[Dialogue] A proposal for corporate research and writing

[Harry Wainwright]

Colleagues,

David has a great proposal.  I would like to commend a book that we could
read and discuss as well as a web site that is also on the subject of the
book.

Moral Politics, How Liberals and Conservatives Think, Second Edition 2002,
George Lakoff, The University of Chicago Press, available in paperback.  He
teaches linguistics and cognitive science at UC Berkeley.  His thesis is
that the gap between liberals and conservatives is their vastly different
worldviews.  Both worldviews use family life as the basis, but with a
different understanding.

Conservatives use the Strict Father Model: traditional nuclear family of a
father and mother, with the father exercising strict parental control,
supporting and protecting the family, father sets overall policy, strict
rules for behavior of the children and enforces the rules.  The mother has
the day-to-day responsibility for the care of the house, raising the
children and upholding the father's authority.  Children obey and respect
their parents and by doing so they build character, e.g., self-discipline
and self-reliance.  Love and nurturance are a vital part of the family but
do not out weigh parental authority, which is an expression of love and
nurturance - tough love.  Self-discipline, self-reliance and respect for
authority are critical things the children must learn.  (page 33)  This is a
male dominated, paternalistic worldview.

Liberals use the Nurturant Parent Model: Love, empathy and nurturance are
primary and the children become responsible, self-disciplined and
self-reliant by being cared for and respected, and in turn exhibit care in
their family and in their community.  (Much more here pages 33-34).  This is
basically a feminine understanding and the family unit does not depend on
traditional male-female models but can be one or more nurturing parents or
partners.

Therefore, liberals and conservatives do not understand one another because
their base worldview model is vastly different.  Communication of their
values, positions, issues etc is not coming from the same base.  The
conservatives view all reality from the strict family model: Nuclear Family
to the Nation as Family and now in the current worldview of conservatives,
the whole world as family.  For example a conservative is perfectly
consistent with being anti abortion/pro life, for the death penalty and in
favor of war to solve social issues.  The strict father is protecting his
family and this is seen as a seamless whole.  Liberals see no contradiction
in gay marriage since the basis of the family is a nurturing relationship
between two people.

Enuf for now!

The website is http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org/ and has very good
proposals on what is happening.  Take a peek!

Peace,
Harry