'Most Fathers Failures’ (Press, 25 August 1975)
This is a Generative AI summary of this newspaper article. It may contain errors or omissions. Please note that the language in the summary is reflective of the original article and the societal attitudes of the time in which it was written.
Summary: 'Most Fathers Failures’ (Press, 25 August 1975)
In a speech delivered at the northern rally of the Social Credit Political League in Auckland on 24 August 1975, Rev. Felix Donnelly, a senior lecturer in the community health department at the University of Auckland Medical School, voiced concerns about the failures of New Zealand men as fathers. He cited a disturbing statistic: less than 1 per cent of boys surveyed in secondary schools reported experiencing or expecting any form of physical affection from their fathers, in stark contrast to 50 per cent of girls who indicated they did receive such affection. Rev. Donnelly suggested that New Zealand men were conditioned to suppress their emotions, viewing emotional expression as a sign of weakness. This repression, he argued, often manifests in unhealthy behaviours, with emotional issues frequently arising from bottled-up feelings. He questioned whether New Zealand homes genuinely fostered open emotional communication and whether parents openly showed affection to one another in ways that could be observed by their children. Expanding on his analysis, Father Donnelly expressed concern about societal fears and attitudes towards law enforcement. He suggested that the community's heavy reliance on policing to address its issues is misguided. He highlighted that an increasing police presence might not necessarily solve societal problems but rather indicate a deeper issue within the community. He cautioned against relinquishing personal freedoms to the police in response to fear, arguing that this could jeopardise freedom while failing to address the root causes of societal anxieties. Donnelly also reflected on the notion of a permissive society, noting the paradox that, despite this perception, there has been a steady increase in legislation aimed at restricting personal freedoms. He urged the community to look beyond superficial symptoms of social discord and instead focus on understanding and addressing the underlying causes of these problems.
Important Information
The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact
The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand