Sandra Lee Dixon

I work primarily in the psychology of moral thought and action. My strongest base is psychodynamic psychology, especially self psychology, although I have also studied the cognitive psychology literature on moral development and worked in cross-cultural psychology. I have worked in cultural and psychological anthropology to develop my ideas about the relationship of culture and psyche. I approach the social sciences from a hermeneutic perspective, although I am committed to teaching (and therefore reading) more traditionally scientific and quantitative psychology.My interests involve the interaction of psyche and culture through the medium of religion. I have studied the psychology of religion, the influence of religion on moral thought, and theological as well as philosophical ethical theories. I am applying this theoretical and methodological expertise to a case study of St. Augustine's moral justification of the coercion of the Donatist sect. Hence I have gained some competence in historical research, and a fairly thorough knowledge of Augustine's moral thought prior to the full flowering of the Pelagian controversy.My research interests for the near future include the lives of ordinary Christian women in late antiquity, the influence of St. Ambrose on St. Augustine, ideals of leadership in late antiquity, the psychological concomitants of justice, cognitive aspectsof moral judgement, the psychology of reason.Foreign interests: historical algeria; historical Italy; IndiaCross-departmental interests: moral development; qualitative research approaches; retributive justice; coercion.

I served as project director of a research project on the social and cultural context of public policy for children in contemporary U.S. (1988-1992). I became familiar with the issues related to adolescent pregnancy and parenthood and violence against and by early adolescents. I worked on a text data base of interviews with orthodox Hindus regarding moral belief and practice (1984-1988). Hence, I have some experience in qualitative and quantitative empirical research and cross-cultural moral psychology.I have had experience with the following funding agencies: Carnegie Corporation of New York.