Differences of Men and in Women in Personhood and Gender (Essay Sample)

Personhood and Gender: Ethical Differences in men and women
Steve B Sylvester
Steve B Sylvester
Ethics and Moral Problems
Professor. Melara
10/21/2020
Just like different cultures hold different standards of ethics, there are gendered differences in how people reason ethically. Women and men differ in ethical reasoning. This view is supported by Carol Gilligan, whose research alluded to differences in solving moral dilemmas between men and women. Gilligan contends that men are more likely to consider moral issues in terms of individual rights, justice and rules while women are much more aligned to factoring in care, compassion and personal relationships.[Dawson, M. Leslie, “Women and Men, Morality and Ethics,” Business Horizons (1995): 1. Accessed on 11/11/2020]
When the developmental constructs are derived from women’s lives and studied, there emerges an outline of a moral conception contrasting that of men. Women’s conception of morality is tied around the understanding of relationships and responsibility while men’s conception is tied around the understanding of fairness, rights and rules.[Dawson 1]
The research conducted by Gilligan is related to gender socialization theory. Freud’s theory held that gender identity which is the core of personality, is established almost as early as three years through the relationship between mother and child and is irreversible forthwith. The patterns of childhood games reinforce sex differences as traditional games for boys teach respect for rules and while those for girls foster inclusion and compassion. In the foregoing, Freud’s theory forestalls that these differences in development will create contrasting ethical values in adulthood.[Dawson 2]
Continued research on the topic points to women’s inclination to make ethical decisions based on emotions as compared to men who lean towards aggressiveness and undiscriminating tendencies. This pattern has roots in men’s motivation to protect and defend their masculinity. Losing particularly in highly competitive contexts presents a threat to masculine competence and as such, when manhood is challenged, men become more defensive and aggressive and to ensure victory, they will sacrifice their moral standards to ensure winning.[Glover, S.H., Bumpus, M.A., Sharp, G.F. and Munchus, G.A. (2002), "Gender differences in ethical decision making", Women in Management Review, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp. 220. Accessed on 11/11/2020] [Cronin, M. (2012). Are Men Less Moral Than Women?