Becoming Good Parents: An Existential JourneyBecoming Good Parents goes beyond a psychological understanding of parenting to include a deeper explication of the philosophical (moral) and existential (spiritual) dimensions of parenting. It counters the contemporary notion that parents can be satisfied with simply being "good enough" in their parenting practices, which encourages a sense of complacency. Through everyday examples, illustrative use of Harper Lee's moral novel To Kill a Mockingbird, and a reinterpretation of the theoretical viewpoints of psychologists Erik Erikson, Heinz Kohut, and Rollo May, along with philosophers Iris Murdoch and Michael Gelven, the author argues that the struggle toward perfection (goodness) is a natural human impulse. Parenting provides an optimal context for the practice of character refinement, which can potentially contribute to the psychological and spiritual growth of both parents and children. Ultimately, the book demonstrates that by becoming good parents, we become good persons. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 Growth in Parenting | 13 |
2 Parenting as Care | 23 |
3 The Moral Dimension of Parenting | 37 |
4 Parenting as an Existential Life Project | 71 |
5 Empowerment in Parenting | 87 |
6 Parenting and the Life of the Spirit | 103 |
The Story of To Kill a Mockingbird Revisited | 115 |
Notes | 133 |
| 147 | |
| 153 | |
| 157 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adolescents adults affirm African American ain’t attachment theory Atticus Finch Atticus’s attuned Aunt Alexandra beautiful Becoming good parents behavior belonging Bob Ewell Boo Radley Calpurnia capacity caregivers character child children need competence confront context courage creative Cunningham daughter detachment Dubose emotions empathic emphasis added empowered Episode essential evil Ewell’s existential worth experience father father’s fear feel forgiveness Gelven guilt human humility ideals identity ideological imagination impulse individuals infants innocence integrity Iris Murdoch Jem’s John Bowlby Kill a Mockingbird kind learning to become limitations lives May’s Maycomb County Mayella means mirroring Miss Maudi Mockingbird moral Murdoch natural objects of attention one’s optimal ourselves passion perceive persons perspective physical potential reality refined requires responsible Robinson Scout and Jem self-assertion self-efficacy selfless selflessly sense shame spite tell tension tion Tom Robinson trust truth understanding unfolding verbal vulnerable Walter Cunningham