Component 1: Themes - Key words

ISSUES OF RELATIONSHIPS

adultery, divorce, cohabitation, commitment, contraception, gender equality, responsibilities, roles

adultery

voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse

divorce

to legally end a marriage

cohabitation

to live together in a sexual relationship without being married or in a civil partnership

commitment

a sense of dedication and obligation to someone or something

contraception

methods used to prevent a woman from becoming pregnant during or following sexual intercourse

gender equality

people of all genders enjoying the same rights and opportunities in all aspects of their lives

responsibilities

actions / duties you are expected to carry out

roles

position, status or function of a person in society, as well as the characteristics and social behaviour expected of them

ISSUES OF LIFE AND DEATH

afterlife, environmental sustainability, euthanasia, evolution, abortion, quality of life, sanctity of life, soul

afterlife

life after death; the belief that existence continues after physical death

environmental sustainability

ensuring that the demands placed on natural resources can be met without reducing capacity to allow all people and other species of animals, as well as plant life, to live well, now and in the future

euthanasia

( 'mercy killing' ) the act of killing or permitting the death of a person who is suffering from a serious illness

evolution

the process by which different living creatures are believed to have developed from earlier, less complex forms during the history of the earth

abortion

when a pregnancy is ended so that it does not result in the birth of a child

quality of life

the extent to which life is meaningful and pleasurable

sanctity of life

the belief that life is precious, or sacred. for many religious believers, only human life holds this special status

soul

the spiritual aspect of a being; that which connects someone to God. the soul is often regarded as non-physical and as living on after physical death, in an afterlife

ISSUES OF GOOD AND EVIL

good, evil, forgiveness, free will, justice, morality, punishment, sin, suffering

good

that which is considered morally right, beneficial and to our advantage

evil

that which is considered extremely immoral, wicked and wrong

forgiveness

to grant pardon for a wrongdoing; to give up resentment and the desire to seek revenge against a wrongdoer

free will

the ability to make choices voluntarily and independently. the belief that nothing is pre-determined

justice

fairness; where everyone has equal provisions and opportunity

morality

principles and standards determining which actions are right or wrong

punishment

a penalty given to someone for a crime or wrong they have done

sin

deliberate immoral action, breaking a religious or moral law

suffering

pain or distress caused by injury, illness or loss. suffering can be physical, emotional / psychological or spiritual

ISSUES OF HUMAN RIGHTS

censorship, discrimination, extremism, human rights, personal conviction, prejudice, absolute poverty, relative poverty, social justice

censorship

the practice of suppressing and limiting access to material considered obscene, offensive or a threat to security. people may also be restricted in their speech by censorship laws

discrimination

acts of treating groups of people or individuals differently, based on prejudice

extremism

believing in and supporting ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable

human rights

the basic entitlements of all human beings, afforded to them simply because they are human

personal conviction

something a person strongly feels or believes in

prejudice

pre-judging; judging people to be inferior or superior without cause

absolute poverty

an acute state of deprivation, whereby a person cannot access the most basic of their human needs

relative poverty

a standard of poverty measured in relation to the standards of a society in which a person lives, for example living on less than X% of average UK income

social justice

promoting a fair society by challenging injustice and valuing diversity. ensuring that everyone has equal access to provisions, equal opportunities and rights