NationStates Jolt Archive

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.

No idea.

In my family, time on my own was very valuable. And so was every day I didn't have to see my father....


*shrugs

those are nothing but simple beliefs spouted by politicians who want "decent" people to indentify themselves to them.

Like "God-fearing, morally decent, and spiritually-minded".

"Family values" is usually a code-phrase for hating people different than you.

"Family values" is usually a code-phrase for hating people different than you.

Pretty much.

And not questioning authority in politics, at home or at work.

A cheap attempt at getting votes used by conservative politician desparate to be re-elected.

It's code for bigoted and intolerant.

A cheap attempt at getting votes used by conservative politician desparate to be re-elected.

This strikes me as being most accurate. In fact, family values are just a set of judgements common in America that are influenced by cultural factors and in turn influence political beliefs.

Family Values as mythology suggests existed in the post-war boom, never mind McCarthyism et al, are probably most accurately described as ignorance, self-delusion, deception, and cowardice.

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.


As backwoodsquatches basically said:

God-fearing, morally-decent, anti-drugs and otherwise culturally coonservative.

Small town piety.

If you have different 'values', don't expect a cookie - nor much of a future in contemporary politics.

I'm not sure but we've got more than anybody else.

'family' 'values' are the damd mafia!

family values pretend to be about kindness to personas of all ages and genders when in reality what is realy being ment is the kind of age and gender aparthied that quasi-ligitamizes the dominance of aggressiveness.

tyranny by any rational deffinician is the dominance of aggressiveness
while pseudo-conservatives define tyranny as any nation that doesn't roll over and spread its leggs to be raped by the corporate mafia.

so we're really talking about the same thing on two different scales
the personal and the international

so 'faminly values' is the personal scale equivelant of an international policy
that lablels any sort of fairness or equity as being 'anti-democratic'

child labour laws once made sense as a counter to the way young people were being exploited by industry. but now this whole humanitrian impulse has been completely turned arround against itself, actualy promoting and protecting the exploitation of anyone under the age of consent in every way other then sexualy on the excuse of previnting that one and only that one kind of supposed abuse. when in reality the REAL abuses have nothing whatsoever to do with any kind eroticism or anything of the sort.

family values in short is the ulitimate ministry of 'truith' propiganda doubletalk
pure and unmittigated evil. as evil as there is any such thing.
with is really just a hot button name for an extreme of harmfulness.

it is quite possibly, even probbable that 'family values' are at the very core
of the primary causes of the overwhelming majority of suffering
that goes on in this world today.

=^^=
.../\...

I always thought it was the price you'd be willing to sell your familys souls for.

Haggled up to a twiglet and five pieces of fluff so far.

I'd assume that an individuals family values would be based on upbringing and not a particular set of rules. The term does get dragged through the mud a bit by people who would use the phrase to return to the past where Mother stays at home and dad goes to work then relaxes with the kids. The children being saints because they had a proper upbringing. society has changed since then

The Republicans love to trumpet that they're the embodiment of 'Family values'

What they don't tell you is that it's the Manson Family values they embody.

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.


Family Values are the assumed conservative values that are often associated with supporting a traditional family.

Non-traditional relationships are kept quiet and how a particular issue may impact the moral upbringing of children or is considered to be of greater importance than an individual's freedom.

For example, movies containing nudity would be censored in order to help keep nudity away from children.

The Republicans love to trumpet that they're the embodiment of 'Family values'

What they don't tell you is that it's the Manson Family values they embody.

Were they the ones that did MmmBop or did they murder Sharon Tate - I always confuse them...

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.
In my opinion, "family values" in the political context would be valuing those policies which improve the well-being of families. These would include (but are not limited to) support of complete marriage equality, support for improved health care and daycare programs, improved funding for public education, massively increased funding for child welfare and adoption programs, increased mandatory minimum sentencing for domestic abuse, and support for comprehensive sex ed and organizations which provide reproductive health care.

In practice, however, "family values" refer to the belief that "families" only come in one form: heterosexual religious married parents, male head of household and female subservient, biological children. Families which do not conform to this are of no value whatsoever. Furthermore, the existence of persons or families which do not conform is to be perceived as a direct assault on the REAL families. This attack is to be stopped at all costs, even if it means gutting civil rights, increasing poverty rates and abuse rates, and endangering the welfare of children.

