Cultural Beliefs

You define adolescence in certain ways, and across

cultures and historical time periods people define

adolescence differently.

Roles: behaviors that are associated with and come to be expected of people in a given position

Key roles of adolescents: Family member Friend Student

Rooted in Symbolic Inheritance -- beliefs, “ideas and understandings, both implicit and explicit, about persons, society, nature and divinity”

Norms and moral standards that arise from these beliefs, ideas and understandings

(Shweder et al, 1998, p. 868)(Shweder et al, 1998, p. 868)

Why do adolescents become increasingly aware of their cultural roles and what is expected of them?

Example: ANSWER!

•Increasing cognitive capacities in adolescence (i.e., abstract thinking & self-reflection)

•The transition to adulthood is approaching along with the need to adapt to adult role requirements

The process by which people acquire the behaviors and beliefs of their culture

Socialization OutcomesSocialization Outcomes

1.1. Self-regulation Self-regulation – ability to comply with social norms– ability to comply with social norms2. 2. Role preparation Role preparation – for roles in work, gender, – for roles in work, gender,

institutions such as marriage, parenthoodinstitutions such as marriage, parenthood3. 3. Cultivation of sources of meaning Cultivation of sources of meaning – – ““whatwhat’’s s

important?important?”” ““WhatWhat’’s to be lived fors to be lived for??””

Why is adolescence such an important life period in relation to the three socialization outcomes? Discuss and explain.

IndividualismIndividualism CollectivismCollectivismIndependenceIndependenceSelf-expressionSelf-expressionBroad socializationBroad socialization““WesternWestern””

ObedienceObedienceConformityConformityNarrow socializationNarrow socialization““EasternEastern””

IndependentIndependentSelfSelf

InterdependentInterdependentSelfSelf

Keep in Mind-Cultures’ belief systems are not “pure types” -There are individual differences in any culture-Diversity also exists within individuals

Keep in Mind…

Individualism-collectivism and Broad-Narrow are NOT meant to imply moral evaluations!

Cultures define the range and focus of acceptable personal variation

Cultures differ in the degree of restrictiveness they impose

Narrow socialization is to collectivism as Broad socialization is to individualism

School Workplace

Peers/Friends Community

Media

Legal System

Cultural Belief

SystemFamily

Influence of family

diminishes in adolescence

Influence of friends, media, school,

community, legal system increases

Implicit vs ExplicitExamples of each?How can you observe explicit and

implicit ways of socialization that occurs in classrooms?

“… customary practice and…the beliefs, values, sanctions, rules, motives and satisfactions associated with it” (Whiting & Child, 1953, p. 27)

1953

1998 Scholars place the custom complex at the center of cultural psychology, which examines human development from a perspective combining psychology and anthropology

Simply Put: Typical practice in a culture and the cultural beliefs that provide the basis for the practice

Virtually all cultures have religious beliefs of some kind

The content of cultures religious beliefs is diverse

Typically contain prescriptions for socialization – roles, self-regulation, sources of meaning

Typically specify a code for behavior

Poetic-conventional faith

Individuating-reflective faith

Fowler’s Stage(1981, 1991)

Late adolescence/ emerging adulthood: Question beliefs, incorporate personal experiences, Develop individualized faith

Early adolescence/Awareness of symbolism

Age/Description

Caveat – FowlerCaveat – Fowler’’s theory is based on American majority s theory is based on American majority culture and individualistic valuesculture and individualistic values

Industrialized countries tend to be more secular (based on non-religious beliefs).

Why do you think Americans generally are more religious than people in other industrialized countries?

Piaget observed children play games and practiced and discussed rules.

Two Stages Based on cognitive development: Heteronomous Morality (ages 4-7)“You can’t change the rules! The rules were made by my

Mother!”

Autonomous Morality (reached at age 10-12)

“I dropped the glass by accident, that wasn’t as bad as when Julie tore up her book because she was mad.”

Kohlberg presented his participants with hypothetical moral dilemmas, asked them to make a judgment and explain their reasons for their decision.

Whether a person judged the actions of the main character in the dilemma as right or wrong was not important. Rather, his* reasoning for the judgment was key to determining stage of moral reasoning.

