Causes of Moral Decline:
Social decline or moral decline is typically characterized as reduced adherence to cultural or social norms or values and widespread lapses in ethical behavior.
Many people think that moral standards are declining nowadays.
When people argue that there is moral decline, they often offer some evidence:
• increase in crime
• increase in divorce
• increase in suicide
• lower results in education
What is your opinion? Can you find evidence in the local newspaper websites to show if this is true? (Add the links in your reply).
Causes of Moral Decline:
People often blame moral decline on these causes:
• liberal philosophy
• materialism
• loss of tradition
• globalization
• bad role models
• bad parenting
• weakening of the family
Match each of these sentences with the topic above and briefly explain your choice. In your reply to your classmate, say if you agree or disagree with your classmate’s choices and why.
1. They have no idea where their children are or what they are doing.
2. The ultimate aim of many young people is to have an iPhone 4S, an iPad3 and a BMW. They are not interested in helping other people or developing their characters.
3. In the past people used to do exactly what their parents and grandparents did. Nowadays young people are not interested in the past -they want to do things their way.
4. I see my parents twice a year because I live in a different country. My brother sees my parents once a month. He lives on the other side of London to them and it takes a long time to visit them. I haven’t seen my aunts, uncles and cousins for years now.
5. She’s more like Lady Gaga than a good Emirati lady.
6. I think people should be allowed to do what they want. If they let their children walk about the streets till late at night, it’s their choice.
7. I went to see an American film. I was so embarrassed by some of the scenes. It was disgusting!
Globalization:
A very common argument against globalization is that it destroys traditional culture and values.
Some people say that the traditional culture and Islamic values are threatened by global media. For example, many young Emirati people like watching American films and TV programs. These films and TV programs show behavior which conflicts with their traditional Emirati culture and Islamic values.
Do you think young Emiratis are easily influenced by global media? Explain.
Do you think that global media always has a negative effect on traditional culture and values? Explain.
If you think that traditional values and moral standards are affected by global media, do you think that any of the following would be effective solutions? Why or Why not?
• closing cinemas
• only allowing films made in the GCC countries to be shown in cinemas
• making satellite television illegal
• stopping the sale of American and European DVDs in shops
• blocking American music channels, like MTV
• blocking Facebook and Twitter
What can Emiratis do to protect their culture and values from the influence of the global media?