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The Family Constitution
Joy Ahrens and Valerie DeVuyst, Portland Adult Education
The Family Constitution lesson grew out of students' struggles to understand the United States Constitution. They seemed to have problems absorbing the intent and structure of the constitution, believing that the Constitution is all the laws of the country. They had trouble distinguishing between the body of laws that govern us and a constitution that doesn't make the laws, but sets up criteria by which our laws will be evaluated. This lesson was an effort to create a more familiar frame of reference and have them bring ideas of their own into play. The process seemed to clarify the difference between laws and the Constitution (though they all know that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land"). We tried to make it clear that the Constitution was rather the "how" and "who" of making future laws, as well as rights of those involved, rather than the details of laws themselves.
We demonstrated the role of the Constitution by having students create a family constitution that might guide the decision-making in their families. First we reviewed what they had learned about the Constitution's structure and why it was written. We talked about how the colonies were like a new family and that they wanted to have rules so that they could live in harmony. The class decided that, in order to set those rules, they would have to answer the questions: How will we make the laws? Who decides? How will it be structured?
While discussing the family constitution, we considered
the kinds of issues families have to deal with - discipline at home, money,
jobs in the house, where you choose to live.
The class broke into 2 groups to talk about several questions:
• Who is in your family - children? adults? Everyone
needs to be considered.
• Should everyone have an equal vote?
• Can you have one vote per person?
• How will you balance power?
• Who gets to make the laws (rules)? Everyone? A few
people? One person?
• What happens when someone breaks the rules?
• Does a visitor have to obey the rules?
• What are your goals? Why are you writing this? (preamble)
• All in a group will vote on their proposed constitution.
The class that day was all women - Russians, Somalis, and Ethiopians, who were mixed ethnically in their working groups. One group was very definite that the father and mother should be equal and have the final say in all decisions. Several women said that in their country the father made all decisions, but now that they were in America women should be equal with men. After discussions, the two groups came back together and wrote their ideas on the board in categories:
1. GOALS: (Why are we making a constitution)
We need a peaceful home.
Family needs to have discipline.
For a better life; for the future.
So children can get good education.
So life of family will be good.
Respect everybody.
2. MEETINGS:
Everyone should have a chance to talk about their ideas.
Regular meetings
Once a month or more if necessary
Everyone must be listened to, even small children.
3. WHO IS INVOLVED IN RULE-MAKING?
Father, mother, children - all ideas can be heard; everyone speaks
4. WHO DECIDES (VOTES):
Majority vote of whole family
Father and mother (must agree)
Majority vote - parents and over 18
Everyone votes, but mother and father have final say
When mother & father not home, teenagers can decide for them.
5. RULES:
There must be results if rules are broken.
Family must know rules ahead of time.
Visitors must obey rules.
6. CAN THE CONSTITUTION BE CHANGED?
Anyone can ask to change, there will be discussion, but mother and father
have final say.
3/4 of family can vote to change.
Some students held that, as children grow older,
they can have more responsibility. At 18, they could be living on their
own, so they should be able to have a vote in their family.
Others said that children, even 18-year-olds, may not have enough sense
to vote responsibly. Then the whole class voted on which parts they wanted
to keep and which to leave out. The final choice was that only mother
and father would vote.
Through this lesson, they experienced the challenge
of setting groundrules that could guide a community over time and amidst
change. The lesson also succeeded in demonstrating for students the difference
between a process for making rules and the rules themselves. We discovered,
in the final discussion and voting, that many students did not understand
the concept of majority vote, so just the exercise of choosing among different
options provided them a new "civics" experience.
New
England Literacy Resource Center
World Education
Boston, MA
(617) 482-9485
