Unit 1: Attitudes Learning Module developed within the project
“KEYROMA: Develop Key Competences in Social Skills for Roma Women to increase their
participation in the service sector”
KEY COMPETENCES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE SERVICE SECTOR
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein. Project Nº 518536-LLP-1-2011-1-ES-GRUNDTVIG-GMP
Instituto de Formación Integral, S.L.U. (Spain)
Website: www.ifi.com.es
AMALIPE Center for Interethnic Dialogue and Tolerance (Bulgaria)
Website: www.amalipe.com
European Development Agency (Czech Republic)
Website: http://euda.eu
Asociación de Mujeres Gitanas Romi Serseni (Spain)
Website: www.romiserseni.com
Intercultural Institute of Timisoara (Romania)
Website: www.intercultural.ro
European Roma Information Office (Belgium)
Website: www.erionet.eu
Coordinating Organisation:
Partner organisations:
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INDEX UNIT 1: ATTITUDES ................................................................................................................... 3
LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF UNIT 1 ............................................................................................. 3
INTRODUCTION TO UNIT 1 ........................................................................................................ 4
CHAPTER 1: RESPONSIBILITY ..................................................................................................... 7
1.1. Types of Responsibility ................................................................................................... 7
1.2. Sources of Responsibility ................................................................................................ 8
1.3. Conflict Between Responsibilities ................................................................................. 11
1.4. How to Identify Who Is Responsible? ............................................................................ 12
CHAPTER 2: LEARNING TO LEARN............................................................................................ 13
2.1. Kolb’s Learning Styles ................................................................................................... 13
2.2. Sensorial Learning Styles .............................................................................................. 14
2.3. Identifying Personal Learning Style ............................................................................... 15
2.4. Barriers to Learning ...................................................................................................... 15
2.5. The Successful Learner ................................................................................................. 15
CHAPTER 3: WORK-LIFE BALANCE ........................................................................................... 17
3.1. Types of Social Roles .................................................................................................... 17
3.2: Work-Life Unbalance .................................................................................................... 18
3.3.: Role Conflict ................................................................................................................ 18
3.4.: Strategies for Coping with Role Conflict ....................................................................... 19
CHAPTER 4: SELF-ESTEEM ....................................................................................................... 20
4.1. What is self-esteem ...................................................................................................... 20
4.2. The Self-esteem Development Process ......................................................................... 20
4.3. Embracing Identity, Traditions and Culture as Part of a Healthy Diet to Live Happy ....... 21
4.4. Positive Self-esteem ..................................................................................................... 23
4.5. Negative Self-esteem.................................................................................................... 23
CHAPTER 5: SELF MOTIVATION ............................................................................................... 26
5.1. What Is Self Motivation? .............................................................................................. 26
5.2. Types of Motivation ..................................................................................................... 26
5.3 Unsatisfied Needs Activate Motivation .......................................................................... 27
CHAPTER 6: POSITIVE ATTITUDE .............................................................................................. 29
6.1. Understanding Attitude as a Combinations of Components .......................................... 29
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6.2. Creating a Positive Mental Attitude .............................................................................. 30
6.3. Positive Thinking .......................................................................................................... 30
CHAPTER 7: SUCCESS STORIES OF ROMA WOMEN .................................................................. 33
7.1 Isabel Carmona Carmona – Nurse (From Spain) ............................................................. 33
7.2 Sofiay Marinova Kamenova –Bulgarian Singer ............................................................... 33
SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS UNIT 1 ........................................................................................... 34
BIBLIOGRAPHY UNIT 1............................................................................................................. 36
ANNEXES UNIT 1 ..................................................................................................................... 39
Annex 1: Tool for choosing among competing responsibilities ............................................. 39
Annex 2: Tool for identifying the responsibility of persons .................................................. 40
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UNIT 1: ATTITUDES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF UNIT 1
Responsibility:
• To understand the importance of responsibility.
• To develop responsibility skills.
• To identify responsibility types and sources.
• To understand the internal mechanism of responsibility.
• To identify and manage conflicts between responsibilities.
Learning to Learn:
• To understand that people have different learning styles.
• To identify and take advantage of the potential of one’s own learning style.
• To identify and overcome obstacles in the learning process.
• To build confidence in one’s own abilities to learn.
Work-Life Balance:
• To identify the range and variety of roles in personal and work-related life.
• To create a personal diagram of the roles in life.
• To understand the concept of role conflict.
• To identify and learn how to cope with role conflicts.
Self-esteem, self-motivation, positive attitude, success stories:
• To identify a clear correlation between self-esteem, self-motivation and a positive
attitude, in order to achieve self-actualization.
• To define the specific elements that make up a high self-esteem, self-motivation
and positive attitude.
