Examines a survey on differences in moral judgments in different
cultures. Survey by Jonathan Haidt and others of residents in
Philadelphia, Recife and Porto Alegre; Study procedure and
conclusions.
By
PT Staff, published on March 01, 1994
Culture and Morality
A family's dog was killed by a car in front of their house. They
had heard that dog meat was delicious, so they cut up the dog's body and
ate it for dinner. Is this OK?
It's not exactly your typical survey question, but psychologist
Jonathan Haidt isn't looking for typical answers either. He wants to know
whether people in different cultures have different views of just what is
right or wrong.
In the U.S. and most Western societies, conventional wisdom accepts
only one definition of morality. Only harm to others, injustice, and the
violation of individual rights are believed equally wrong for everybody.
Autonomy rules.
Non-Western cultures may have a broader view of the moral sphere.
The ethics of community, for example, require duty, respect, obedience to
authority, and actions consistent with your social role.
Haidt and his Brazilian colleagues surveyed adults and children in
Philadelphia, Recife, and Porto Alegre. They expected differences to show
up based on age, socioeconomic status, and the degree of Westernization.
Philadelphia was considered the most Westernized, followed by Brazil's
Porto Alegre, then poorest Recife.
All subjects were told two types of stories: some involving
"conventional" (harm-based) moral violations, others describing harmless
yet offensive violations of strong social norms, like the dog story,
reflecting a broader definition of morality. At issue was whether people
universalize--consider certain actions wrong everywhere--and the belief
about whether violators should be stopped or punished.
Moral judgment indeed works differently in different cultures, says
Haidt. Outside the West, moral condemnation requires no victim and
considers a person's emotional responses. Westernization
and--surprisingly--high socioeconomic status were reflected in a more
permissive attitude toward morality.
Don't even think about trying to eat your dog in Recife.
ILLUSTRATION
Tags:
autonomy,
conventional wisdom,
different cultures,
emotional responses,
ethic,
jonathan haidt,
moral condemnation,
moral judgment,
morality,
social norm,
social role,
socioeconomic status,
western cultures,
western societies
