Which statement best describes Gilligan's morality of care in relation to Kohlberg's theory?

Which statement best describes Gilligan's morality of care in relation to Kohlberg's theory?

• A. Gilligan's morality of care reflects women's experience more accurately than a morality of justice and rights.
• B. Moral development is identical across genders.
• C. Attachment relations have no bearing on moral orientation.
• D. Gilligan argues that fairness is the sole basis of moral reasoning.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how Gilligan’s morality of care provides an alternative lens to Kohlberg’s justice-based theory, with attention to gendered experiences and relational responsibility. Gilligan argued that moral reasoning is shaped by care and interconnectedness—responding to the needs of others within relationships—which she saw as particularly prominent in many women’s moral thinking. This contrasts with Kohlberg’s framework, which centers on abstract principles of fairness, rights, and justice as the path of moral development. So, the statement that Gilligan’s morality of care reflects women’s experience more accurately than a morality of justice and rights captures the core distinction: care-based reasoning offers a different, historically gendered emphasis that complements but is not identical to Kohlberg’s justice orientation. The other options misstate the theory: moral development is not considered identical across genders; attachment and relational factors are central to Gilligan’s view; and fairness is not claimed to be the sole basis of moral reasoning.

The idea being tested is how Gilligan’s morality of care provides an alternative lens to Kohlberg’s justice-based theory, with attention to gendered experiences and relational responsibility. Gilligan argued that moral reasoning is shaped by care and interconnectedness—responding to the needs of others within relationships—which she saw as particularly prominent in many women’s moral thinking. This contrasts with Kohlberg’s framework, which centers on abstract principles of fairness, rights, and justice as the path of moral development. So, the statement that Gilligan’s morality of care reflects women’s experience more accurately than a morality of justice and rights captures the core distinction: care-based reasoning offers a different, historically gendered emphasis that complements but is not identical to Kohlberg’s justice orientation. The other options misstate the theory: moral development is not considered identical across genders; attachment and relational factors are central to Gilligan’s view; and fairness is not claimed to be the sole basis of moral reasoning.