◄UNIT 1:Social CohesionUNIT 3:Sport and Leisure►

UNIT 2:Individual and Society

  • UNIT 2:Individual and Society

    Key unit competence:To be able to analyse the role of the individual in
    society including family, marriage, local, national and global communities.
    Introduction
    Living in a society involves being part and parcel of the society in all aspects.
    This involves having a sense of belonging, which at a national level, can be
    referred to as citizenship. It is this that defines how an individual relates with
    the society.
    In this unit, we will study the relationship between the individual and the

    society .

    2.1 Individual identity and multiple identities

    2.1.1 Belonging of the individual to various social entities

    Activity 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.
    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 socialised 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 in different ways. For
    example:

    (a) Individual identity - a teacher, a man etc
    (b) Cultural identity - Christian, Muslim etc

    (c) National identity - Rwandan, Ugandan, Kenyan etc

    Activity 2

    1. In groups, discuss one national personality of your choice. It could be
    the president, the prime minister, a Member of Parliament or any other
    leader. Write a list of the distinct qualities that make them stand out.

    2. If you are a Rwandan born in Rwanda, went to school in Canada, got
    married in Germany and returned to Rwanda many years later, would
    your behaviour and values be the same as those who never left the
    country? Why or why not?

    From your discussion, you might have seen that individual identity is defined
    by the qualities of a person that make him/her distinct from others.
    Multiple identities, on the other hand, are the various cultural backgrounds
    that one has been socialised to. These influence a person’s decision making in
    life. For example, if an individual is religious, they have a part of the religion
    entity in their personality among other aspects of social life that they are a
    part of. Therefore, this aspect of religion is going to determine how such an
    individual makes decisions. A person’s identities can also be stated using the
    person’s race, class, gender and sexuality.

    Exercise 1

    How do multiple identities of an individual promote his/her social

    relationships?

    2.1.2 Roles and responsibilities of the individual at the levels

    of family, community, nation and the world

    Activity 3

    1. Explain your role in your family.

    2. How do you participate in community and country activities?

    As you discussed you pointed out the different roles you have as a child in
    your family, a member of your community and a citizen of your country. At
    all these levels, you have roles and responsibilities. In order to discharge each
    of these roles and responsibilities, there is need for wise decision-making.
    In the family set up, you have 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, participating 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.

    Exercise 2

    1. Explain your roles and responsibilities at the community level.
    2. How do these roles and responsibilities contribute to national unity and

    development?

    2.2 Making choices

    We are always faced with opportunities to make choices. We are called upon
    to choose the subjects to pursue in school, the career path we need to take,
    the friends we make, and many other such decisions. Making choices has

    many aspects to it. These aspects are discussed below.

    2.2.1 Consequences of choices

    Activity 4

    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 realised 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.
    You will find out that 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 stigmatisation. Each of these choices has either positive or negative
    outcomes to the person making the decision as well as 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 thoughtout
    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

    Exercise 3

    1. 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 anyone
    because of the fear of stigmatisation.
    2. How would this decision affect your close friends?
    3. Explain the consequences of going to see a doctor after realising that

    you have an STI.

    2.2.2 Influences to the individual

    Activity 5

    What would influence you to decide either to go to the hospital or not to
    in the situation given in Activity 4?
    There are several factors that influence decision-making. These include:
    past experiences, age, peer pressure, levels of commitment to a certain
    matter, financial demands and implications, the living environment and one’s
    religious convictions.

    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.

    2.2.3 Manipulations

    Activity 6

    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 engage in 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.

    1. 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.

    2. Indifference – this is where a person pretends not to care about a
    situation intending to draw the attention of others to himself/ herself.

    3. 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.

    2.2.4 The process of decision making

    Activity 7

    Explain to your partner how you make your decisions. What process do

    you follow? Share what your partner has told you with the class.

    From the different presentations made, you notice that there are different
    approaches to decision-making. You also notice 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:

    1. 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.

    2. Research: Get as much information to help you get a deeper understanding
    of the problem or opportunity.

    3. Analyse the information: Study the information gathered and opinions
    given and establish any connections and discrepancies. See how others
    have solved a similar problem or utilised a similar opportunity and the
    consequences that followed. Establish whether the same can happen in

    your case.

    4. Develop options: Come up with the possible solutions to the problem or
    approaches to utilising the opportunity. Consider other alternatives and
    the consequences of each possible solution or approach.
    5. Decide: Choose the most appropriate option after you have considered
    all the available options and their consequences.

    6. Implement: Actualise the decision that you made.

    7. 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.

    Note: Some decisions have huge financial implications. It is necessary
    therefore to do thorough research before making any decision. Consulting
    knowledgeable and experienced people is also necessary to avoid incurring

    financial losses.

    Exercise 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 pursue.

    2.3 Personal responsibility

    Activity 8

    Explain what would happen if you failed to do the following:
    1. Wash clothes.
    2. Do your homework.

    3. Brush your teeth.

    The chores mentioned in Activity 8 are done at a personal level. They
    constitute an individual’s personal responsibility. Personal responsibility
    refers to a duty to take action and be ready to bear the resultant consequences

    if something goes wrong.

    Although these are simple chores, they have to be done. Number 1 and 3
    constitute personal hygiene. Failure to do them can lead to certain health
    consequences. For example, if one does not wash his/her socks and
    undergarments, he/she is likely to suffer from athletes’ foot and certain
    infections respectively. Failure to brush our teeth can lead to bad breath and
    tooth decay. Failure to do these two can also lead to social problems. This
    can be in form of one being avoided by those close to him/her. On the other
    hand, failure to work hard will lead to failure in exams.
    From these examples, we can see that personal responsibility cannot be
    avoided. There will always be consequences to our choices. Some of the
    possible consequences include physical injury, shame, guilt, revenge or even

    hatred.

    2.4 Unit summary

    Individual identity and multiple identities

    • Individual identity - the qualities of a person that make him/her distinct
    from others.
    • Multiple identities - the various backgrounds that one has been socialised

    to or groupings that one belongs to.

    Consequences of choices

    a. Negative consequences

    • 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

    b. Positive consequences

    • 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
    Types of manipulations

    1. Using sympathy and guilt - 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.

    2. Indifference – a person pretends not to care about a situation intending
    to draw the attention of others to himself/ herself.

    3. Criticism to gain control – 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.

    Steps in decision making

    1. Identify the problem or opportunity
    2. Research
    3. Analyse the information
    4. Develop options
    5. Decide
    6. Implement

    7. Evaluate

    2.5 Test your competence
    Read the story below and then answer the questions that follow.

    A teenage boy engaged in irresponsible sexualf
    behaviour and ended up impregnating his classmate.
    Ashamed 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.

    ◄UNIT 1:Social CohesionUNIT 3:Sport and Leisure►