• To understand the importance that identity, traditions and culture play in building
high self-esteem.
• To understand the concept of self-esteem development as a process through
experiences.
• To illustrate the qualities of a high self-esteem vs. a low self-esteem.
• To learn how to cultivate a healthy mental state through good practices that
incorporate self-esteem, self motivation and a positive attitude.
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• To learn how to cope to with low self-esteem through understanding intrinsic
motivation and extrinsic motivation.
• To understand that a positive attitude is developed by positive values and beliefs.
• To inspire trainees with real stories of successful Roma women that achieved self-
actualization by maintaining their Roma identity.
INTRODUCTION TO UNIT 1
“Responsibility” has several different meanings:
The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or having control over someone:
“adults take responsibility for childcare”.
The state or fact of being accountable for something: “the last person who used this place has
the responsibility to leave it clean”.
A moral obligation to behave correctly towards or in respect of something: “individuals have a
responsibility to control their behavior”.
The ability to act independently and take decisions without authorization: “we expect
individuals to take on more responsibility”.
An action which one is required to do as part of a job, role, or legal obligation: “he will take
over the responsibilities of Head of the Social Services”.
A person perceived as responsible is someone you can trust to give tasks to. This is a quality
valued by employers. However, responsibility is not just a character trait. It's also a mental
process that operates in everyone. This process can be observed, learned, taught, studied,
developed, modeled, and practiced. Responsibility is also a decision and a choice.
In general terms, we can speak about responsibility towards oneself, towards other people and
towards society. These are inter-related areas of responsibility and it is important to have
them balanced. Sometimes we encounter responsibilities competing against each other and
we need to make choices to deal with them.
Work-life balance, in its broadest sense, is defined as a satisfactory level of involvement or ‘fit’
between the multiple roles in a person’s life (Hudson, 2005). Every person’s life has different
roles in three domains which are overlapping and influence each other:
• Personal domain (family, friends, leisure activities)
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• Professional domain
• Educational domain
Success or failure in one domain of life can affect the functioning of the other domains.
Maintaining a balance between professional / educational and personal domains of life is
crucial for the optimal functioning of the human being. People’s perception of work-life
balance is very subjective. The ‘right’ balance may differ from one person to another. Work-life
balance is achieved in different ways for different people and has a different purpose for each
person.
Learning to learn is mentioned by the EU Education Council and by the European Parliament
as one of the eight key competencies for lifelong learning (Recommendation of the Education
Council and the European Parliament adopted in December 2006). ‘Learning to learn’ is the
ability to pursue and persist in learning. This competence includes awareness of one’s learning
process and needs, identifying available opportunities, and the ability to overcome obstacles in
order to learn successfully. Learning to learn means the ability for gaining, processing and
assimilating new knowledge and skill as well as seeking and making use of guidance.
Learning to learn engages learners to build on prior learning and life experiences in order to
use and apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts: at home, at work, at school, and in
a training setting. Motivation and confidence are crucial in this context (Education Council,
2006 annex, paragraph 5). Learning to learn implies the capacity to understand and control
one’s own thinking and learning processes. This competence makes people aware of how and
why they acquire, process, and memorize different types of knowledge. In this way, they are in
a position to choose the learning method and environment that suits them best and to
continue to adapt them as necessary (Eurydice, 2002. p. 16). Often, learning is associated with
school and other structures of the formal education system. However, for the target group of
the KEYROMA project, informal learning is as important as formal and non-formal learning.
This is why, in order to build the confidence of the Roma women in the group so they can
develop learning competencies, the starting point is making them aware of what they have
actually learned, both in school and through a variety of life experiences.
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High self-esteem, self-motivation, positive attitude
Every person’s life has a personal story of hardships and challenges. At the end, there are three
core characteristics that are unbreakable and necessary for ultimate self-realization of one’s
best potential:
• High Self-esteem
• Self-Motivation
• Positive Attitude
Success or failure at a personal or professional level needs a solid foundation in order to
perform its role without problems. Through this unit we will be able to show that to become
successful in life, as a whole, a process is necessary that embraces not only hard work and
dedication, but most importantly, requires a high dose of self-esteem, a concrete drive that is
triggered by one’s self-motivation, and a positive attitude that systematically allows one to
never give up even when things go contrary to plans.
As Carl Rogers suggests, “every human being, with no exception, for the mere fact to be it, is
worthy of unconditional respect of everybody else; he deserves to esteem himself and to be
esteemed”1.
1 José-Vicente Bonet. Sé amigo de ti mismo: manual de autoestima. 1997. Ed. Sal Terrae. Maliaño (Cantabria, España).
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CHAPTER 1: RESPONSIBILITY
1.1. Types of Responsibility
Responsibility Towards Oneself
This means taking responsibility for one’s own feelings, actions, and thoughts.
