Moral Development in a Global World

Questions addressing people's moral lives, similarities and differences in the moral concepts of cultural groups, and how these concepts emerge in the course of development are of perennial interest. In a globalizing world, addressing what is universal and what is culturally distinctive about moral development is pressing. More than ever, well-substantiated knowledge of diverse peoples' moral compasses is needed. This book presents the cultural-developmental theory of moral psychology, findings from numerous countries, and four instruments for conducting cultural-developmental research. The central thesis is that humans are born with a shared moral heritage and that, as we develop from childhood into adulthood, we branch off in diverse directions shaped by culture - resulting in novelty and contention. An international group of eminent and cutting-edge scholars from anthropology, psychology, and linguistics addresses this timely topic and explores how gender, social class, and 'culture wars' between liberals and conservatives play into moral development across cultures.

Lene Arnett Jensen is Associate Professor of Psychology at Clark University. Her research addresses moral development and cultural identity formation in the contexts of 'culture war' tensions, migration, and globalization and she has conducted research with her students in countries including Denmark, India, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. Her most recent publications include Bridging Cultural and Developmental Psychology: New Syntheses for Theory, Research and Policy (2012) and the Oxford Handbook of Human Development and Culture (2015).

Advance praise: 'This book offers an exceptionally subtle and sophisticated exploration of cultural pluralism and universality in moral understanding and development. From its deeply thoughtful foreword and integrating first chapter right through to its sharply insightful commentaries, it will not only enrich your knowledge, it will make you think!' Anne Colby, Stanford University, California Advance praise: 'This is an exceptionally engrossing volume providing insights and challenges to the Western individualistic psychology of morality. Using a 'cultural-developmental approach', supported by multidisciplinary empirical evidence from diverse socio-cultural contexts, it proposes a theory of moral development which embraces both universality and multiplicity.' Cigdem Kagitcibasi, Koc University, Istanbul Advance praise: 'This volume presents a major empirical and theoretical advancement in moral reasoning from a cultural-developmental perspective. The wealth of data and analyses and new conceptual insights dra