Gender and Family Studies

Gender and Family Studies

The moral issue of early Generation Z

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Women's Studies, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran
2 Department of Theoretical Studies, Women and Family Research Institute, Qom, Iran
3 Professor of the Department of Women's Studies, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Generation Z is a creative, independent, disruptive and self-aware generation that seeks to achieve high social and economic positions with minimal effort and cost. This generation is under pressure from two sides: on the one hand, pressure from society to preserve and transmit values and traditions, and on the other hand, pressure from the media to break away from traditions and adapt to the requirements of modern technologies and choose a new type of ethics and values in line with the ideals of the modern world, which is known as "ideal values" in their virtual ecosystem. Acceptance of norms, traditions and official values by power structures is not something that convinces Generation Z and calls them to follow. This can be both hopeful and alarming. It is hopeful in that this generation is indifferent to what is dictated to them as culture in the modern world and the capitalist system, and seeks to break structures and create new contexts. It is also dangerous in that digital life and new media create values and norms for them, and religion and traditions do not play a meaningful role in their lives. Therefore, examining the moral subjectivity of this generation, who are considered users of the digital world and live in this space, will be effective in understanding and making the final judgment and designing a moral model for them. In order to properly confront Generation Z, it is necessary to enter their world, reach a  deeper understanding of them, and design educational indicators appropriate to them. Until a correct and deep understanding of this generation is not achieved, it will be fruitless to prescribe for them. With the assumption that in the path of education, there can be fixed educational principles and different educational models; Therefore, different moral education models can be used compared to the moral education models of previous generations. The moral subject of generation z means the understanding and awareness of this generation regarding itself as a subject regarding moral issues and in the field of practice. In other words, morality is considered in the system of awareness of the actor. The criterion here is the understanding, awareness and tendencies of the actor. Therefore, the moral subject of generation z is studied with an emphasis on the concept of self-awareness of the subject, self-presentation and rethinking of the subject.
This research aims to understand the moral propositions of generation z in the first step, and deals with the moral cognitions of generation z with an exploratory and inductive approach so that in the next steps it can be achieved to design an efficient program for their future. For this purpose, a semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted with 23 members of the early generation z using a phenomenological approach and content analysis method, using a purposeful sampling method.
The research findings depict the moral subjects of Generation Z in the form of four main categories: “reflective ethics”, “identity confusion”, “perception of one’s generation as a revolutionary subject in ethics”, “preference for family”.
Generation Z has diverse and sometimes contradictory areas in their lives. Since they are digital users and virtual life overshadows their real life, they develop new values and ideals to achieve a better quality of life than their previous generation. Generation Z is a generation that looks at everything in a reflective way; they even have a reflective view of their own ethics and identity and can redefine themselves based on a new perspective and organize their actions differently. Rethinking identity means criticizing the individual’s consciousness. That is, putting beliefs under the microscope. In order to conform to the accepted patterns in the media and peer group, Generation Z criticizes the morals of their parents' generation and tries to rethink and reconstruct the thoughts and morals of their parents' generation.
Keywords

1. Boyatzis, E, R. (1998). Thematic Analysis and Qualitative Information Transforming Sage: CA.
2. Braun, Virjinia & Clark, Victoria (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3 (2), 77-101. Retrived from http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/11735.
3. Creswell, John W. & Cheryl N. Poth. (2016). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Sage Publications.
4. De White, M. (2022). Gen Z are not ‘coddled.’ They are highly collaborative, Self-Reliant and Pragmatic, According to New Stanford-Affiliated Research. Stanford News, https://news.stanford.edu/2022/01/03/know-gen-z.
5. Dolores, María, Benítez-Márquez, Eva María Sánchez-Teba, Guillermo Bermúdez-GonzálezEmma Sofía Núñez-Rydman. (2022). Generation Z Within the Workforce and in the Workplace: A Bibliometric Analysis. Organizational Psychology, v.12 –2021.
6. Descartes, R. (1993). Meditations on First Philosophy. (D. A. Cress, Trans). Hackett Publishing.
7. Giddens, A. (1990). The Consequences of Modernity. Translated into Persian
by Mohsen Solasi. Tehran: Markaz Publication.
Giddens, A (1991). Modernity and Self Identity: Self and Society in The Late
 Modern Age. Translated into Persian by Naser Movafaghian. Tehran:
Ney Publication.
8. Goffman, E. (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Translated
into Persian by Masood Kianpoor. Tehran: Markaz Publication.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.736820.
9. Guyon, Hubert (2008). "L'analyse de Données Par la Statistique". Presses Universitaires de France (PUF).
10. Laclau, E. & Mouffe, C. (2001). Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics.
11. Moscrip, Amanda Nicole (2019). Generation Z' Ation Z's Positive and Negativ e and Negative Attributes and the Impact on Ttributes and the Impact on Empathy After a Community-Based Learning Experience, University of North Florida, University if North Florida College of Arts and Sciences August.
12. Stillman, D. & Stillman, J. (2017). Gen Z @ Work: How the Next Generation Is Transforming the Workplace. Harper Business.
13. Turner, J. H. (2003). The Structure of Sociological Theory, United State,
Wadsworth.
14. Twenge, J. M. (2017). Igen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy-and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. Atria Books.