1. Morality and Belief: Religion and Relationships RMPS National Qualifications

2. Different Kinds of Relationship

3. What Makes a Relationship Successful? List the following in order of what you see as their importance to a successful relationship: Physical attraction – looks, fashion sense, etc Proximity - being around each other Shared interests or mutual needs Trust – being loyal or faithful Love and respect – caring, accepting, etc Equality – sharing work and responsibilties etc Commitment – investing time and effort Honesty - open and truthful communication Shared values – e.g. similar ideas about morals etc

4. What Makes a Relationship Successful? EVALUATION TASK: Write a paragraph on each of your top three choices explaining why you think they are so important. Give examples if possible. Explain your thinking for the quality you think is least important.

5. What is a Healthy Relationship?

6. The Benefits of Healthy Relationships Q. Outline what you see as the benefits of healthy relationships to… a)an individual b)groups, organizations and/or the wider community Give examples where possible.

7. Why Do Relationships Fail? List the following according to the amount of damage you think they do to relationships: Unrealistic expectations Diverging interests or priorities Needs not being met Distance Betrayal or infidelity Inequality Lack of Commitment or Effort Using or abusing Poor communication

8. Why Do Relationships Fail? EVALUATION TASK: Explain your choices. To what extent is ‘failure’ built into some relationships? Why do you think it can be difficult to sustain a healthy relationship over time? Can you give examples?

9. The Consequences of Failure Q. What are some of the consequences of failed relationships for a)an individual? b)groups, organizations and/or the wider community? Again, give examples where possible.

10. Relationships and Morality People will often describe successful relationships as ‘good’ and failing or failed relationships as ‘bad’. This suggests that relationships are subject to wider debates about morality – i.e. ideas of right and wrong. For example Some people believe that divorce is not just unfortunate but also wrong – a moral failure.

11. Relationships and Morality Do you agree? Q. To what extent do you agree that our relationships should be subject to moral judgements? Explain your answer.

12. Relationships and Morality At any given time, society tends to encourage or discourage different kinds of relationship. For example, all societies accept marriage between a man and a woman. But homosexual relationships are against the law in many countries. Copy the table and assess the relative social acceptability of each kind of relationship.

13. Relationships and Morality Relationship UK Now UK 1963 Russia Now Marriage (man and woman) Female manager of football club Black man and white woman Teacher (35) and Pupil (17) Divorced man (42) and widowed mum (24) Same sex partnership Polygamy

14. Learning about Relationships We have seen how important and complicated relationships are, and that it is impossible to avoid questions of morality when examining relationships. But how do we learn about relationships? Where do our ideas about what a relationship ‘should’ be and the qualities and skills we need to maintain healthy relationships come from?

15. Learning about Relationships