Ethics in its simplest form may constitute the right conduct required to lead a good life. Social ethics encompass a code of conduct created by a society in order to ensure a smooth functioning of the said society. Social ethics may differ with different societies and cultures and hence what may be considered right and good for one may be perceived differently by another. However certain behaviors or moral principles have universal appeal and people are expected to posses them while interacting with fellow human beings. For example lying may be considered a vice not only on an individual basis but can be applied to people of different societies in their interaction with others at various levels.
Basically societies work on the principle of give and take. In other words sharing is inherent to human life. By sharing something with a person who is in dire need of it you are starting a chain of good deeds which is bound to come back to you in some form or the other. Sharing can imply not only physical and material things but can broadly involve sharing of emotions and moral support. Thus the social ethic of sharing is crucial to meaningful interaction in society.
What is considered right or wrong by a society seems to be influenced by a number of factors and social ethics such as religious beliefs, the economic conditions, social and cultural factors and so on. Besides this, political and legislative bodies may influence what a society holds to be socially ethical. For example issues such as abortion, euthanasia, death penalty and animal cruelty have long been topics of debate in various societies. Further the advance in science medicine and technology has given rise to a number of issues which may be a threat to the age-old social ethics. For example, gene manipulation , artificial insemination, cloning etc have given rise to ethical questions which can disturb the equilibrium of a society.
Help and care are the foundation of any community. It is important to identify the need and decide how you can help the person. For example the poor in a community can be helped in a number of ways. It could be in the form of personal help or seeking help for them through some voluntary organization. Social ethics is all about understanding the obligations one has towards others in a community. Understandably social ethics is a complex topic and cannot be defined objectively. But generally any behavior that is largely considered right or good by large groups tend to be accepted by the society as a whole over a period of time.
An individual is accountable not only to his loved ones in his family but in a large sense toward al those with whom he interacts in society. They may include his friends, supervisors, co-workers among others. The idea is to generate mutual interests and trust avoiding deception of any kind. Public trust can be earned by following the social ethics of help, responsibility, honesty, fairness and freedom. Consequently it would be considered negative social ethics when one indulges in arrogance, dishonesty, irresponsibility and has conflicting interests.