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Making the Rules
A Public Achievement Guidebook for Young People Who Intend to Make a Difference, continued

by Melissa Bass, in collaboration with Harry Boyte, Tim Sheldon, Walter Enloe, Jamie Martinez, Ginger Mitchell, Rachel Boyte-Evans, Project Public Life, and The Center for Democracy and Citizenship.

Manual Index

Introduction: How To Use This Workbook
Chapter One: The Framework
Chapter Two: Discovering Your Self-Interest
Chapter Three: Stepping into Public Life
Chapter Four: Encountering Diversity
Chapter Five: Building Power
Chapter Six: Taking Action
Resources

Contents

The Story: Skateboarding in Marshall
The Lesson: Getting Familiar with Power
Another Story: Teaching New Rules in School

Public Skills: Mapping Environments
Public Skills: Creating Strategies

Wrap-Up: Looking Back on Your Work

Chapter Five: Building Power

Chapter Five: Building Power Power comes from engaging in public life. Only by understanding your power and the power of others can you make the changes you want. This section introduces the skills of mapping power and strategic planning. See the glossary at the back of this book for definitions of words related to power.

The Story: Skateboarding in Marshall

Greg is an avid skateboarder, or "skater." In Marshall, he's a leader in the sport, and is respected even by kids older than he. So the topic of a "skatepark" was a natural choice for him when, in detention, he was assigned to write an essay about what would make Marshall a better place for youth.

The piece that Greg wrote was sent to the city council and to the Parks and Recreation Community Education director, Justin Engels. It explained that skaters are often misunderstood and that more important, they're in need of an appropriate place to skate. "The idea some people have about us," he wrote, "is that we're bad people who find fun in stealing and vandalizing things. Well, it's not true. Skating is a way we express ourselves . . . The reason skaters have a bad reputation is because we don't speak out." He wrote about the problems that skaters have with the police and about new equipment that makes the sport safe. The need for a park for skaters was his main point, and he made it loud and clear.

The difference between Greg's letter and the others that were written in detention that day is that Greg actually sent his—and started a movement.

Not only did he get city council-members to sit up and take notice, but when the Community Education office put together a "youth council" in January of 1989, Greg got on it and brought his idea with him. He talked with that group of 7-12 graders, and also with other skaters. Soon there was talk of a skatepark in Marshall.

Now, Justin Engels reports, "there's a group of local, vocal kids of all ages that wants it." There are plans for a new 51-acre park, and now there's talk of making it accessible to skaters. Greg and others who agree with his idea have made a commitment to "hire themselves out" to work on events for local organizations like the Jaycees and Kiwanis and to volunteer in the parks. Money that would have been used to pay individuals instead goes into a kitty on behalf of the skatepark. They also keep up on grant awards.

Engels says that Greg has "learned to use power to finagle and bargain, but not in a deceptive way . . . now [the kids] know that you have to earn power and learn from the process of thinking through a plan."

The Lesson: Getting Familiar with Power

As Greg Baartman found out when he sent his letter to City Hall, power simply means the ability to affect the things around you. The word "power" comes from the Latin word "poter," which means "to be able." It's a set of relationships between you (and your identity, refer back to Chapter Two: "Discovering Your Self-Interest") and other people (and their identities, see Chapter Four: "Encountering Diversity"). Having power means being able to act on the things you care about. And that means a lot of things.

• It means that there are strong emotions associated with power.
• It means that power is a two-way street. You have control over part of it and that part of it can be changed.
• It also means that other people also control part of your relationship with them, and they may not agree with your ideas for change. Confrontation is always a possibility when you're trying to change something.
• And finally, it means that there is not a fixed amount of power, nor is there only one kind of power.

Power relationships among people generate strong emotions. But not all emotions are useful for getting what you need out of a relationship, and some are very damaging. For example, there's a difference between anger and rage. Both are strong ways to express your will to change a relationship, but anger means channeling your emotion, and rage means losing control. Losing control is one way of giving up your share of the power in a relationship.

Another way to give up your share of the power is to wait for permission to change something that you believe needs to be changed. Sometimes you never get permission, and it would be a long time before you get what you want by politely waiting. It's when you stop waiting that you risk conflict. This potential for hard times is why it's important to really believe in the changes you want to make.

