Moralization is the degree to which moral relevance is attached to issues, actions or entities and the changes within their relevance. Morals can change at a personal level or a societal level. Rozin (1999) defined moralization as a process that “involves the acquisition of moral qualities by objects or activities that previously were morally neutral.”
Citations: Rozin, P. (1999). The process of moralization. Psychological Science, 10(3), 218–221.
Rhee, J. J., Schein, C., & Bastian, B. (2019). The what, how, and why of moralization: A review of current definitions, methods, and evidence in moralization research. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 13(12).