Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-personal-side-of-power/5013744/
When we began this project on power struggles, we were grappling with accounts and images of violence: stories of younger and younger children acting and reacting aggressively, life and death played out in gory detail in films and video games, grim statistics of disparate realities based on race and culture, global conflicts playing out disputes from long ago. We wanted to explore ways of nurturing negotiation skills and shaping perceptions of power in even very young children so that they will grow to adulthood understanding that real power is grounded in community with others, that exercising power over others is inevitably destructive to all. We wanted to offer teachers, parents, and ourselves a pathway to hope.First, however, we must lay the groundwork. How can we work with young children if we are not conscious of and working on the power issues in our own lives? Can people who feel powerless help children negotiate power struggles? Is it possible for people who think of themselves as victims to empower others?
Our personal issues will be reflected in our work with children, so it is imperative that we constantly strive to better know ourselves. How determined are you to win every argument? What ...