The way in which each group interrelates according to their customs is determined by social norms. Others regulate and require compliance with certain behaviors based on ethical or moral values As in the religious field, finally there are the legal rules established in the Constitution, civil code, penal code; To name some of the most important, they are mandatory and tend to guarantee a healthy and fair coexistence.
Now, the attitude with which an individual evaluates all this interrelation is given by his own vision of the behavior of the members of the environment in which he operates, in close relationship with the ethical and moral training with which he has been trained mainly in his family nucleus. When an opinion is expressed, whether public or simply a mental reflection about the good or bad, the convenience or inconvenience of an action carried out by another person, is being broadcast a moral value judgment.
The social, ethical, moral and religious norms that have been received are the bases that allow the individual to forge their own interpretation of the acts carried out by others, and sometimes even their own. The legal norms make the rules of the game clear in a mandatory manner and yet, events of violations of these occur, which also leads one to judge the attitude of the offenders because intrinsically the lack of moral values of those who are conscious of what they do is involved. It is not legally permitted, they break the regulation.
The set of human, religious values, customs and traditions, spiritual and intellectual attitudes, ethnic elements closely related to the geographical environment in which an individual develops from childhood to adulthood define their culture and their behavior will depend on it.
The culture of a social group is given by its way of thinking, feelings, customs and traditions, gastronomy artistic expressions
All countries have different cultures, and what may be considered good or correct in one country may not be considered good or correct in another. The interesting thing is to be aware of these differences and be able to act accordingly.
Let's define the terms ethical value y moral value:
Both refer to the set of human interactions, closely related to each other, but different in their concept. The first refers to the human being's ability to judge his own behavior and the second to norms dictated by a society, which is why the moral perspective is different in all cultures and even in times.
For example, in China the rules of behavior at the table are very different from most other cultures; When eating and drinking, sounds are made; if this is not the case, it is because the food does not taste good. In other cultures it is a lack of education and bad manners.
Factors that influence moral judgment
As is already well known, it is within the family where its foundations are found, but during the development of personality one interacts in various environments that can lead to choosing a position different from the one received, assuming traits of the culture of another country or from another region of the same social group, especially in today's society where people live ideologically bombarded from countless native and foreign flanks.
When people modify their behavior in relation to their way of seeing the world and their meaning of life, their customs and traditions lose strength. By adopting traits from other cultures the essence of one's own cultural heritage is being lost.
As an example is the celebration of Witches' Day or HALOWEEN, an American holiday adopted in many Latin American countries.
The media
They, in all their classifications; TV, written press, radio and the latest generation (social networks) powerfully influence the perception of what is good or bad, right or wrong for society. The vast majority of people attach such importance to what is stated in their information or opinions that they end up adopting behaviors, perhaps, in contradiction to the values that are the basis of their training. When this situation arises, we can also think that there were failures at the family level in terms of reinforcing the values taught and, being weak in their conception, they are easy to destabilize.
Globally, a series of economic models, customs and traditions from all over the world have become public domain. This social phenomenon has been called “Globalization” and supports its dissemination and expansion in large communication networks.
This communication phenomenon has caused cultures to begin to mix, resulting in the modification of the habits of a certain region. There the moral bases of individuals begin to change and that is where the power of moral judgment and ethics comes into action.
It is very important to have knowledge of the customs and traditions of other communities because this helps human beings interact not only in their own environment but with those who have cultures and social norms, moral and legal, different from yours. It will be your moral judgment that will allow you to decide how to act in certain situations.
As an example we could cite the use of television and the Internet in children's education. Television can lead them to take on acts contrary to those accepted in their family environment and to adopt anti-values.
The internet has become the most powerful tool in the educational process due to the infinite research possibilities it offers, but... It is a double-edged sword because it can also lead those who use it to the total loss of the values of their culture.
The surrounding environment
An individual who is among a group lacking moral and ethical values and who, in turn, does not have their moral values well-rooted, will be easy prey to inappropriate behavior since their moral judgment is not capable of differentiating between what they should and should not do. .
That is, if it is instilled in the home that in life love must prevail and respect for others, but we continually live in a constant fight until it comes to blows, these values are not being reinforced by example.
That is when you can begin to confront conflicts that lead to coexistence difficulties and leave aside the good that may have been instilled in you for the bad that is being shown to you, the credibility of what you have learned is lost. Unfortunately, these cases abound, people lacking value judgment who care little if what they do is right or wrong, if they harm those around them or even themselves.
Every person has their own consideration regarding some topic, whether positively or incorrectly, true or false, good or bad, everything will depend on the point of view in which it is treated. Thus others will evaluate him from a different perspective and through rational coexistence each one will defend his position by exposing his moral value judgments on which he relies in defense of his ideas or position.
