Understanding what is right and wrong emerges from the development at each stage of moral development according to Kohlberg and Gillian. You may feel a sense of responsibility to choose right from wrong because of several factors affecting you throughout your stages. It becomes crucial to understand the importance of moral framework since we indulge in moral decision-making in our day-to-day life more than we think we do. It can be as small as “should I follow the traffic rules?” to huge decisions like “should I really stay friends with this person?”. Here we understand Gilligan’s moral development theory which emerged from the gender bias seen in the work of Kohlberg.
Carol Gilligan is a psychologist best known for her work in women’s moral development as a response to gender bias seen in Kohlberg’s theory. This is extensively seen in her book titled “In a different voice”. She advocated for women in several fields including ethics, psychology and many other fields. This became an important theory as it brought into perspective the need for women’s morality and understanding of the same to assess individuals accordingly.
Stages
Gilligan’s stages of women’s development are levelled at three stages along with two transitions present between the stages. These stages reflect a shift from self-interest to the needs of others and eventually balancing them. They are given below:
Stage 1- Pre-conventional stage
You may see many children preoccupied with their toys, refusing to share them with anyone. But when discussing receiving a reward as a result of sharing, the child may share their toy. This is influenced by the motivation of the reward. At this stage, it becomes evident that individuals are mostly concerned with catering to their own needs than others. Their moral decisions are more often based upon their own self-interest with little to no regard for others. As the child demonstrates that they only share when they’re motivated with reward and therefore is in their self-interest.
Transition 1
The same child begins to reflect on their behaviour earlier with a little guidance and education about sharing with others. This becomes a transition from self to others. This is also a transition from the preconventional stage to the conventional stage. For example, the same child from earlier who refused to share their toys can end up thinking about others with guidance and help from the adults.
Stage 2- Conventional stage
At this stage, individuals prioritise others’ needs over their own. They often adopt a self-sacrificial approach, having a strong emphasis on being responsible and caring for others, most times at the expense of their own needs. An example of this could be when you witness a teenager going out of her way to please her friends or peers by choosing to do something that’s against her own values or interests. This demonstrates the self-sacrificial nature developed during this stage and probably has some detrimental effects depending on the situation an individual may go through.
Transition 2
Here, a transition occurs from the conventional stage to the post-conventional stage. There is a shift that takes place from a self-sacrificial perspective to a more nuanced state of balancing between the care for others and the self. An individual in the conventional stage might always put others’ needs first, such as a person who always sacrifices their well-being to cater for the needs of their loved ones. Over time they may realise that this approach would eventually be unsustainable and unhealthy. This might lead them to believe that they need to balance the two aspects and where they consider their well-being while being considerate of their loved ones as well.
Stage 3- Post-conventional stage
Balancing self-interest and self-sacrificial attitude takes place in this final stage. Along with understanding their own needs and also of others, individuals learn to balance them. They recognise the importance of caring for themselves as well as others’ needs. While doing so, they find an ethical and fair balance in their decision-making process. An example would be you as an adult choosing a job opportunity that provides a good income to your lifestyle but also is at a place near your family so their need to visit you often is being fulfilled.
These stages are not strictly specific to ages. Gilligan’s stages are more of an understanding of the progress of moral reasoning and individual’s dilemma, care and ethical decision making. The stages reflect a change in moral perspectives that may happen at any point throughout life and do not usually reflect the ages per say. For example, a young adult may reach a concentional stage at a very young age to cater to the needs of the family on their insistence. Or you may also stay in a conventional stage in your adulthood considering the requirement of the hour around you.
Importance
While learning about these stages, we come to understand the importance of the same in the following ways:
Care and relationships
Rather than other theories, the stages by Gilligan let us understand the care and relationship perspectives through the emphasis on the nature of how you would have a perspective with others. The progression from self-interest to balancing the needs of self and others provides a more holistic view of the moral development. This theory shows an emphasis on empathy, care, compassion and also importance on family life, social work and education.
Practical application
The need to understanding the Gilligan’s moral development theory becomes important as teachers and parents to apply them to their children so they understand the care perspective. By using activities that promote empathy, giving hypothetical situations, providing ethical dilemmas and also model, demonstrate and guide as adults would all help the children become more understanding individuals where they reach a postconventional stage at an earlier rate.
Self-reflection
By being more self-aware of your own moral development stages through understanding Gilligan’s stages, you may also reach a postconventional stage which is the most ideal stage of development. Moreover, reflecting on your decisions and behaviour can also make you more understanding of your own needs and others’ which becomes crucial for growth as individuals. You can strive for a more ethical and balances approach towards life by reflecting and being mindful of your moral reasonings
In conclusion, Gilligan’s moral development stages consist of the Pre-Conventional, Conventional and Post-Conventional stages with two transitions in between. These stages help the individuals in understanding care and relationships, help in more practical applications of the theories and also ultimately in their own self-reflection.
