The Culture of Morality : Social Development, Context, and Conflict

The Culture of Morality examines how explanations of social and moral development inform our understandings of morality and culture. A common theme in the latter part of the twentieth century has been to lament the moral state of American society and the decline of morality among youth. A sharp turn toward an extreme form of individualism and a lack of concern for community involvement and civic participation are often blamed for the moral crisis. Elliot Turiel challenges these views, drawing on a large body of research from developmental psychology, as well as from anthropology and sociology. He also culls from social events, political movements, and journalistic accounts of social and political struggles in many places of the world. Turiel shows that generation after generation has lamented the decline of society and blamed young people. Using historical accounts, he persuasively argues that such characterizations of moral decline entail stereotyping, nostalgia for times past, and a failure to recognize the moral viewpoint of those who challenge traditions. He also argues that people's discontents with the unfairness of many aspects of societal arrangements, traditions, and established practices are often misinterpreted as a lack of commitment to society or community. Going beyond American society, Turiel's penetrating analysis uses examples of social events, political movements, and journalistic accounts of social and political struggles worldwide. He shows how marginalized populations often oppose cultural arrangements, and mobilize to change the societal status quo. This unique study is a thoughtful integration of extensive research; an original approach to moral development, social justice, and culture. Elliot Turiel is Chancellor's Professor in the School of Education and Affiliate in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fellow of the National Institute of Mental Health, and a Van Leer Fellow. He is the President of the Jean Piaget Society. Turiel's previous book is The Development of Social Knowledge (Cambridge, 1983), and he has edited or co-edited Culture, Thought and Development (Erlbaum, 2000), Values and Knowledge (Erlbaum, 1997), and Development and Cultural Change (Jossey-Bass, 1999). Within the field of psychology, Turiel is considered one of the leading researchers of moral and social development. His work has served to provide new directions for a number of now-prominent researchers. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Dedication 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Preface 9 CHAPTER ONE Introduction 13 CHAPTER TWO Striving for Community 31 GOOD GENES AND GOOD FAMILIES 33 GOOD HEARTS AND GOOD COMMUNITIES 39 THE QUESTION OF RELATIVISM, COMMUNITY, AND CULTURAL CONTEXT 44 ATTACHMENTS TO SOCIETY AND CULTURAL PATTERNS 48 CHAPTER THREE Discontents Revisited 56 IT IS ALWAYS THE GOOD OLD DAYS 57 IS INDIVIDUALISM ALWAYS TO BLAME? 61 THE TYPING OF SOCIETIES AND PERSONS 65 STEPPING BACK? 73 CHAPTER FOUR Social Judgments and Social Contexts 79 CULTURAL PRACTICES AND SUBVERSION 83 FREEDOMS, RIGHTS, AND SOCIAL CONTEXTS 90 OBEDIENCE, CONFORMITY, HELPING OTHERS, AND SOCIAL CONTEXTS 99 SOCIAL CONTEXTS AND SOCIAL CONSTRUALS 103 CHAPTER FIVE The Development of Moral and Social Judgments 106 SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, SOCIAL JUDGMENTS, AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 108 DEVELOPMENT AND OPPOSITION TO CULTURAL PRACTICES 116 DISTINCTIONS IN JUDGMENTS: THE MORAL AND CONVENTIONAL 119 PERSONAL CHOICES AND FREEDOMS 127 CHAPTER SIX Social Thought and Social Action 131 SOCIAL INTERACTIONS AND DEVELOPMENT 132 Moral and Nonmoral Judgments 134 Children’s Direct Experiences 134 Varied Communications 136 HOW PEOPLE THINK AND HOW PEOPLE ACT 137 BEYOND CONSISTENCY: UNDERSTANDING JUDGMENTS AND ACTIONS 143 OTHER SOURCES OF COMPLEXITY: PSYCHOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTIONS AND INFORMATIONAL ASSUMPTIONS 154 AGREEMENT AND DISAGREEMENT IN SOCIAL JUDGMENT 159 CHAPTER SEVEN Social Harmony and Social Conflict 164 BOTH OPPOSITION AND SOCIABILITY 168 WHAT IS IT THAT IS SHARED (SUPPOSEDLY) ? 178 GENDER: ANOTHER SOURCE OF COHESIVENESS AND CONSISTENCY? 188 CHAPTER EIGHT Justice, Heterogeneity, and Cultural Practices 193 MORALITY, POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS, AND CULTURE 198 SOCIAL ORDER AND AMBIGUITIES 205 CHAPTER NINE Social Hierarchy, Subordination, and Human Capabilities 211 ABUSES OF HIERARCHY 212 RESISTANCE AND COUNTERRESISTANCE 220 THE MOTHER OF A HUNDRED SONS AND LIFTING THE VEIL OF SILENCE 227 CHAPTER TEN Perspectives on Cultural Practices: More Than One 235 IT IS NOT ONLY IN TRADITIONAL CULTURES 238 VARIATIONS IN SOCIAL JUDGMENTS 243 CONTEXTS WITHIN CONTEXTS 248 THE INTERWEAVING OF INDEPENDENCE AND INTERDEPENDENCE: CULTURAL AWARENESS, RESISTANCE, AND CHANGE 256 WHEN CULTURES MIX AND WHEN THEY DO NOT 268 CHAPTER ELEVEN Subversion in Everyday Life 273 MANY WHO LIE ARE HONEST PEOPLE 278 THE QUESTION OF LYING 283 JUDGMENTS ABOUT DECEPTION IN CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS 289 CHAPTER TWELVE Conclusion 295 IS THE NEXT GENERATION ALWAYS TO BLAME? 303 References 313 Index 331 SUBJECT INDEX 331 Name Index 335

