Final answer:
Carol Gilligan's research on gender differences in moral development suggests that men typically use justice perspective while women use care perspective in moral reasoning. Feminist scholars argue for ethical systems that better include women's perspectives and interests. However, Gilligan's work has been criticized for its methodology and unreplicated results.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gender and Moral Development:
The idea that every individual has a different moral voice influenced by their sex is a topic explored by feminist scholars and psychologists like Carol Gilligan. Gilligan's research suggests that there are indeed differences in how genders approach moral issues; however, her findings have been met with criticism. Gender binarism serves as a starting point to explore different ethical systems. For instance, Gilligan noted that while men may apply justice-based reasoning, emphasizing laws and rules, women are more concerned with care and responsibility, taking into account interpersonal relationships in moral reasoning.
These views challenge traditional normative moral theories, which feminist scholars argue ignore women's interests and fail to address the complexity of real situations. An alternative moral framework proposed by feminist ethics suggests a model that accounts for all individuals and foregrounds the experiences of vulnerable groups, thereby promoting true equality.
However, it is important to recognize the criticisms of Gilligan's work, particularly the lack of a large and diverse sample size and failure to replicate results. Consequently, the observed differences in moral development between genders might reflect societal norms and gender socialization, rather than innate moral understandings.