Examples:
• Taking care of yourself, expressing your needs, thoughts, feelings, fulfilling your own
needs.
• Taking responsibility for your own actions:
Distinguishing between having negative thoughts and putting those negative
thoughts into practice (action).
Taking responsibility for breaking an object: repairing the object (action),
expressing feelings of sorrow.
Taking responsibility when driving a car: maintaining the car, insuring the car,
having a driver's license, and driving safely.
Exercise 1: In pairs of 2, trainees will give examples of taking responsibility for their own
actions based on their own personal experiences.
Responsibility Towards The Others
Examples:
• Taking responsibility for the family: parents making sure children are safe, parents
taking care of children, parents providing protection to the children; family members
taking care of each other.
• Taking responsibility when our actions affect others: responsibility for a car accident,
responsibility for losing/ breaking other’s objects.
• Taking responsibility when our feelings/ needs are expressed in an inappropriate way
towards others.
Exercise 2: In pairs of 2, trainees will give examples of taking responsibility for others from
their personal experiences.
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Responsibility Towards Society
Examples: respecting the rules in place in society. For example: taking care of the environment,
taking care of public art objects, etc.
Exercise 3: In pairs of two, trainees will give examples of taking responsibility in society from
their personal experiences. Group discussion will follow based on the examples given.
Overlapping Responsibilities
Exercise 4: Trainees will identify the domains where they are taking responsibility for
themselves, others and society and will create a personal diagram with the distribution of each
responsibility. If they have a lot of responsibilities in one domain they will draw a big circle. If
the responsibilities in the other domain are less, they will draw a small circle.
1.2. Sources of Responsibility
There can be different sources of responsibility, including:
• Norms, principles, rules, traditions that we have learnt from our family, community
and society.
• Needs and feelings at an individual level.
Example: Punctuality at the work place means:
o Being responsible towards ourselves and others.
o Taking into account Our own beliefs, principles.
Society’s norms (it is disrespectful to be late).
Group/company’s rules.
o Taking into account Our own needs and feelings.
The needs/feelings of others.
Responsibility to society
Responsibility to others
Responsibility to self
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Exercise 5: In pairs of two, trainees will give an example of taking responsibility for something
and they will identify responsibility types and sources of responsibility.
Internal Mechanism of Responsibility
Example: The decision to take care of one’s children takes into account the following factors:
When we are acknowledging our own needs and feelings or the needs and feelings of others,
and/or when we are conforming to our own principles, or to the rules of our group or society,
we are deciding to take responsibility for something.
Internal Mechanism of Avoiding Responsibility
Example: A driver has a minor car accident (she slightly hits a car parked illegally on the side of
the road) and continues, without stopping to check the damage and without reporting the
incident to the police. The diagram sets out the factors that the driver has not considered
when making the decision to drive on without checking for damage. In psychology,
“discounting” is understood as “unwarily ignoring information relevant to the solution of a
problem”.
The need to be appreciated.
The child’s need to be nurtured.
The feelings of the child: Sadness when being left alone, frustration when hungry.
The feeling of empathy.
The legislation on Child Protection.
The Principle that “children are valuable for society. They represent the future”.
The Principle that “children are treasures”.
DECISION PROCESS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF CHILDREN
SELF
OTHERS
SOCIETY
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Exercise 6: In groups of four, trainees give examples of cases when somebody has avoided
responsibility and identify together elements of an internal mechanism of responsibility. One
case will be taken and analysed by the whole group with the support of the trainer. A
discussion on the consequences of avoiding responsibility will follow. Participants will be asked
to connect the conclusions of the discussion with their own experiences.
Responsibility Process
The responsibility process consists of the mental states people go through when they are
avoiding responsibility (Avery, 1991). Being aware of those states can help us to recognize the
state we are in. On this basis we can move to the only productive state: responsibility.
Exercise 7: The trainer will read to the trainees the following example:
Mary is a waitress and she works in a restaurant. One evening she is tired and she mixes up the
orders of three clients. The next morning, the boss finds out about the incident and wants to
fire Helen, another waitress, who made similar mistakes in the past. Mary doesn’t like Helen
because she is not responsible and because she has often had to cover up her mistakes. In the
morning, Mary enters the office of the boss and tells the truth, that it was her who mixed up
the orders the day before. The trainer will identify together with the trainees Mary’s states of
mind between morning and afternoon.
Discounting the need to be respected
Discounting the need to repair the car
Discounting the feelings of the other person: sorrow when he/she sees the car scratched
Discounting the feeling of empathy
Discounting the police rules
Discounting the need of society for people to respect each other’s rights (the right to protection of property)
Discounting the principle “It is human to help people”
DECISION PROCESS TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY
TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT
SELF
OTHER
SOCIETY
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Responsibility “Well, I made a mistake. It’s my responsibility. I want to talk with the
boss about it”.