In my opinion, "family values" in the political context would be valuing those policies which improve the well-being of families. These would include (but are not limited to) support of complete marriage equality, support for improved health care and daycare programs, improved funding for public education, massively increased funding for child welfare and adoption programs, increased mandatory minimum sentencing for domestic abuse, and support for comprehensive sex ed and organizations which provide reproductive health care.

You're pretty much right on about the imperative need to promote the well being of families by social economic means. Successive American admininstrations have been less than active on that front, to put it mildly.

In practice, however, "family values" refer to the belief that "families" only come in one form: heterosexual religious married parents, male head of household and female subservient, biological children. Families which do not conform to this are of no value whatsoever. Furthermore, the existence of persons or families which do not conform is to be perceived as a direct assault on the REAL families. This attack is to be stopped at all costs, even if it means gutting civil rights, increasing poverty rates and abuse rates, and endangering the welfare of children.

What must be made clear also, is that only the traditional family is the standard which is to be complied with - and that so-called 'alternative' lifestyles are to be marginally tolerated at best.

Furthermore, the existence of persons or families which do not conform is to be perceived as a direct assault on the REAL families. This attack is to be stopped at all costs, even if it means gutting civil rights, increasing poverty rates and abuse rates, and endangering the welfare of children.
Well, of course it is. Nobody important is losing their civil rights, becoming poorer, being abused or having their childrens' welfare endangered, so who cares?

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.


Something perhaps your family holds dear to/believes in. Not just morals, but political values (like no tax! or something), life lessons. I have found in my own family that experiences we went through (bad ones) tended to shap mine and my siblings views of certain matters, leading to higher tolerance, more/less acceptance etc.

and that so-called 'alternative' lifestyles are to be marginally tolerated at best.
if they aren't mainstream, they are alternative. Why the quotes, exactly?

if they aren't mainstream, they are alternative. Why the quotes, exactly?


To call 'em anything as genteel as 'alternative' is already doing them too much honour and paying them too much respect.

What must be made clear also, is that only the traditional family is the standard which is to be complied with - and that so-called 'alternative' lifestyles are to be marginally tolerated at best.

America the land where freedom is to be tolerated at best

America the land where freedom is to be tolerated at best


And?

Nobody can really define what family values are objectively, but politicians will use the term to explain their stance on anything. It's synonymous with "good values" and people can relate. After all, nobody wants to say they have "bad values".

Actually, if you want to find out how vague and manipulative the phrase "family values" is, ask someone that uses it what it means. The response will probably be irritated that you don't know and then they will start rambling on about something that may or may not be related.

And?

And you appear to have a philosophy closer Chairman Mao or Stalin than to Benjamin Franklin.

And you appear to have a philosophy closer Chairman Mao or Stalin than to Benjamin Franklin.


You mean: closer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huangdi

You mean: closer to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huangdi

Who do you think Mao was modelling himself on.

It's a term that people tend to twist to make people look bad.

Family values are values about respect and honour. About being polite and kind.

However this is evil apparently.

Who do you think Mao was modelling himself on.

Bit of a failure, wasn't he?

Meanwhile:

The school's originator Han Fei (韓非) believed that a ruler should govern his subjects by the following trinity:

1. Fa (法 fǎ): law or principle. The law code must be clearly written and made public. All people under the ruler were equal before the law. Laws should reward those who obey them and punish accordingly those who dare to break them. Thus it is guaranteed that actions taken are systemically predictable. In addition, the system of law ran the state, not the ruler. If the law is successfully enforced, even a weak ruler will be strong.

2. Shu (術 shù): method, tactic or art. Special tactics and "secrets" are to be employed by the ruler to make sure others don't take over control of the state. Especially important is that no one can fathom the ruler's motivations, and thus no one can know which behaviour might help them getting ahead; except for following the fa or laws.

3. Shi (勢 shì): legitimacy, power or charisma. It is the position of the ruler, not the ruler himself, that holds the power. Therefore, analysis of the trend, the context and the facts are essential for a real ruler.

Yes Mao was a terrible leader, mind you I don't think the first Emperor was any better.

Yes Mao was a terrible leader, mind you I don't think the first Emperor was any better.


Why's that? I think the First Emperor was indeed a Hero.

Why's that? I think the First Emperor was indeed a Hero.

No, you got it all wrong. Jet Li was the Hero, not the emperor.

No, you got it all wrong. Jet Li was the Hero, not the emperor.

Then we shall say that the Hero did the Right Thing, which is:

serve and revere the Emperor.

