Carol Gilligan's Theory of Moral Development

Define: Since women generally "failed" to reach a "higher" level of moral functioning in Kohlberg's theory and interviews, Carol Gilligan reasoned there must be some gender differences in moral reasoning. This theory says women use relationships and responsibilities to develop morals, as opposed to rules and abstract principles that males use.

Source: Robbins, S., Chatterjee, P., & Canda, E. (2012). Contemporary human behavior theory: A critical perspective for social work (3rd ed., p. 281). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Apply: One of the most important aspects I take from this theory is the removal of age from the theoretical development process. When in the field, I feel it's terribly limiting to tie a person's moral or cognitive development simply to their age, we must also consider their environment. This is a critique of the theory, as it bases differences in gender on psychological differences rather than structural differences. Back to the theory, it is important to recognize that folks develop differently largely in response to the white male dominated world, making it difficult to separate psychological and structural differences.

Adapt: This research is important in itself to move forward the dialogue around the structural impacts of our society. The majority tends to say this kind of research is causing a divide between genders or races or religions but that's just their go-to answer to avoid having to face the injustices they have caused.