Obligation “I must talk with the boss. He will fire me if he finds out”.
Shame “It’s my fault”.
Justify “I was tired; it was very crowded last evening”.
Laying blame “The clients were changing their mind several times, before choosing
what to eat. Helen forget the orders several times, I did it just once”.
Denial “Well, nothing happened. The clients got what they wanted at the end”.
When we’re in a Responsibility state of mind, we understand that we have a choice. And we
understand that even though something bad may have happened, we can take responsibility
for the future outcome. This is the state we want to get to.
The Responsibility Process
Responsibility Taking ownership of your ability and power to do, choose, etc.
Obligation Doing what you have to, instead of what you want to.
Shame Laying blame onto oneself (often felt as guilt).
Justify Using excuses for things being the way they are.
Laying blame Holding others at fault for causing something.
Denial Ignoring the existence of something.
Exercise 8: In pairs of two, trainees will share one example of when they avoided
responsibility. They will identify the state of mind they were in and how they can move on to
the responsibility state.
1.3. Conflict Between Responsibilities
A conflict between responsibilities appears when two or more responsibilities need our
attention at the same time.
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Exercise 9: In groups of 4, trainees will find an example of 2 competing responsibilities and will
apply the tool in annex 1 for choosing which responsibility should prevail. Conclusions will be
analyzed in a general discussion.
1.4. How to Identify Who Is Responsible?
Story: Accident at the railway station.
Anna was waiting for her train to arrive. She was looking at another train pulling away.
Two men were running after the train. One of them boarded the moving train. The other
one had a package in his hands. He jumped in the train, but he failed to reach up. Two
workers who were repairing something at the station pushed the man from the back to
help him board. The package (which contained fireworks) fell on the ground and
produced an explosion. The explosion generated the fall of a ladder which injured Anna.
Exercise 10: Based on the tool in Annex 2, the trainer will ask the trainees to give a similar
example and will discuss together the sharing responsibility for an event. All reasonable
answers and arguments will be accepted.
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CHAPTER 2: LEARNING TO LEARN
2.1. Kolb’s Learning Styles
Exercise 11: How do we learn a new dance?
The trainer gives examples of learning experiences combining the four elements in the cycle
below. One example is the different strategies used to learn a new dance. You start by
watching others, then think about the steps, then practice them and then you derive a feeling
of pleasure dancing. Participants are asked to give similar examples from their personal
experiences.
People have different ways of learning. One
way of analyzing learning styles is by using the
diagram below (Kolb). Some people prefer to
watch rather than do, tending to gather
information and use imagination to solve
problems. They are best at viewing concrete
situations from several different viewpoints.
Other people’s learning preference is for a
concise, logical approach. Ideas and concepts
are more important for them than people. People with this style are more attracted to logically
sound theories than approaches based on practical value.
So people can solve problems and will use their learning to find solutions to practical issues.
They prefer technical tasks, and are less concerned with people and interpersonal aspects.
They are best at finding practical uses for ideas and theories.
Others rely on intuition rather than logic. These people use other people's analysis, and prefer
to take a practical, experiential approach. They are attracted to new challenges and
experiences, and to carrying out plans. They commonly act on 'gut' instinct rather than logical
analysis and they will tend to rely on others for information than carry out their own analysis.
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2.2. Sensorial Learning Styles
Another way to categorize learning styles is by looking at what sense is predominantly used in
the learning process:
Visual learner:
Visual learners think in pictures and learn best in visual images, pictures, colours, and maps.
They can easily visualize objects, plans and outcomes in their mind's eyes; they also have a
good spatial sense, which gives them a good sense of direction; they can easily find their way
around using maps, and they rarely get lost. They depend on the instructor’s or facilitator’s
non-verbal cues such as body language to help with understanding. They also take descriptive
notes over the material being presented.
Auditory learner:
These individuals discover information through listening. They like to work with sounds and
music and they have a good sense of pitch and rhythm. They have a good auditory memory
and they notice the music playing in the background of movies, TV shows and other media.
These individuals gain knowledge from listening and may not have a full understanding of
information that is written.
Kinaesthetic (physical–bodily) learner:
Individuals that are kinaesthetic learn best with an active “hands-on” approach. These learners
favour interaction with the physical world, using their body more and their sense of touch to
learn about the world around. They like sports and gardening, and they appreciate the
textures of objects. They think about solving problems when they are doing physical activities.
Also, they use hand gestures and other body language to communicate. When they are
learning a new skill or topic, they prefer to 'jump in' and play with the physical parts as soon as
possible. They prefer to pull an engine apart and put it back together, rather than reading or
looking at diagrams about how it works.
