Research Paper on:
Carol Gilligan's In a Different Voice

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
a theory of moral development which claims that women tend to think and speak in a different way than men when they confront ethical dilemmas. Gilligan contrasts a feminine ethic  of care with a masculine ethic of justice. Contribution to psychology What distinguishes an ethic of care from an ethic of justice? According to Gilligan its the quantity and  quality of relationships. Individual rights, equality before the law, fair play, a square deal-all of these ethical goals can be pursued without personal ties to others. Justice is impersonal. But  sensitivity to others, loyalty, responsibility, self-sacrifice, and peacemaking all reflect interpersonal involvement. Care comes from connection. Gilligan rejects biological explanations for the development of a given moral voice. She believes  that womens greater need for relationships is due to a distinct feminine identity formed early in life. The greater need for relationships in turn leads to the ethic of care.  Central themes The male approach to morality is that individuals have certain basic rights, and that you have to respect the rights of others. So morality imposes restrictions  on what you can do. The female approach to morality is that people have responsibilities towards others. So morality is an imperative to care for others.  Gilligan summarizes this by saying that male morality has a "justice orientation", and that female morality has a "responsibility orientation".  Gilligan also outlines three stages in moral development. The first is a selfish stage, the second is a belief in conventional morality, and the third is  post-conventional. This is a progression from selfish, to social, to principled morality. Female children start out with a selfish orientation. They then learn to care for others,