{"id":1010,"date":"2016-05-09T20:19:26","date_gmt":"2016-05-09T20:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontosociology-waymaker\/?post_type=chapter&p=1010"},"modified":"2016-07-19T20:21:53","modified_gmt":"2016-07-19T20:21:53","slug":"reading-moral-development","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/pima-intro-to-sociology\/chapter\/reading-moral-development\/","title":{"raw":"Reading: Moral Development","rendered":"Reading: Moral Development"},"content":{"raw":"
\r\n

Kohlberg\u2019s Theory of Moral Development<\/h2>\r\n

Moral development<\/span><\/strong> is an important part of the socialization process. The term refers to the way people learn what society considered to be \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad,\u201d which is important for a smoothly functioning society. Moral development prevents people from acting on unchecked urges, instead considering what is right for society and good for others. Lawrence Kohlberg (1927\u20131987) was interested in how people learn to decide what is right and what is wrong. To understand this topic, he developed a theory of moral development that includes three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.<\/p>\r\n

In the preconventional stage, young children, who lack a higher level of cognitive ability, experience the world around them only through their senses. It isn\u2019t until the teen years that the conventional theory develops, when youngsters become increasingly aware of others\u2019 feelings and take those into consideration when determining what\u2019s \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad.\u201d The final stage, called postconventional, is when people begin to think of morality in abstract terms, such as Americans believing that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. At this stage, people also recognize that legality and morality do not always match up evenly (Kohlberg 1981). When hundreds of thousands of Egyptians turned out in 2011 to protest government corruption, they were using postconventional morality. They understood that although their government was legal, it was not morally correct.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/section>

\r\n

Gilligan\u2019s Theory of Moral Development and Gender<\/h2>\r\n

Another sociologist, Carol Gilligan (1936\u2013), recognized that Kohlberg\u2019s theory might show gender bias since his research was only conducted on male subjects. Would females study subjects have responded differently? Would a female social scientist notice different patterns when analyzing the research? To answer the first question, she set out to study differences between how boys and girls developed morality. Gilligan\u2019s research demonstrated that boys and girls do, in fact, have different understandings of morality. Boys tend to have a justice perspective, by placing emphasis on rules and laws. Girls, on the other hand, have a care and responsibility perspective; they consider people\u2019s reasons behind behavior that seems morally wrong.<\/p>\r\n

Gilligan also recognized that Kohlberg\u2019s theory rested on the assumption that the justice perspective was the right, or better, perspective. Gilligan, in contrast, theorized that neither perspective was \u201cbetter\u201d: the two norms of justice served different purposes. Ultimately, she explained that boys are socialized for a work environment where rules make operations run smoothly, while girls are socialized for a home environment where flexibility allows for harmony in caretaking and nurturing (Gilligan 1982; Gilligan 1990).<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\r\n

Further Research<\/h3>\r\n

Lawrence Kohlberg was most famous for his research using moral dilemmas. He presented dilemmas to boys and asked them how they would judge the situations. Visit this website<\/a>\u00a0to read about Kohlberg\u2019s most famous moral dilemma, known as the Heinz dilemma.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

\r\n

Think It Over<\/h3>\r\nExplain why it\u2019s important to conduct research using both male and female participants. What sociological topics might show gender differences? Provide some examples to illustrate your ideas.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

Practice<\/h3>\r\n
\r\n
\r\n

1. What occurs in Lawrence Kohlberg\u2019s conventional level?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

    \r\n \t
  1. Children develop the ability to have abstract thoughts.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Morality is developed by pain and pleasure.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Children begin to consider what society considers moral and immoral.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Parental beliefs have no influence on children\u2019s morality.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    [reveal-answer q=\"100819\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"100819\"]c[\/hidden-answer]<\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    2.\u00a0What did Carol Gilligan believe earlier researchers into morality had overlooked?<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n
    \r\n
    \r\n
      \r\n \t
    1. The justice perspective<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Sympathetic reactions to moral situations<\/li>\r\n \t
    3. The perspective of females<\/li>\r\n \t
    4. How social environment affects how morality develops<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
      \r\n
      [reveal-answer q=\"96646\"]Show Answer[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"96646\"]c[\/hidden-answer]<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/section><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n[reveal-answer q=\"293162\"]Show Glossary[\/reveal-answer]\r\n[hidden-answer a=\"293162\"]\r\n\r\nmoral development:<\/strong> the way people learn what is \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad\u201d in society[\/hidden-answer]\r\n

