What does it mean to teach virtue, or to learn it? We consider this question through an institutional review board (IRB) supported research study attending to student learning experiences in undergraduate ethics courses at a Catholic university with an explicit commitment to social justice. This essay draws on and interprets qualitative data…

The present article presents results obtained from a survey focusing on attitudes to solidarity among upper secondary school students. A relation between positive attitudes to solidarity and future-orientation was evident. The survey results were reinforced by a second study, exploring how students in the Swedish upper secondary school perceived…

The modern ideal of international cooperation, which it is desired to incorporate in the future education of the young, is based on the two main principles of solidarity and justice. In this essay, the author discusses two aspects on the problem of solidarity: (1) moral aspect; and (2) intellectual aspect. In connection with the moral aspect, the…

This article explores the theoretical foundations of "social cohesion" as it relates to higher education institutions. In so doing it seeks (a) to understand the core elements of social cohesion--social capital, human capital and ethical behavioral norms that serve a common good--and (b) to establish a flexible framework for understanding the…

Examined whether a relationship exists between family adaptability and cohesion and principled moral reasoning. The moral reasoning level of 131 adolescents was measured using the Defining Issues Test, and levels of perceived family adaptability and cohesion were measured using Family and Adaptability and Cohesion Scales. No significant…

In an attempt to clarify the confusion about the teaching of morality in the classroom, the author discusses the distinction between the concepts of morality and convention. Young children can distinguish between rules and moral principles, and successful moral discussion is more likely to occur in classrooms employing cooperative goal structures.…

Suggests an approach to understanding moral functioning incorporating developments in biological and cognitive theory. (Author/MP)

This study surveyed 160 preschool teachers in 4 countries regarding views of moral and social conflict resolution, autonomy and a group sense, and general aims of preschools. Findings revealed that all hold similar beliefs regarding intervention in children's conflicts and importance of autonomy in the classroom. Additionally, all viewed the…

A longitudinal ethnographic study of adolescent moral development in an Israeli kibbutz examined the process by which urban-born adolescents, "adopted" by the kibbutz, and their kibbutz-born peers are socialized into a cohesive group. Kibbutz educators support the development of democratic self-governing peer groups that foster community…