CMN 457: Notes on Gilligan: two moral worlds

Jake’s world                                                  Amy’s world

Vertical                                                           Horizontal

Hierarchical                                                    Relational

Math, quantitative                                          Networks, relational

Single order of connection                             Multidimensional

Either/or                                                         Both/and

Simple, finished world                                   Complex, still developing world

Atomistic elements                                         Flowing unfolding process

Questions and answers                                   Conversational explorations

Rules, principles, laws (calculation)               Feelings of rightness, negotiations (dialogue), a “narrative of relationships.”

Minds/subjective vs. objective                       Complex mixture

Sees self as distinct                                         Sees self as in relation to world and others

Solves problems abstractly (sees                    Solves problems through concrete exploration

druggist’s actions as wrong.                           (Gets to know situation as familiar - is

“Like a math problem with people)                puzzled at druggist’s unresponsiveness)

Interview as interrogation                               Interview as dialogue

“Ethic of rights”                                            “Ethic of care” (responsibilities)

Free from dependence on authority                Depends on what others think

Autonomous (self-contained)                         Relational (not self-contained)

Authority in principles, axioms                      Authority in community

Accounts based on the logic of                      Accounts based on the logic of

              justification                                                     understanding

Confidence in what is “right”                         Confidence in the power of talk

THE INTERVIEW

Interrogation                                                   Dialogue

Question: should Heinz steal ?                       Question: should Heinz steal?

Not whether...                                                 But how should Heinz act in response to his wife’s need?

WHAT IS ‘THE PROBLEM’ THEY EACH SEE?

A conflict between life and property              A fracture of human relationships

He sees ‘principles’ at work when she           She, however, has a sophisticated understanding of

does not: the logic of justification                  the nature of human choice – “a chance you’ll have to take.”

Comes to agreement impersonally                 Comes to agreement through personal relations

He transforms hierarchy of power                  She sees a web of relations sustained

into hierarchy of values                                  by communication

Actions are based in an externally                  Actions are based in a situation, and focused on

(imposed) framework                                     mending breakdowns by “use of its own thread”

Fairness: unfair domination                            Fairness: unfair exclusion

THE IMAGERY OF RELATIONSHIPS

“Some things go before other things”                           “Everybody’s going to have to take a turn... I think of

(hierarchical order)                                                       someone all alone, loneliness...” (network of relations)

SELF DESCRIPTIONS

(“How would you describe yourself?”)

“Perfect. That’s my conceited side”                              “You mean my character?... Well, I don’t know. I’d describe myself as, well, what do you mean?”

Himself, his name, town, father, etc.,                           She also enumerates her goals in life, her

enumerates his likes, crazy about sports,                      likes, etc., but in terms of actions that  

I think, unlike a lot of people, that                                bring her into connection with others

the world still has hope...

CONFLICT BETWEEN RESPONSIBILITY TO ONESELF AND TO OTHERS

“One-fourth to the others,                                             “Well, it really depends on the situation... concrete

three-fourths to yourself”                                              details... in some situations, put yourself first, in others, you must put others first... it depends

“If you are going to blow yourself up,                          “I don’t think your job is as important as someone

you should do it with a hand-grenade                           you love”

not an A-bomb” 

“If a want to throw a rock, not throwing                       “You’ve got to think about both sides, and you’ve

it at a window”                                                              got to think what would be better for everybody...

                                                                                      that other people are counting one you”

Concerned with staying separate                                  Concerned with making connections

CONFLICTING RESPONSIBILITIES

constraint on aggressions                                              an act of care

limiting interference                                                     need for responsiveness

not doing                                                                       doing

imagery of violence in Jake’s                                       imagery of care and protection of others

responses

a world of dangerous confrontation                              a world in which one lives with others you love

with others                                                                    even more than yourself

AVOIDING HURT

Hurt arises from aggression                                          Hurt arises from failure to respond

TRAJECTORY OF DEVELOPMENT

Coming to see other as equal to oneself,                      Inclusion of oneself in an expanding network,

and the discovery that equality provides                       and the discovery that separation need not entail

a way of making connection safe                                  isolation, but can lead to protection

HOW THEORY HAS SEEN DEVELOPMENT

Boys - Oedipal complex: a series of failed                   Girls - a continuity of relationships in their 

relations                                                                        lives

TAT STUDIES

Fears of connection                                                       Fears of separation

(Each sees a danger the other does not see:)

Men in connection                                                        Women in separation