UNIT 6: Power and authority – I am the boss! Am I?

Unit 6: Key concept – “Power and authority” (for primary level)

Background information for teachers: legitimate power – the principle of delegation at primary level

Students aged 10 and over are able to think in abstract terms. They can recognise and develop structures in their environment and are able to differentiate between their own interests and the interests of others. As they get older, they will be able to do this more and more.

From the age of 10 onwards, students begin to understand the relationship between space and time, as well as to develop the ability to express and perceive feelings and recognise norms. By this age, students have already got to know the surroundings in which they live very well and they begin to show a great interest in the unknown. Their perception of social systems (associations, clubs, youth groups, etc.) becomes more detailed and they thus become more motivated and involved in defending other people and lobbying for their interests.

The community life of the class and the school becomes more important. How is community life organised? What rules are important? Who develops these rules and who decides on them? Who can change these rules?

In the search for answers to these questions, it is not only necessary to get to know the political system of the community or, in a wider sense, the state, but also to be able to inf uence structures and processes within this community – in other words, to “live” democracy.

Particularly at the secondary I level, the conditions for initiating participatory, out-of-school projects are very positive for a child’s developmental psychology. Students can recognise the cycle of political processes and understand the process of decision making. Moreover, most of the decisions relevant for students at this age are made at community level (such as traffic, leisure facilities, etc.). Students can gather important insights if they are encouraged to take on social responsibility and if they feel responsible for a part of their school life. By tackling topics like delegation, they can amass concrete experience of participation and responsibility during their daily life. The more real-world experiences that students of this age can have, and the more situations they experience which give them the possibility of inf uencing political processes, the higher the probability that they will participate in decision-making processes later on and will develop a sense of responsibility for society.

Power and authority – the principle of delegation – is one step in raising this awareness. The next series of lessons visualises political processes in school in a way that is analogous to those that go on outside of school. In this respect, the election of a head of class should not be an isolated activity but one that should be used as a model. In contrast to school activities such as mock elections, where students enact or re-enact political elections, the election of a head of class should have an impact on everyday life in school.

The aim of education for democratic citizenship is to support the development of competences in three areas. This unit has the following competence profile:

Unit 6: Power and authority

I am the boss! Am I?

Legitimate power – the principle of delegation at primary level