Abstract
This chapter draws on anthropological analysis to address integrity in the political context. As an anthropologist, I feel that I must provide a conceptual definition of ‘integrity’ before engaging with my ethnography. Integrity implies adherence to moral and ethical principles on the basis of which people evaluate the ‘soundness’ (or consistency) of a person’s moral character and, ultimately, their honesty, accountability, and responsibility. Therefore, integrity is a value system that carries expectations of other people’s actions. While the perception of a person’s integrity is a significant element in all social relations, it becomes particularly relevant for people who have decision-making power. In the discussion that follows I shall address aspects of integrity that are fundamental at various levels of government (local, national, and international); specifically, I shall address politicians’ accountability and their ethics of responsibility.
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© 2015 Giuliana B. Prato
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Prato, G.B. (2015). Integrity, Public Accountability and Responsibility: Comparative Anthropology in South Europe. In: Hardi, P., Heywood, P.M., Torsello, D. (eds) Debates of Corruption and Integrity. Political Corruption and Governance. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137427649_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137427649_11
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