NWANAEKUNWA’S INFLUENCE ON CHILD’S MORAL DEVELOPMENT: EXPANDING CAROL GILLIGAN’S ETHICS OF CARE

Abstract

Care of the other, especially the young ones, is one of the characteristics of animals with soul. Aristotle and other philosophers of Metaphysical Anthropology maintain that the soul is the faculty of existence or principle of life 1 . However, specialized care as well as formalized aid (attention or concern) is the identity of human beings as rational, thinking and social animals. In a very strict sense, human beings are care-giving and caring animals. In lato sensu, care giving is very fundamental to the nature of human beings as animals that are so much limited in physical constitution. Through care, human beings complement each others shortcomings. Therefore, parenting seems to be a duty humanity owes to humankind if they are to be really humans. We live in a secular society where responsibilities abound with regard to this form of parenting. Looking after a child is duty parents owe the child as well as a basic part of parenting which every child needs. The concept of nwanaekunwa is exposed as it complements via care ethics the moral formation of a child. This theoretical paper tries to evaluate the possible challenges meted on the nurturer, in her inexperience, and nurtured, the baby, in her fragile stage. However, the questions are: can a child nurture a child? To what extent can the nurturer influence the nurtured? Can the practice of nwanaekunwa in anyway be likened to what is obtainable globally as regards parenting or child-minding? The researcher amongst using available child development theories discovered that the idea of nwanaekunwa in complementing these theories, expands Carol Gilligan’s care ethics. Nwanaekuna makes up for the lack of the mother’s care and enduring significant presence. More so, during parenting the mother renders ethics of care while the helper(nwanaekunwa) renders ethics of service. It was recommended among other things that since a mother’s love is unquantifiable, in choosing our career, we must take into consideration our primary role, and get a more experienced person to do the job of nwanaekunwa (ethics of service or service ethics)