ILOILO SCHOLASTIC ACADEMY

Iloilo City

Stands and Values of Our Society Today

By Sean Calvin C. Que

Submitted to: Sir. Rodgen Jabor,

Research Facilitator
 CHAPTER 1

BACKGROUND

In today’s society, many of us argue and perceive morals in different ways. Some of us

may argue that physical punishment is an acceptable way to teach lessons; others may argue

that it wouldn’t be acceptable and inhumane to do so. So are there values and morals that may

be wrong to some while not to others? Are they followed for acceptance within today’s modern

society? Or are they simply just a means to keep order?

Values reflect our sense of right and wrong, they help us create the future we want and

our actions reflect the values we learned or grew up with (Mercer, 2019). They may vary from

country to country, instigating cultural gaps and opposing beliefs that may be considered

immoral to another (Pecorino, 2001; Donaldson, 1996). Amidst this debate of right and wrong,

many still believe their own stand to be right. Each of us attains and receives values and morals

from our family upbringings whose teachings have stemmed from the past generations,

cultivating societal opinions that change our way of thought (Mercer, 2019).

Societal pressure is also one major contributor to these thoughts. In a way, we are all

influenced by how society perceives right and normal. The older we grow, the more susceptible

we are to these changes and thoughts that force us to adapt. Some may result in individuals

compulsively being forced to wed or have a child (MentalHelp.net, a.d.; Yu, Et al., 2021). This

instance of influence is just one example that influences the values, morals, and decisions made

by people within society.

Another example of influence is our peers. The people that surround us comprise of the

“Moral Domain,” which means that these individuals change our values from interacting with

them (Pecorino, 2001). These people influence what choices we make. Opinions and choices
with more weight than the other may compel us to pick that said opinion because as self-

conscious individuals, we desire to fit in (Yu, Et al, 2021; Mercer, 2019).

Despite these contradicting opinions and judgements formed from various views, it is

believed that all morals are valid despite the injustices that may occur (Donaldson, 1996). This

means that regardless of your culture, ethnicity, or race, your beliefs are justified and

strengthened by the people around you and the country you came from. But if that is the case;

then who are we to judge what is right or wrong? And who are we to argue that our perspective

is true?

Although these studies and websites show the morality and values of individuals, they

fail to grasp why certain instances of immorality persists despite new societal perspectives and

pressure remain in place.

Despite many studies being expressed and done over multiple years about values, the

researcher believes that in an ever-changing society where values may shift and become

distorted, it is important to identify the sole causes of the spread of immorality and popular

disbeliefs among younger generations.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Contractualism, coiled by the Harvard Philosopher T.M. Scanlon, bases itself in the

formation of a contract-like view based within recent years which leads people into developing

and adjusting themselves into new social standards. This concept works by imitating a social

contract that attempts to derive morals, values, and virtues by a notion of agreement within the

individual’s moral domain. This theory bases its concept of morally right or wrong whether or not

it is justifiable; hence why the worth of a person is said to be based on how much the said

person is able to understand and find reason behind the acts presented to them. (Stanford.edu,

2007)
 This theory henceforth theoretically answers the questions of the study. Popular beliefs

are accepted due to their popularity and influence over the population, instigating others to join

trends and hits that are considered as correct and right by the majority. Although the nature of

contractualism derives from social-contracts formed by people, it doesn’t always mean that

these contracts are accepted by them. Some family ethics and virtues may be seen or viewed

as differently with younger generations of the family. This causes discord amongst the family

members which leads to miscommunication and a worsening parent-child relationship. Because

of these family views that may intersect with a student’s own morals, students and younger

generations would find solace within their friends and peers. What makes immoral values or

misjudged actions moral to them is that they have the reassurance that this is the right thing to

do. Because of popular beliefs and the reinforcement of these actions being performed by their

peers, many think that these values are right for them rather than their home values which make

them feel restrained. To conclude, the theory of contractualism fits all answers in regards to this

study and will be based off by the researcher.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The purpose of this study is to identify why trends of immorality and popular disbeliefs

persist despite the many moral structures that take place in an individual’s life. This study hopes

to understand this by seeing how Moral Domain, Age, and Family Teachings could influence

how immoral actions are being persisted by the following questions:

