Personal Culture and Ethics
...s toward morality and ethics are often the source of conflict, strife and war (Peters, 2003). Not only did their personal values influence mine but their choices of those deemed fit to provide daycare and educations as well. Enrollment into private catholic school systems governed by Christianity beliefs played a part in my value development, similar to the structure of my parents. Ethical and doctrinal value systems constructed around the penalty of doing what is morally right or wrong taught through bible study, homeroom, and daily interaction with nuns and priest. Growing up, discipline motivated most of all my decisions in fear of consequences. Telling lies results in punishment, disrespecting elders’ results in punishment, non-obedience results in punishment, and these were the motivational factors for value and ethical development during my pre-teen years. Adolescence Entering adolescence broadened my exposure to ideas and awareness through additional interaction with friends, school, and television, elements captivating the majority of my attention. Parents are not the only socialization agents within the family context; siblings may also have the potential to play an important role in children's moral development (Walker, 1999). No longer were the majority of may days spent under the tutelage of parents and caregivers, I was now exposed to value decision-making on my own with the guidance of friends and independence of high school. At the most abstract level, educational values may be categorized as subject-, student-, or society-centered (Walker & Soltis, 1986). People and curricula that favor subject-centered values are likely to support such aims as critical thinking, problem--solving, literacy, mastery of facts, theories and basic skills, and the desire to learn. Student-centered values may be characterized as having aims such as self-realization, self-esteem, emotional stability, creative expression, the cultivation of personal talents and interests, and the wise use of leisure time. In addition to increased independence of teen years, high school’s decision-making freedom helped shape values and ethics through thinking for me. Once again my parents foresight to send my to private school in attempt to better my chances in life as well as instilling individuals values and ethics, something not stressed in most public schools. In the classroom, core curriculum broadens the fundamentals of math, reading and writing into social studies, arts, and extra curriculum activities, giving me yet another aspect on society’s value system. These are the times the foundations set early in my childhood are put to test. Drugs, sex, and alcohol are a few subjects warned about through parent interaction, literature and opinionated educators when pondering making the right decision but the actual test in during face-to-face confrontation. Do I just say “no” or give into the pressures of fitting in even though my childhood conditioning understands the decisions may have detrimental affects on my future. Adulthood The accumulation of all my experiences and interactions resulted in my current value and ethical perspective to include re-evaluation of those most influential. Through my parents experiences and life obstacles that molded their values and ethics, maturing into adulthood aided in understanding on why they appreciated disciplinary values to the extent of sending me to private school and limiting my freedoms. Hol...