Autorytety młodzieży w dobie kryzysu. Implikacje pedagogiczno-katechetyczne

Abstract

In the process of bringing children and teenagers up the forming of the attitude towards the authority isn’t proceeding in the single-track way. It results from the complexity of the process of communization (socialization) of the man. This process is beginning along with the birth, but developmental psychologists will regard only a four-month-old child as the essence truly social. It is possible then to notice peculiar and deliberate distinguishing the significance of the human facial expression. On average to the sixth month of life the child is learning to distinguish strangers and friends. Coming into existence of the authority at that time has at bases a primal relation child - parents. At the age of 2 the child is starting recognizing the authority of older, discovering resemblance to the own person of adults, and phenomenon of their total dependence from them. Child at first unwittingly, then more and more consciously, is starting accepting orders and commands of parents. Child is starting to regard just everything, whatever they are doing. Personality of the small man is being formed, in this period, practically exclusively under the influence of parents and siblings. Parents are the first source and the forerunner of his attitudes and the morality of the child. It means that authorities and shown positive patterns are, for the young man, helpful in forming of personal practical postures and world of values. Thereby Christian class tutor (religion instruction teacher) should be conscious, that his authority comes from the religious card. And so he is supposed to hand it over in a sense of responsibility, as a guiding light. It means however that waking up the awareness of the Divine origin of authority, particularly of the ones existing in the Church, seems to be one of important tasks of the religious education with reference to the authority. And so in religion teaching it shouldn’t be missing the presentation of values and shaping attitudes based on exemplary role models. At the same time a catechist himself should be for his students an authentic witness and example of life of shown values.