UNIT IV
TOWARD VALUE FORMATION
Desired Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit, the students would have:
1. defined values and traced how they are formed;
2. determined their personal values and identify
the principles of valuing;
3. enumerated the steps of the valuing process;
4. assessed the influence of family, media and
culture on values;
5. applied the “beatitudes” as a model for values
that are inherently Christian.
Lesson 1:
Values, Beliefs and
Actions
Desired Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson the student would have:
1. defined values and differentiated them from beliefs
and actions;
2. drawn the relationship between words and actions.
Etymologically, the word value
comes from the Latin word
“valere” which means to
measure the worth of
something.
The three interpretations associated with Filipino
understanding of value
Values can be associated with :
First - objects
Second - ideas
Third - actions
*Objects = price, cost, charge,
amount, and worth
*Ideas= dignity, importance,
weight, and consequence
*Actions = extent, merit,
significance, and usefulness
b. The Nature of Values
“Values always have a positive function.
Values we consider “negative” are actually
“actions violating the standard behavior
but are rationalized in the context of
existing values.” These so-called negative
values are actually labeled because they
were used in the wrong way.
Landa Jocano
Values are influential that they affect the
totality of the person’s life. They control
one’s actions and choices. They also
determine a group’s feelings of likes and
dislikes as well as feelings related to what is
acceptable and unacceptable. Values serve
as a guide to one’s plan, decision making
and response to change.
Values are related to one’s search for meaning
in life. “For we say that life is meaningful
when a man has formed something capable
of arousing his commitment to it;
something deserving of his best efforts,
something worth living for” (Andres, 1980).
Knowing one’s purpose in life also aids in
determining what one values most.
c. Determining the Relationship
between Values, Actions and Beliefs
How then can belief be
distinguished from value?
Belief is expressed through their
statements or verbal assertions
about what is true, important or
what ought to be
Values are seen in one’s
actions.
Before anything becomes a value, it
has to pass through what is called
the “seven sub-processes of
valuing.”
d. Learning from the Scripture
Jesus shows us the importance of the
relationship between words and
actions.
Read: Matthew 7:15-27
1. A false prophet in this passage is
understood as “one who said one thing and
did another.”
2. The truths about “false prophets” that we
can draw from the passage are:
a. There is only one way a person’s
sincerity can be proved, and that is by his
practice,
b. Fine words (stated beliefs) can never
substitute for fine deeds. Jesus’ teachings
as found in this Scripture speak of values
and valuing.
3. What is wrong with being a false prophet?
a. False prophets harm other people by lying
to them and manipulating them to act in
ways they would not normally act,
b. False prophets hurt themselves since they
are always on “shaky ground”, afraid to be
discovered for what they really are.
4. Identify and list examples of modern-day
“false prophets” based on the definition
given.
Lesson 2:
Determining My Values
Desired Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson the student would have:
1. clarified some of their personal values and identified
to which group of people in relation to values do they
belong;
2. drawn the relationship between their values and their
aspirations or what they want to happen in their lives.
There is a great need for people
today to identify and clarify
their personal values.
Unless such is done, the future of
the individual, the family and
the country will be at stake.
The present situation of the Philippines
is a wake up call for all Filipinos to really
focus on what they want to happen to
themselves personally, to their families
and the whole nation. The lack of focus
on what is important leads to waste of
time, resources and opportunities.
Three Group of People in Relation to their
Values
1. Those who have no apparent values
2. Those who have strongly defined values
3. Those who poorly defined
That which help people know what they truly
consider important in life is called value
indicators. Some of these come in the form
of people’s “goals, purposes, aspirations,
beliefs, convictions, activities, worries,
problems, daydreams, use of time, use of
money, use of energy.”
b. Looking at the Scripture
Jesus felt that people should have clearly
defined values. Jesus challenged people
to determine what they valued the
most.
Read: Mark 10: 17-22
Lesson 3:
Forming Values
Desired Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson the student would
have:
1. traced the origin of their values;
2. recalled important life experiences and
relate these to their value formation;
3. traced the stages of the valuing process.
a. Background
Values grow from a person’s experiences
they give rise to different values and
that any person’s values modify as his
experiences accumulate and change.