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2.3. Identifying Personal Learning Style
Exercise 11: Snowball Exercise:
The trainer shows the trainees how to make a “snowball”. Standing before the trainees, trainer
does the exercise as he/she talks:
"I'm going to roll into a snowball. My head drops down, down, down. My fingers touch the
floor. One knee slides behind me. The other knee slides down. I sit back on my heels. I place
one hand here (at the sternum). I place the other hand on top, like this. I put the top of my
head here on the floor, like this. Now I am a ball!”
After the demonstration, in pairs, the trainees make their own “snowball”.
Then, in groups of four, they will use their personal learning experiences to understand the
process of learning. They will relate this learning experience to the learning styles in order to
identify their personal learning style.
2.4. Barriers to Learning
Exercise 12: In groups of four, trainees will describe situations when they did not learn and
identify what blocked or limited their learning. After that, they will discuss ways to overcome
some of the barriers to learning. One representative of each group will give feedback to the
large group.
Some of these barriers to learning include: lack of time, lack of confidence, lack of information
about opportunities to learn, lack of access to educational services, scheduling problems, lack
of motivation, lack of social support, lack of parental recognition and involvement, health
problems.
2.5. The Successful Learner
Exercise 13: In groups of four, trainees will complete a puzzle with 50 pieces, having a photo of
the complete puzzle in front. After that, they will have a group discussion in order to identify
the skills, abilities and qualities of “good learners”.
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Characteristics of a successful learner (adapted after Williams, 1993)
Characteristics Successful learner
Commitment Has commitment to learning activities, learning has priority to other
activities.
Preparation Finishes the activity in time, with great attention to detail; makes
connections with past learning.
Curiosity Has a motivating purpose; inquisitive; asks thoughtful questions and
he/she is active in learning; makes extra effort to learn more and
connect with other aspects of education or life.
Attitude Has a winning attitude and shows responsibility, motivation and
determination to succeed; enjoys and values learning; listens to
feedback and acts on it.
Way of learning Learns concepts rather than memorizes details, so better able to connect
past learning with present material.
Effort (time
commitment)
Likes to learn, often willing to devote extra time and effort when
needed; attention to detail; asks questions for deeper understanding.
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CHAPTER 3: WORK-LIFE BALANCE
3.1. Types of Social Roles
The social role represents the norms defining the behavior of people in relation to their status
or position in society. A social group can be represented as a set of specific social positions (for
example: worker, scholar, wife and mother). A person conforms to the “social demand” or
expectations of other persons associated with his/her social position.
People experience their roles in the following “theatres”: home, community, school, and
workplace. Because people are involved in several roles simultaneously within several
theatres, success in one role affects the other roles. All roles affect one another in the various
“theatres”.
Role types (Donald Super) - In our life we experience the following types of roles:
1. Child role (beginning from birth to the moment parents are no longer alive).
2. Role of the person who learns (not only in school, learning to perform daily tasks).
3. Role of the person who is having fun.
4. Citizen role (paying taxes, voting, etc.).
5. Worker role (at a job, but also working in the garden/house).
6. Family founder role (someone who is getting married, or is a husband/wife).
7. Life partner role (a person is in this role when is having a partner).
8. Parent role (a person is in this role when is becoming a parent).
9. Retired role (a person is in this role when is retired).
Exercise 14: Rainbow Diagram
Create together with trainees a list of roles of their life. Pass out the Life Roles Rainbow
worksheet. Ask trainees to label each arch of their rainbows with one of the roles. If there are
extra arches, trainees can add different roles as well. Ask them to colour in each role arch,
using coloured pens to indicate when they believe they will be playing the particular roles.
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Exercise 15: Pie chart diagram
Give trainees an example of a personal pie chart diagram with the distribution of roles at a
specific moment of personal life. Create together with trainees a pie chart diagram with the
distributions of roles in this moment of their life. In groups of four they will create an ideal pie
chart role diagram. After that, they will discuss in the group the differences between the two
diagrams. One of the members of the group will give feedback in the large group.
3.2: Work-Life Unbalance
Causes of work-life unbalance:
• Taking over too many roles.
• Taking over too few roles.
• Taking over very complex / difficult roles.
• Roles are not very well defined.
• Role conflict.
3.3.: Role Conflict
Role conflict is a conflict among the roles. People experience a role conflict when they find
themselves pulled in various directions as they try to respond to the social requirements of the
role.
Exercise 16:
In groups of four, ask trainees to identify on the rainbow diagram the overlapping roles in their
life. Get them to discuss how the roles are in conflict in their life and how having more than
one role affects the trainees. One of the group members gives feedback to the large group
about the discussion in the small group.
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3.4.: Strategies for Coping with Role Conflict
Identifying the importance of roles:
Exercise 17: In the same groups of four, trainees will take every role from the ideal role
diagram and will complete individually the Importance role sheet.
