Teens and Chores in Community
From: Scott Bentley (sleeper40sbcglobal.net)
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:37:34 -0700 (PDT)
Thanks for your response Tom,
 
When you say, "make it voluntary to the extent of self selection of the tasks 
thet they are most interested in undertaking", do you mean that there is an 
expectation, or agreement, or however it is termed, that the teens will 
participate, and it is just that they choose how they want to participate?  
Yes, I guess another angle to ask you this is in what way does your community 
"seek to engage their participation as members of the community"?
 
Regarding the "agreements/rules" questioning, that is a discussion that is just 
beginning in our community right now. We have always created "policies" and 
there have been suggestions that we use "agreements" instead.  In my thinking, 
they operate very similarly, but I know peoples perceptions may be different 
related to connotations of specific words used...very valid point of course.  
So I can answer that we certainly are not, nor are we looking to be 
authoritarian or hierarchical in our structure (though there is inevitably in 
any human system, at least an unofficial hierarchy of power/influence, which is 
inherent and unavoidable, sometimes imperceptible to some, and not necessarily 
oppressive in any sense of the word).  But point well taken, and we have no 
desire to begin a rebellion here at La Querecia!!
Thanks, Scott
 
Teens and Chores in Community   
From: Thomas Lofft (tloffthotmail.com)  
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:53:06 -0700 (PDT)  
RE: Scott Bantley's query:       I believe that you will get the greatest 
participation from teens on the same   basis as from adults: make it voluntary 
to the extent of self selection of the   tasks thet they are most interested in 
undertaking.  Seek to engage their   participation as members of the community 
and they may surprise you with their   creativity and initiative.          I 
continue to think of cohousing as hopefully a grassroots originated,   
egalitarian community that lives and operates best by agreements, not by rules. 
   Rules are by definition, top down, authoritarian, imposed from above by the  
 powerful on the powerless.  If that's how you want to treat your teens, don't  
 be too surprised if they react as any other oppressed underclass.

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