Rachael's Moral Stages

Rachael, with her age and behavior falls into the third stage, learning initiative versus guilt. She makes a lot of decisions for herself such as, who she plays with and what activities they play. For example, she was telling me about all her friends at school and how she has “boyfriends” at school. She chooses who she interacts with at school. Also, on the first day I observed her the neighbor kids were over. She would only interact with the male friend and not girl. Who she decides to play with and interact with in her life helps determine her sense of initiative in life. I do not think Rachael struggles in this stage. She is very confident with herself and her choices. I believe that she makes a lot of her decisions on her own and has little …show more content…
There are six stages that can be classified more generally into three levels in his stages of moral development (Barger, 2000). The first level is called the pre-conventional level, which includes stages one and two. Stage one begins at the elementary school level. The social orientation in this stage is obedience and punishment. Obedience is compelled by punishment from an authority figure in the first stage. In the second stage, obedience is portrayed by one’s own best interests of behavior. The second level is called the conventional level, which includes stages three and four. Social orientation found in these stages are “Good boy/girl”, and law and order. In stage three, attitude is portrayed by what gains approval from others. In the fourth stage a person is oriented to laws, what is right and what is wrong, and responding to their duties (Boeree, …show more content…
She is most known for working in the field of gender difference psychology, and how sexes think differently when it comes to moral problems. Gilligan’s theory is influenced by Kohlberg’s theory of moral development. She believes that women develop morality in stages such as preconventional, conventional, and postconventional (Ball, 2010). In the stage preconventional, survival and self-interest is mainly focused. Children in this stage only care for themselves to ensure survival. Transitioning into the second stage, the conventional stage, children transition from selfishness to responsibility to others. The child will see how their self and others connect. In the conventional stage, the person will care more about others. Gilligan believes this stage shows the role of Mother and Wife (human growth). Transitioning into the third stage, the postconventional stage, children transition from selflessness and goodness to the truth that they are a person as well. The child will see how tensions between caring for others and caring for themselves are faced and the responsibility of it. In the postconventional stage, the person will seek to not hurt others or their self. Many children and adults never reach this