Further, reflect on how extreme liberalization of social behavior and ethical no
ID: 3847187 • Letter: F
Question
Further, reflect on how extreme liberalization of social behavior and ethical norms appeal to you. Or are you, on the contrary, concerned about the departure from traditional social morality? Do you think that it will negatively impact the fabric of healthy social and family life? Do you believe that liberalization transforms cultural artifacts too quickly or is it too slow to promote positive social changes and ensure human progress? Should pop artists push cultural borders further by introducing more new and brave ideas? Is it possible that despite obvious liberalization of social norms, pop culture still adheres to the deeply rooted biases and stereotypes? Use these questions to stimulate your critical thinking and creative writing. Support your reflections with examples that will demonstrate your position clearly and convincingly.
Explanation / Answer
If you had to compose a list of skills children need in order to develop into healthy, well-adjusted adults, what would it include? You might think of any number of important attributes, but most would probably fit within the five broad categories identified by researchers Nancy G. Guerra and Catherine P. Bradshaw in their 2008 study. In past issues of Vision we have covered all but the last of these “core competencies for positive youth development,” which include a positive sense of self, self-control, good decision-making skills, and prosocial connectedness. The final competency is a moral system of belief.
This last may seem strange coming from psychologists: most people don’t expect researchers of any kind to comment on morality. But it’s important to understand that rather than define the ideal system of belief that could be considered “moral,” psychologists simply set out to observe human behavior and describe its effects. In the words of Canadian researchers Lawrence J. Walker and Jeremy A. Frimer, “historically, morality has fallen outside the purview of science, more often addressed by religious figures, social commentators, philosophers, and societal leaders.” They explain that morality prescribes behavior, while science merely describes it. Alison Gopnik, who specializes in cognitive development, puts it this way: “Moral questions are about the way the world should be and what we ought to do. Scientific questions are about the way the world actually is and what we really do do.” And so, Walker and Frimer ask, “how can the descriptive method of science approach or inform moral prescriptions?”
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