UNIT 6 INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIETY
Key Unit Competence:
Be able to analyze the role of the individual in society including family,
marriage, local, national and global communities.
Introductory activity 6.1
Living in a society involves being part and taking part in society in
all aspects. As a learner, describe your individual role in your daily
environment?
6.1. Individual identity and multiple identities
Learning activity 6.1
Think of the various social groups that you belong to. Why do you
belong to each of these groups? Explain your answer to your friend.
Identity is a socially and historically constructed concept. Anybody learns about
his or her own identity and the identity of others through interactions with family,
peers, organizations, institutions, media and other connections he/she makes in
his/her everyday life.
Key facets of identity like gender, social class, age, race and ethnicity, religion,
etc. play significant roles in determining how people understand and experience
the world, as well as shaping the types of opportunities and challenges they
face. Social and cultural identity is linked to issues of power, value systems and
ideology.
When we think about identity, we may focus on cultural markers, like clothing, or
biological and physiological markers as skin color. However, it’s also important to
understand that our identities are comprised of shared ideas, ideologies, biases
and ways of seeing the world around us. Our identities, therefore, are socially
constructed, and our biological attributes are only one part of who we are.
It is said that birds of a feather flock together. This means that there will be a
reason why you identify with every particular social group that you belong to.There are either shared characteristics, shared interests or a shared vision. For
example, you may be a member of a certain religious group because you share
the same faith. Similarly, you may also belong to another group of people who
share similar ambitions with you.
In spite of belonging to all these groups, you maintain your individual qualities,
interests and aspirations as a person. These make up your individual identity.
The different groups you belong to portray your social identity whereas the way
you do things and your beliefs make up your cultural identity. As such though
a person may have his/her own individual identity, he/she may also have other
multiple identities.
An individual who is socialized to more than one set-up of cultural values and
various social groups will acquire multiple identities.
Thus, an individual is likely to identify himself/herself indifferent ways.
For example:
a) Individual identity-a teacher, a man, etc.
b) Cultural identity- Christian, Muslim, etc.c) National identity - Rwandan, Ugandan, Kenyan, etc.
Application activity 6.1
You are a Rwandan born in Rwanda, went to school in Canada, got
married in Germany and returned to Rwanda many years later, explainhow you have an individual and multiple identity
6.2 Roles and responsibilities of the individual at different levels
Learning activity 6.2
1. Explain your role in your family.2. How do you participate in community and country activities?
Any individual has the different roles in his/her family, as a member of your
community and as a citizen of his/her country. At all these levels, he/she has roles
and responsibilities. In order to discharge each of these roles and responsibilities,
there is need for wise decision-making.
In a family, a member has duties and responsibilities that you are expected to carry
out. For example, helping in household chores and running errands for the older
members of the family. In school, a learner participates in extra curricula activities
could be a responsibility.
An individual’s duties to the community include: cooperation, respect and
participation in community activities such as umuganda. As a citizen, an individual
has the responsibility of participating in national activities such as voting in elections.
Adopting habits that help conserve the environment and promote peaceful
coexistence among members of the society is part of our individual responsibilities
at all levels. By performing our duties, we are living according to the expectations of
our societies and this is important because it strengthens our solidarity, unity and
patriotism.
When an individual plays his/her roles at the national level, he/she contributes to the
improvement of human life hence makes the world better.
It is also important to note that full human potential cannot be reached if
individuality is suppressed by society. Therefore, the society gives us a sense of
belonging by providing opportunities to share individual traits especially during
communal activities.
Application Activities 6.2
1. Explain your roles and responsibilities at the community level.
2. How do these roles and responsibilities contribute to national
unity and development?
6.3. Consequences of making choices and various influences
on the individual
Learning activity 6.3
Read the following story and discuss how you would arrive at a
decision on solving the problem mentioned.
1. You are a student in Senior Four and you have realized that you
have contracted a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI). Discuss
the best way to handle this situation. How did you arrive at the
decision?
2. Debate on the various opinions given by the group members and
have one student make a presentation on your discussions in
class.
Every choice has consequences and for one to arrive at a decision, he/she must
be aware of the nature of consequences to expect. For example, from your
discussions, you must have argued on the merits of opening up to someone
about the STI infection. You may as well consider going to a health facility or even
keep your problem a secret in fear of stigmatization. Each of these choices has
either positive or negative outcomes to the person making the decision as wellas others around him/ her.
