Showing papers in "Journal of Moral Education in 1999"

The Role of Parents in Moral Development: A social domain analysis

Abstract: This article provides a social domain theory analysis of the role of parents in moral development. Social knowledge domains, including morality as distinct from other social concepts, are described. Then, it is proposed that, although morality is constructed from reciprocal social interactions, both affective and cognitive components of parents' interactions with their children may facilitate children's moral development. The affective context of the relationship may influence children's motivation to listen to and respond to parents; in addition, affect associated with responses to transgressions can affect children's encoding and remembering of those events. Although moral interactions occur frequently in peer contexts, parents' domain-specific feedback about the nature of children's moral interactions are proposed to provide a cognitive mechanism for facilitating moral development. Parents promote children's moral understanding by providing domain appropriate and developmentally sensitive reasoning and...

Teachers' Perceptions of Moral Dilemmas at School.

Abstract: This article discusses the importance of professional morality in teachers' everyday work at school. Different aspects of morality are explored in the framework of the ethos model identified by Fritz Oser. The empirical findings of the moral dilemmas identified by teachers and their solving strategies are explored using both qualitative and quantitative data-gathering methods. Special interest is shown in the principles in teachers' arguments justifying their actions. Teachers' reasoning in solving moral dilemmas is investigated with the help of field-invariant and field-dependent arguments. The best interest of a child is found to be the field-invariant argument behind teachers' thinking in all the categories of moral dilemmas. In general, teachers prefer single-handed decision-making in solving professional dilemmas. The solving strategies are shown be very case specific. In the cases of harassment, teaching criticism and gender issues the teachers are shown to adopt discursive strategies more than in t...

Family Influences on the Formation of Moral Identity in Adolescence: Longitudinal analyses

Abstract: A model of moral identity formation is presented. According to the model, family influences have a direct effect on moral identity development in adolescence, independent of the effects of personality, income and other factors. The model is tested using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (Child Sample), which is constituted of the children born to a representative sample of American women who were between the ages of 14 and 21 in 1979. In general, the results provide support for the model. Cognitively and socially rich family environments, combined with high levels of parent-adolescent joint activity, were found to facilitate voluntary participation in community service, a marker of moral identity formation. The implications of these findings for parenting, moral education and future research are discussed.

The Perceived Personality of Moral Exemplars

Abstract: Contemporary moral psychology and education overemphasise rationality and neglect moral virtues and personality that must be part of a comprehensive understanding of moral functioning The purpose of this study was to delineate the perceived personality characteristics of moral exemplars using the template of the Five-Factor Model which represents the fundamental dimensions of personality, and to compare that trait description with those for related types of exemplars Participants were 120 adults from across the lifespan (17-91 years) who provided free-listing descriptions of moral, religious and spiritual exemplars, which were then analysed in terms of the five personality factors Results revealed meaningful differences in personality attributions across types of exemplars, and indicated that traits reflecting the Conscientiousness and Agreeableness factors were particularly salient for the moral exemplar Discussion focuses on the value of a re-examination of moral character and virtue, and the need t

The Relations of Parental Affect and Encouragement to Children's Moral Emotions and Behaviour

Abstract: Although researchers have been concerned with the effects of parental socialisation on children's outcomes, there has been surprisingly little work on the socialisation of children's moral emotions and behaviour. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of observed parental affect and encouragement in children's empathy-related responding and moral behaviour (i.e. cheating). Moreover, the moderating influence of children's characteristics (i.e. sex) on this relationship was investigated. Ninety-seven girls and 119 boys (mean age = 73 months) with a parent participated in the study. Children completed a dispositional sympathy and empathy questionnaire and were observed in a resistance-to-temptation task. Further, parents' affect and encouragement were assessed during two parent-child interactive situations. Results indicated that parents' positive affect and encouragement were positively related to children's sympathy. In contrast, parents' interactive style was not related to children's empathy. ...