How much do I
like this role? (1-
10)
How important is this
role for me? (1-10)
How important for my family/
group is this role? (1-10)
Role 1
Role 2
After completing the above sheet, trainees will: share the completed sheets with one another;
identify common aspects and give feedback to the larger group.
The trainer will moderate a whole group reflection based on the feedback from each group.
Exercise 18: Give trainees an example of two roles from personal/professional life and list the
advantages and disadvantages. In the same groups of four, trainees will list advantages and
disadvantages of each role. Then, discuss together about what they want to improve.
Exercise 19: Based on the previous discussion in the small groups, trainees will discuss how
they want to distribute in the future the roles in their life and what they think is needed to
achieve this. After discussion, in pairs, trainees will draw a personal future pie diagram and will
list the most important things they need to do in order to reach this desired situation.
Trainees are then asked to reflect on how they can learn from the others about alternatives for
improving the balance between work and personal life.
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CHAPTER 4: SELF-ESTEEM
4.1. What is self-esteem
As a whole, human beings are driven by emotions and feelings. Our actions are channeled by
the simple questions of: How much am I worth? Am I good enough for this person, for this job,
to live and to be successful in life? Self-esteem is a component of one’s attitude towards
oneself. Self-esteem encompasses two important variables in human behavior: beliefs and
emotions. As Smith and Mackie define it, "The self-concept is what we think about the self;
self-esteem, is the positive or negative evaluation of the self, as in how we feel about it"2. If we
feel good about our own self image, or accomplishments, then this will affect our mood, and
thus the emotions we create to fuel our daily lives activities such as: work life, school life,
social life, etc.
Throughout this module you will realized that in order to have a positive attitude, you must
have motivation, and to have motivation, you need to have solid self-esteem. As many
theorists have suggested, self-esteem is a basic need or motivation. All three elements:
positive attitude, motivation and self-esteem are connected, and need each other to be able to
play their own role effectively.
Furthermore, according to Abraham Maslow, there are two forms of self-esteem: the need for
respect from others, and the need for self-respect3. Respect from others entails that others,
such as a family member or your boss, recognize, accept and appreciate the person you are,
and the values you represent. Maslow points out, “without the fulfillment of the self-esteem
need, individuals will be driven to seek it and unable to grow and obtain self actualization”4.
You need to achieve high self-esteem in order to live healthy and feel that you are valuable to
the world you live in.
4.2. The Self-esteem Development Process
Experiences in our life set the tone to our self-esteem development. The negative or positive
experience a person has shapes the attitudes we develop throughout the course of our
existence. For example in the early years of a child’s life, “the emphasis of unconditional love,
2 E. R. Smith/D. M. Mackie, Social Psychology (2007) pg. 107. 3 4 Maslow A. H. (1987). Motivation and Personality (3rd ed.). New York: Harper & Row.
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in parenting how-to books, represents the importance of a child developing a stable sense of
being cared for and respected. These feelings later translate into self-esteem as the child
grows older”5.
Social experiences are another important contributing factor to self-esteem. As children go
through adolescence peer influence becomes much more important, as adolescents make
appraisals of themselves based on their relationships with close friends6. Social acceptance
allows the person to become confident and build high self-esteem while simultaneously
rejection by peers will create doubts and loneliness and produce low self-esteem7.
Childhood experiences that develop a healthy self-esteem include: being listened to, being
spoken to with respect and understanding, receiving appropriate attention and affection and
having accomplishments recognized as well mistakes or failures acknowledged and accepted.
Experiences that contribute to low self-esteem include: being harshly criticized, being
physically, sexually or emotionally abused, being ignored or excluded, ridiculed or teased or
being expected to be "perfect" all the time8.
4.3. Embracing Identity, Traditions and Culture as Part of a Healthy Diet to Live Happy
As mentioned previously, in order to have good self-esteem, you must also have motivation.
Below, is an interpretation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid that describes the pattern
in which human motivation develops9. What this means is that in order for an individual to
have high self-esteem, he/she must have a healthy lifestyle that provides the basic needs
required to live happily. However, in order to reach them, there is a chronological order,
starting with physiological needs (food, heater, etc.) and concluding with self-actualization
needs (morality, lack of prejudice, etc.).
