Urban America as a context for the development of moral identity in adolescence

Moral identity, defined as a self-consistent commitment to lines of action benefiting others, is described in the contexts of adolescence and poor, urban neighborhoods. A model of moral identity development is proposed. According to the model, stable characteristics of the individual and the individual's family, in conjunction with social attitudes, self-conceptions, and opportunities for the exploration of prosocial action, influence the development of moral identity. Analyses from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth provide support for the model, and demonstrate that urban poverty is associated with few opportunities for development of moral identity. We argue that the provision of these opportunities should be given a high priority both to foster good individual development and as a means for increasing social capital in neighborhoods.