Parenting Style and the Development of Moral Reasoning

Abstract: This paper addresses the polarisation among theoretical perspectives in moral psychology regarding the relative significance of parents and peers in children's moral development and, in particular, the short shrift given the family context by cognitive-developmental theory. We contend that parents do play a significant role in this area of their children's development. Research findings from two studies are presented which indicate that parents' interaction styles, ego functioning and level of moral reasoning used in discussion are predictive of children's subsequent moral reasoning development. The findings also illustrate the role of affective factors, in contrast to the contemporary emphasis on moral rationality, and the relevance of real-life dilemmas, in contrast to the paradigmatic reliance on hypothetical dilemmas. Implications of these findings for our understanding of the role of parenting style in children's moral development and for further research are discussed.

Explaining Unethical Behaviour Among People Motivated to Act Prosocially

Abstract: Moral reasoning theorists working in the constructivist tradition have tended to explain unethical behaviour by assuming that a breakdown occurs in the link between a person's moral judgement within a particular situation and his ultimate behaviour in that situation. This breakdown is usually seen as being the result of the individual ignoring his deontic judgement in favour of meeting a competing, non-moral social obligation or of fulfilling a selfish interest. This model of unethical behaviour has led to suggestions that moral educators focus on fostering the incorporation of morality into people's self-concepts and on building moral character. An argument is presented that unethical behaviour, especially that involving relatively minor moral breaches, is often not the result of a moral judgement-behaviour hiatus but rather a corruption of the construal process. This corruption, driven by a desire for personal gain, results in the erroneous conclusion that an unethical action is actually morally accepta...

Theorising Drama as Moral Education

Abstract: Although it is commonly assumed within schools that drama has a place within moral education, there is very little theory or analysis to support the assumption. This article sketches a theoretical framework to show how and in what ways drama can make a distinctive contribution to the field. Drawing upon Stenhouse (1975) it proposes a broad distinction between moral instruction and moral induction and analyses drama's potential contribution to both areas. In so doing, it draws links between the cultural practices of the theatre and those of the drama classroom, analysing the moral potential of the dramatic experience through five theoretical lenses. These include the enacted nature of dramatic narrative; the association between drama and the learning of rules; the communal function of drama as a public artform; dialogue and dialogism in drama; and the relationship between emotion, reason and moral engagement in drama.

The Role of Compassion in Moral Education

Abstract: We propose compassion as a new model for moral education. The insufficiency of Kohlberg's cognitive model for such education is shown, as is the absence of compassion in dialogical ethics. We review briefly some authors who have treated the theme of compassion and propose the development of empathy as a foundation for educating for compassion. Specifically, we propose emotional guidance and observation-based tasks. Socio-affective experiences, the acquisition of social skills and the awakening of moral awareness are resources which enable the development of empathy. To put oneself in someone else's place, feel for them, sympathize with them, is not merely the result of an exclusive intellectual exercise; rather it is linked to a moral sensibility. A moral engagement, a moral stance in the face of tragedy, requires compassion for the commitment to be effective. To educate in compassion is to educate for a moral life.

What is a Hero? An exploratory study of students' conceptions of heroes

Abstract: This article examines the responses given by 590 kindergarten to 12th-Grade students when they were asked about their conception of heroes. The sequence of questions asked students to define, describe, name, and justify their response about heroes. Students, regardless of age level, appear to use an operational definition of hero, but when asked to identify a hero, most students named a person with whom they have had personal experiences. Responses given over the age spans move from a specific behaviour to that of a sustained behaviour over a period of time. The change in responses demonstrates developmental changes in conceptual, cognitive, and social growth.

Race, Community and Moral Education: Kohlberg and Spielberg as civic educators

Abstract: Literature on moral education has contributed surprisingly little to our understanding of issues of race and education. The creation of inter-racial communities in schools is a particularly vital antiracist educational goal, one for which public support in the United States has weakened since the 1970s. As contexts for antiracist moral education, such communities should involve racially plural groups of students learning about, and engaging in, common aims, some of which must be distinctly antiracist: an explicit concern to institute racially just norms within the community (reflecting, yet going beyond, Kohlberg's own communitarian justice focus in his Just Community schools) and to foster social justice in society generally; and an appreciation of distinct cultural and racial identities within a community. Popular culture has an important role to play in providing salient cultural imagery of inter-racial co-operation and antiracist activity. In this regard, several films of Stephen Spielberg, a film-mak...

