PSYC 4290

MORAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

 

 

That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race...It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.

Baha'u'llah

 

Course Description

This senior/graduate level course focuses on one of the most enduring topics of scholarly psychological research - the nature of the moral self and its evolving relationship with the social world. This question has become particularly controversial and significant in the context of a globalizing world at the turn of the 21 century, as people struggle to define their place and role in the ever-expanding radius of the global commons.

In this course, we will explore the question of the moral self in several ways. On the one hand, we will attempt to approach the topic in an inside-out manner, and cultivate the emotional intelligence necessary to understand the nature of our own moral functioning. We will engage in a personal reflection on how moral and social development are expressed in our daily lives. On the other hand, we will study the dominant theoretical frameworks in moral psychology, which help understand the specificity of socio-moral development at the turn of the 21^st century. We will apply these frameworks to an on-going analysis of current topical issues. We will also examine a cross-cultural range of empirical studies of exemplary contemporaries from all walks of life, and look at how the theoretical frameworks learned help us understand more clearly the nature of these people’s lives and choices.

 

Objectives

a) To introduce students to a range of theoretical approaches to socio-moral development;

b) To expose them to a range of empirical studies of exemplary contemporaries;

c) To invite students to explore the meeting point of theory and practice as they examine the ways they negotiate their own place in the global commons of the 21st century.

 

Requirements

The class is very reading-intensive, and requires significant preparation on pre-assigned questions. Class attendance and participation (20%)

One team presentation (40%)

A final integration paper (undergraduate - at least 10 pages; graduate - 15-20 pages) (40%)

 

Texts

Colby, A. & Damon, W. (1992). Some do care: Contemporary lives of moral commitment. New York, NY: The Free Press.

Daloz, L. P., Keen, C. H., Keen, J. P., Parks, S. D. (1996). Common fire: Lives of commitment in a complex world. Boston, MA: Beacon.

Munsey, B. (Ed.)(1980). Moral development, moral education, and Kohlberg: Basic issues in philosophy, psychology, religion, and education. Birmingham, AL: Religious Education Press.

Mustakova-Possardt, E. (1995). Building critical consciousness in the context of an ever-advancing civilization. In Dialectics, Cosmos, and Society, 8, Summer 1995.

Mustakova-Possardt, E. (1997). Critical consciousness: An alternative pathway for positive personal and social development. In Journal of Adult Development, 5, 1, pp. 13-30. New York: Plenum.

Selections from:

Kurtinez, W. & Gewirtz (1995). Moral development: an introduction. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

 

Topics

Why moral and social development? Ethical and philosophical issues.

The challenge of the new commons: The moral self at the turn of the century

L. Kohlberg: The evolution of moral reasoning

Morality, religious education, and Kohlberg’s theory

Educating for a just society

C. Gilligan: The ethic of care

Moral development and gender identity

The beginnigs of morality: development of empathy and prosocial behavior - Hoffman

Ways of knowing and ways of being - Kegan, Clinchy

Moral traits and personal continuities - Colby & Damon

Moral values discourse - Maslow

Critical social analysis - Habermas, Kurtinez

Critical consciousness in the life-span

Mentoring communities and becoming at home in the world

Compassion: Living within and beyond the tribe

Conviction: Developing critical habits of mind (dialogue, perspective-taking, critical, systemic thought, dialectical thought,                                        holistic thought and wisdom)

Courage: The responsible imagination (formative power and family as a source, religion as a source; a world of images)

Confession: The struggle with fallibility (saints, martyrs, hypocrites; taboo motivations, forgiveness, transforming the                                                         wounds; giving voice to the inner conversation)

Commitment: Unity of self and morality

New directions in research on moral development