Questions

1. What is the dividing-line between permissiveness and negligence and indifference towards one’s children?

2. With all the triumph of “the liberated child” philosophy, why do a vast majority of parents worldwide resort to authoritative methods of child-rearing?

3. Doesn’t extreme permissiveness mean extreme openness? When a child is not under his parents’ control, she/he is fully revealed to the negative influence of the outer world (intrusion of alien values through mass media, interference of non-parents, etc.).

4. In a permissive household, what are the lenient ways of restricting children, showing and explaining to them the degree of strains put on them?

5. What should a lax parent do when a child cannot be persuaded in some matter of principle? How should permissive parents teach a child the basics of authority and subordination?

Final Statement (Conclusion)

Despite a commonly held generalized view, permissiveness is by no means tantamount to sheer negligence, as well as authoritativeness shouldn’t be equated to total suppression, both emotional and physical. When reasonably motivated and combined, both are beneficial in child development, while on the reverse, their extremes can be equally traumatic. An exclusively authoritative approach would most likely cause ever more rebellion, violence, hate and instances of juvenile delinquency; moreover, those are of a hidden, suppressed character. Likewise, uncontrolled permissiveness would inevitably shift towards laxity and carelessness.

In other words, a compromise, the so-called graded approach, seems a most sensible alternative, which is actively practised by Japanese family specialists, which is based on a fundamental concept that things should be taught, not imposed. Until a child is 6, he is allowed anything, which is preconditioned by a variety of reasons. A further move towards stricter rules is motivated by a parental wish to introduce a child into a harsher adult environment, where she/he is expected to develop into an independent, sensible and competitive person, preferably immune to the potential hurdles of life.

c) Group Work: Split into two groups (affirmative and negative teams, correspondingly). Team up with your partners to discuss your position in detail. Distribute individual roles within the team and decide on the share of participation of each member. Sort out the relevant information and discuss possible means in order to communicate your message and defend your position most efficiently. Make all the necessary arrangements with the opponent team and the person in charge.

2. Class Activities

a. Interact the debate in class.

b. Let the teacher announce the winner. Discuss the debate, comment on the two team’s lines and share of participation.

IV. Monologue Discourse Modelling

Individual Argumentative Techniques

1. Individual Work: Prepare a project on the suggested Problem Situation to be communicated in class. Declare it as Permissiveness is an effective way to rear an independent, mature personality.

a) Make a thorough study of the related sources and vocabulary (Texts A, B, C, D, supplementary texts, etc.). Sort out the relevant information in order to assert your point in the most reassuring way. Note down a brief plan of your presentation.

b) Study carefully the following guidelines and the sample problem situation project for reference.