Most importantly, we have to recognize that in order to have high self-esteem, especially
among Roma women; they have to embrace their own identity, traditions and culture in order
5 Olsen, J. M., Breckler, S.J., &Wiggins, E.C. (2008). Social Psychology Alive (1st ed.) Canada:Nelson. 6 Thorne, A., & Michaelieu, Q. (1996). Situating adolescent gender and self-esteem with personal memories. Child Development, 67, 1374-90. 7 Leary, M. R., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). The nature and function of self-esteem: Sociometer theory. In M. P. Zanna (Ed.),Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 32, pp. 1-62). San Diego, CA:Academic Press. 8 "Self-Esteem". Self-Esteem. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. 9 Maslow, A.H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96. Retrieved from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm
22
to build high character about their persona. We are what we identify with. If there is no
identity, then there is no substance to our actions. By being proud of the identity we posses,
we accept the qualities and properties that we assume are our nature. Identity is part of the
fabric that defines our social interaction with others. When this becomes disturbed, we feel
confused, disoriented and often lost. However, when we begin to examine in depth this
identity and start to discover the richness of the layers that make up our identity, we realized
that our lives are more or less a reiteration of the behaviours, thoughts, and feelings stored in
our memories.
Traditions and culture matter not only as elements that mature our identity, but as a coherent
foundation to high self-esteem. In a poetic way, traditions and culture are the soul of you, the
past that has generated a complex point of view of who you are. Traditions are important
because we base a lot of our emotional and family lives around them, even those we might
normally say aren't very important. Tradition ties us all upward into our family trees, and down
into the families that are still being created. Most important, traditions are existing knowledge
that give us a focused perspective on who we are and who we want to be. A tradition is also a
group of ideas and beliefs that have lasted for a long time and that unconsciously affect our
behavior. If we don’t recognize the meaning of traditions, we somehow also neglect culture
and therefore we lose the tools that help the unification between our identity and our self-
esteem.
A clear cultural identity provides the individual with a clear prototype with which to engage
the processes necessary to construct a clear personal identity and, by extension, to achieve
self-esteem and well-being. Culture can form invisible bonds between members of a
community. This can hold people with the same cultural background together, passing on
values. This propagation of values can not only transmit cultural knowledge and cement
relationships between people; it also builds up a long term tradition after years and years.
Culture is strengthened in this way because it can give background and reference to its later
generations of its ability of keeping the long-term tradition and gaining a sense of belonging of
people to the country of that culture.
A Roma woman with a solid self-identity will have the mentality to fight stereotypes that
otherwise could tend to lower her self-esteem. If she has the ability to value herself, she will
not under estimate her potential and will accomplish her goals. Additionally, boosting her
confidence through high self-esteem will give her the charisma and strength to break any
23
traditional patriarchy imposed by her family and she will be self-assured enough to become
independent. She will not be stopped if she lacks the support of her family. Finally, with a
strong identity and valorization of her traditions and culture she will feel comfortable to
explore her ideas and will have a higher chance of understanding the importance of education
in her life as a way to become a professional woman capable of accomplishing any goals she
sets her mind to.
4.4. Positive Self-esteem
People with positive levels of self-esteem:
• Do not lose time worrying excessively about what happened in the past, nor about
what could happen in the future.
• Firmly believe in certain values and principles, and are ready to defend them even
when finding opposition.
• Are able to act according to what they think to be the best choice, trusting their own
judgment, and not feeling guilty when others don't like their choice10.
• Fully trust in their capacity to solve problems, not hesitating after failures and
difficulties.
• Are able to enjoy a great variety of activities.
• Can work toward finding solutions and voice discontent without belittling themselves
or others when challenges arise11.
4.5. Negative Self-esteem
People with low self-esteem may show the following characteristics:
• Sees temporary setbacks as permanent, intolerable conditions12.
• Heavy self-criticism and dissatisfaction.
• Chronic indecision and an exaggerated fear of mistakes.
• Perfectionism, which can lead to frustration when perfection is not achieved13.
10 13José-Vicente Bonet. Sé amigo de ti mismo: manual de autoestima. 1997. Ed. Sal Terrae. Maliaño (Cantabria, España). ISBN 978-84-293-1133-4. 11 12"KidsHealth." Developing Your Child's Self-Esteem. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.html
24
• Pessimism and a general negative outlook.
• Envy, invidiousness, or general resentment.
Embracing a positive attitude is a fundamental component to have in order to find a job, and
to keep it. You should not worry about ‘what if’ it does not work, or if I have what it takes to
make it. Don’t live in the ‘‘what if”, just believe that you are capable of doing it. Believe in your
own principles and your values, because they make you who you are. Above all, trust your own
judgment and if you believe that you have the skills to get a job, all you need is to follow your
intuition and use your knowledge. No one knows yourself more than you. And if one job
interview does not go well, then just continue moving forward, known that it was not a right
fit, someone that can see your potential will hire you soon; just don’t give up because one
person did not believe in you.
Exercise 20: Self-esteem Activity: What do you believe About Yourself?
