What Does 'Family Values' Mean To You?

The phrase 'Family values' gets throw around a lot by politicians. Yet few have the decency to actually define what it means.

What does it mean to you?

edited 24th Feb '11 11:54:00 AM by joeyjojo

A talking point used by Republicans that means roughly "Family values is what we say it is and you'll go to hell if you say otherwise". Needless to say, the phrase is meaningless to me.

edited 24th Feb '11 11:55:51 AM by Alichains

It means values that a family shares and raises their children with. What those values are on the other hand...

Family Values to me typically means a talking point used by Republicans and other groups. I usually interpret it as useless attempts to appeal to morality and enforce a certain sort.

Now family values are a different thing. They're whatever the fuck a certain family deems to be in that category. A sort of togetherness and family loyalty is typically part of it. Restrictions on things can be part of it as well.

It means "I value my political career more than actual families."

It doesn't really mean anything to me. It's another political buzzword.

'Family Values' means ideals that are valuable to families.

It means to me that the person saying it probably doesn't care about actual families. What they do care about, is maintaining social power and control for their selected group.

Family values is a buzz word used by politicians to attack their opponents.

As a fun aside, you know who also used "Family Values" as a talking point? Augustus Caesar. He used it to drum up public support against Marc Anthony and Cleopetra for violating traditional Roman family values.

edited 24th Feb '11 12:10:51 PM by nightwyrm_zero

Agreed - it's a buzzword, aside from whatever values that a family wishes to impart into their children and stuff. So it very much becomes a YMMV thing.

Now, it could mean "promoting the value of the family unit", but I don't think that's what they mean by it.

It's almost as stupid as "Good Shop Practice" - what is good practice in one shop or business unit may be either overkill or insufficient, based on who you talk to. Doesn't stop the term from beign tossed around like it's some sort of actual enforceable standard, though.

Politically, it's intentionally left vague to appeal to as many personal dictionaries as possible, with an obvious conservative slant in the US.

In real life, it's the lessons and ethics taught to children by their parents or guardians that they (the parents or guardians) believe will be in their best interest to be productive members of society, or at least not complete psychos. I believe this goes beyond simply teaching them the law of the land, and how to obey it, but how to make the most of their life. Which, incidentally, leaves it outside the scope of government, except to grant parents/guardians the right to raise their children as they see fit.

^ /claps

To me, all it means is a buzzword used by reactionary groups and conservatives as an excuse to opress minorites and subcultures they dislike by vilifying them in the eyes of mainstream society. Think Of the Children, that sort of thing.

To politicians it means free votes, nothing more.

What it means to me is a) having a stable family in the first place and promoting those things that contribute to its stability, b) healthy rearing of children with appropriate attention to their development instead of shunting them off to a daycare and blaming subsequent problems that may arise on everyone but oneself, and c) teaching of wisdom and temperance over instant gratification and selfishness.

edited 24th Feb '11 1:54:48 PM by Pykrete

What he said.

"Family Values" = Moralistic Tyranny.

It's a bit more complicated than just buzzword. Yes, "family values" is deliberately vague, so as to appeal to the widest possible cross section. Nobody is going to come out against families, so it's meaningless in itself. They spend a lot of money coming up with these slogans, the way corporations create advertising, and for the same reasons.

"Family values" is code for hetero WASPs, the way "war on drugs" is code for "put blacks in jail." Everyone else is implicitly excluded, meaning GLBTs, immigrants (except from Britain), Muslims, or any other easy target. You can get cheap support by creating an imaginary threat from common prejudices. It's lazy, it's shameful, it's destructive, but it works.

edited 24th Feb '11 2:06:01 PM by RalphCrown

Actually, that might not be as true on the immigrant bit, especially in immigrant groups who are receptive to the other parts.

Um. Some immigrant groups put Anglo families to shame.

I know that, I belong to one such group.

"Family Values" in a political sense is about teaching your kids that people different from you are bad and should be ignored or ostracized.

A terrible value system, I might add...

Family values in the political sense is emphasizing the primacy of the nuclear family as the ideal of society. It does not necessarily demand that those who do not conform to such roles should be made fun of or treated inhumanely.

That's a human reaction. There has never existed, and never will exist, a totally inclusive society.

edited 24th Feb '11 4:43:03 PM by Cojuanco

To me, it means "thou shalt be obedient to your makers".

That's religious values, though.

Unless he's talking about makers in the biological sense.