Values



Values are subjective judgments that place importance on something that has relevance over another. An example is when a teacher places more emphases on a subject he/she wants his/her students to learn because this will help them get into college. By placing more value in the subject the student will be motivated in doing well. Values also are principles that have an important impact on a person’s life. These principles help with decisions and have a personal view on what is moral and immoral. The personal values according to Morris Massey, a sociologist, have three developmental stages. The first stage called The Imprint Stage. The first stage starts at when a baby is born and ends at the age of seven. At this stage the surrounding environment provides as a template on which the child absorbs. It is at this point the child discovers what is right and wrong. This is a fragile period because the child is acceptable to many variables that could lead to trauma later in life. The second stage starts at age eight and ends at thirteen. This is called The Modeling Stage. In the modeling stage children imitate their surroundings by copying what they see or hear from their parents, friends, culture, and in school. During this stage of development, children are testing things out to see how it affects them. They are trying on different styles of clothes to see what they like. In a sense, this is the “try out” stage. Children are making subjective judgments on what has more relevance to them. They base their decisions on what satisfies their needs the best. In the last stage, known as The Socialization Period, teenagers from the age of thirteen to adulthood, at twenty one, are mostly influenced by their peers. They are looking for characteristics that are similar to their own. Characteristics that will help develop their individuality. The collective beliefs and ideas from the personal values of a group of people form a culture. The culture share common social norms on how people should behave. The social norms are the rules that the people follow. The values of a culture decide what signifies as good and evil. Values are important because they indicate how to behave in social settings. Values are a reflection in what a culture respects. An example of this is The Constitution of the United States. The American people see the Constitution not as a mere document, but as a representation of their rights and freedom. Values are an integral part to our society because they help determine what is good, bad, beneficial, appropriate, significant, and what is to be expected. Values help lay down the foundations to the laws and governments that protect our society.





Webliography

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Page created By: Kevin McHugh on February 2, 2013