To call 'em anything as genteel as 'alternative' is already doing them too much honour and paying them too much respect.
for some reason, that was about what I expected. Carry on.

off topic post here, apologies. but, what does otakus mean? my mum used to call me lazy otakus all the time. is there some fictional character called that?

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

An idea that only exists in the minds of authoritarian right wing politicians who love to base their platforms on a return a non-existent glorious past that would look something like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet mixed with Puritanical religious threocratic-fascism.

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.
Family values are a double-speak term for taking away people's rights simply because you disagree with their lifestyle.

Family values are a farce.

Then we shall say that the Hero did the Right Thing, which is:

serve and revere the Emperor.Did he get elected?

Family values are a double-speak term for taking away people's rights simply because you disagree with their lifestyle.

Family values are a farce.

Thats not what family values are. Thats just an opressive government.

An idea that only exists in the minds of authoritarian right wing politicians who love to base their platforms on a return a non-existent glorious past that would look something like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet mixed with Puritanical religious threocratic-fascism.

Yeah, thats one way at looking at it :rolleyes:

Thats not what family values are. Thats just an opressive government.

"Family values" is one rationalization of opressive government.

"Family values" is one rationalization of opressive government.

Thats like saying hetrosexuality is a rationalization of homophobia.

Thats like saying hetrosexuality is a rationalization of homophobia.

*Rolls eyes so far back they stay stuck*. What I mean is polititions use the term "family values" for government oppressions of "values" that aren't "family values". So basically family values is a term for a certain kind of government oppression.

*Rolls eyes so far back they stay stuck*. What I mean is polititions use the term "family values" for government oppressions of "values" that aren't "family values". So basically family values is a term for a certain kind of government oppression.

I know thats what you are saying. I could say that homophobics could use their pride in heterosexuality to promote homophobia, that doesn't make heterosexuality teh evil.

You have proved my point anyway, governments may use the term family values to promote oppression, but that doesn't make family values evil as there is nothing initially about them which requires them to be forced on everyone.

You have proved my point anyway, governments may use the term family values to promote oppression, but that doesn't make family values evil as there is nothing initially about them which requires them to be forced on everyone.

You have a good point. However the actual term, family values, doesn't mean much in itself becaue meanings of words change.

Republican party

Since 1980, the Republican party has used the issue of family values to attract socially conservative voters. While family values remains a rather vague concept, social conservatives usually understand the term to include some combination of the following principles (also referenced in the 2004 Republican Party platform [7]):

* Support for marriage and for children to be raised in family consisting of a man and a woman [8]
* Support for traditional education and parental involvement in that education [9]
* Support for policies that encourage "adoption over abortion" [10]
* Support for behavior identified as traditional or moral such as respect, discipline, attentiveness, religious commitment [11]
* Support for healthy choices such as a nutritious diet, medical screenings, and physical activity[12]
* Support for health education, including abstinence, on the risks associated with early sexual activity such as teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases[13]
* Support for policies that protect children from obscenity and exploitation[14]

[edit]

Democratic party

Although the term "family values" remains a core issue for the Republican party, in recent years the Democratic party has also used the term. Family values listed in the 2004 Democratic party platform include [15]:

* Support for families, including gay and lesbian families
* Support family planning and adoption incentives
* Support for abortion rights, including policies that make it "safe, legal, and rare"
* Support for education
* Support for policies that reduce violence and drug use


Both American parties can be construes to to support family values. Except what do you mean by family values?

You have a good point. However the actual term, family values, doesn't mean much in itself becaue meanings of words change.



Both parties can be construes to to support family values. Except what do you mean by family values?

Not really my idea of family values, i guess it's a pretty subjective term then. My idea is just an idea that people should be brought up to learn how to respect others and be honourable with good education etc...

Not really my idea of family values, i guess it's a pretty subjective term then. My idea is just an idea that people should be brought up to learn how to respect others and be honourable with good education etc...

It is a pretty subjective term. Actually, it falls into a particular class of issues, the correct term for which escapes me at the moment (should have paid more attention in US Government). Basically, it's an issue that everybody supports, like the economy, education, that kind of thing. Nobody would ever run a campaign saying they were against the economy or education. Politically, they are pretty empty though. There are no rebuttals to these issues, aside from one side saying that they are more for the ecomomy, education, and "family values" than their opponent.

The family value that politicians SHOULD be trumping (but they aren't because it isn't interesting) is unconditional love.

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.



Supposedly, "Family Values" are a concept of the perfect family, living happily together in a fairy tale fantasy world. Conservatives use it to back up their BS religious right claims.