Moral Voices and Moral Choices: Canadian drama and moral pedagogy

Abstract: What is the role of drama in moral education? This article aims to illustrate how watching and responding to plays is a useful pedagogical exercise by which to enhance moral consciousness, so that students can appreciate the value of context in moral reflection. I argue that plays contain compelling studies of moral subjects caught in complex dilemmas, through which the often ambiguous and paradoxical dimensions of moral conduct are exposed. I also suggest that class discussions that involve students in critical assessments of ethical issues addressed in a play are valuable for guiding students to develop a kind of moral reasoning that is based on identifying and evaluating the contextual variables underlying moral choices, before judging moral responses. This is the kind of moral deliberation that is useful for assessing moral agency in daily life. Furthermore, I demonstrate that contemporary Canadian drama offers useful fictional contexts to illuminate the intricate processes of moral response, and I ci...

Implications of Cross-cultural Findings for a Theory of Family Socialisation

Abstract: Traditional approaches to understanding the behavioural and emotional aspects of moral development are described. Research from other cultures is reviewed which suggests that the greater valuation ...

Moral Democratic Education and Homosexuality: Censoring morality

Abstract: With the increasingly heard voices of gays, lesbians and bisexuals in American society and their demands for recognition have come the responses of religious conservatives. In this article I consider whether the extreme moral positions that religious conservatives take are defensible. More specifically, I want to consider whether teachers who embrace such conservative positions should be permitted to act on them in their classrooms. My arguments lead me to distinguish between moral democratic and moralistic positions. The former I examine using the virtue of recognition and the principle of non-oppression. I conclude that democracy requires the positive portrayal of homosexuality in schools and precludes teachers expressing their beliefs against it.

Learning the Common Good: Principles of community-based moral education in restorative justice

Abstract: This study investigates the educative process in restorative justice reforms, revealing three characteristics effective in facilitating moral learning for the common good. These three characteristics can be formulated as principles to guide the theory and practice of communitybased moral education. First, restorative justice brings the moral authority in personal communal traditions and the moral authority in impersonal universal norms together in a mutually reinforcing combination. Secondly, restorative justice processes focus on the "space between places" in social relations-not on individuals or families or particular institutions, but on the space where these important social bodies intersect. Thirdly, restorative justice harnesses the resources of whole communities to take the actions and make the changes that can successfully address the problems that emerge as crime, rather than continuing the criminal justice system's focus on individual offenders or individual victims. These characteristics can b...

Moral Judgement and Delinquency in Homeless Youth

Abstract: The impact of the individuals' life condition on the relation between moral judgement and (delinquent) behaviour was investigated in a sample of 162 adolescents and young adults The sample consisted of two groups: homeless youth and institutional youth, ie youth with a history of residential care The difference in life conditions between both groups is characterised by a lack of stable social relationships and speci® c survival demands for the homeless youth group Homeless youth reported much more delinquent behaviour than institu- tional youth, but this difference could not be attributed to the level of moral judgement However, while for institutional youth a conventional level of moral reasoning was associated with lower levels of delinquency in four domains of deviant behaviour, including violence and vandalism, no such association was found for homeless youth In the latter group, important predictor variables explaining delinquent behaviour, besides being male, were: a restrictive and affectionless parenting style, predominance of individuation over attachment and a passive coping style It is concluded that delinquent behaviour in homeless youth appeared to be caused by a lack of stable social relationships, as well as a by a lack of moral internalisation, with affect and cognition not being integrated

Families and Schools as Compensating Agents in Moral Development for a Multicultural Society

Abstract: Many experts in moral education agree that the potential for empathy, a key moral emotion, is innate. However, it is also evident that this potential needs to be developed if children are to acquire crucial moral qualities such as honesty, concern for others and a sense of fairness. Our central claim is that important structural changes in both families and schools may be necessary for the development of empathy and, hence, the fostering of these moral virtues. Since many families and schools are far from ideal, both are likely to need help from the other and each can compensate to some extent for the other's failings. However, unless families become more sex-egalitarian, and schools become more multicultural in their student and faculty populations as well as their curricula, both lack components necessary for their success as moral educators. If such changes occur, the resulting dynamic between families and schools may be ideal for the healthy moral development of citizens.

