Caring+A+Feminine+Approach+to+Ethics+and+Moral+Education,+Nel+Noddings

Noddings does not believe in a systematic examination for the requirements for caring. She associates caring with the mother, or feminine side of ethics as opposed to the masculine aspect of ethics which deals less with feelings and more with fairness, justice, etc. While morals (masculine) are rooted in principles & justice, ethics (feminine) are rooted in ,"receptivity, relatedness, and responsiveness."(2) Although she associates caring with the feminine, it is understood that Noddings is not implying that females have a monopoly on caring but rather, caring is traditionally a female role.
 * Summary:**

Noddings makes a distinction between natural caring and ethical caring. Natural caring associated with "I want." If I see a friend in distress, naturally I want to help. If my child is crying, naturally I want to comfort it and do away with whatever is causing the distress. Ethical caring is associated with "I must." Naturally if I encounter a friend in need, I want to help. Yet there are situations in which helping the friend may be painful for me; perhaps the pain they are going through is the pain I'm trying to escape. Ethical caring dictates helping my friend, regardless.Natural caring comes without effort; ethical caring is when one acts caringly because it is the appropriate response. Yet at the same time, ethical caring is born out of natural caring. Without natural caring to back it up, ethical caring is merely going through the motions to get credit for the act of caring when, in fact, one does not actually care.

Engrossment and motivational displacement are both necessary to caring. Basically, one must be so engrossed with the cared-for that their motives are displaced. The one-caring's energy is put at the service of the cared-for. There can be no resentments over caring; it should not be like a chore, and if the one-caring finds themself at the end of their rope, it is acceptable to remove themselves temporarily from their duties as one-caring for long enough to restore their energies.

In terms of education, it is important for the teacher to accept the role as one-caring. When the teacher accepts this role as one-caring, then they are not simply manipulating the students into doing well in school, but stepping into the students shoes, giving the teacher a different approach to the learning process. Also, if the student is in the role of the cared-for, it encourages receptivity within the student and in turn will aid in the education process. Though a teacher lacks the emotional resources to create the type of one-caring relationship that the student may have with their parents, this relationship may effectively fill the void of a student who lacks a one-caring relationship with a parent.


 * Key Terms:**


 * Key Passages:**

We shall observe a shading off from the ethical into the sensitive and aesthetic. We shall see again that ethical caring is anchored in the feeling and recognition of relations that are integral to natural caring, but we shall see the role of choice and commitment emphasized. Reasons for the rejection of universalizability will become even clearer. Natural caring in the human domain is accessible to each of us; it is there at the very foundation of our continued existence. But affection for animals even the opportunity for such affection to develop varies greatly across persons. (149)

The caring relation in particular, requires engrossment and motivational displacement on the part of the one caring and a form of responsiveness or reciprocity on the part of the cared for. It is important to re-emphasize that this reciprocity is not contractual; that is, it is not characterized by mutuality. (150)

We cannot separate means and ends in education, because the desired result is part of the process, and the process carries with it the notion of persons undergoing it becoming somehow “better”. If what we do instructionally achieves the instructional end A learns X – we have succeeded instructionally but, if A hate X and his teacher as a result, we have failed educationally. A is not “better” as a result of our and his efforts. He can receive neither the teacher nor the subject as one-caring. (174)

It means, rather, that one caring receives the other, for the interval of caring, completely and nonselectively. She is present to the other and places her motive power in his service. Now, of course she does not abandon her own ethical ideal in doing this, but she starts from a position of respect or regard for the projects of the other. (176)

"The teacher who encourages receptivity wants the child to look, to listen, to touch, and perhaps, to receive a vision of reality" (60)

"One learns to participate in cycles. At one stage, thing are allowed to enter with little restriction: a reservoir of images and energy is stored up. Then a focusing takes places: the energies are made dense,brought sharply to focus on point of interest. Then a diffusion may occur. The energy is converted to light and scattered over the entire field of interest illuminating elments and ground. The field is now characterized by coherence and grace. Both initial and final stages may be characterized as receptive. In the first we receive what -is -there; in the last we receive what is there in relation to what-is-here. We see how we are related to this object to which we are related..." (60)

Competence-in this texts refers more accurately to performance, to a demonstrated mastery of prespecified and discrete task. (62)

Inclusion - the relational process of the one-caring receives the child and views his world through both sets of eyes. (63)

"Caring involves two parties: the ne-caring and the cared for. It is complete when it is fulfilled in both. We are tempted to say that caring attitude is characteristic of caring, that when one cares, she characteristically exhibits an attitude, But then it could be missed by the cared-for. "(68)

"A caring relation requires the engrossment and motivational displacement of the one-caring and it requires the recognition and spontaneous response of the cared-for."(78)

"...We saw that caring arises naturally in the inner circles of human intercourse and that it must be summoned by a concern for the ethical self in situations where it does not arise naturally . Because I have come to care for my ethical self not just my physical self, I behave as one-caring toward one for whom I feel no natural affection."(75)

"The most intimate situations of caring are, thus. natural. I do not feel that taking care of my own child is "moral" but rather, natural." (83) "Now what sort of "goodness" is that that attaches to the caring relation? It cannot be a fully moral goodness,for we have already described forms of caring that are natural and require no moral effort. But it cannot be a fully non moral goodness either, for it would be then join a class of goods many which are widely separated from the moral good. It so perhaps, properly described as a "pre-moral," one that lies in a region with moral good and shades over it...."(84)

"Our ethic of caring-which we might have called a "feminine ethic"-begins to look a bit mean in contrast to the masculine ethics of universal lover or universal justice."(90)

"How are we to make judgments of right and wrong under this ethic" First it is important to understand that we are not primarily interested in judging but rather in heightening moral perception and sensitivity. But "right" and "wrong" can be useful." (90)

"We have seen. caring is not in itself a virtue." The genuine ethical commitment to maintain oneself as caring gives rise to the development and exercise of virtues, but these must be assessed in the contest of caring situations."(95)

"An ethic of caring is a tough ethic. It does not separate self and other in caring although, of course, it identifies the special contribution of the one-caring and the cared-for in caring."(99)