      Self-check: Self-Development<\/h2>\r\n

      You\u2019ll have more success on the Self-Check, if you\u2019ve completed the two Readings in this section.<\/span><\/p>\r\nhttps:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/1004\r\n\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"

      \n

      Kohlberg\u2019s Theory of Moral Development<\/h2>\n

      Moral development<\/span><\/strong> is an important part of the socialization process. The term refers to the way people learn what society considered to be \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad,\u201d which is important for a smoothly functioning society. Moral development prevents people from acting on unchecked urges, instead considering what is right for society and good for others. Lawrence Kohlberg (1927\u20131987) was interested in how people learn to decide what is right and what is wrong. To understand this topic, he developed a theory of moral development that includes three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.<\/p>\n

      In the preconventional stage, young children, who lack a higher level of cognitive ability, experience the world around them only through their senses. It isn\u2019t until the teen years that the conventional theory develops, when youngsters become increasingly aware of others\u2019 feelings and take those into consideration when determining what\u2019s \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad.\u201d The final stage, called postconventional, is when people begin to think of morality in abstract terms, such as Americans believing that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. At this stage, people also recognize that legality and morality do not always match up evenly (Kohlberg 1981). When hundreds of thousands of Egyptians turned out in 2011 to protest government corruption, they were using postconventional morality. They understood that although their government was legal, it was not morally correct.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

      \n

      Gilligan\u2019s Theory of Moral Development and Gender<\/h2>\n

      Another sociologist, Carol Gilligan (1936\u2013), recognized that Kohlberg\u2019s theory might show gender bias since his research was only conducted on male subjects. Would females study subjects have responded differently? Would a female social scientist notice different patterns when analyzing the research? To answer the first question, she set out to study differences between how boys and girls developed morality. Gilligan\u2019s research demonstrated that boys and girls do, in fact, have different understandings of morality. Boys tend to have a justice perspective, by placing emphasis on rules and laws. Girls, on the other hand, have a care and responsibility perspective; they consider people\u2019s reasons behind behavior that seems morally wrong.<\/p>\n

      Gilligan also recognized that Kohlberg\u2019s theory rested on the assumption that the justice perspective was the right, or better, perspective. Gilligan, in contrast, theorized that neither perspective was \u201cbetter\u201d: the two norms of justice served different purposes. Ultimately, she explained that boys are socialized for a work environment where rules make operations run smoothly, while girls are socialized for a home environment where flexibility allows for harmony in caretaking and nurturing (Gilligan 1982; Gilligan 1990).<\/p>\n

      \n

      Further Research<\/h3>\n

      Lawrence Kohlberg was most famous for his research using moral dilemmas. He presented dilemmas to boys and asked them how they would judge the situations. Visit this website<\/a>\u00a0to read about Kohlberg\u2019s most famous moral dilemma, known as the Heinz dilemma.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      Think It Over<\/h3>\n

      Explain why it\u2019s important to conduct research using both male and female participants. What sociological topics might show gender differences? Provide some examples to illustrate your ideas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      Practice<\/h3>\n
      \n
      \n
      \n

      1. What occurs in Lawrence Kohlberg\u2019s conventional level?<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Children develop the ability to have abstract thoughts.<\/li>\n
      2. Morality is developed by pain and pleasure.<\/li>\n
      3. Children begin to consider what society considers moral and immoral.<\/li>\n
      4. Parental beliefs have no influence on children\u2019s morality.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        \n
        Show Answer<\/span><\/p>\n
        c<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        2.\u00a0What did Carol Gilligan believe earlier researchers into morality had overlooked?<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n
        \n
        \n
        \n
          \n
        1. The justice perspective<\/li>\n
        2. Sympathetic reactions to moral situations<\/li>\n
        3. The perspective of females<\/li>\n
        4. How social environment affects how morality develops<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
          \n
          \n
          Show Answer<\/span><\/p>\n
          c<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
          Show Glossary<\/span><\/p>\n
          \n

          moral development:<\/strong> the way people learn what is \u201cgood\u201d and \u201cbad\u201d in society<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

          Self-check: Self-Development<\/h2>\n

          You\u2019ll have more success on the Self-Check, if you\u2019ve completed the two Readings in this section.<\/span><\/p>\n

          \t