Why did college students have such an impact on the decline of moral education in the 1970`s and 1980`s?

Why did college students have such an impact on the decline of moral education in the 1970`s and 1980`s

Moral education in U .S . has long been a lively . From the early discussions of public schooling in the United States (schooling that would be compulsory and supported by taxes ) to laments about the lack of morals of U .S . youth (which cite increases in vandalism in schools , teen pregnancy , delinquency , and drug abuse , moral education has been seen as a vital part of schooling . Moral education takes place whether or not there

is a deliberate and formal curriculum in moral education . Why did college students have such an impact on the decline of moral education in the 1970`s and 1980`s ? Do students aspire to be selfish or altruistic , reckless or disciplined ? The central importance of these questions seems self-evident from a moral socialization perspective which emphasizes the social transmission of values . The focus is on a person 's learning particular moral aspirations that serve as the value content of moral reasoning

McClellan (1992 ) observes that in the 1970`s and 1980`s as young Americans began to pursue opportunities away from home , communities lost the capacity to educate their children slowly (17 . In the 1970`s and 1980`s there has been a sharp increase in violations of widely accepted standards , such as acts of murder , narcotics abuse and trafficking rape , sexual molestation of children , and fraud . There has been a marked growth in uncertainty over standards that once were generally accepted notably , norms strictly opposing abortion , homosexuality , venereal disease , bas- tardy , suicide , and euthanasia . There have been pronounced symptoms of social irresponsibility , as exemplified by the selfishness of the 1980s , the widespread apathy toward those living in the rotted areas of central cities , and the persistence of racial and ethnic tensions . Finally , the violation of social regulations in America has spread from such familiar types as gangsters , juvenile delinquents local politicians , and Wall Street operators to many once thought to be the personifications of rectitude : clergy , bankers , judges , librarians directors of charities , school administrators , school teachers university presidents , college students

Many of college students in the 1970`s and 1980`s believed that they were not in control of their lives . They felt victimized by an enormous amount of social disruption , yet they were expected to be extremely autonomous . They looked at a society where the family is under siege and where trying to find the mainstream ' amounts to chasing a moving target (Jackson , Boostrom , and Hansen 10 . They wished to explore their personal value systems because they wanted to forge a more reliable set of connections to the culture than those that they presently had Virtually all these students felt less connected to their families neighborhoods , churches , and workplaces than their parents and grandparents felt at their age as a result , they were often lonely and disoriented . Many longed for deeper and more permanent relationships and had a genuine interest in examining their own moral beliefs about such relationships

It is widely believed...