Written by Lauren Clark
When I was a graduate student, Carol Gilligan’s newly-released book, In a Different Voice, precipitated an epiphany for me. Experientially, I understood that the moral work of caring was relational in nature. Of course, I didn’t have the language to say it like that, but I knew it all the same. Gilligan’s book described moral development and identity in a framework that illuminated my nursing practice and my personal life. In brief, she explained how relational ethics connect us to others through reciprocal bonds of care and support, founded on the basis of respect.
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