Family is the heart and soul of every community. Most parents love their children, try to teach them right from wrong, and hope they grow up to be happy, healthy, and productive citizens. I believe that most individuals value family and what it adds to their lives daily whether it's good or bad. And few will argue that parenting can be a tough but rewarding responsibility as each generation faces its own unique challenges. But like many people, I wonder if we are fast becoming a world that no longer appreciates good old-fashioned morals and values, two fundamental elements in building strong family-centered communities.
Baby boomers may easily recall when most mothers stayed at home and fathers went off to work. This meant that mother was home when you returned from school; she was there when you scraped your knees; she was there when other children visited, or when you had a tough homework problem to solve. However, many children today are reared in single-parent households, and spending quality time with your children may be a luxury if you work outside the home. Instead of a mother figure to care for them, children might be left alone or in the care of an older sibling. So, if parents or guardians are spending less time with children, then who or what is teaching them right from wrong or what has true merit or value?
Like previous generations today's youth are greatly influenced by what they see and hear. Outside of parents or legal guardians, the big screen, television, music, and peers have the greatest influence over young people today. But what is being communicated to our youth falls short on doses of good old-fashioned morals and values. Now, here is where things get a little complicated. Why? Because as "free moral agents" we each have a right to decide what has value or merit in our lives, and depending on which side of the tracks we grow up on, our environment could very well determine how our value system is formed.
Boston University professor and social scientist Glenn Loury raises some critical issues in his essay "Values and Judgments: Creating Social Incentives for Good Behavior." Loury points out that program design is generally performed "in a language of cause and effect." What he means is that researchers may design a program to make participants respond in a certain way when there really is no guarantee that they will act in any predetermined manner. He claims there are underlying factors that lie at the root of behavior. This is particularly true when we examine dysfunctional behavior.
Dysfunctional behavior is thought to be more prevalent in impoverished communities. Some critics, however, may debate that a common dysfunctional correlation exists among individuals whether they live in poor, middle, or upper class communities. It appears dysfunctional behavior is not limited to one particular segment of our population or economic class. If the ground is fertile, then dysfunction will grow into societal ills such as divorce, alcohol and drug use, domestic violence, or teen pregnancy, violence, or suicide that are escalating at an alarming rate. The elimination of dysfunctional behavior, Loury believes, lies in our system of values or what he calls "virtue" along with the need for a rejuvenated civil society, and of course, spirituality.
No doubt spirituality plays a huge role in formulating good morals and values. Although our country was founded on religious principles, we still live in a world where no real morals and values reign true. And if we allowed politicians or even television to formulate what has merit or value in our life, then we still come up short. The very standards that determine what is moral or valuable may be skewed since there are far too many extenuating circumstances intermingled with geographic, economic, cultural, gender, familial, or other social lines that may cause a person to act or respond in a certain manner.
Former President Ronald Reagan once said that teachers ought to educate our youth about such things as "patriotism, loyalty, faithfulness, courage, the ability to make the crucial distinctions between right and wrong" Obviously, these are noble thoughts, but teachers cannot do it alone. So, what does this all mean? It means that it's time to find or perhaps reinvent Mr. & Mrs. Morals and Values. I believe the teaching of good sound morals and values begins at home.
References Loury, Glenn C. (November 1995). Values and judgments: Creating social incentives for good behavior. Transforming Welfare: The Revival of American Charity. Action Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. Retrieved September 19, 2003.
Schafersman, Steven D. (March 1991). Teaching morals and values in the public schools: A humanist perspective. Retrieved September 19, 2003.
Sherman, Robert. (2001-2002). Teaching moral values to your children. Retrieved September 19, 2003.