Final answer:
Carol Gilligan's findings suggest women's moral reasoning is rooted in a care and responsibility perspective, contrasting with the justice perspective associated with men. Gilligan's theory, though criticized for its small sample size and lack of replication, highlights the socialization process in shaping moral understanding.
Step-by-step explanation:
Carol Gilligan's research findings suggest that the female view of morality is based on a care and responsibility perspective. She argued that women tend to focus on interpersonal relationships and the context of actions, considering the reasons behind behavior that seems morally wrong. While Lawrence Kohlberg's theory was based on a justice perspective, emphasizing rules and laws usually identified with male subjects, Gilligan proposed that neither perspective is better or worse, they simply serve different purposes.
Gilligan pointed out that these differences are not necessarily inherent to the sexes but can be attributed to socialization processes that teach boys and girls societal norms and behaviors expected of them. Although her study had limitations such as a small sample size and has not been widely replicated, it introduced the concept of ethical care as an alternative to the justice-focused approach to moral development.