permissiveness

/pə'misivnis/

Thân thiện

A teacher shows permissiveness by letting students choose their own project topics.

Definition

Noun: A tendency or attitude characterized by allowing a wide degree of freedom in personal choice, behavior, or expression, often with minimal restrictions or judgment.

Usage

"Permissiveness" describes a social, parental, or authoritative stance that is tolerant, lenient, or indulgent. It implies a reluctance to impose strict rules or to interfere with the actions or choices of others.

Examples

• The permissiveness of the school's dress code policy led to a wide variety of student attire.
• Some critics argue that the permissiveness of modern parenting styles can lead to a lack of discipline in children.
• The cultural permissiveness of the 1960s challenged many traditional social norms.

Advanced Usage

• Sociological Context: In sociology, "permissiveness" often refers to societal attitudes toward behaviors that were once considered taboo, such as premarital sex or substance use.
  • The study examined the growing permissiveness in attitudes toward cohabitation before marriage.
• Psychological Context: In developmental psychology, it can describe a parenting style that is high in warmth but low in demands and control.
  • The psychologist contrasted authoritarian parenting with permissiveness.

Variants and Related Words

• Permissive (adjective): Having a tendency to allow freedom of choice and behavior; tolerant.
  • She has a permissive attitude toward her employees' working hours.
• Permit (verb): To allow or give permission for something. (Note: This is a related but distinct word.)
  • The city does not permit parking on this street overnight.

Synonyms

• Leniency: The quality of being more merciful or tolerant than expected.
• Tolerance: The ability or willingness to accept feelings, habits, or beliefs that are different from one's own.
• Indulgence: The action or fact of allowing someone to have or do what they want.
• Laxity: Lack of strictness or care.

Antonyms

• Strictness: The quality of demanding that rules concerning behavior are obeyed and observed.
• Authoritarianism: The enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.
• Stringency: The quality of being very strict, precise, or exacting.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Permissive society: A term used to describe a society with liberal social attitudes, especially regarding sexual freedom.
  • Some historians attribute the rise of the permissive society to post-war economic prosperity.
• Permissive parenting: A parenting style characterized by high responsiveness and low demands, where parents are nurturing and communicative but set few rules.
  • While permissive parenting fosters creativity, it may not teach sufficient self-control.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a disposition to allow freedom of choice and behavior

Từ đồng nghĩa

• tolerance