A comment on an earlier post inspires a re-pondering of the whole left/right split -- not the left/right brain, but the political Left and Right, particularly now that health care is exposing the rift-o-rama big-time.
So, liberal people and conservative people see their existences rather differently, according to the previously-sited study by McAdams et al, which I shall go into more here.
The research took its cue from the work of George Lakoff, author of The Political Mind, proponent of the belief that family history and politics are intimately connected -- and predictive.
Basically, Lakoff says Republican people think polititians should practice tough-love like a strict father, heavy on rules and guidelines, fostering self-reliance and self-discipline. Dems model their pols on a softer parenting style, with children/citizens needing "love, empathy and nurturance" to fulfil their inner potential and become empathic and caring people.
The recent study tested this theory by asking participants from the left and right to relate what they considered 12 key scenes in their life stories and indicate why they were so significant. The researchers then counted the number of times each group included examples of "rules-reinforcements" (authority figures exerting control),"self-discipline" (exertion of moral control over emotions), "nurturant care-giving," and "empathy-openness."
Not surprisingly, the strict parenting themes appeared more frequently in the Conservatives' tales, while empathy and openness ruled in the Liberals' yarns. While nurturing care-givers also appeared in the right-wing stories, the take away messages from these interactions tended to be about increased self-reliance, whereas the lefties' lessons stressed becoming more empathic.
So, what does this say about health care reform? It's the war of two worlds. One which defines love (and politics) as teaching little Johnny to help himself so he'll grow big and strong, the other as lending little Johnny a helping hand so he'll do the same for others.
Can Strict Father and Doting Dad come together on the playground of life and come up with a single plan by which to parent both their kids?
Have you been to the playground (or the soccer field) lately?
Friday, September 11, 2009
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2 comments:
Thank you. It does a heart good (and yes, ragweed sniffles too) to know people are thinking about the deeper levels of stalemated affairs.
One wonders, where, in what Bible, in whose code of morality or ethics, abides the notion of the pre-existing condition? Please keep on telling us the good of having empathy in the world.
And then there's the concept of greed versus sharing. I got my nut, you find your own. Blame the victim for their own misfortune instead of understanding that there is such a thing as random suffering.
But, as DC says, it sure would be nice if social science research generates some useful insights. And helps end the yelling at Town Hall meetings!
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