The cultural-developmental approach to moral psychology: Autonomy, community, and divinity across cultures and ages

Authors

Lene Arnett Jensen, Clark UniversityFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter

Abstract

This chapter details the cultural-developmental approach to moral psychology. This conceptual framework lays out life-course "templates" for the three Ethics of Autonomy, Community, and Divinity. These life course trajectories are not fixed but accommodate to cultural variability by addressing: (1) whether or not an Ethic emerges, (2) when it emerges, and (3) the slope and specific characteristics of its development. As described, the formulation of the cultural-developmental approach was based on a large body of long-standing research findings, as well as research with religiously conservative and liberal groups divided by the so-called "culture wars." Recent research has also extended the cultural-developmental hypotheses and validated new measures of the three Ethics. The conclusion proposes future research directions for moral psychology, and the application of the conceptual idea of cultural-developmental templates to other areas of psychology.

Publication Title

Handbook of Advances in Culture and Psychology

Publication Date

2018

Volume

7

First Page

107

Last Page

152

ISBN

9780190879228

DOI

10.1093/oso/9780190879228.003.0003

Keywords

autonomy, community, cultural-developmental approach, Culture, Culture wars, divinity, ethics, life course, moral, template

Repository Citation

Jensen, Lene Arnett, "The cultural-developmental approach to moral psychology: Autonomy, community, and divinity across cultures and ages" (2018). Psychology. 822.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_psychology/822