Carol Gilligan is not to be confused with slightly more popular, Gilligan from Gilligan's Island.
Born in New York City, in 1936, Carol Gilligan has become an internationally respected psychologist. Having graduated with a major in literature from Swathmore College, she continued to expand her knowledge and received Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard University in 1964. Shortly after, being what some would call cynical, she left the field of study. Coming back to Harvard in 1967, Gilligan began teaching with famed Erik Erikson. In 1970 she had become the assistant for Lawrence Kohlberg! In 1986, Gilligan became a full professor at Harvard and later taught for two years at University of Cambridge. After, Harvard appointed Gilligan to be the first professor in gender studies.
Carol Gilligan was the research assistant for Kohlberg and had become critical of his work as she noticed that research on life stages and human development done by Kohlberg was focused on studies of white men and boys. During the 1960s many people were leading new ideas and challenges, Gilligan led her own. She focused on human development in girls and she noticed the bias of feminism in past studies which to her has been left out of mainstream psychology.
In 1982 Gilligan had published what would become her most famous book, In a Different Voice: Psychological Theory and Women's Development.
Although Gilligan encountered criticism from some, none were as persistent as Christina Hoff Sommers, Ph.D. who says that Gilligan has not proven her research and does not have supporting data. Also, that Gilligan used unreliable evidence which has led to other researchers not being able to recreate her work. Gilligan combats by saying that her work is publically available and other points are inaccurate.
| Gilligan’s Stages of Development | |
| Stage | Goal |
| Preconventional | Goal is individual survival -Person only cares for themselves in order to ensure survival -This is how all children are |
| Transition is from selfishness to responsibility to others | |
| Conventional | Self sacrifice is goodness -Caring for others -Shown in the role of spouse and parent -May disregard needs for themselves as they hold others needs in higher priority. |
| Transition is from goodness to truth that she is a person too | |
| Postconventional | Acceptance of caring for self and others is shown, some do not reach postconventional. |
Gilligan’s Theory and Society
The idea of having a ‘gender determined’ role in life, according to Gilligan should be overcome and the realization of women gaining independence and caring about themselves is key. In the stages of development chart, the role of being a mother or spouse includes providing and caring for others after the period of selfishness, by holding the needs of others above her own. Gilligan believes that a woman should care about their own needs just as much as others and hold them equal.
Gilligan’s Theory in the Workplace
Gilligan’s stages of development are not limited to the life cycle but can be applied when entering a new job. Often the employee will start a preconventional stage where the goal is to survive and thoughts are centred on themselves. Then, period of transition and into the conventional stage where caring for other employees may be applicable, in this case substituting for the husband or children. Finally, the postconventional stage which may not be reached, but is where the employee holds others as equals.
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