What does it mean for something to be sexist or racist? Can we consider software sexist or racist, even though it doesn’t itself have intentions or attitudes?

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2016-2017 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard 2016-2017 Regional Case Set Katie Leonard

Listen to the Music

Is it wrong for Frankie to listen to the music of her favorite band if their lead singer regularly makes sexist comments in interviews, donates to political organizations she believes are harmful to women, and recently pleaded guilty to criminal harassment of his ex-wife? Can you separate the music from the musician?

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