Development of Morality in Children

Every person grows from childhood to adolescence through different means and at different rates. Certainly, this has been a subject that has both bewildered and fascinated psychologists for centuries. Such noted scholars as Freud, Jung, Horney, Erikson, and many others, have looked at the struggle of children to achieve some understanding of ego or self identity and to develop into adults by examining parental pressures, mimicry, sexual repression or lack thereof, dreams, goals, and aspirations.

Certainly, long before psychology was an agreed upon science, children were thrilled and entertained by stories of adventure and moral dilemma that involved a character's growth through personal decision. Parents too, surely have used these stories as a means, not only to lull their children to sleep of an evening, but to lend an exciting and emotionally charged bend to the direction of their offspring's moral development and self awareness. Such stories as the adventures of Robin Hood and King Arthur, or the darker tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel all relate stories of quests, personal fulfillment, moral dilemmas, and the results of incorrect behavior.

It is interesting to note that despite the fact that some of these stories deal with specifically a young hero or heroine, both they and the schools of theory to which psychologists attach themselves do little to separate morality and awareness of self by gender. Recently, however, two wom

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e very idea of disobeying his elders. Because he keeps within the boundary of the rules he succeeds in solving his moral dilemma while still maintaining the "grace of God." Another symbol of "proper" moral choice is the description of the pebbles themselves, which are white and "seemed like silver pieces, they glittered so brightly" (Rackham, p. 254). The brightness of the pebbles is repeated when the moon shines on them and they "glittered like newcoined silver pieces and showed them the path" (Rackham, p. 255). Perhaps another analogy of the silver pieces is as a temporal symbol of material wealth just the thing that the family needs so desperately. Since the pebbles as silver pieces are acting as a beacon to lead Hansel and Gretel to safety, they also represent a pseudoreward for proper behavior. In this specific example, Hansel follows Lyons and Gilligan because he acts within the boundaries of rules, something they believe to be a common male trait. When the children return after solving their moral dilemma, the stepmother continues to chastise them and once again calls them "wicked children" and acts as if they fell asleep in the woods. In this way, she attempts to absolve herself from any moral guilt. Later, when

Category: Psychology - D