Moral Development of Black and White South African Adolescents: Evidence against Cultural Universality in Kohlberg's Theory

Abstract

To investigate the cultural universality of the developmental stages of moral judgment in Kohlberg's theory, moral development of white (Afrikaans- and English-speaking) and black (Sotho-, Xhosa- and Zulu-speaking) South African adolescents was studied cross-culturally. While the white adolescents showed a moral developmental pattern in line with Kohlberg's theory, the black adolescents showed a different pattern. The influence of Western and traditional norms and values, parenting styles and the possible effect of historical factors, such as the previous apartheid government system and the current democratic system on the moral development of the white and the black adolescents in South Africa are discussed. Greater consideration should, therefore, be given to the effect of the cultural, social and historical context on moral development.