Developmental processes involved in the construction of culturally-specific moral values
Cultures and subcultures differ in the moral values they uphold, which can lead to divisions within and between societies (Haidt, 2012).
Research Opportunities
Summary
Moral foundations theory posits that children learn from adults and cultural narratives to become more sensitive to some moral values than others, thus perpetuating cultural and subcultural differences across generations. However, there is evidence that children do not simply internalise their culture’s moral values; for example, children orient to moral values that adults in their community discourage (Woods, 2013). This PhD would explore whether and how children come to invest in some moral values more than others, thus enhancing our understanding of how moral conflicts between communities emerge.
References
Haidt, J. (2012). The Righteous Mind. Penguin.
Woods, R. (2013). Children’s Moral Lives: An Ethnographic and Psychological Approach. Wiley Blackwell.
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