Culture and Moral Development
Culture has a big influence on moral development. From birth to adulthood, the primary focus of moral development is on emergence, transformation, and moral insight. According to Lee and Johnson (2007), morality is the ability to distinguish between the good and the bad and the awareness of how to make the right choices. Morality, like other aspects of growth, cannot emerge on its own. In addition, the children's experiences and the environment to which they are exposed shape their perception of what is right and wrong.
The Impact of Culture
Culture has a significant impact on moral formation. According to Cameron et al. (2012), Plato identified three vital variables which establishes the moral character of a child. The features in question includes the initial childhood experiences, innate characters and the immediate culture. The native traits refer to the genetic endowments of the child which is inherited from the maternal parents. Despite this, the innate traits which drives moral development are not highly applicable. The most relevant with regards to moral character development includes the power of the culture in the surrounding and the early experiences of the child (Jonas, 2016).
Influence of Immediate Culture
Plato argues that most individuals will find it hard to resist the immediate culture in the surrounding. In a typical scenario, the belief, perceptions and values of a child represents the immediate culture available in the individual's environment. For instance, one may find himself within a social context which guides him to drift away from certain cultural norms with an aim of apprehending and affirming moral values which depart from the drift of the culture. Despite this, it is apparent that such cultural values are not likely to survive in a meaningful manner when the child is re-exposed to the current culture in his daily life. Plato suggests that a person is not likely to maintain his commitments to morals and values in the face of the immediate culture which embodies and rewards different value rings. The fact that most children find it hard to overcome the cultural pull means that an immoral cultural environment would influence a child's morality which further negatively impacts his development. To avoid this, Plato suggests that various measures should be undertaken to protect the child from being negatively influenced by the culture in the surrounding. Evidently, culture established dispositions and values which further represents how the child will conduct himself in the long run (Jonas, 2016).
Piaget and Kohlberg's Theories
Various theories of a child's moral development provide an indication into the facets of development based on the child's experiences. Between the age of 2 and 5 years, most children start showing morally-based beliefs and behaviors (Kiang, Tseng & Yip, 2016). During the outlined age, a child begins developing empathy which is noted due to guilt when they engage in activities which are considered bad or unethical. Moreover, during the identified age, a child is able to make ethical decisions based on their notion of what is considered as good or bad.
Piaget's Theory of Moral Development
Considering Piaget's theory of moral development, the thoughts about the moral development of children changes over time (Çam et al., 2012). Piaget indicates that children will develop the heteronomous morality by the age of between 5 and 10 years. In simpler terms, children believe that authority figures such as the teachers and their parents have established ruled which must be followed at all times. They do not consider such as aspects which can be negotiated. However, as they age, they develop abstract thinking skills while they become less focused on themselves. At this stage, they have a tendency of establishing more flexible rules which they apply selectively for the sake of negotiation and co-operation desire. The theorists embrace the fact that cognitive development is highly important in the promotion of a child's moral development.
Piaget indicated that there are three major stages of moral development in children. The first level for consideration is the pre-moral stage which covers children aged between 0 and 5 years. In the identified phase, children do not have an understanding of the existing morality rules. Most find it difficult to carry out their mental duties. As a result, their behavior is majorly regulated by an external force such as parent or a guardian. The second stage for consideration is the heteronomous morality stage which is composed of children age between 5 and 9 years. Under the presented phase, adults play a significant role in creating rigid rules which guides the children in establishing what is right and wrong. Children falling within the identified stage of development are known to be highly obedient to rules. The provided instructions are inflexible for the children in question. Additionally, the rules also serve as a guide of what is wrong and the extent to which it is considered bad. Furthermore, the rules also act as a form of a punishment guide. Lee and Johnson (2007) indicates that adults have a tendency to feel more comfortable when the children are in the identified stage. The presented factor stems from the notion that the children are obliged to follow the presented rules without any form of objection or negotiation. The identified phase is majorly experienced during the concrete and the preoperational developmental stages.
