The Meaning of Living a Moral or Ethical Life: Understanding College Students' Moral Identity

• In Event: 16.061 - Roundtable Session 4
  In Roundtable Session: 16.061-8 - Belief Systems

Abstract

This research examines how undergraduate students at two private U.S. universities, one faith-based and one independent, understand the meaning of living a moral or ethical life. Findings reveal that moral and ethical questions are relevant to students’ lives and suggest that most students possess a sense of moral identity—the perception of oneself as a moral person. Because moral identity likely precedes moral action, understanding the meaning college students make of living a moral or ethical life provides insight into the motivations underlying their current and future behavior as citizens of our pluralistic society and suggests how educators might shape students’ civic and prosocial development.

Authors

• Tara D. Hudson, Kent State University

• Amber Diaz Pearson, Duke University

• Robert J Thompson, Duke University

• Jay William Brandenberger, University of Notre Dame

• Suzanne Shanahan, Duke University