Spirituality and Moral Character Development

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Spirituality and Moral Character Development

• William G. Huitt
• Valdosta State University

Last Revised July 2003
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Moral Character Development

• Considered important for 1000s of years
• Recent revival of its importance
• Multiple definitions

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Moral Character Defined

• . . . engaging in morally relevant conduct or
  words, or refraining from certain conduct or
  words (Wynne Walberg, 1984)
• . . . a complex set of relatively persistent
  qualities of the individual person, and generally
  has a positive connotation when used in
  discussions of moral education (Pritchard, 1988)

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Moral Character Defined

• . . . an individuals set of psychological
  characteristics that affect that persons ability
  and inclination to function morally (Berkowitz,
  2002)
• Character implies moral character and a
  personality characterized by moral values and
  feelings (conscience), the ability to reason
  autonomously, sensitively, and fairly about moral
  issues (ethical reflection), and the habit of
  acting in a manner consistent with ones moral
  thinking and moral feeling (virtue) (Vessels,
  1998)

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Character Is Who You Are
I look inside myself to see What kind of person I
want to be. I think and feel and choose And do
the best that I can. In the dark or in the
light It deals with doing the wrong and the
right. Ive got to know and do the right To be
the best me.
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Character Is Who You Are
Character is who you are Viewed from within or
from afar. Its the person you become And who
youre known to be. Its what you practice
everyday. Its what you do not just what you
say. To be a Brilliant Star Remember, characters
who you are.
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Character Is Who You Are
I look inside myself to see What kind of person I
want to be. I feel and think and choose And do
the best that I can. In the dark or in the
light It deals with doing the wrong and the
right. Ive got to know and do the right To be
the best me.
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Character Is Who You Are
Character is who you are Viewed from within or
from afar. Its the person you become And who
youre known to be. Its what you practice
everyday. Its what you do not just what you
say. Remember, to be a Brilliant Star Characters
who you are.
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Character Is Who You Are
Character is who you are Viewed from within and
from afar Its the person who you become And who
youre known to be. Its what you practice
everyday. Its what you do not just what you
say. To be a Brilliant Star Remember, characters
who you are.
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Model of Moral Character
Moral Identity
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Spirituality

• Fundamental to many conceptualizations of human
  beings
• Mind (Thinking, Feeling, Committing)
• Body
• Spirit
• Spirituality is considered inherent quality of
  human beings
• Naturalism
• Pantheism
• Theism

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Spirituality Defined

• Attempt to understand and connect to the unknowns
  of the universe or search for meaningfulness in
  ones life (Adler, 1932/1980 Frankl, 1959)
• A relationship with the sacred (Beck Walters,
  1977)
• An individual's experience of and relationship
  with a fundamental, nonmaterial aspect of the
  universe (Tolan, 2002)

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Spirituality Defined

• The exploration of the meaningfulness of our
  lives and our relationships to ourselves, to
  others, to nature, or to a higher power (Hamilton
  Jackson,1998 Hay Nye, 1998)
• Does not necessarily require a belief in God,
  Great Spirit, Supreme Creator, etc., but does not
  exclude it

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Spirituality Defined

• Spirituality not equated with religion
• Religion refers to organized, institutionalized
  set of beliefs, teachings, and practices
  established to connect groups of individuals to a
  particular expression of spirituality
• Can be spiritual without being religious and vice
  versa

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Spiritual Development

• In summary, spirituality addresses such questions
  as
• How can we increase meaning in our lives, in
  general, and my life, in particular?
• Who are we as human beings? Where did we come
  from? How are we related?
• Are we in control of our lives or is our
  destination a result of fate?

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Spiritual Development

• In summary, spirituality addresses such questions
  as
• Where did the universe come from? What are its
  origins?
• Is there a God (in whatever way we define or know
  a Supreme Being)?
• What is our relationship to God or the Creator,
  if there is one?
• Is there a continuity of life after this life? If
  so, what is it like?

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Relational Consciousness

• Relational consciousness may describe the essence
  of spirituality (Hay Nye, 1998)
• A type of metacognitive activity that describes
  ever increasing consciousness of growth and
  opportunity consequences for the individual.

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Relational Consciousness

• Development is considered moving from
• simple to complex
• naïve to sophisticated
• insecurity to confidence

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Relational Consciousness

• Described in terms of the relational aspects of
• self
• others
• nature
• universal unknowns (including or excluding God or
  Creator)

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Spirituality Moral Character

• Relational consciousness as the basis for moral
  character

• Three categories of spiritual sensitivity

• awareness-sensing (flow, focus)

• mystery-sensing (wonder, awe, imagination)

• value-sensing (ultimate meaning identity)

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Spirituality Moral Character

• RC theory explicitly states

• a cognitive/thinking factor

• an affective/emotional factor

• a social factor

• a transcendent factor

• RC theory implicitly states

• a conative/volitional factor

• a behavioral factor

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Model of Moral Character
Moral Identity
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Ecology of Development
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Impacting Moral Character

• Work to establish affirming, secure environment
  among family, school, and other institutions
• Develop explicit curriculum that focuses on
  virtues, moral principles, and social skills
• moral thinking (knowledge base processes)
• valuing
• committing
• behaving

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Vessels Curriculum

• Personal Integrity
• Kindness (knowing how others feel making others
  feel better)
• Courage (being strong enough to do right when
  afraid to do so)
• Ability (having skills to figure out what is
  right and wrong and behave accordingly)
• Effort (striving for excellence perseverance)

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Vessels Curriculum

• Social Integrity
• Friendship (making and maintaining friends
  treating others as you want to be treated)
• Teamwork (helping to achieve group goals working
  well with others)
• Citizenship (following rules and laws trying to
  make self and community better)

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Example
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Gardners Intelligences

• Verbal/Linguistic
• Logical/Mathematical
• Visual/Spatial
• Bodily/Kinesthetic
• Musical/Rhythmic
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Naturalist Intelligence

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References

• Adler, A. (1932/1980). What life should mean to
  you. London George Allen Unwin.
• Beck, P., Walters, A. (1977). The sacred Ways
  of knowledge, sources of life. Tsaile, AZ Navajo
  Community College.
• Berkowitz, M. (2002). The science of character
  education. In W. Damon (Ed.), Bringing in a new
  era in character education (43-63). Stanford, CA
  Hoover Institute Press.
• Frankl, V (1959). Man's search for meaning. New
  York Praeger.
• Hamilton, D., and Jackson, M. (1998). Spiritual
  development Paths and processes. Journal of
  Instructional Psychology, 25(4), 262-270.
• Hay, D., with Nye, R. (1998). The spirit of the
  child. London Fount.
• Pritchard, I. (1988). Character education
  Research prospects and problems. American Journal
  of Education, 96(4), 469-495.
• Tolan, S. (202). Spirituality and the highly
  gifted adolescent. Charlotte, NC Author.
  Retrieved July 2002, from http//www.stephanietola
  n.com/spirituality.htm
• Vessels, G. (1998). Character and community
  development A school planning and teacher
  training handbook. Westport, CT Praeger
  Publishers. (see http//www.characterthroughtheart
  s.org/main.html)
• Wynne, E., Walberg, H. (Eds.). (1984).
  Developing character Transmitting knowledge.
  Posen, IL ARL.