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Spotlight on Aine Donovan Aine Donovan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Donovan is in her third year at the Naval Academy and has taught courses including Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion. This abstract is from a paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Moral Education, and published in the Journal for a Just and Caring Education (July 1999). ________________________________________ The moral education of military leaders in service academies was traditionally viewed as an integral aspect of effective military training. The method used at the United States Naval Academy relied upon a Kantian notion of principle-based reasoning. Yet as we enter the twenty-first century this model does not adequately address the needs of a mixed-gender peacekeeping force. The model that I propose relies on the acceptance of duty and obedience (i.e., justice) and the cultivation of reflective concern for individual choice and responsibility (i.e., caring). The practical manifestation of this balance is demonstrated through the explanation and justification of the case study approach to moral reasoning, role of mentoring, and the cultivation of moral sentiments. The latter goal of emotional attachment to moral decision making is, perhaps, the most important element to the current program at USNA. Professor Donovan was contacted about this research: How did you become interested in moral development? I became interested in moral education as an undergraduate studying philosophy. While the theoretical/abstract side of the discipline intrigued me (and continues to do so) I was particularly drawn to the practical aspect of moral education - from Plato to Rousseau. Unfortunately philosophy has become such a specialized discipline that few of my professors knew or cared much about the field of moral education. It was not until graduate school that I was able to delve into the multi-disciplinary field of moral education. What do you think your research findings say to researchers who are measuring moral education and to practitioners who are working with college students? My most recent publication (in Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry and Practice, June 2000) examined the moral perceptions of young teachers. Sadly, the majority of those interviewed did not see themselves as moral educators or subscribe to the mission of their educational institutional -reflecting the societal tendency toward moral relativism. What can other institutions of higher education learn from your work at the Naval Academy? Educators from other institutions may not be surprised to learn that the college students at service academies tend to identify strong values; what may be of interest is the fact that those strong values can - potentially - lead to disharmony between military personnel and the civilian society they represent. Our goal is to educate toward citizenship, though not exclusivity, and this is a difficult goal to achieve when the organizational ethos draws toward separateness. Where does your work go from here? I am currently working on a historical piece - "19th Century Moral Education at the Naval Academy" as well as working on an assessment project for measuring contemporary moral education programs at USNA. I hope to continue expanding the horizons of "practical and professional ethics" as well as exploring new and innovative approaches for moral education - our society depends upon it! |
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