A choice made without first thinking deeply about the consequences that will
follow can be termed as an impulsive decision. Impulsive decisions are likely to
lead to negative consequences such as:
• Yielding to peer pressure
• Taking drugs leading to drug addiction
• Making wrong career choices
• Immorality
• Contracting HIV and AIDS
• Unwanted pregnancy
• Failure in exams
• Environmental degradation
• Shame and embarrassment to oneself and family• Poverty
On the other hand, choices that are made after considering all options and
thinking deeply about their consequences are termed as well thought- out or
rational decisions.
Rational decisions are likely to lead to positive consequences such as:
• Being principled and avoiding peer pressure
• Making the right career choices
• Living a fulfilled life both at work and at the family level
• Prosperity in career, business and other aspects of life
• Environmental conservation
• Fame and recognition in society
• Success in exams.
Application Activity 6.3
1. What would influence you to decide either to go to the hospital or
not to in situation given in Activity3?
2. Using the situation given in Activity 4, discuss the consequences
that would follow if you chose not to go to hospital or seek help
from any one because of the fear of stigmatization.
3. How would this decision affect your close friends?
4. Explain the consequences of going to see a doctor after realizingthat you have an STI.
In the scenario given in the activity above, financial constraints, fear of being
laughed at by peers as well as the fear of being reprimanded by religious leaders
may make the victim decide not to go to the hospital where his/ her condition
is likely to be made public. On the other hand, the fear of being discovered by
peers, high level of education and high level of self-esteem can motivate the
victim to seek medical attention.
It is important to understand the factors that influence choices because then we
can understand why decisions are made. Good choices help an individual to
improve a situation while bad choices make situations worse. It is important to note
that you can choose your actions, but not the consequences. If you do not like
the consequences that may follow your actions, avoid these actions.
6.4. Types of manipulations and process of decision making
Learning activity 6.4
1. Tell your partner about a time you made a decision because you
wanted to impress or please somebody. How did you feel after
you had done something you personally didn’t feel was right?
2. Discuss and write a list of the possible consequences of making
choices just to impress friends
In life, we are sometimes influenced by manipulations of other people to make
certain choices. Manipulation involves controlling or influencing the behaviour or
the response of a person on a certain matter using clever, unfair or unscrupulous
tactics. We get deceived into doing something that we do not fully believe in but
which favours or pleases the other person. For example, teenagers may engagein irresponsible sexual behaviour or go to night parties out of the manipulations of
their peers. These manipulations can come in different types. The following
are examples of types of manipulations.
• Using sympathy and guilt: this is where an individual appeals to the
emotions of others by seeking pity and creating guilt if the targeted person
fails to show mercy by doing what was asked of him/ her.
• Indifference: this is where a person pretends not to care about a situation
intending to draw the attention of others to himself/ herself.
• Criticism to gain control: this is belittling other people in a way that makes
them feel incompetent and unworthy. This way, the critic makes the other
people perceive him/ her as being more powerful.
We should be bold enough to stand against any of these types of manipulation
when making decisions. When we bow to manipulation, we benefit the other
person. We gain nothing and sometimes we lose out of manipulation. We should
learn to say ‘No’ to manipulation. For example, teenagers should learn to say
‘No’ to peer pressure that coerces them into engaging in irresponsible sexual and
reproductive behaviour and other socially unacceptable behaviours.
Remember dealing with saying ‘No’ is much easier than dealing with a Sexually
Transmitted Infection (STI) or an unplanned pregnancy. Abstain from pre-marital
sex or protect yourself.
Note that there are different approaches to decision-making. Note also that
decision-making is a process that takes time and different steps. It is not an
event that happens on the spot. While spontaneous decisions are sometimes
necessary, such as during an emergency, decisions made after consultations
and considerations are more informed hence more reliable.
The following are some important steps one should take in order to make a
wise and informed decision:
• Identify the problem or opportunity: If one has to make an appropriate
choice, he/she must fully understand the problem or opportunity at hand.
This will help in determining the most appropriate decision by considering
all the available options.
• Research: Get as much information to help you get a deeper understanding
of the problem or opportunity
• Analyze the information: Study the information gathered and opinions
given and establish any connections and discrepancies. See how others
have solved a similar problem or utilized a similar opportunity and the
consequences that followed. Establish whether the same can happen in
your case.
• Develop options: Come up with the possible solutions to the problem or
approaches to utilizing the opportunity. Consider other alternatives and the
consequences of each possible solution or approach.
• Decide: Choose the most appropriate option after you have considered all
the available options and their consequences.
• Implement: Actualize the decision that you made.
• Evaluate: Establish how effective the decision you have made is. In case
the decision is not effective, the second best option can be tried and a new
research is carried out.
Some decisions have huge financial implications. It is necessary therefore to do
thorough research before making any decision. Consulting knowledgeable andexperienced people is also necessary to avoid incurring financial losses.