Values are part of living, they
operate in very complex
circumstances and usually involve
more than simple extremes of right
and wrong, good or bad, true or
false.
b. The Valuing Process
Before something becomes a value it has to
fulfill some criteria known as the valuing
process. Unless something satisfies all seven
of the criteria noted below, we do not call it
value. In other words, for a value to develop,
all of the following seven requirements must
apply.
1. Choosing freely. If something is in fact
to guide one’s life whether or not the
authority is watching, it must be a result of
free choice. If there is coercion, the result
is not likely to stay with one for long.
Values must be freely selected if they are to
be really valued by the individual.
2. Choosing from among alternatives. This
definition of values concern with things that are chosen
by the individual and obviously there can be no choice if
there are no alternatives from which to choose. It makes
no sense, for example to say that one values eating. One
really has no choice in the matter. What one may value is
certain types of food or certain form of eating, but not
eating itself. We must all obtain nourishment to exist;
there is no room for decision. Only when a choice is
possible from which to choose, do we say a value can
result.
3. Choosing after thoughtful
consideration of the consequences of
each alternative. Impulsive or thoughtless choices
do not lead to values as we define them. For something
intelligently and meaningfully to guide one’s life, it must
emerge from a weighing and an understanding. Only when
options are understood can one make intelligent choices.
There is an important cognitive factor here. A value can
emerge only with thoughtful consideration of range of the
alternatives and consequences.
4. Prizing and cherishing. When one values
something, it has a positive tone. We prize it, we
cherish it, we esteem it, respect it, hold it dear. We are
happy with our values. A choice, even when we have
made it freely and thoughtfully may be a choice we are
not happy to make. We may choose to fight in war, but
be sorry that circumstances make that choice
necessary. In our definition, values flow from choices
that we are happy to make. We prize and cherish the
guide to life that we call values.
5. Affirming. When we have chosen something
freely, after consideration of thealternatives, and we
are proud of our choice, glad to be associated with it,
we are likely to affirm our choice when we are asked
about it. We are willing to champion them. If we are
ashamed of a choice, if we would not make our
position known when appropriately asked, we would
not make out dealing with values but with something
else.
6. Acting upon choices. Our values show up in
our living. We may do some reading about the things we
value. We are likely to form friendships or to be in
organizations that nourish our values. We may spend
money on the choice we value, we budget time and
energy for our values. In short, for a value to be present,
life itself must be affected. Nothing can be a value that
does not, in fact, give direction to actual living. The
person who talks about something but never does
anything about it is dealing with something other than
value.
7. Repeating. For something to reach the stage of
a value, it is likely to reappear on a number of
occasions in the life of a person who holds it. It shows
up several times. We would not think of something
that appeared once in life and never again as a value.
Values tend to have a persistency, tend to make a
pattern in life.
Values Based on Three Processes
* Choosing: 1. freely
2. from alternatives
3. after thoughtful consideration of the
consequences of each alternative
* Prizing: 4. cherishing, being happy with the choice
5. willing to affirm the choice publicly
* Acting: 6. doing something with the choice
7. repeatedly, in some pattern in life
Lesson 4:
Pressures on Values
Desired Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson the student would
have:
1. identified people who influenced their value formation;
2. analyzed the kind of influence family, peers and
technology had on their values;
3. recalled processes how values were transferred to them;
4.cited biblical insights how to address the influence of
people and technology to one’s values.
a. The Family, the cradle of our values
All of us are born in a family. Our parents are
those who laid our first understanding of
what is good or bad, big or small, clean or
dirty, and important and unimportant.
Their influence established our
understanding about ourselves and the
people around us.
b. Peers
Second to our family are our peers who
are also influential in our value
formation. They are the significant
persons outside our family.
c. Technology
How much time do you spend in
listening, watching, reading, playing,
surfing the following forms of
technology in a week? Also assess the
influence of media on your personal
life, family, friends, studies, neighbors
and other areas of your life. Choose the
media types that apply to you.
Self-reflections: There are two areas we
need to focus on when we are evaluating
media’s effects on us. First, the amount of
time media takes from us, and second, the
subject matter (content) discussed by the
media (Rainey, 2003).
