An in-depth summary of chapter 5 of the prescribed textbook 'Child and Youth misbehaviour in South Africa'. These notes are based on the exam scope for the June exams.
CASUAL CONSIDERATION 1: LIMITED SOCIO-MORAL DEVELOPMENT
Young people who misbehave may not be lacking in morals or values but are
instead stuck in low-level socio-moral reasoning, often due to a lack of
opportunity for healthy growth and development.
o Many young offenders may consider their actions, irrespective of whether
or not they break laws and rules, moral, just and right.
Eg. Those whose gang becomes a replacement for their nuclear family,
perhaps providing them with the emotional euphoria that comes from
feeling accepted and valued, and giving them a sense of belonging, may
believe that acting to protect the gang’s best interests – regardless of
society’s laws and rules – is morally justified.
Understanding socio-moral development from a culturally and gender-sensitive
perspective is necessary to understand young people’s decision-making.
o South Africa’s rich cultural diversity and African way of ubuntu, offer a
unique perspective on the current and largely Western debate concerning
methods of ensuring the healthy socio-moral development of young
people.
Ubuntu: The community's development and upliftment through
community members' goodwill
Working with youths in community, school and prison settings has
demonstrated specific motivational factors in young people’s socio-moral
reasoning, frequently with behavioural implications.
o These motivational factors suggest two levels of thinking:
1. A low-level reasoning pattern focusing on personal interests.
2. A high-level reasoning pattern focusing on social responsibility.
Motivational characteristics:
o It demonstrates a high concern for fear of punishment.
o It demonstrates little concern for “right” versus “wrong”.
Attitude: “It’s only a mistake if you get caught.”
The fear of consequences instead of concern for “right” or “wrong” is one of the
key motivational thinking patterns associated with low-level socio-moral
reasoning.
o Fear of consequences should not be equated with socially responsible
thinking, as the motivation for good behaviour in this case is not
sympathetic or empathetic consideration for others, but the desire to avoid
punishment.
Kohlberg refers to this early conventional stage as the “Good boy” or “good
girl” orientation.
, 2. MOTIVATIONAL FACTOR 2: INDIVIDUALISM
Motivational characteristics are the following:
o “Right” vs. “wrong” is defined in terms of personal needs and interests.
o Obeying society’s laws and rules is secondary to self-protection and self-
preservation.
Attitude: “My actions are moral and right if I am protecting myself or my
interests.”
The thinking pattern of individualism is motivated by self-interest.
o If young people believe their actions are motivated by self-protection or
self-preservation, regardless of society’s laws or rules, they will often
consider the actions to be justified.
Eg. Those who cannot afford a meal might steal food from a local shop.
Although they understand that they are breaking the law, hunger has a
stronger influence on their decision-making than respect for other
people’s property.
It is important to remember that a one-time incident of stealing food does not
translate into socio-moral decline.
o It is only when juveniles adopt stealing as a lifestyle, convinced that it is
the only method of survival, and justify their behaviour through self-
absorbed thinking that it becomes a limitation in their development.
The awareness of their situation is a crucial aspect of how they use their mind
to alter the course of their life.
o Their mental processes start regulating their life, cognitive scripts and
interaction with society.
o Their interactions with society and other humans are key in determining
their mind processes and awareness.
The mind is not an activity of the brain but instead can be seen as an
emergent, self-organizing process that arises from bodily processes as a whole
as well as from our relationships.
o If juveniles interact with like-minded youths and youths, they will receive
the necessary confirmation and justification to continue with their deviant
lifestyle.
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