Do you believe there is a gender difference in moral reasoning?
According to new research published by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, this gender difference in moral decisions is caused by stronger emotional aversion to harmful action among women; the study found no evidence for gender differences in the rational evaluation of the outcomes of harmful actions.
What is the fundamental difference between males and females moral reasoning according to Gilligan?
Gilligan identified two moral voices that arise from two distinct developmental pathways. According to Gilligan, the male voice emphasizes independence (“separation”) and responsibility for oneself, whereas the female voice emphasizes interdependence (“connection”) and responsibility to others.
Do women make different moral decisions than men?
This is broadly consistent with Gilligan’s suggestion that women are more likely than men to base moral decision an a care orientation, whereas men gravitate more towards principles. I hasten to add that these differences are not necessarily the result of any hardwiring.
Do men and women judges differ in moral attitudes?
The fact that men and women differ subtly in moral outlook does not entail that male and female judges would make different judgments. After all, judges are instructed to interpret the law, not deliver moral verdicts, and women who pursue legal careers might have different patterns of moral reasoning than the women poled in these studies.
Is a care perspective the morally mature stage of moral reasoning?
Gilligan’s research on women revealed, however, that a care perspective could also be a morally mature stage of moral reasoning, but one that is more favored by females. Gilligan’s research shows that women, more than men, view themselves as part of a network of relationships and feel that sustaining these relationships is a moral imperative.
Is the evidence for gender differences in morality changing?
By the late 1980s, the evidence for gender differences in morality was regarded as weak, but now the tide is changing. A number of intriguing findings have been reported in the literature. Here are some highlights: