Morele ontwikkeling tydens adolessensie : 'n tussenkulturele studie

Abstract

Die vlak van morele ontwikkeling van wit A:frikaanssprekende, wit Engelssprekende,

swart Sotbosprekende, swart Xhosasprekende en swart Zoeloesprekende adolessente seuns en meisies in vroee, middel- en laatadolessensie (12-19 jaar) in Suid-Afrika is afsonderlik, tussenkultureel en vir geslagsverskille asook ouderdomsverskille ondersoek. Moontlike verbande tussen genoemde groepe se vlak van morele ontwikkeling, stedelike/plattelandse woonomgewing, vlak: van identiteitsontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole-orientasie is ondersoek vir kultuur- en geslagsverskille.

Wit en swart adolessente redeneer nie in dieselfde mate op die verskillende stadia van morele ontwikkeling nie en bulle openbaar oak verskillende morele ontwikkelingspatrone. Swart adolessente funksioneer betekenisvol meer as wit adolessente op laer stadia van morele redenering terwyl wit adolessente betekenisvol meer as swart adolessente op boer stadia van morele redenering funksioneer. Wit adolessente toon 'n morele ontwikkelings­ patroon ooreenkomstig Westerse waardes en norme wat ooreenstem met Kohlberg se

teorie. Swart adolessente toon 'n andersoortige morele ontwikkelingpatroon wat nie ooreenstem met Kohlberg se teorie nie. Met betrekking tot die wit adolessente groep bereik meisies betekenisvolle boer stadia van morele ontwikkeling as seuns. Wat swart adolessente seuns en meisies betreis geen betekenisvolle geslagsverskille ten opsigte van vlak van morele redenering gevind nie. Morele ontwikkeling verloop ooreenkomstig ouderdom in stadia volgens 'n spesifieke patroon. Jonger adolessente funksioneer in 'n grater mate op laer stadia van morele redenering as ouer adolessente terwyl ouer adolessente meer tekens van boer stadia van morele redenering as jonger adolessente toon. Verskille in die morele ontwikkeling van adolessente seuns wat uit 'n stedelike omgewing kom en die wat op die platteland woon bet nie voorgekom nie. Stedelike adolessente meisies funksioneer in 'n grater mate as plattelandse adolessente meisies op boer vlakke van morele ontwikkeling. Ten opsigte van wit adolessente het 'n betekenisvolle verband tussen vlak van morele

ontwikkeling en vlak van identiteitsontwikkeling voorgekom. By swart adolessente is sodanige verband nie gevind nie. Geen verband tussen vlak van morele ontwikkeling en lokus van kontrole-orientasie vir wit en swart adolessente in Suid-Afrika is aangetoon nie.

Die bevindings is verklaar aan die hand van verskillende tipes sosialisering, sosiokulturele faktore, kultuur-historiese aspekte en adolessente se ontwikkelingkenmerke.

The level of moral development of white Afrikaans speaking, white English speaking, black Sotho speaking, black Xhosa speaking and black Zulu speaking adolescent boys and girls in early, middle and late adolescence {12-19 years) in South Africa was investigated separately, cross-culturally and with regard to gender differences and age differences. Possible relationships between level of moral development and urban/country living environments, level of identity development and locus of control orientation for the above­ mentioned groups were also investigated for cultural and gender differences.

White and black adolescents do not reason to the same extent at different stages of moral development and they exhibit different moral developmental patterns. Black adolescents function significantly more than white adolescents at lower stages of moral reasoning while white adolescents function significantly more than black adolescents at higher stages of moral reasoning. White adolescents reveal a moral developmental pattern in line with Western values and norms which corresponds with Kohlberg's theory. Black adolescents

reveal a different moral developmental pattern which does not correspond with Kohlberg's theory. With regard to the white adolescent group, girls reach significantly higher stages of moral development than boys. With regard to black adolescent boys and girls, no significant gender differences in level of moral reasoning were found. Moral development takes place in accordance with age in stages according to a specific pattern. Younger adolescents function more at lower moral reasoning stages than older adolescents while older adolescents display more signs of higher moral reasoning stages than younger adolescents. No differences in the moral development of adolescent boys who come from urban environments and those from country districts were found. Girls from urban environments function significantly more than girls from country districts at higher levels of moral development.

A significant relationship was found between level of moral development and level of identity development for white adolesceJJtS. No such relationship was found for black adolescents. No relationship between level of moral development and locus of control

orientation for white and black adolescents in South Africa was found.

The findings were considered in relation to different types of socialisation, socio-cultural factors, culture-historical aspects and adolescent developmental characteristics.