Application activity 6.4
1. Since you have learned what decision-making entails, what
aspect of your decision-making do you need to change?
Explain to your partner.
2. What steps would you take when making a communal decision?
3. Explain; what steps you would take to make the decision about
the career you would like to pursue.
6.5 Personal responsibility
Leaning activity 6.5
Explain what would happen if you failed to do the following:
1. Wash clothes.
2. Does your home work.
3. Brush your teeth.
Personal responsibility is understood as a level of commitment one is willing to make
in setting and achieving clear goals. In other words, being personal responsible
means taking responsibility for one’s actions, words, and performance at work.
Responsible employees understand that they are in full control of themselves.
Personal responsibility refers to a duty to take action and be ready to bear the
resultant consequences if something goes wrong. Personal responsibility can
also be conceptualized as a duty to try hard to make your life worthwhile and tobe fair to others.
The following are illustrative examples of personal responsibility:
• Agency: Agency is an individual’s capacity to control their own life. A
person, such a very small child, who has no agency also has personal
responsibility. Most adults have enough agency to be completely
responsible for their own life. There are things that can be limit agency
such as living in an extremely repressive society or having serious medical
conditions or disability.
• Self-control: The basic responsibility to control your emotions, desires
and impulses. For example, the responsibility to control feelings of anger
such you don’t act out in an reasonable way.
• Honesty: The responsibility to be honest to yourself and the others. This
can be expected of a small child, particularly with regards to honest to
others. Being honest to yourself implies also knowing one’s strength,
limitations, and weaknesses and make effort to improve your personality.
Honest implies matching words with actions.
• Accountability: Taking the blame when you have done something wrong.
Responsibility of holding yourself accountable means communicating
about projects, your role within them, wins and failures, and ways to
improve in the future. It involves owning your failures, communicating
about them openly, and issuing a real and genuine apology if necessary.
• Moral duty: The responsibility not to do things is morally wrong, even if
this means challenging authority. For example, following orders doesn’t
absolve one of personal responsibility for morally reprehensible acts.
• Civility: The duty to try to resolve differences with others in the most
peaceful and respectful what possible. For example, following the rules of
a society in trying that society.
• Reasonable Expectations: Conforming to the reasonable expectations of
others where this makes sense. This implies adhering to cultural norms
unless there is some good reason not to adhere. For example, removing
your shoes when you enter someone’s home if that is the local custom.
• Diligence: The responsibility to apply attention care in your actions. For
example, the duty to pays attention to the road when driving.
• Risk management: Risk management encompasses the identification,
analysis, and response to risk factors that form part of the effective risk
management means attempting to control, as much as possible, future
outcomes by acting proactively rather than reactively. Therefore, effective
risk management offers the potential to reduce both the possibility of a risk
occurring and its potential impact. For example, performing basic safety
related maintenance on a vehicle.
• Introspection: The study to try understanding your own thoughts,
emotions, motivations, character values and goals.
• Extrospection: The responsibility to observe your environment and others
and to be mindful of your impact on the world.
• Motivation: The duty to find energy and enthusiasm for things. For
example, an adult can’t expect others to be constantly motivating them but
rather need to find their own source of drive.
• Knowledge: Knowledge to develop a reasonable level of knowledge with
regards to your family, community, society, culture, planet and profession.
For example, the responsibility to know a little about local manners
traveling.
• Roles: The responsibility to do your very to fulfill your roles in life whether
they are social or economic. For example, trying to perform your job.
• Self-direction: Solving problems and making decisions without anyone
having to push you. For example, example, a high school student who is
expected to complete any activity or study.
• Resilience: The duty to build resilience to stress. For example, an adult
can be reasonably expected to handle criticism without losing it.
• Health: Taking good care of your body and mind and always being
responsible of your health habits.
• Self-Fulfillment: The duty to try to do something meaningful with your lifeas you see it.
Application activity 6.5
Using concrete examples, explain the characteristics of personal
responsibilities
6.6. End Unit Assessment
End Unit Assessment
Read the story below and then answer the questions that follow.
A teenage boy engaged in irresponsible sexual behaviour and ended
up impregnating his classmate. A shamed of the situation, he tried to
convince her to abort the child but she objected. She instead shared
her predicament with her mother and asked for her advice. Even though
the situation did not impress her mother, she guided her and after giving
birth, the girl went back to a day school while her parents supported the
young child.
Questions
1. Describe the consequences of the decisions made by the
teenage boy and his classmate.
2. Who between the two teenagers was more responsible and
why?
3. Do you suppose their irresponsibility would lead them to a
long-term commitment? Explain.
4. Who between the boy and the girl made the best decision?Give reasons for your answer