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Dissertation Information for Yar Donlah Gonway-Gono

NAME:
- Yar Donlah Gonway-Gono

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Women's Studies

SCHOOL:
- Emory University (USA) (2001)

ADVISORS:
- Edna G. Bay
- John R. Snarey

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Rebecca S. Chopp

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: Looking in and coming out: A critical inquiry into the life histories and moral dilemmas of Liberian women in Atlanta

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the moral reasoning, dilemmas, and life histories of women who had migrated from war-torn Liberia and were contending with new challenges in the United States. The study also aimed to evaluate the usefulness of Western models of moral psychology from a Liberian perspective.

The research focused on a sample of 73 Liberian women residing in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. The sample included two Liberian ethnic groups (Indigenous and Americo-Liberian) and three generations (Adolescents, Young Adults, and Middle-Aged Adults). Their lives were examined primarily from the theoretical perspectives of Carol Gilligan's responsibility-based ethic of care and Lawrence Kohlberg's fairness-based ethic of justice by using culturally adapted versions of the standardized measures.

The qualitative results revealed that the migration experience impacted almost every area of their lives. For instance, they had come to see the importance of individualistic self-assertion and self-care when it came to making crucial moral decisions outside of their community. Yet, the women's responses to the surveys and interviews showed that at the core of their moral voice and development was a distinct, vital identity that is rooted in the culture of the Liberian society. Concurrently, for instance, they remained profoundly community oriented.

The quantitative results also showed that a clear majority used both care and justice reasoning fairly equally when reasoning about moral dilemmas they had faced in Liberia and the United States. This pattern was true for five of the six age-cultural subgroups; the one exception was found among the Americo-Liberian adolescents, among whom justice reasoning was the most common. The Americo-Liberian adolescent girls' untypical moral reasoning likely reflects the fact that many of them came to the United States at a notably younger age. In terms of level of moral development, the most common level of care reasoning was 2.5, which is the transition from Level 2 (care of others) to Level 3 (care of self and others). Age differences in level of care reasoning were not notable, but age differences in adherence to traditional cultural practices were considerable. The most common stage of justice reasoning was Stage 3, Kohlberg's stage of interpersonal harmony. Age and cultural differences were found in moral stage development. Older persons and persons with more advantaged social and educational experiences generally scored at higher stages than younger and less advantaged persons. A notable exception was that middle-aged indigenous women who were somewhat more likely than middle-aged Americo-Liberian women to score at higher stages of justice reasoning.

The study concluded that the experience of migrating to the United States was a life-transforming process for the Liberian women. It allowed them to become notably more autonomous and self-reflective in their moral reasoning, as well as to develop a critical distance from their traditional values and practices. It was also concluded that the ethics of care and justice may be more intimately related and intertwined in some cultural settings, such as Liberia, than in others. Future studies should measure both voices. In the present study, at least, including the models and measures of both care and justice disclosed a richer portrait of Liberian women's moral experience than either theory did alone.

MPACT Scores for Yar Donlah Gonway-Gono

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-03-24 09:55:19

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