CFD 1450 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Moral Reasoning, Parenting
Sex Differences in Moral Reasoning?
• Kohlberg: rights and justice orientation
• Gilligan: caring and responsiveness orientation
• Both sexes use both orientations:
o Themes of both justice and caring appear in both male and female responses.
o Interpersonal concerns are not downgraded in kohlberg’s system.
o Female emphasis on care may reflect women’s greater involvement in care
and concern for others.
o Context profoundly affects use of a care orientation.
Influences On Moral Reasoning
• Personality:
o Flexible, open-minded approach is linked to gains in moral reasoning.
• Child-rearing practices:
o Authoritative, warm parenting is associated with moral maturity in
adolescence.
• Schooling:
o Moral reasoning typically advances as long as a person remains in school.
• Peer interaction:
o Interacting with peers who present differing viewpoints promotes moral
understanding.
• Culture:
o Individuals in industrialized nations move through kohlberg’s stages more
quickly and advance to higher levels than those in village societies.
Moral Reasoning and Behavior
• Moral identity:
o Degree to which morality is central to self-concept
• Parenting practices that strengthen moral identity:
o Inductive discipline
o Clearly conveyed moral expectations
• Other positive influences on moral identity:
o Just educational environments
o Opportunities for civic engagement
Challenges to Kohlberg’s Theory
• Some researchers claim kohlberg’s stages inadequately account for everyday
morality.
• Pragmatic approach:
o People make moral judgments at varying levels of maturity, depending on
context and motivations.
o Everyday moral judgments are tools used to achieve personal goals.
• Kohlberg’s theory remains influential.
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