Managing relationships
Introduction: Relationships amongst peers or friends are very important, not only while at school, but throughout life.
In groups, brainstorm what features or characteristics we need to be a good friend. Think about what you expect from your friends. Record your ideas on your page.
Consider: Are there differences between group members?
Do you think different groups (e.g males, members of a sport team, particular religious or cultural groups) have different ideas on characteristics of friendships or expectations that are important?
Choose a program you watch on television, or a book that you have recently read. Identify a situation where a relationship, preferably a friendship, is in some way damaged, threatened or significantly changed. Briefly describe the situation and analyse what happened in the relationship by answering the following questions:
Discuss your answers in your group and report back to the whole group after 5 minutes.
In groups, brainstorm what features or characteristics we need to be a good friend. Think about what you expect from your friends. Record your ideas on your page.
Consider: Are there differences between group members?
Do you think different groups (e.g males, members of a sport team, particular religious or cultural groups) have different ideas on characteristics of friendships or expectations that are important?
Choose a program you watch on television, or a book that you have recently read. Identify a situation where a relationship, preferably a friendship, is in some way damaged, threatened or significantly changed. Briefly describe the situation and analyse what happened in the relationship by answering the following questions:
- What happened that changed the relationship?
- How did the event impact on each person? How did they feel? What might they have been thinking?
- What did each person do, if anything, to (1) make the situation worse, or (2) make the situation better? • What was the result of that action?
- Did things go back to the way they were? If not, how were they changed?
- Was there an alternative action that may have had a better outcome?
- Jot down a few notes from your group discussion and share some of your discussion with the class.
- Reflect on the reciprocity (the give and take) of relationships and consider the following questions:
- Is a relationship all about taking?
- Are we only in it for what we get out of it?
- Or do we give as much as we take?
- Should the “give and take” always be equal? Can it be?
Discuss your answers in your group and report back to the whole group after 5 minutes.
Examine the image to the right. The principle of Yin and Yang is that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites, for example, female-male, dark-light and old-young. The principle, dating from the 3rd century BCE or even earlier, is a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy and culture in general. Discuss how this relates to your discussions today.
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