Human behavior and moral judgment
The behavior of a human being is determined by his scale of values within the society in which he lives.
Moral judgment is the perception of a behavior or fact judged from a moral point of view based on the values instilled since childhood, whether in the family, at school, in religion and in society itself.
These moral judgments can be:
Affirmative or negative
When a good deed is valued, for example; Taking care of giving food to a homeless person generates a moral judgment regarding goodness.
On the other hand, when a family abandons one of its members to the point that he becomes homeless, it can generate moral judgment against him, that is, negative. based on the sense of solidarity, protection and family love.
Right or wrong
They are judgments strictly of personal consideration based on learning values and the ability to prioritize them in order to evaluate a situation or behavior from a moral point of view and make a decision as to whether it seems right or wrong.
When you are aware that a person is being deceived, defrauded, defamed and does not know what is happening and you do know. You are in the position of demonstrating your ethical and moral values in terms of deciding whether it is correct or not, convenient or not, to inform the affected person. Your moral judgment will be the one it will take prominence in the case.
Cases in which moral judgments are usually made with greater incidence in society of all times and cultures are related to the assessment of sexual behaviors and closely linked religious values:
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Age in love relationships.
When a girl under 15 years old and a man at least 10 years older have romantic relationships, they expose themselves to the moral judgment of the environment that surrounds them, generally among older people who do not see it as correct. The opposite case is even more marked, if it is the woman who exceeds the man in years, even by a few.
romantic relationships between couples under 14 years of age It is also usually a reason for moral judgment
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Early pregnancy. irresponsibility? whose?
This topic generates great debates of opinion, particularly in Latin American societies where the religious aspect has a high influence within society.
It is constantly subject to value judgments, since it is considered a consequence of the social problems that prevail in today's society.
The analysis of the causes of this social phenomenon; parental neglect, emotional lack, poverty, personal dissatisfaction require applying the moral judgment of individuals to discern whether juvenile behavior is justifiable or not.
The young woman who faces an early pregnancy, in addition to seeking in her moral bases the answer to her behavior and what she must assume from then on, has to face the moral judgment of the society that still continues to consider those sexual behaviors and its consequences as bad acts.
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The divorce. (Religious controversy)
Divorce is expressly prohibited in the Bible and in most cultures it is legally permitted. How to decide what is right or wrong in these cases? Based on what values should it be judged?
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Prostitution. way of life?
In the same way it is religiously condemned, and legally it is not regulated. Moral judgment comes into play; Does a human being have the right to market your body?
Is it synonymous with moral decomposition? Are there no other means of survival? It is sin?
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The promiscuity. Perversion?
Condemned religiously and based on those moral values, it is judged severely in Latin American cultures mainly.
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Adultery, a sin?
Religious prohibition is usually judged negatively by society, however it is not known for what reason, or based on what scale of values it is most criticized when the adultery is on the part of the woman.
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The abortion. murder?
Religious prohibition, generally unjustifiable. However, it is accepted by some cultures. It is the most critical issue to address based on moral values.
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Homosexuality, genetic evil or acquired behavior?
A very complex topic and perhaps the one that exposes its practitioners much more to moral judgments of rejection. Taboo in many cultures and freely accepted in many others.
Among other examples regarding the human condition sensitive to value judgments are:
- Racism: black, white, Chinese, African, poor, rich?
- Are tattoos aesthetic? harmful? personality conditioning?
In conclusion, a society will be healthy as long as its members have clear knowledge of the norms and values that govern it in all aspects and each person is the owner of their own. moral value judgment and respect that of your fellow man.
To remind:
Society is made up of a group of individuals with ideals, beliefs, interests and personal customs, who must organize for a healthy coexistence that guarantees respect for individuality and the common good. Between the human being and the environment that surrounds him there is a relationship so close that it could even be considered interdependence; there is no society without individuals and these cannot develop their abilities unless it is within it.
Each individual is unique and logically different from the others around him. These differences range from what is intrinsic to its physical characteristics to its perception of the environment in which it operates. Hence, coexistence in a society is governed by rules that allow its members to conduct themselves within it; these are rules that adapt behavior through permissions and/or prohibitions. based on values of different kinds, The duties and rights of each person are also established so that each person has knowledge of how to act in the interactive process.
The family is the first nucleus of society where a person develops, there moral values are mainly cultivated and the rules of coexistence essential for healthy development within it and with the rest of society, will then be reinforced in the educational system and why not within society itself. They are grouped into ethical, religious and legal social norms.