(Mind you, I'm not a liberal either. I'm proudly middle of the road. I hate both sides ;))

In essence, I believe that family values are bullshit, because if there was any such thing, husbands and wives would cheat on each other, I wouldn't know more divorced people than still married people, and Promiscuous Girl wouldn't be top of the charts on songs.

The family value that politicians SHOULD be trumping (but they aren't because it isn't interesting) is unconditional love.
If love is conditional, it isn't love.

Thats like saying hetrosexuality is a rationalization of homophobia.No, that is like saying "basically family values is a term for a certain kind of government oppression."
They never define whos family values. Are we all to live by the klans family values? They have a family, they have values. Ergo, family values. Charlie Mansons? Whos family, and what values? It is an undefined and unobtainable goal and comment, and is therefore worthless. Nothing makes George W. Bush's family values inherently better than Charles Manson's.

off topic post here, apologies. but, what does otakus mean? my mum used to call me lazy otakus all the time. is there some fictional character called that?

An otaku is a manga/anime/video game enthusiast. It's a compliment! :)

In essence, I believe that family values are bullshit, because if there was any such thing, husbands and wives would cheat on each other, I wouldn't know more divorced people than still married people, and Promiscuous Girl wouldn't be top of the charts on songs.

Very much so. If family values were that important, politicians would be practicing them instead of just supporting them.

Family values is the trump card of the far right. It can basically be summed up as being against homosexuals, abortions, strip clubs anything sex related and also things that "dammanges" kids like video games. So basically family values are nothing more than a load of bullshit.

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.

Family values means forcing people to live the way you say that people did 40 years ago.

If your daughter gets pregnant, throw her out of the house.
If you're a woman who wants to work, just stay home and become addicted to painkillers, and develop a drinking problem.
If you're gay, marry someone of the opposite sex, and then pretend that you're a really devout Christian, and will only have sex if you're trying to have a child.
If you want to beat your wife and children, it's none of the neighbors' business.
Child abuse is just a fancy word for discipline.
Family values means that Family is too valuable for just any old family to be allowed to be one.

An otaku is a manga/anime/video game enthusiast. It's a compliment! :)
oh, i see. i don't think my mum has even heard of manga and anime. she must have just liked the syllabuls ot-a-kuss or maybe i'm remembering wrong and it was just something similar with different vowels. this was a long time ago and i have an appalling memory.

Family values are anti-American. Family values means supporting censorship, discrimination against gays, violation of the establishment clause of the constitution, and blind faith as opposed to critical thinking. Anyone who has "family values" should be treated like a Japanese-American during WWII because they're much more of a threat to our American way of life than the Japanese ever were.

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.
well, i value my family at £500 per non-dependent adult, £300 per retiree knocking ten pounds off per year after retirement age, and children are valued according to their future prospects as decided by me at time of purchase. my family is valued at a grand total of i can't count. any takers?

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.
'Family values' are a conservative tag line to justify remaining bigotted to what they perceive as "immoral", even if it isn't illegal.

It's a backhanded way of forcing religion on otherwise non-religious people, and enforcing their own custom brand of morality.

It also happens to be a convinient way of hiding from reality that they don't want to admit to. It's a way of attempting to subdue changes that they find culturally scary, such as an openness toward homosexuality and what used to be considered offensive material.

They use family values, since it means "one man and one woman" and the man and woman's children, who will be heavily sheltered from an ugly world. It also means famiyl tradition; no "new" family types, just the convetional ones, since it what the children "need".

With family values, emphasis lies on "children" and "moral values" often associated with Christianity and to a lesser degree Judiasm, since its close enough to Christianity in its moral value.

Family values depends on the family. Politically, it means anything that keeps women at home, and minorities on the other side of the tracks doing menial labor.

To me, it means anything that benefits my family. This means educational opportunities, job opportunities, low crime, and a general attitude of tolerance, respect and caring for everyone.

Family values are anti-American. Family values means supporting censorship, discrimination against gays, violation of the establishment clause of the constitution, and blind faith as opposed to critical thinking. Anyone who has "family values" should be treated like a Japanese-American during WWII because they're much more of a threat to our American way of life than the Japanese ever were.

HOO-RAH to that. And they have the audacity to call other political groups unpatriotic...

There's a lot of talk about 'family values' and which party has them or not. But what exactly are 'family values'?

Please enlighten me.
family values are values, ideals and morals shared with your family.

if your family likes to dope up and engage in wild orgies (yes, even those underage members also) then that's your family values.