A Dilemma for Critical Educators

Abstract: This article addresses some of the philosophical issues arising from debates over "political correctness" and "great books" in the early 1990s. Partly as a result of these battles, the notion of "correctness" now carries a highly pejorative connotation. The author suggests that a distinction needs to be drawn between (a) transmitting a political or moral view and (b) doing this in a dogmatic way. For one well-known educational figure, Paulo Freire, a "correct" approach to moral matters is a "critical" one. Freire believes certain moral values-those associated with the promotion of questioning, dialogue and reflective human activity, for example-ought to be promoted in all educational settings. His approach in conveying this ideal is, however, profoundly anti-dogmatic. This article defends Freire's position against one well-developed critique (by James Paul Gee), and considers some of the implications of the Freirean view for moral educators.

The Family Context for Moral Development

Abstract: Throughout the last generation of moral development theory and research, the family has not received adequate conceptual or empirical attention as a significant context for children's moral development. This editorial discusses some of the possible reasons for this neglect which is indicative of some of the biases that pervade the field. Several issues concerning the role of parents and the family are identified, and an overview of the various contributions to this special issue is provided.

Teaching about Tolerance with Stories and Arguments

Abstract: This study investigated narrative and propositional approaches to teaching about controversial moral and political issues. The subjects included 149 graduate and 27 undergraduate students, most of whom were pursuing degrees in education. They viewed one of four videotaped teaching analogues in which a male teacher discussed two questions: (1) Should the government restrict the rights of citizens who engage in homosexual behaviours? (2) Should the government restrict the rights of citizens who engage in offensive public speech? Students viewed one of the four teaching analogues in which the teacher used narrative or propositional reasoning to explain conflicting viewpoints about restricting the rights of homosexuals or restricting the rights of those who engage in offensive speech. In the narrative conditions, the teacher presented stories about people who have been either positively or negatively affected by "homosexuality" or "offensive speech". In the propositional conditions, the teacher explained pro ...

Homogeneity of Moral Judgement?-apprentices solving business conflicts

Abstract: In an ongoing longitudinal study, which started in 1994, we are examining the moral development of business apprentices (sensu Kohlberg) The focal point of this project is a critical analysis of Kohlberg's thesis of homogeneity, according to which people should judge every moral issue from the point of view of their "modal" stage (ie the most frequently used stage of moral reasoning) regardless of any situation-specificity Empirical data-even Kohlberg's own-however, show that an individual's judgements are usually spread around her/his modal stage This is not necessarily due to measurement error but may also be interpreted as a situation-specific variation which could be described by the hypothesis of "moral segmentation" In this article we present results on the status of moral development of apprentices in the business context (within different types of situations) Contrary to Kohlberg's theory, our results seem to support the hypothesis of segmentation The data reflect a great amount of intra-i

Moral Education in Family Life: The effects of diversity

Abstract: Diversity is a feature of family life which those who speak of the importance of family values should not ignore. The diversity is seen not only in the structure of families, but also in the moral values which children actually pick up in the context of the family and the way in which the transmission of values occurs. Diversity becomes a matter of public importance when the values which children develop at home are perceived to be in serious conflict with the values which underpin moral education in the common school. Any response to this diversity requires a delicate balance between the right of families to initiate their children into their own moral values, the right of schools to teach the shared values of the broader society, and the right of children to develop into autonomous moral agents.