The third stage for consideration in Piaget's theory is the autonomous morality stage which involves children aged above 10 years. The provided emphasis in the identified stage is focused on cooperation. Negotiation is evident under the presented stage in that rules are changeable under certain instances as long as there is mutual consent between the child and the caregiver. Piaget provides an indication that children learn how to critically evaluate the guidelines in question which they further apply based on respect and cooperation for the other members of the community which they interact. The presented factor is different from the previous stage in that negotiation plays a significant role at the current level. The children in the identified stage judge how wrong an action might be based on the intention of the individual in question. The punishment can also be adjusted as required based on various important aspects such as the extent of the wrongful action. During the presented stage, children also start understanding the existing difference between what is right and wrong and take into consideration various variables such as motivation, intention and the abilities to avoid behavior which are considered as bad in the society.
As the children continue to age, the start realizing that when situations are handled in a manner that is deemed as fair, beneficial and reasonable for all, it is easier for most people to accept the decision in question since it is associated with a high level of common good. Kiang, Tseng and Yip (2016) notes that reciprocity is a fairness concept. Through this, a child can consider the best interest of the other person before engaging in an act which would hurt their feelings and interest.
Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
Kohlberg established his theory on moral development based on the work of Piaget. According to the theorist, young children at the identified age of between 5 and 10 years establish their morality on obedience orientation and punishment (Cam et al., 2012). Similar to Piaget, Kohlberg believes that children will always behave in a morally upright manner because they are scared of punishments as well as a result of the fear of authority. Based on this factor, children will always follow the rules because they are scared of getting in trouble. Expecting children within the identified age to automatically do the right thing is considered as impossible. Despite this, most of them have an understanding of what is good and what is bad which establishes a moral foundation of more complicated moral thoughts on a future age.
Kohlberg's theory of moral development among children is composed of three major levels such as the pre-conventional level, conventional level, and the post conventional level. The identified levels are further categorized into 6 major stages. Similar to Piaget, Kohlberg embraces the fact that cognitive development is a necessary requirement which forms a fundamental basis for moral reasoning and maturity.
Taking into consideration what other researchers have provided on the topic, it is evident that children aged 5 and 6 years will always think based on the concept of disruptive justice (Kiang, Tseng & Yip, 2016). The presented notion stems from the fact that they believe people should always obtain their fair share. By the time the children attain the age of 6 and 7, they begin to consider the aspects what others have earned when their thoughts are based on disruptive justice. Also, children can base their thoughts on the assumption that working harder provides one with a chance of obtaining more, such as a bigger price.
Conclusion
To summarize, morality and culture play a significant role in determining a child's development. Various theories have outlined concepts focused on explaining the existing link between morality, culture, and the development of a child. Plato provides a discussion about how culture impacts the behavior of an individual as they age over the years. Plato provides that culture is a powerful concept determined by the surrounding environment where the child is exposed. When the child is brought up in an environment with the wrong cultural values, chances are higher that the child will grow up not knowing the difference between the right and bad. However, when appropriate measures are undertaken within the right time, a caregiver can ensure that the child is exposed to only positive values which will guide him to establish a positive attitude as he ages.
Piaget and Kohlberg have set forth theories explaining the moral development of a child. The two acknowledge the fact that cognitive development drives a child's moral growth. Apparently, as a child ages, he/she no longer has to rely on the set rules to identify what is good and bad. Evidently, as the child grows old, he finds it easier to point out what is ethical and unethical as a result of an enhanced cognitive development noticed with the changes in age.
References
Burek Pierce, J. (2016). The Reign of Children: The Role of Games and Toys in American Public Libraries, 1876-1925. Information & Culture, 51(3), 373-398.
Çam, Z., Çavdar, D., Seydooğullari, S., & Çok, F. (2012). Classical and Contemporary Approaches for Moral Development. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 121222-1225.
Cameron, C. A., Lau, C., Fu, G., & Lee, K. (2012). Development of children’s moral evaluations of modesty and self-promotion in diverse cultural settings. Journal of Moral Education, 41(1), 61-78.
Jonas, M. E. (2016). Three Misunderstandings of Plato’s Theory of Moral Education. Educational Theory, 66(3), 301-322.
Kiang, L., Tseng, V., & Yip, T. (2016). Placing Asian American Child Development Within Historical Context. Child Development, 87(4), 995-1013.
Lee, K., & Johnson, A. (2007). Child Development in Cultural Contexts: Implications of Cultural Psychology for Early Childhood Teacher Education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(3), 233-243.
