Download Relationships

RMPS National Qualifications
Morality and Belief:
Religion and Relationships
Different Kinds of Relationship
What Makes a Relationship Successful?
List the following in order of what you see as their
importance to a successful relationship:
• Physical attraction – looks, fashion sense, etc
• Proximity - being around each other
• Shared interests or mutual needs
• Trust – being loyal or faithful
• Love and respect – caring, accepting, etc
• Equality – sharing work and responsibilties etc
• Commitment – investing time and effort
• Honesty - open and truthful communication
• Shared values – e.g. similar ideas about morals etc
What Makes a Relationship Successful?
EVALUATION TASK:
Write a paragraph on each of your top three
choices explaining why you think they are so
important. Give examples if possible. Explain your
thinking for the quality you think is least important.
What is a Healthy Relationship?
The Benefits of Healthy Relationships
Q. Outline what you see as the benefits of
healthy relationships to…
a) an individual
b) groups, organizations and/or the wider
community
Give examples where possible.
Why Do Relationships Fail?
List the following according to the amount of damage
you think they do to relationships:
• Unrealistic expectations
• Diverging interests or priorities
• Needs not being met
• Distance
• Betrayal or infidelity
• Inequality
• Lack of Commitment or Effort
• Using or abusing
• Poor communication
Why Do Relationships Fail?
EVALUATION TASK:
Explain your choices. To what extent is ‘failure’ built
into some relationships? Why do you think it can
be difficult to sustain a healthy relationship over
time? Can you give examples?
The Consequences of Failure
Q. What are some of the consequences of
failed relationships for
a) an individual?
b) groups, organizations and/or the wider
community?
Again, give examples where possible.
Relationships and Morality
• People will often describe successful
relationships as ‘good’ and failing or failed
relationships as ‘bad’.
• This suggests that relationships are subject to
wider debates about morality – i.e. ideas of right
and wrong.
For example
Some people believe that divorce is not just
unfortunate but also wrong – a moral failure.
Relationships and Morality
Do you agree?
Q. To what extent do you agree that our
relationships should be subject to
moral judgements? Explain your
answer.
Relationships and Morality
• At any given time, society tends to encourage or
discourage different kinds of relationship.
• For example, all societies accept marriage
between a man and a woman. But homosexual
relationships are against the law in many countries.
• Copy the table and assess the relative social
acceptability of each kind of relationship.
Relationships and Morality
Relationship
Marriage (man and woman)
Female manager of football club
Black man and white woman
Teacher (35) and Pupil (17)
Divorced man (42) and widowed
mum (24)
Same sex partnership
Polygamy
UK Now
UK 1963 Russia Now
Learning about Relationships
• We have seen how important and
complicated relationships are, and that it is
impossible to avoid questions of morality
when examining relationships.
• But how do we learn about relationships?
• Where do our ideas about what a
relationship ‘should’ be and the qualities
and skills we need to maintain healthy
relationships come from?
Learning about Relationships