Transcript Social and Moral Development - Mississippi State University

Social Development, Moral
Development, and Global
Concerns
HUNTER HANSON
JULY 19, 2010
Three Truths and a Lie
Social Acceptance
 A gifted child’s social acceptance is impacted by their
age, school environment, and the extent of their
giftedness.
 In elementary school, gifted children are usually
popular until about age 13.
 Students with very high intelligence who have not
been accelerated through school often have trouble
finding true peers.
(Rimm, 2002)
Social Acceptance
 These students find themselves continuously
monitoring their social behavior to meet the
expectations of their classmates.
 In an attempt to be accepted by peers, gifted
students will withdraw from debate, computer clubs
and honors classes.
 Some gifted students are able to find social
acceptance with ease because of their good looks or
athletic ability.
(Rimm, 2002)
Social Struggles for the Gifted
 Those who have high intellect may be so afraid of
sounding stupid that they have difficulty initiating or
sustaining conversations.
 Gifted students may have trouble giving and
receiving compliments. They do not want to appear
arrogant or they feel unworthy of the compliments
they receive.
(Peterson, 2008)
Coping Strategies
 There are five social coping strategies:
 Denial of giftedness
 Emphasis on popularity
 Peer acceptance
 Social interaction
 Hiding giftedness
(Rimm, 2002)
Assisting Gifted Students
 Maintaining a positive family environment
 Supporting the talent
 Keeping a long term focus
 Gifted classes
(Rimm, 2002)
Moral Development
“A moral person is someone who acts in a way that is
calculated to further the interests of the other people
involved, and/or to choose to take on such guiding
principles to action as being honest with people,
respecting them and so on. Morality is choosing to
behave in appropriate ways towards others.”
-Paul Jewell
Kollberg’s Stages of Moral Development
 Pre-conventional Level
 Stage 1 – The Stage of Punishment and Obedience
 Stage 2 – The Stage of Individual Instrumental Purpose and
Exchange
 Conventional Level
 Stage 3 – The Stage of Mutual Interpersonal Expectations,
Relationships, and Conformity
 Stage 4 – The Stage of Social System and Conscience
Maintenance
 Post-conventional and Principled Level
 The Stage of Prior Rights and Social Contract or Utility
 The Stage of Universal Ethical Principles
(Jewell, 1999)
Moral Development
 Only 10% of all individuals reach the last two stages
of moral development.
 Most gifted students reach these top two levels
unless their environment has hindered their growth.
(Jewell, 1999)
Moral Development and Global Concerns
 Gifted students have the potential to become
tomorrow's world leaders with a strong grasp of the
ethics and morality of issues related to global
politics, economics, health, religions, and the
environment.
 If gifted students are provided with an appropriately
challenging and respectful global curriculum, we can
help them prepare to do good works with global
impact.
(Gibson, 2009)
References
 Jewell, Paul. "MEASURING MORAL DEVELOPMENT: FEELING, THINKING,
AND DOING." The New Zealand Journal of Gifted Education 13.1
(1999). Web.
 Gibson, Kay L., and Marjorie Landwehr-Brown. Morality, Ethics, and Gifted
Minds. N.p.: Springer US, n.d. 1-12. Web. 19 July 2010.
 Neihart, Maureen, Sally M. Reis, Nancy M. Robinson, and Sidney M. Moon.
The Social and Emotional Development of Gifted Children. Waco, Texas:
The National Association for Gifted Children, 2002. 13-18. Print.

Peterson, Jean S. The Essential Guide to Talking with Gifted Teens.
Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, 2008. 113-16. Print.