The Culture of Morality examines how explanations of social and moral development inform our understandings of morality and culture. A common theme in the latter part of the twentieth century has been to lament the moral state of American society and the decline of morality among youth. A sharp turn toward an extreme form of individualism and a lack of concern for community involvement and civic participation are often blamed for the moral crisis. Elliot Turiel challenges these views, drawing on a large body of research from developmental psychology, as well as from anthropology and sociology. He also culls from social events, political movements, and journalistic accounts of social and political struggles in many places of the world. Turiel shows that generation after generation has lamented the decline of society and blamed young people. Using historical accounts, he persuasively argues that such characterizations of moral decline entail stereotyping, nostalgia for times past, and a failure to recognize the moral viewpoint of those who challenge traditions. He also argues that people's discontents with the unfairness of many aspects of societal arrangements, traditions, and established practices are often misinterpreted as a lack of commitment to society or community. Going beyond American society, Turiel's penetrating analysis uses examples of social events, political movements, and journalistic accounts of social and political struggles worldwide. He shows how marginalized populations often oppose cultural arrangements, and mobilize to change the societal status quo. This unique study is a thoughtful integration of extensive research; an original approach to moral development, social justice, and culture. Elliot Turiel is Chancellor's Professor in the School of Education and Affiliate in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fellow of the National Institute of Mental Health, and a Van Leer Fellow. He is the President of the Jean Piaget Society. Turiel's previous book is The Development of Social Knowledge (Cambridge, 1983), and he has edited or co-edited Culture, Thought and Development (Erlbaum, 2000), Values and Knowledge (Erlbaum, 1997), and Development and Cultural Change (Jossey-Bass, 1999). Within the field of psychology, Turiel is considered one of the leading researchers of moral and social development. His work has served to provide new directions for a number of now-prominent researchers.

The Culture Of Morality Examines How Explanations Of Social And Moral Development Inform Our Understandings Of Morality And Culture. People Universally Develop Judgments That Entail Deep Understandings Of Issues Of Welfare, Justice, And Rights, And Such Judgments Stand Alongside People's Conceptions Of Social Systems And Realms Of Personal Choice. Drawing On Different Cultures, The Author Shows That People In Positions Of Lesser Power In The Social Hierarchy, Such As Women And Minorities, Often Oppose Cultural Arrangements And Work To Subvert And Transform The System. Generalizations Often Made Regarding The Cultural Sources Or Morality In Traditions And General Orientations Like Individualism And Collectivism Serve To Obscure The Heterogeneous Nature Of People's Judgments And Interactions. Analyses Of The Moral And Social Problems Faced In Many Societies Require Recognition Of People's Multiple Moral, Social, And Personal Goals And Of The Ways Social Arrangements Provoke Opposition From Those Treated Unfairly. A thought-provoking examination of how explanations of social and moral development inform our understandings of morality and culture. A common theme in the latter part of the twentieth century has been to lament the moral state of American society and the decline of morality among youth. A sharp turn toward an extreme form of individualism and a lack of concern for community involvement and civic participation are often blamed for the moral crisis. Turiel challenges these views, drawing on a large body of research from developmental psychology, anthropology, sociology as well as social events, political movements, and journalistic accounts of social and political struggles. Turiel shows that generation after generation has lamented the decline of society and blamed young people. Using historical accounts, he persuasively argues that such characterizations of moral decline entail stereotyping, nostalgia for times past, and a failure to recognize the moral viewpoint of those who challenge traditions.

A thought-provoking explanation of how social and moral development inform our understandings of morality and culture.

Booknews

Turiel (education, U. of California-Berkeley) challenges the view that morality among America's youth declined in the latter half of the 20th century, drawing on research from developmental psychology, anthropology, and sociology, as well as social and political movements and journalistic accounts of social and political struggles around the world. He argues that the Right's accusations of moral decline are based on stereotyping, nostalgia, and a failure to recognize the moral viewpoint of those who challenge traditions. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This book presents a perspective on moral and social development based on psychological research and philosophical works. People in subordinate positions often oppose cultural practices and work to subvert them. The book presents many examples of such opposition aimed at explaining the complex relations of individuals and society "In this book, Turiel presents original positions on moral development, social justice, and culture. The Culture of Morality is an important work that shows how social interactions and social practices involve dynamic processes of participtation in culture and efforts at transforming culture."--Jacket The social and moral development of individuals, and the relations of cultural contexts to individuals' thought and actions are broad topics that have been approached in a variety of ways.