Grayce P. Storey
The moral and value system of a society provides strength for social control of that society. It also aids in the judgement of members in respect to behavior. Cultural rules in a society refers to what is desirable or undesirable and they must be vested with authority.
Moral values are concerned with the amount of zest and efficiency with which members of a social group participate in an activity. Each member of a group learns something about the beliefs and attitudes of other members.
American psychologists have devised many procedures for measuring the level of moral values in many groups. Attitude scales and personal interviews may be employed to appraise the degree of conviction with which beliefs and attitudes are accepted or rejected.
It seems that discussion of moral values can reach a satisfactory level when each member of a group enjoys full self respect.
“Common moral values are the vital common beliefs that shape human relations in each culture.”
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The transition of moral values from one culture to another has played a major role in America’s culture weather it has been formal or informal. Two reasons are: “human beings are adaptable animals and live in all climates and diverse cultural systems,”
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and without morals the human propensity for selfishness can destructively affect adult institutions.
Every individual operates according to a system of values whether it is verbalized or not. In selecting goals, in choosing modes of behavior, in resolving conflicts, he is influenced at every turn by his conception of what is good and desirable. Although everyone’s value system is in some way unique, an individual’s values are usually grounded in the core value of his culture.
Values, of course, are no the only determinant of behavior. Any given act reflects the individuals immediate motivational pattern and various situational factors such as, the means and goals available at the time, as well as his relatively permanent assumptions concerning values.