Boston University Libraries OpenBU
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    •   OpenBU
    • Theses & Dissertations
    • Boston University Theses & Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   OpenBU
    • Theses & Dissertations
    • Boston University Theses & Dissertations
    • View Item

    Political ideology and moral perspectives on invasion, torture, and international law: a sociomoral ecological approach

    Thumbnail
    Date Issued
    2012
    Author(s)
    Tsatsaroni, Charikleia
    Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare by Email
    Export Citation
    Download to BibTex
    Download to EndNote/RefMan (RIS)
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Embargoed until:
    Indefinite
    Permanent Link
    https://hdl.handle.net/2144/12655
    Abstract
    To increase understanding ofthe role of ideology in moral judgments related to war, torture, and violation of human rights agreements, this study implemented a sociomoral ecological approach integrating theoretical perspectives from Urie Bronfenbrenner and Albert Bandura. Bronfenbrenner has urged psychologists to consider the role of contextual factors at the level ofthe microsystem (e.g., family), exosystem (e.g., neighborhood), and macrosystem (culture) in influencing and being influenced by the developing individual. Bandura's (1999) theory of moral disengagement identifies sociomoral mechanisms through which individuals attempt to justify behaviors that violate their moral standards. In a secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative responses from 557 respondents to an international survey, this study investigated the contribution of political ideology and contextual factors to: (a) level of agreement with hypothetical governmental rights to invade, torture, and violate international agreements; and (b) types of moral disengagement accompanying tolerance of. aggression. To predict tolerance for governmental aggression, multiple linear regressions were conducted with the following predictors: (a) political ideology (measured by political partisanship and total conservatism scores); (b) the microsystem, exosystem, and macrosystem contextual variables of participation in protest, participation in conflict resolution education, having a military relative, and nationality; and (c) the individual variables of gender, age, and education. In predicting agreement with governmental rights to aggression, total conservatism and conservative political partisanship contributed significantly and positively to higher agreement with governmental rights to aggression. Being from a communally-oriented country, being a protestor, being a woman, and being older significantly predicted lower agreement with those purported rights. Regarding total moral disengagement, total conservatism, greater political conservatism, higher educational level, and participation in a conflict resolution program were significantly associated with higher moral disengagement. By contrast, being from a communally-oriented culture, being a woman, being a protestor, and being older significantly predicted lower moral disengagement. These results confirm the role of political ideology in predicting individuals' moral reasoning regarding tolerance for governmental aggression. By confirming that contextual and individual predictors at multiple ecological levels contributed significantly to tolerance of governmental aggression, they also supported Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory ofhuman development.
    Description
    Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
    Collections
    • Boston University Theses & Dissertations [6950]


    Boston University
    Contact Us | Send Feedback | Help
     

     

    Browse

    All of OpenBUCommunities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    Deposit Materials

    LoginNon-BU Registration

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Boston University
    Contact Us | Send Feedback | Help