Culture has been
with us since the dawn of human existence.[1] Significant
as it is, a culture considerably shapes its members on how they live and relate
within themselves and with other cultures. However, one culture would differ
from another in terms of its principles, beliefs, traditions etc. Consequently,
the culture of a particular society is very integral to the development of the
human person. Yet, a culture would not always be absolute in raising its
members into its full development. This is a reality that a culture’s system of
beliefs or principles would be wrong or inadequate in the universal perspective
of human development.
Nonetheless, this paper would look
and explore on the influence of culture specifically in the moral development
of the human person. As this paper progresses, I specify the word “influence”
as I am concerned in exploring the culture’s impact and significance in moral
development. Further, I relate the influence of culture to Moral Development as
I refer to the basic or to the process of the moral dimension of a society.
There
are three questions at least that serve as the guiding points of this paper.
First, what is culture? Secondly, what is moral development? And finally, how does culture influence the moral
development of its members? These questions set the scope of this paper
that would help to bring the study into its conclusion.
Culture
Culture, as I use this definition, “is the integrated pattern of human
knowledge, beliefs and behaviours. This consists of language, ideas, customs,
morals, laws, taboos, institutions, tools, techniques, and works of art, rituals
and other capacities and habits acquired by a person as a member of society.[2]”
From this, culture is a social environment in which a person is born and
wherein he or she lives together with other persons. Hence, culture has a great
impact in the development of the human person in varied ways; may it be in
physical, knowledge, thought, relationship, religious or moral development.
Moreover, culture is a person’s
social heritage that has been passed from one generation to the next basically
through the relationship that binds the society together. It necessarily says
on what are the things a member of the society must do, what to do and how to
do things. And teaches and conditions members on how to relate and live with
the other members of the society and even to people outside of their own
culture.
At its fundamentals, culture has important
characteristics. As I would emphasize, culture is rooted from the collective
“human experience[3]”. Culture is always
transmitted, shared or acquired through learning. Culture satisfies human needs
as a social being. And culture tends towards the participation of the members
of the society.
Therefore, culture functions to
mould and establish a social identity that brings people as well to the
knowledge of common objectives which members would try to achieve. Culture,
indeed, provides norms, customs, laws, and moral demands that are to be
followed. So to speak, in general, in a culture there is consistency and
systematic patterns of behaviour.[4]
Nonetheless, these standards that
would differ from one culture to another or from one generation to the next do
not possess the absolute truthfulness. A culture’s standard or judgment may be
inadequate or mistaken. Indeed, there are positive as well as negative
influences a person would acquire in his or her culture. And it is always a
challenge that when a culture’s judgment or standard hinders and becomes an
obstacle in promoting well-being, order and harmony – it needs modifications or
adjustments.
Hence,
in general the development of the human person, culture plays a vital role. In
every aspect of the human person, the cultural background can be very visible.
In particular, culture has an essential influence on the moral development of
the human person since morality is just one of the cultural aspects.
Moral Development
Moral development refers to the “process through which a human person gains
his or her beliefs, skills and dispositions that makes him or her morally
mature person.”[5] Yet this definition does
not tell on what are those beliefs, skills and dispositions. Nevertheless, it
focuses on the acquisition, understanding and most probably of changing the
principles of morality of a person from infancy to adulthood. This moral
development is fundamentally rooted in the very experience of a person, in his
or her relationship with others in the community[6].
As ones moral development begins to
emerge through a person’s experience of relationship (relationship with him/herself and with others), morality can be
best seen as principles that govern individuals’ behaviour in living, relating
and treating one another with respect to justice, rights and other’s
well-being.[7] In this development the
concept of good and bad, right and wrong is intrinsically developing also as
integral to this moral development. The morally good or right actions or
behaviours are those that promote relationship, welfare and harmony. On the
other hand, the morally bad or wrong actions or behaviours are those that
hinder and impede an honest and good relationship with one another.
Moreover, I would like to explore
more on the process or stages of moral development. I employ the theory of the
“stages of moral development[8]”
of Lawrence Kohlberg, a research psychologist as I find it helpful and
essential in this paper.
Hence, the moral development of a
person basically develops when he or she is still a child. The first stage is
called by Kohlberg as the Obedience and
Punishment Orientation – a child sees and grasps morality in terms of its
physical consequences. Powerful authorities, as a child would perceive it,
handed down a set of rules that must be obeyed. So, if doing something only
leads to punishment, then, it should not be done. Stage 2 is the Naively Egoistic Orientation – a child
begins to realize that in conforming to rules it would not just avoid him or
her from punishment but also it can bring rewards. Stage 3 is the Good Child Orientation – the child
progresses to have a sense of right and wrong behaviour and that by conforming
to the standards of the people around him or her, the child gains approval and
thus, pleasing others by being good to them. Stage 4 is the Maintaining and Social Order – this
emphasizes the “doing the duty” that obedience to the social order is the right
thing and deviance to it is wrong. Stage 5 is the Contractual Legalistic Orientation – the person defines duty in
terms or contract or social rules and that it is important to follow these. Yet
the person begins to challenge the existing social rules for the sake of
promoting the welfare of the society. Thus, the person recognizes that it is
possible to modify or change such rules or principles if they would benefit the
majority. And lastly, stage 6 is the Universal
Principle – a person lives the principles of justice and compassion and
adapts these principles to social standards. Hence, when a law of a society is
unjust and dehumanizing in the judgment of the person, a civil disobedience
would be seen as the invitation to this.
