As theories of developmental psychology continue to define educational goals and practice, it has become imperative for educators and researchers to scrutinize not only the underlying assumptions of such theories but also the model of adulthood toward which they point. Carol Gilligan examines the limitations of several theories, most notably…

Philosophical views defending shame as a catalyst for moral virtue are at odds with empirical data indicating that shame often yields psychologically unhealthy responses for those who feel it, and often motivates in them morally worse action than whatever occasioned the initial shame experience. Our interdisciplinary ethnographic study analyzes…

To evaluate whether distributions by sex are judged to be unfair, children at ages 6, 8, and 10, and adults (N = 96), judged an authority distributing items to children by using different methods (i.e., randomly or by sex), types of items (i.e., related or unrelated to gender norms), and differences in the equivalency of the items (i.e.,…

The authors explored the ethical reasoning of 27 preservice teachers in the first course of a 4-course social studies education program. The students discussed 2 historically analogous cases that focused on 1 of 4 value problem areas: consent of the governed, general welfare, property, and morality. The authors were interested in exploring whether…

What are the key debates in Religious Education teaching today? "Debates in Religious Education" explores the major issues all RE teachers encounter in their daily professional lives. It encourages critical reflection and aims to stimulate both novice and experienced teachers to think more deeply about their practice, and link research…

This study examined conceptions of the right to literacy in children, adolescents, and young adults living in rural Zulu villages in the mountains of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, as one instantiation of the development of conceptions of human rights in a developing world setting. Of human rights, literacy was chosen because of its familiarity to…

Investigated how 50 preschoolers evaluated the appropriateness of excluding boys and girls from two types of activities and two types of future roles across different exclusion contexts. Found that straightforward gender-based exclusion was judged wrong. Decisions were justified on the basis of moral reasons. However, children used both moral and…

This study was designed to help determine whether there are gender differences in the psychological and moral development of traditional-age college students. Two hundred thirty-three first-year and graduating students were given the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Inventory (SDTLI) and the Defining Issues Test (DIT) to determine whether…

Examines moral orientation in terms of consistency across varying contexts, such as its relation to gender and to gender role. Explores influence of moral decision-making on consequences of action. Suggests that different moral orientations may be embedded in life experience and connect with an individual's sense of moral identity in real-life…

Mary Dendy has received attention from historians because she was the first paid commissioner under the Board of Control (the administrative body that regulated the 1913 Mental Deficiency Act), was at the forefront in disseminating views regarding the sexual proclivities of feeble-minded women and because she advocated permanent segregated care…

Employed women are in a quandary between two ethics, equity and care, in relation to the household division of labor. Uses the frameworks of both Benhabib and Gilligan to explain the moral rationales that women use to prioritize the ethic of care and to articulate the ethical dilemmas of employed women. (LKS)

Describes a study of third and fifth grade students that investigated moral dilemmas involving computer and Internet use. Significant differences were found between children's moral reasoning in everyday situations compared to those involving computer and Internet use, but gender differences were not consistently detected. (Author/LRW)

This study reviews the literature on gender issues in human development, focuses on student revealing differences in specific abilities of males and females, and discusses whether those differences are as well established as the literature suggests. The research literature is examined from the following perspectives: perception, physical/motor…

States that structural changes in families and schools may be necessary for children's moral development. Provides three ways families can better enable moral development, discusses how schools must change toward greater diversity in the student body and faculty, and offers two ways for schools to better foster moral development. (CMK)

Values are principles or standards that people have decided are desirable to live by. The question of whether values can or should be taught to college students has been debated for decades, with the pros incorporating moral concepts into curricula and the antes scorning such efforts as not only inappropriate but also intellectually dull. In this…