Moral judgement and its sociological correlates : a study of Newfoundland university students

• Main Author: Bursey, John Richard
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1973
• Subjects: Whitten; Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/7543/; https://research.library.mun.ca/7543/1/Bursey_JohnRichard.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/7543/3/Bursey_JohnRichard.pdf

This project attempts to investigate the existence or non-existence of associations between moral orientation as measured by the Kohlberg Moral Judgement Scale (1958) and certain sociological factors. A sample of 301 first-year Newfoundland university students are sorted into types of moral reasoning according to their responses to the Kohlberg scale. Six hypotheses are then tested. It is found that higher social class strata are related to level of moral orientation; that religious affiliation, practice and degree of religiosity are unrelated to level of moral orientation; that sociopolitical participation and political orientation are unrelated to level of moral orientation. Findings relating to religion and social class are consistent with those found by Kohlberg (1968; 1971). Results regarding sociopolitical participation and orientation show differences from those of Turner and Whitten (1971) and Haan, Smith and Block (1968).