Why was Carol Gilligan critical of Kohlberg's theory of moral development?

• A. She thought that Kohlberg's theory focused exclusively on early childhood and neglected adult moral development.
• B. She believed that Kohlberg's theory placed too much emphasis on biological factors in moral development.
• C. She argued that Kohlberg's theory was biased toward male perspectives and did not adequately represent women's moral reasoning.
• D. She claimed that Kohlberg's theory ignored the role of cognitive development in moral reasoning.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand Kohlberg's theory of moral development, which primarily focuses on stages of moral reasoning that he proposed are universal and based on justice-oriented thinking.
2. Recognize that Carol Gilligan critiqued Kohlberg's theory for its potential gender bias, arguing that it was based largely on studies with male participants and emphasized justice over other moral values.
3. Explore Gilligan's perspective that women tend to approach moral problems with a focus on care and relationships, which Kohlberg's framework did not adequately capture.
4. Analyze how Gilligan proposed an alternative view of moral development that includes an ethic of care, highlighting differences in moral reasoning between genders rather than a deficiency in women's moral development.
5. Conclude that Gilligan's criticism centers on the idea that Kohlberg's theory was biased toward male perspectives and did not fully represent women's moral reasoning styles.