Bronfenbrenner's Theory Of Moral Reasoning: Case Study

For the first five years of his life, David’s home life was normal and he was a happy child. But when his parents’ alcoholic tendencies and outside stress became too much, David became a punching bag and slave in his own home. David experienced physical, emotional, and mental abuse causing him to feel less than human in his own home. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model highlights how David’s interaction with his family and the environment impacted how he developed (Feldman, 2015). His cognitive development was in Piaget’s concrete operational stage (Feldman, 2015). This means David was able to fully understand his situation and use logic to try and solve his dilemma. According to Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Reasoning, David’s reasoning …show more content…
In American culture, parents genuinely care for their children and provide for their needs. Parents typically have close relationships with their children and the children feel safe and loved within their home. David’s home life was very different than the average home in America. The beginning of David’s life was normal and he felt safe in his own home, but then his parents started drinking and fighting, causing him to become his mother’s slave. Eventually, David was a slave in his own home and was shown no love or care. David was not protected by his macrosystem and often felt alone because of this …show more content…
He outlined stages that a person pass through as their morals and reasoning change. During childhood, a child is in the first stage of preconventional morality. According to Robert Feldman (2015), “the main considerations are the avoidance of punishment and the desire for rewards.” Moral reasoning is based on the idea that if one does what they are supposed to do, they will avoid any consequences. David’s morals are clearly within the first stage of preconventional morality. In this stage, a child’s morals and choices are dependent on the avoidance of punishment where obedience is the reward (Feldman 2015). He would comply with his mother’s outrageous demands just to avoid the horrid punishment she would inflict upon him. He rushed to get his chores done in the time allotted to avoid an even worse punishment. When he didn’t finish within the time frame, he could expect time in the gas chamber or beatings for not getting done what he was supposed to. “When I returned to the house from school, I immediately accomplished the various chores Mother assigned me. When the chores were finished, I went directly to the basement, where I stood until summoned to clean off the dinner table and wash the dishes. It was made very clear that getting caught sitting or lying down in the