*Note: Kohlberg*Note: Kohlberg’’s research began with a study of 72 boys s research began with a study of 72 boys aged 10, 13, and 16.aged 10, 13, and 16.

Level & StagesLevel & Stages DescriptionDescription ExampleExample

PreconventionalPreconventional Includes Stages Includes Stages 1 and 21 and 2

Based on Based on perceptions of perceptions of likelihood of likelihood of external reward or external reward or punishmentpunishment

Stage 1 Stage 1 ““He shouldnHe shouldn’’t steal because t steal because hehe’’ll go to jail.ll go to jail.””

Stage 2 Stage 2 ““He should steal because he He should steal because he needs the money.needs the money.””

ConventionalConventionalIncludes Stages Includes Stages 3 and 43 and 4

Right is what agrees Right is what agrees with rules with rules established by established by tradition and tradition and authorityauthority

Stage 3 Stage 3 ““He shouldnHe shouldn’’t steal because t steal because good sons dongood sons don’’t do that.t do that.””

Stage 4 Stage 4 ““He shouldnHe shouldn’’t steal because if t steal because if everyone steals there will be chaos.everyone steals there will be chaos.””

PostconventionalPostconventionalIncludes Stages Includes Stages 5 and 65 and 6

What is right is What is right is derived from derived from universal principlesuniversal principles

Stage 5 Stage 5 ““He should steal because laws He should steal because laws need to be changed to reflect peoplesneed to be changed to reflect peoples ’’ basic rights.basic rights.””

Stage 6 Stage 6 ““He shouldnHe shouldn’’t steal because t steal because the universal principle of ownership the universal principle of ownership must be primary over an individualmust be primary over an individual ’’s s needs.needs.””

Gender Critique (Gilligan)Gender Critique (Gilligan)

Male (Autonomy) vs. Female (Relationship)Male (Autonomy) vs. Female (Relationship)

Morality of Justice vs. Morality of CareMorality of Justice vs. Morality of Care

Consider Shweder’s Cultural Critique of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development pointing out a bias toward Western Individualism.

Jensen (1997, 2000, 2003); Shweder et al, (1997)

Set of cultural beliefs

Explanations for why an action is right or wrong

Judgments as to whether an action is right or wrong

Prescribed byMoral judgments;

reinforce world view

AutonomyAutonomy CommunityCommunity DivinityDivinityIndividual is Individual is primary moral primary moral authority having authority having right to do as right to do as they wish as they wish as long as their long as their behavior does behavior does no harm to no harm to othersothers

Responsibilities Responsibilities of roles in of roles in family, family, community are community are basis for moral basis for moral judgmentsjudgments

Individual is a Individual is a spiritual entity spiritual entity subject to the subject to the prescriptions of prescriptions of a divine a divine authorityauthority

Research shows! Emerging adults in the USA rely especially on the Ethic of Autonomy

Video

What are the top reasons why adolescents say they cheated?

Most reasons have to do with individuals’ perceptions of pressures placed on them by their micro- and macro-system

Cheating on exams commonPlagiarism frequentHigh percentage of lying

Heteronomous morality stage (4-7 years)

▪ Rigid approach to rules Autonomous morality stage (about

10 years and up)▪ Full awareness of rules and their human

construction

Pre-conventional Avoid punishment & Personal gain (“No, I will get

caught”) Conventional

Good boy / Nice girl, Law & order (“It’s the rule”) Post-conventional

Social contract & Universal ethical principles (“Why? Who made the rule?”)

Criticisms: Moral issues versus social conventions Western male cultural bias

What would Kohlberg say about moral development in

adolescence?

Albert BanduraFocus on behaviorsReinforcementsModeling theory

How does social learning theory explain moral development in

adolescence?

What would Bronfenbrener say about moral development?

•Just this year, schools in El Paso, Columbus, OH, Washington DC, Atlanta have been caught cheating – fixing the test scores of their students•Example: Columbus, OH: caught covering up the failure of 2.8 million students

“In California, the Commission on Professional Competence reinstated a tenured teacher who was fired for improperly assisting his elementary school students on state tests.”

It’s not just in…the U.S.

Protest in China Last Year"We want fairness. There is no fairness if you do not let us cheat."

SAT: Cancelled Nationwide in South Korea!