Teens and Chores in Community | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
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.
- Teens and Chores in Community, (continued)
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Teens and Chores in Community Thomas Lofft, April 19 2009
- Re: Teens and Chores in Community Rob Sandelin, April 20 2009
- Re: Teens and Chores in Community Laura Fitch, April 23 2009
- Re: Teens and Chores in Community R.N. Johnson, April 20 2009
- Teens and Chores in Community Scott Bentley, April 20 2009
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Teens and Chores in Community Thomas Lofft, April 19 2009
- Teens and Chores in Community Thomas Lofft, April 22 2009
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