You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

COMPARISON OF DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE REASONING BETWEEN LOWER AND MIDDLE CLASS CHILDREN

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
1980
Summary:
In this dissertation three studies were implemented to investigate the differences in distributive justice development between lower and middle class children. In Study 1, conducted on all white children in a rural Florida school, twenty-eight middle and twenty-eight lower class children from kindergarten and third grades were given the Distributive Justice Scale (DJS) and the vocabulary section of the Standford-Binet Intelligence Scale. The results of this study showed that regardless of grade level, the lower class lagged behind the middle class in distributive justice development. There were not significant differences found between the social classes in verbal ability. Since Study 1 was the first study to investigate this topic, it was thought necessary to replicate the findings in a different part of the country on a different population. Study 2 was conducted on all black children from an inner-city Midwestern school. Thirty-two middle and thirty-two lower class children from kindergarten and third grade were given the above measures. A new dimension was added to Study 2 in that a sociometric peer-rating scale was given to investigate the interactional pattern between the social classes. The distributive justice and verbal ability results replicated Study 1. The peer ratings showed that the lower class kindergarten children segregate themselves, while third grade children do not. The findings also showed that in both grade levels, the lower class children were chosen significantly more often for negative social characteristics. Study 3 was conducted in the same school as Study 1, the following school year, on different children. Study 3 was concerned with replicating the distributive justice results in a time-sequential research design. This study was also concerned with replicating the sociometric results of Study 2 in a different part of the country on a different population. In Study 3, twenty-eight middle and twenty-eight lower class children from kindergarten and third grade were administered the three previously mentioned instruments. The distributive justice and vocabulary results replicated Studies 1 and 2. The sociometric results showed that middle class and lower class children chose in the same way. Lower class children were consistently chosen for negative social characteristics, while middle class children were chosen for the positive social characteristics. A social reality and social dominance hypothesis are presented and discussed to explain this phenomenon. Implications for future research are presented and discussed.
Title: A COMPARISON OF DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE REASONING BETWEEN LOWER AND MIDDLE CLASS CHILDREN.
96 views
27 downloads
Name(s): ENRIGHT, WILLIAM F., JR.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Smith, Lawrence E., Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1980
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 157 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: In this dissertation three studies were implemented to investigate the differences in distributive justice development between lower and middle class children. In Study 1, conducted on all white children in a rural Florida school, twenty-eight middle and twenty-eight lower class children from kindergarten and third grades were given the Distributive Justice Scale (DJS) and the vocabulary section of the Standford-Binet Intelligence Scale. The results of this study showed that regardless of grade level, the lower class lagged behind the middle class in distributive justice development. There were not significant differences found between the social classes in verbal ability. Since Study 1 was the first study to investigate this topic, it was thought necessary to replicate the findings in a different part of the country on a different population. Study 2 was conducted on all black children from an inner-city Midwestern school. Thirty-two middle and thirty-two lower class children from kindergarten and third grade were given the above measures. A new dimension was added to Study 2 in that a sociometric peer-rating scale was given to investigate the interactional pattern between the social classes. The distributive justice and verbal ability results replicated Study 1. The peer ratings showed that the lower class kindergarten children segregate themselves, while third grade children do not. The findings also showed that in both grade levels, the lower class children were chosen significantly more often for negative social characteristics. Study 3 was conducted in the same school as Study 1, the following school year, on different children. Study 3 was concerned with replicating the distributive justice results in a time-sequential research design. This study was also concerned with replicating the sociometric results of Study 2 in a different part of the country on a different population. In Study 3, twenty-eight middle and twenty-eight lower class children from kindergarten and third grade were administered the three previously mentioned instruments. The distributive justice and vocabulary results replicated Studies 1 and 2. The sociometric results showed that middle class and lower class children chose in the same way. Lower class children were consistently chosen for negative social characteristics, while middle class children were chosen for the positive social characteristics. A social reality and social dominance hypothesis are presented and discussed to explain this phenomenon. Implications for future research are presented and discussed.
Identifier: 11755 (digitool), FADT11755 (IID), fau:8686 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Thesis (Educat.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1980.
College of Education
Subject(s): Distributive justice--Case studies
Child development
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/11755
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.