Getting acquainted with power doesn't necessarily produce conflict and confrontation, however. There is great power in identifying win-win situations in which both sides get something important out of the relationship. Opportunities for meaningful compromise are why there's not a finite amount of power in the world.

You've heard the expression, "there is strength in numbers." You've also heard that "knowledge is power." There is also power in moral authority, position, recognition, money, and support from others. If you can figure out what kinds of power you have, and what kinds others have, you can use it to accomplish your goals. You can create a common agenda and pool your skills and resources with others' to change things.

Another Story: Teaching New Rules in School

Meet Cecil Ramnaraine. He teaches Social Studies to senior high students at South High School, and his most popular class is Peace Studies. It's subject matter is unusual: rather than the standard menu of U.S. and European wars, Ramnaraine's class learns about ethics, prejudice, and the causes and costs of violence among humans.

But what makes the class really powerful is the way it is taught. It breaks all the rules for a "successful" classroom atmosphere. Students are encouraged to think for themselves and to disagree with the teacher. Self-knowledge—students' own background—is the basis for figuring out what their values are. They are expected to exercise self-discipline and are responsible for the trust placed in them. They must learn to interact with one another, in all their diversity and disagreement. Most important, they become motivated by themselves, without the threat of being expelled or flunked.

Ramnaraine's rules for the class period are 1) no screaming and 2) no cussing. These are signs that students are "losing their cool," says Ramnaraine. Beyond those rules, students are expected to behave according to "basic human respect for one another." They have to figure out what that is, and most do.

The class disciplines itself. Ramnaraine sees other classes trying to "control human behavior" and making "obedient consumers" out of students. During a meditation during each class—designed to help student better know themselves—disruptive students get pressure from the other kids in the class to straighten up.

There are no tests. Students grade themselves. "It's a question of trust," Ramnaraine explains. "The kids know I trust them. Sure, some fudge a little. But they take it seriously and are basically honest. I am telling them 'I respect you,' and if they hear it enough they begin to believe in themselves."

Students also must do community service—what Ramnaraine calls "practicing your peace, not just talking it." They learn first-hand about the consequences of drugs by volunteering in shelters, for example. They learn about sacrifice by giving up their time and understand the rewards they gain from direct action.

Students can't avoid interacting. One white young man told him, "I pass black people in the halls everyday, but I never actually talked to one until this class."

Even those who disagree with Ramnaraine's opinions admit that they learn a lot—not the least of which is how to "agree to disagree." He says that two young Army recruits—seniors who were entering the military when they graduated—took his class and were surprised at the depth and fairness of the discussions. They didn't change their minds, Ramnaraine says, but that wasn't the point. "They know now that not everybody in the world agrees with them."

The power "to be able" must be learned. Exercising and practicing self-discipline, respect, argument, debate is difficult, but worth it. Through experiences like those in Ramnaraine's classroom, students can and will gain the power to make their world a better place.

Public Skill: Mapping Environments

Tips for Mapping Your Environment

Write a few words about your problem or goal in the middle of a big piece of paper. Then identify who is a part of this environment. Where do these people fit in? Where is the team in relation to the problem and these other people?

As you are creating your map, keep the following three themes in mind.

Power: Who is impacted by your problem? Who has power over it? Who makes the decisions? What kinds of power do they have? What kinds do you have? Think not only about formal power, but informal power as well. What relationships are there, or might there be, between the team and these other people and groups?

Interests: Your map will show any number of potential allies your team can work with to address your problem. As you put people, potential allies or not, on your map, make a note of their interests. What is important to them, both in general and specifically related to your problem? Remember, citizen politics is about breaking down stereotypes, rigid boundaries, and the unwillingness to understand others' points of view.

Rules: Finally, your team needs to write a "key" for your map. On a regular map, keys tell you what symbols stand for, so that the map makes sense and someone can use it. On your map, the "key" is the set of general rules for the environment. Knowing the rules will make your map useful for your team as you take action. For example, one rule might be "in order to be taken seriously, people need to be polite and well organized." Your team might decide to follow this rule so you can be effective. Another general rule might be that "people don't like to go to meetings." When you know this rule, you can work to change it. What can you do to make people want to come to your meetings and work with you?

Remember, your map is important to developing your strategy. Also remember, you'll want to make changes to your map as you take action, learn more about your problem, and influence the other people involved.