The Influence of Culture in Moral Development
Culture would tell, as I have mentioned above, the
members on what to do, how to do things and what are the things that should be
done as well as those things that should be avoided. So to speak, culture
imprints the existing moral principles into its members, thus, shapes the
character of its members as well. Indeed, this is a process from infancy to
adulthood, effectively presented by Kohlberg in his theory on the stages of moral development. Hence, at
this point I would somehow particularize on how culture influences the moral
development of the people. The points below are the following:
- Culture is always social and communal by which the relationship of the people towards one another and their experience as a people are the culture’s meadow. It is in this relationship and communal experience that culture influences the moral development of its members. It is important to note that morality as principle is promoted because primarily of the relationship within the community. Laws and rules and standards of attitudes and behaviours are set and promulgated by the community to promote that relationship that binds them together as a people. And culture as it is being handed down from one generation to another forms as well the morality of that particular generation. Yet, the kind of morality may not be absolutely the same with the previous generation due to changes that would inevitable occur.
- The culture defines the normative principles and behaviours of the society. It defines which particular principle and behaviour that should be kept that would serve the best interest of the community. There would be a definition on what are the principles and behaviours also that should not be promoted or rejected. This kind of influence of culture in moral development is best seen in terms of relational level. Again, it is basic that it is in the relationship within the community and in their experience of that relationship that the community would able to form certain normative principles and behaviours. These defined normative principles and behaviours inform and indoctrinate the members as they live and relate with the community. These would shape also the kind of moral judgment a person has, which is most of the time congruent to the general moral judgment.
- Moreover, a culture, as best exemplified in the experience of the people, develops restrictions and sets boundaries and limitations as they live and relate with one another. These restrictions and boundaries serve as protection among themselves. These would create an atmosphere of promoting the welfare of the community. Indeed, anyone who tries to step beyond these is subject to punishment or consequences set by the community embedded in the culture. Culture here, draws this consciousness into the moral development of its members.
- As culture helps in generating the character and identity of its people, it also includes their moral character. Culture conditions the mind – the way people think and the way they perceive the world and their relationship with one another. Henceforth, a culture which characteristic is aggressive tends to be aggressive in terms of its relationship with one another or with other cultures. Yet, the character that is being shaped by a culture may not always be just and rightful. A culture like many others may shape a character that is unjust and mistaken in the general perspective of human morality.
- The culture identifies the authorities or the governing individuals or groups. They are the symbol of guidance and control. In many cultures, men are always regarded as the leaders who oversee the order of the community and give guidance, which is true in patriarchal societies. Through their roles and responsibilities in the community within the given culture, may it be patriarchy, matriarchy or whatever; people submit themselves to their authorities. By their very authority as they represent the general populace, the members look at them as people who promote and keep the set of rules and laws that govern the community. Their moral judgments are considered essential in moral issues of the community. In particular, in domestic level the parents of a child are the first authorities who set and teach the child essential for the moral development of their child.
CONCLUSION
Evidently,
culture is very significant in the development of the human person and in moral
development particularly. Furthermore, as one would look at it, culture has a
tight grip on the moral development of the people. Culture is the conditioning
principle of the moral development of its members. Nevertheless, culture as the
principle that surrounds the moral development of the people may not always
promote what is good and just for all. It is certain that sometimes there are
principles, attitudes and behaviours that actually hinder good relationships
and violate the welfare of the others. These are indeed difficult to eliminate
immediately in a culture, yet, they should be subject to people’s discernment
that proper changes and modifications have to be done for the sake of the
welfare and justice for everybody.
[2] From
the words of Sir Edward Taylor, an English Anthropologist quoted in Epitacio
Palispis, Introduction to Sociology and
Anthropology, (Manila: Rex Bookstore, Inc., 2007), 41.
[3] Daniel Miguel, The Moral Choice, (New York: Doubleday and Company, 1978), 72.
[4] Palispis,
Introduction to Sociology and
Anthropology, 50.
[5] Daniel
Pekarsky, PhD, “The Role of Culture in Moral Development,” Parenthood in America: University of Wisconsin-Madison General Library
System, accessed 11 January 2013 <http://parenthood.library.wisc.edu/Pekarsky/Pekarsky.html>,
1998.
[6]
Sean Fagan SM, Does Morality
Change?, (Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1997), 40.
[7] Ibid., 40-42.
[8] Taken mainly from second sources, see C.
Ellis Nelson, ed., CONSCIENCE:
Theological and Psychological Perspectives, (USA: Newman Press, 1973), p.
242 and Palispis, Introduction to Sociology and Anthropology,
126-127.
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