1. Why are popular beliefs and ideals followed by so many when some disagree?

2. Why does the younger generation seem to not follow their family values?

3. Why do trends of immorality still persist?

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

The conflict of inter-relationship values has been a prominent problem within the 21st-

century. Not only are we seeing family bonds drifting apart and relationships ending, we also

see a turn for the worse in terms of both an individual’s character and conflicting self-morals.

This study covers the range of values in families, individuals, and groups within the 21st-century

to ensure the validity of the study within this modern area.

The researcher of the study will release a 10-question survey within online platforms

(Facebook, Twitter, and Discord) and gather data from 50 respondents about their experiences

of their own morality in families, individuals, and groups. The survey will be released within

these platforms for two weeks in order to gain the results and data required.

ALTERNATE HYPOTHESIS

This study hypothesizes that due to restraining and draining family ethics and virtues,

many individuals of younger generations tend to adapt and change their beliefs or morals into

that of their peers. This hypothesis of the study also expects that although some of these values

and morals are considered immoral to an individual’s relatives, but in their eyes, considered as
moral and worthwhile seeing as these decisions are taken by their peers and considered as

highly valued to “fit in.”

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Conceptual Definitions:

Moral Domain: The concept where individuals take concepts of fairness, others’

welfare, and rights from other individuals beginning from their childhood up to their adolescence

within their area of influence. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2007)

Mores: One of the four types of norms and considered different due to its

consideration of what is morally acceptable in society or culture. (Drew, 2022)

Morality: Rules of right conduct concerning matters of great importance.

Violations of such may bring disturbance to an individual’s conscience and social sanction.

(Pecorino, 2001)

Values: Individual beliefs that motivate people to act one way or another. They

serve as guides for human behaviour. (Ethicsunwrapped.com, 2017)

Societal Pressure: Expectations that may be forced on entire communities or

individuals whether it getting married, having an opposite-gendered spouse, or children. (Dutta,

2021)

Peer Influence: To adopt a particular behaviour, dress or attitude in order for

one to fit in the standards of their moral domain. (headsup.scholastic.com, 2008)

Social Sanctions: A reaction of approval or disapproval in response to

someone’s actions. They enforce a standard of behaviour that is rendered as socially

acceptable to an individual’s society or moral domain. (Claridge, 2020)

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study hopes to assist the following:

Parents. During many instances of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and

misconceptions, parents-children relationships have risen and are completely dangerous to both

parties’ health and psychological understanding. This study hopes to help parents understand

the means behind their children’s actions and why they do so in order to decrease or lessen the

amount of misunderstandings made.

Students. As many of us may be familiar with the feeling of “going with the flow,” we

often don’t find ourselves happy nor satisfied about our own actions. Due to this, many feel

suffocated and asphyxiated to be following the social sanctions of their moral domain. This

study hopes to provide insight and assurance to students who struggle with these endeavours in

hopes to allow them to be unrestrained by other’s views.

Communities. Sometimes, communities may become a factor of our misunderstandings

similar to that we receive from parents to children miscommunication. Most of the time, our

communities may become forceful in placing their desired social sanctions and this may lead to

resentment or anxiety that ensue afterwards. The study hopes to dispel any misunderstandings

the community might have against an individual’s actions and understanding the reasons for an

individual’s mind-set.

Classroom Facilitators. In educational facilities such as classrooms, facilitators have

experiences and witnessed the many actions of different individual students assigned to them.

Some of such behaviours may cause confusion and misunderstanding to the facilitator in charge

as well as around them. This study hopes to alleviate a student’s actions and behaviours and

give more insight to the actions and decisions they make.