Antiracist Education and Moral Behaviour: Lessons from the Holocaust

Abstract: An assumption implicit in antiracist education is that students who learn about racism and who subsequently come to hold antiracist attitudes will tend to act in accordance with those attitudes. The existence of countervailing forces leading such students to active or passive complicity in racism seems never to have been acknowledged in antiracist literature. This lacuna is difficult to fathom in view of the interest shown by psychologists and historians of the Holocaust in bystander behaviour and conformity to the peer group. In order to increase the likelihood of students taking action against racism, it is argued that antiracist educators should heed the lessons of the Holocaust and adopt measures aimed specifically at preventing bystander behaviour and conformity to peer group pressure. This paper discusses the body of research relating to both phenomena and identifies its implications for antiracist education.

Children's understanding of rules they invent themselves

Abstract: Children's understanding of rules was investigated by observing 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds engaging in unrestricted joint activity with familiar peers. Initially, all groups collectively regulated themselves by negotiating the invention and alteration of rules, hence demonstrating understanding of the consensual origins, relativity and mutability of their own rules. However, children who later returned to participate in second episodes often imposed their previously invented rules, as if they were unalterable and non-negotiable, on their new partners. This suggested a traditionalist, or conservative, orientation to rules, reminiscent of Piaget's claim that children do not differentiate moral and conventional rules. An explanation of the apparent inconsistency in children sometimes sounding heteronomous and sometimes autonomous is proposed that emphasises the role of social context in the production of discourse about rules. These findings are discussed with reference to those of previous researchers, includin...

How should we teach in schools about sexual orientation? A rejoinder to Petrovic

Abstract: Petrovic (1999) argues that teachers need to portray homosexuality positively and must not express their beliefs against it. This rejoinder argues against this position, maintaining instead that teachers need to teach about heterosexuality and homosexuality in a balanced manner. I argue against Petrovic's position both on the grounds that it has internal weaknesses and on the grounds that its consequences would be undesirable.

Sibling Socialisation of Moral Orientation: 'Share with me!' 'No, it's mine!'

Abstract: Sibling socialisation of moral orientation was investigated in 40 dual-parent families with two children, aged 2 and 4 years. Of particular interest were: (a) the prevalence of use of care and justice moral orientations by the children during real-life dilemmas with siblings, (b) the ability of the children to combine both care and justice orientations in resolving the dilemmas, and (c) the presence of sex differences in the use of the two orientations. Data consisted of transcripts of sibling interactions during sibling property disputes. Children's verbal statements to each other were coded for justice and care orientations. Siblings preferred the use of justice orientation when justifying the manner in which disputes should be resolved, a preference that increased with the age of the sibling. Care and justice were at times combined by individual children within disputes, again a finding that increased with the age of the sibling. No sex difference in the use of the two moral orientations was found; bot...

Poetry and Human Growth.

Abstract: Relying on some of the insights of Jungian psychology, this paper analyses the confusion in the language of political economy in Britain which generates and sustains moral infantilism in the civil polity. It goes on to suggest that both politicians and educators are, or perceive themselves to be, powerless to arrest the progress of the transnational juggernaut which has displaced government as the sustainer of individual and collective aspiration. As an antidote to these movements, the paper offers a rehabilitated understanding of the power of the poetic imagination in equipping the individual with control over her or his own decision-making. The power on offer is rooted in the development of Verstehen as a method of engagement which embraces emotionality, ambiguity and provisionality. Finally, it explores some of the pedagogical implications of this thinking.

The formation and transformation of moral impulse

Abstract: This paper examines the contributions of recent research on the brain to our understanding of moral development. These insights suggest that we must begin to think more seriously about the formation of moral impulse as the basis for moral development and education rather than simply moral reasoning. Far from providing entirely novel insights about the growth of morality, this research appears to underscore the insights advanced by the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides. Both Maimonides and current research from neuroscience portray moral development in terms of the interaction of the social environment with our innate biological aptitudes. This process apparently shapes moral character by establishing the internal physiological patterns for the emergence and display of the feelings and emotions which accompany moral impulse. Consequently, educators need to be concerned with those processes which transform moral impulse. The implications for educational and social policy are discussed.