Biblical Insight
Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is the will of God, what is good, and
acceptable and perfect.”
a. The world has the power to influence us to do good or
evil.
b. A renewed mind is empowered and guided by the
Holy Spirit to overcome the bad influences of the world .
c. Our minds should be guided by God’s will so we
will know what is good, acceptable and perfect.
Biblical Insight
Philippians 4:8 also reminds us on what essential things
we should set our minds on. Whatever we are thinking
and meditating on affects our actions. “Whatever is
true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. Think
about such things.”
Lesson 5:
Model for Christian
Values
Desired Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson the student would
have:
1. acquainted themselves with the “Beatitudes” as the
model for values that are inherently Christian;
2. identified practical life situations in which the
beatitudes can be applied.
The word “Beatitude” comes from the
Latin word beatus which means
“blessed” or “made happy”, otherwise
called macarism from the Greek word
makarios which also means “blessed”
(Gaebelein, 1984) or “fortunate”
(Revell, 1991, in Landero, 2002).
1. The Poor in Spirit (Matthew 5:3) Jesus is
pronouncing a blessing upon simple, unspoiled folk.
The blessing is not necessarily to those materially
poor; it is to those who find themselves poverty-ridden
spiritually. It is to those who recognize this poverty
that the Kingdom of heaven comes because they turn
to God for spiritual enrichment. These are the people
who declare their full dependence upon God,
confessing that apart from God they are nothing.
2. The Sorrowing (Matthew 5: 4) To be sad
because of pain and suffering is not necessarily a virtue
in itself. However, to be able to bear suffering
courageously and with faith characterizes a member of
the kingdom. The implication is that the Christians
sorrow as they try to understand and share their
neighbor’s pain.
3. The Meek (Matthew 5:5)To be meek is not being
afraid or frightened as people think. Jesus meant that
persons should be patient, long-suffering; the opposite
of rudely aggressive and proud. A meek person does
not trample upon the rights of other. True meekness is
not weakness. Another word for meek is gentle. A
gentle person is polite, respectful, and strong, but the
strength is under control.
4. Hungering and Thirsting for
Righteousness (Matthew 5:6)The expression
“hunger and thirst for righteousness” is a strong one. It
is vital for us to ask ourselves what it is that we hunger
for. What things draw us most to a particular direction?
Is it fame or success? How would one hunger for
righteousness? Jesus expects his followers to desire
knowledge of what is right. Righteousness for Jesus is a
total attitude of mind, a particular kind of character,
and a special style of living.
5. The Merciful (Matthew 5: 7)To be merciful is to
act in a manner of loving kindness to those in less
fortunate circumstances. But to be truly merciful is not
only to have the right attitude, but also to perform
deeds of mercy. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our
debtors” are more than nine words that are profound
and true.
6. The Pure in Heart (Matthew 5:8)“Heart” in Scripture
refers to the entire personality. “Pure” refers to the
rightness of thought and motive. Those whose motives are
pure will gain spiritual insights. One might wonder how
will the pure in heart see God. Some believe that this
refers to life after death. Others say that as one develops
this characteristic, God becomes evident in the world
around that individual. The pure in heart are aware of the
actions of God in their lives, whether they are in times of
joy or sorrow. People who are pure in heart do not only
mean to do the right but also work with right motive.
7.The Peacemakers (Matthew 5: 9) Being a
peacemaker is another characteristic that gives joy to
life. Those who work for peace are often
misunderstood and persecuted. This is especially true
in times of emotional crisis. Peacemakers run opposite
many persons who seek to prey the fears and
prejudices of people. The peacemakers are often called
coward. The peacemakers bring wholeness or health to
the needs of others. Peacemakers do not avoid
conflict; but are able to settle differences.
8. The Persecuted (Matthew 5: 10-11). In the
eighth beatitude, Jesus describes those who suffer
persecution for doing God’s will. Suffering persecution
in itself does not help a person find real joy in life. The
secret in finding meaning and joy lies in what it is that
brings about the persecution. Although most persons
who are persecuted feel that it is for righteousness
cause, there are many who bring persecution on
themselves by acting obnoxiously.
