Final answer:
Kohlberg's theory of moral development describes three stages of understanding gender development: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. Carol Gilligan criticized the theory for gender bias, arguing that men and women reason differently.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kohlberg's theory of moral development describes the sequence in children's understanding of gender development. It consists of three stages: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. In the preconventional stage, young children only experience the world through their senses. In the conventional stage, adolescents start considering others' feelings when determining what's right and wrong. Finally, in the postconventional stage, individuals think about morality in abstract terms and recognize that legality and morality may not always align.
According to Kohlberg, gender development follows the same sequence as moral development. This means that people of different genders go through the same three stages of understanding gender. However, it's important to note that Carol Gilligan, a research assistant of Kohlberg, criticized his theory for gender bias. She argued that women reason differently from men and have a care and responsibility perspective, whereas men tend to emphasize rules and laws.