The Strict Father Family Morality

We live in a world full of dangers, pitfalls, and conflict. To survive in such a world we need to be strong and we need to have our values firmly in place. The Strict Father family model emerges in response to this perception of life as hard and dangerous. Here is the basic Strict Father family model.

The family is a traditional nuclear one, with the father having primary responsibility for supporting and protecting the family. The father has authority to determine the policy that will govern the family. Because of his moral authority, his commands are to be obeyed. He teaches his children right from wrong by setting strict rules for their behavior and by setting a moral example in his own life. He enforces these moral rules by reward and punishment. The father also gains his children's cooperation by showing love and by appreciating them when they obey the rules. But children must not be coddled, lest they become spoiled. A spoiled child lacks the appropriate moral values and lacks the moral strength and discipline necessary for living independently and meeting life's challenges.

The mother has day-to-day responsibility for the care of the household, raising the children, and upholding the father's authority. Children must respect and obey their parents, because of the parents' moral authority.

Through their obedience they learn the discipline and self-reliance that is necessary to meet life's challenges. This self-discipline develops in them strong moral character. Love and nurturance are a vital part of family life. As children mature, the virtues of respect for moral authority, self-reliance, and self-discipline allow them to incorporate their father's moral values. In this way they incorporate their father's moral authority.

This model will have variants, such as when the "strict father" is replaced by a "strict mother" who instantiates the moral authority, moral strength, and self-discipline necessary for governing the family.

Socialization research shows that the Strict Father family tends to produce children who are dependent on the authority of others, cannot chart their own moral course very well, have less of a conscience, are less respectful of others, and have no greater ability to resist temptations.

(G.Lakoff and M.Johmson. Philosophy in the Flesh. – Basic Books. 1999, p.314-5)

Activity 5.2: Answer the questions.

1. Why does the Strict Father family model emerge in life?

2. What is the purpose of the Strict Father family model?

3. Who has primary responsibility for supporting and protecting the family?

4. What does Father set for his children?

5. What way does Father gain his children's cooperation?

6. What does a spoiled child lack?

7. What does children learn through their obedience?

8. What does self-discipline develop in children?

9. What aspect of family life has a priority - parental authority or love?

10. Which model is better for you – a "strict father" or a "strict mother"? Why?

11. What does socialization research show?

Criteria for evaluation are:

• word order (для слабых и сильных глаголов);

• question words;

• key words, introducing yourself, keeping on a civil conversation about a family.

H/w:

1. Освоить порядок слов в предложениях для слабых глаголов.

2. Освоить порядок слов в предложениях для сильного глагола "to be".

3. Выучить вопросительные слова и составить по вопросу с каждым из них.

4. Learn the dialogue "Family" by heart.

Lesson 3

Objective: - to find out about work.

Tasks:

• to describe jobs and responsibilities;

• to find out about your partner`s job;

• to ask and answer questions about jobs.