Doctoral Dissertation Research: Learning Morality through Language: The Moral Socialization of Children

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

University of Chicago doctoral student, Allison DiBianca Fasoli, with the guidance of Dr. John Lucy, will undertake research on the mechanisms by which children are socialized into local models of morality through language practices. This study of morality will serve as a case study in socialization more generally by investigating whether or not theories of meaning developed in linguistic pragmatics can be fruitfully applied to child socialization. Linguistic pragmatics research has shown how situated meaning emerges over the course of verbal interaction as language practices index relevant features of social context and higher-order meanings, or models. By showing how meaning is achieved, linguistic pragmatics perspectives offer a theoretical position from which to investigate how children can acquire general frameworks of interpretation through participation in everyday practices. The researcher will employ a comparative research design by analyzing the language socialization processes of children in two communities, one of which self-identifies as conservative Protestant and the other of which self-identifies as liberal Protestant. The researcher will collect data through recording of spontaneous interactions, through participant observation and interviews, and by eliciting interactions in a semi-structured activity. The core data will be analyzed using discourse analytical techniques. The research will make an original contribution to child socialization theory through its focus on language practices as mechanism of socialization. It will also contribute to the disciplines of cultural psychology and psychological anthropology more broadly by illuminating how local models are produced and reproduced ontogenetically. The study has the potential to inform educational and clinical practices in dealing with children's behavior problems and disorders because it will enhance our understanding of the moral meanings that guide children's talk and actions. The research also supports the education of a social scientist.