| This thesis is designed to illustrate the ways a sample of Hawaiian-American young people conceive of themselves and think about moral decisions, in their own terms and cultural context. A hypothesis guiding the research was that membership and lifelong residence in extended family groups which value interpersonal responsibility and sensitivity, along with caring cooperation, can affect styles of self-definition and moral reasoning.; A protocol similar to that used in the development of Gilligan's (1982) theory of "different voices" or modes of moral reasoning was employed to interview 24 Hawaiian-American adolescents and 6 Hawaiian-American adults. Research among mainland U.S. populations (Gilligan, 1982; Gilligan and Lyons, 1984; Johnston, 1985; Lyons, 1983) has defined two distinct moral orientations: a "morality of care," based on a sense of interpersonal responsibility, and a "morality of justice," based on the application of rights and reciprocity. These orientations have been associated with gender and in the former case linked to females and a description of self as connected to others, in the latter case to males and a description of self as separate from others.; Moral dilemma interviews with this group of rural Hawaiian-Americans, scored using a simplification of Lyon's (1982) coding manual, confirmed that a mode of moral reasoning emphasizing responsibility and care predominated among both male and females, adolescents and adults, in this sample. The maintenance of relationships was a key consideration in ethical evaluations. Self-descriptions were brief and also stressed a relational component over statements of traits, abilities, and talents. A description of adolescent development within Hawaiian-American culture was derived from interview data suggesting that young people, from the latter years of high school, sought the respect of their elders by trying to act in accordance with adult expectations.; Due to the lack of intra-sample variation in modes of moral reasoning, discussion of the origins of a morality of care remain on the cultural level, with attention drawn to Hawaiian childrearing practices and family traditions. Also included are reports from Native Hawaiian adults about historical changes in such practices and values, with their comments about trends in bi-cultural socialization that may effect styles of self-definition and moral development in subsequent generations of Hawaiian-Americans. |
