With reference to children's social-moral development and moral reasoning, consider the following statements regarding Lawrence Kohlberg's theory of various stages and the criticism leveled against it by Carol Gilligan:
- 1. Under the 'Post-conventional Level' of Kohlberg's theory of moral development, the social contract and individual rights stage involves the individual believing that rules and laws should be flexible social agreements for society's welfare rather than inflexible commands.
- 2. Carol Gilligan sharply criticized Kohlberg's theory on the grounds that Kohlberg's research sample was primarily based on men and boys, which resulted in his theory prioritizing the morality of justice and rights while neglecting the 'ethics of care and responsibility' found in women.
- 3. In the 'Good boy-good girl orientation' of Kohlberg's Conventional Level, a child determines the moral value of an act based on the physical punishment or reward resulting from that act, rather than social approval or the expectations of others.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: In stage five (Social contract and individual rights) of Lawrence Kohlberg's post-conventional level of moral development, an individual views laws as a social agreement created by mutual consent for the maximum welfare of society, and if any law goes against human rights, there should be room for reform.
Statement 2 is correct: Carol Gilligan (who was a student of Kohlberg) criticized Kohlberg's model of moral development by stating that his research study primarily included male participants. Consequently, Kohlberg's theory places greater emphasis on morality based on 'Justice and Rights', while ignoring the perspective adopted by women, namely the 'Ethics of Care, empathy, and responsibility in relationships'.
Statement 3 is incorrect: In the 'Good boy-good girl orientation' (Stage 3) of Kohlberg's Conventional Level, a child is motivated by the desire to gain approval from others and be called 'good'. The characteristic of determining moral value based on physical punishment or reward resulting from an action is found in the first stage ('Punishment and obedience orientation') of the first level ('Pre-conventional Level') of Kohlberg's theory. Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are correct.