Mapping: An Example

Mapping example not available on-line.

Public Skill: Creating Strategies

• Your team's overarching goals and mission statement;
• The information you need to meet these goals;
• The potential barriers to meeting your goals;
• How much time you have to work together; and
• How you want to publicly present your work when you are done.

Look back on your map. What do you need to do? Who do you need to talk to? work with? influence? What strategies will work best with each person or group? What do they care about? Remember to keep focused on your goal and be realistic at the same time. (This can be a challenge!) Your team might want to create a workplan or a timeline for accomplishing tasks along the way. You'll want to put your strategy in writing and make sure that everyone knows what role they are going to play.

Mapping your environment will help you understand your own power, and the power that others have. Once you've got a handle on these relationships, you can creating a strategy that will help you build power, and accomplish your goal.

Exercises

Is School a Separate World?
The Three Dollar Solution
Power Mapping

Is School a Separate World?

This exercise asks you: To think about your own school and the power you can build within it.

It relates to citizen politics because: Finding ways to build power in the places where we work and learn is a crucial step to making changes in those institutions that are important to us.

Instructions:

Individuals: Think about your school and answer the questions below. Time limit: 10 minutes.

Whole group: Discuss your answers. Time limit: 20 minutes.

In your opinion, what about school makes it a place where kids can feel powerful. In what ways can it make them feel powerless?

What would a school look like that let's kids claim power? What about ordinary schools would have to change?

The Three Dollar Solution

This exercise asks you: To practice the important "public arts" of negotiation, conflict resolution, making a decision, and active listening.

It relates to citizen politics because: The important ideas of citizen politics won't change things unless we use the skills that go along with them.

Instructions:

1. Decide on a time limit for the exercise. Then divide into groups of three.

2. All three people in each group must give up a dollar, so that every group has a kitty of three dollars.

3. Select one of the three to be the observer. This person's job is simply to pay close attention to what happens next.

4. The remaining two people must figure out what to do with the kitty before the time is up. The observer should be watching the time limit and let the other two know when they only have two minutes left.

5. When time is up, come back together as a full group. Have the observers answer these questions:

• What solution did the other two find? Were both of them equally happy with the solution?
• What kinds of arguments worked best?
• Did the idea of "fairness" or "justice" change during the discussion?
• How important were individual personalities?
• How did it feel to have contributed to the kitty and not be able to help decide what to do with it?

6. Have everyone answer these questions:

• What was the hardest part about figuring out what to do with the money? What concerns seemed most important?
• How important was it that both people agreed on the solution?
• What difference did it make to have the observer?
• Where is the money now? What are you going to do with it?

Power Mapping

- adapted from Diagramming Your Organization

This exercise asks you: To draw a map of how people have influence in the organization or group you currently work with or that you need to work with. It also asks you to relate this structure to the problem you are addressing.

It relates to citizen politics because: Understanding who holds what power where and what type of power they have will help determine the type of action you can take. Understanding where someone's power lies is useful to figuring out how to bring them into your work.

Instructions:

Small groups: In pairs, on a piece of newsprint, draw a diagram of how you think people in your organization (like your school) or an organization that is important to your work have power. What kinds of power do they have? How can they influence your issue?

When you are finished, hang it on the wall and be ready to discuss the different drawings with the entire group. Think carefully about all the ways people might influence one another, and you, both formally and informally.

Time limit: 20 minutes.

Whole group: Discuss the maps and the follow-up questions. Time limit: 20 minutes.

Follow-up questions:

1. What type of power does the person you want to work with have?

2. How can you work with them?

3. Does the organization work well the way the power is structured?

4. What do you notice about the informal power relationships?

Wrap- Up: Looking Back on Your Work

1. What did you learn?

2. What did you like about this section? What didn't you like?

3. What was useful about the section? What wasn't?

4. Were there other things about power that you discovered that weren't covered in this book?

5. What did you learn that you could use in solving problems/tackling your team's project?

6. What recommendations or ideas do you have to improve this section?

Manual Index

Introduction: How To Use This Workbook
Chapter One: The Framework
Chapter Two: Discovering Your Self-Interest
Chapter Three: Stepping into Public Life
Chapter Four: Encountering Diversity
Chapter Five: Building Power
Chapter Six: Taking Action
Resources