Read together with the participants “How are Baby Elephants Trained?” Then have the
participants complete the Self-esteem Worksheet individually to identify their beliefs, and
then as a group share your answers and impressions. Make sure you give enough time for all
the participants to complete the questions individually. In the group discussion, make sure
everyone actively shares their answers, so that all the trainees can see the similarities and
differences between their answers.
Story: How are Baby Elephants Trained?
Elephants in captivity are trained, at an early age, not to roam. One leg of a baby elephant is
tied with a rope to a wooden post planted in the ground. The rope confines the baby elephant
to an area determined by the length of the rope. Initially the baby elephant tries to break free
from the rope, but the rope is too strong.
The baby elephant "learns" that it can't break the rope.
When the elephant grows up and is strong, it could easily break the same rope. But because it
"learned" that it couldn't break the rope when it was young, the adult elephant believes that it
still can't break the rope, so it doesn't even try!
SELF-ESTEEM WORKSHEET QUESTIONS:
1. Write the beliefs you learnt about yourself when you were young from your: Mother, father,
siblings, friends, teachers, and others.
25
2. Which of these messages continue to dominate your thoughts today?
3. Which messages support and which messages reduce your confidence, happiness and
satisfaction?
4. Are these messages the truth or simply a belief? (A thought that has been thought so often
that you believe it is truth)
5. Which messages do you want to change to improve your self-esteem?
6. Write the new thoughts you choose to believe to support your positive self-esteem,
confidence and happiness.
Exercise 20: Acknowledging what you are good at; improving your self-image.
Boost your confidence by exploring and identifying what makes you feel good. Some regular
reminders of confidence create new pathways and strengthen your self-esteem. Complete as
many of the statements as you can.
I like myself because:
I am an expert at:
I feel good about:
I consider myself a good:
My friends will tell you I have a great:
My favourite place is:
I am loved by:
People say I am a good:
I’m told I have a pretty:
I have a natural talent for:
What I enjoy the most is:
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CHAPTER 5: SELF MOTIVATION
5.1. What Is Self Motivation?
In general terms, self motivation is a process that initiates, guides, and maintains goals-
oriented behavior. Motivation is the simple engine that allows someone to be determined to
study hard to eventually get a good job. We often refer to motivation to describe why
someone does something.
There are three major components to motivation14:
1) Activation: it involves the decision to initiate behavior. For example: being on time to
work.
2) Persistence: is the continued effort toward a goal even though obstacles may exist,
such as: getting up very early to take an early bus that will allow you to get to work on
time even if there is a traffic collision.
3) Intensity: It can be seen in the concentration and vigor that goes into pursuing a goal:
For example, for one person it might be easy to understand the role of a task at work,
and for you, it might be harder. But you don’t give up, and ask questions when you
don’t understand, and you use all your energy to reach your goal.
5.2. Types of Motivation
Intrinsic Motivation refers to motivation that comes from the interest or enjoyment of the
task itself15. This motivation originates from the individual rather than relying on external
pressure or sources. For example, a Roma woman that believes she has the skills that will allow
her to reach the desired goals, and that the results of her hard work will not be affected by
luck but by her own will and desire.
Extrinsic Motivation refers to the performance of an activity in order to obtain an outcome16.
Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of the individual17. Common extrinsic motivations are
rewards like money and grades, and threat of punishment. Competition is in general extrinsic
because it encourages the performer to win and beat others, not simply to enjoy the intrinsic
rewards of the activity. For example, if your boss tells you that you will get an increase in your
14 About.com Psychology: http://psychology.about.com/od/mindex/g/motivation-definition.htm 15 16 17Wigfield, A., Guthrie, J. T., Tonks, S., & Perencevich, K. C. (2004). Children's motivation for reading: Domain specificity and instructional influences. Journal of Educational Research, 97, 299-309.
27
salary if you meet a certain goal, the desire to achieve your goals does not come from a
personal interest but from an external source that is giving you motivation to complete the
task in order for you to get your reward.
5.3 Unsatisfied Needs Activate Motivation
According to Maslow, people are motivated by unsatisfied needs18. The lower level needs such
as the ‘Physiological’ and ‘Safety’ needs will have to be satisfied before higher level needs are
to be addressed; the two higher needs are: love/belonging, and self-esteem. The final need:
self actualization; is actually the motive to realize one’s full potential19 (make reference to the
pyramid on Chapter 1).
For example, if a manager is trying to motivate his employees by satisfying their needs, he
should try to satisfy the lower level needs (the lower needs refer to those needs that are more
essential, basic, such as a day-off for personal or medical reasons) before he tries to satisfy the
upper level needs (the upper level needs could be getting a raise or a promotion) or the
employees will not be motivated. Also, he has to remember that not everyone will be satisfied
by the same needs. A good manager will try to figure out which levels of needs are active for a
certain individual or employee. In Summary:
Human beings have wants and desires which influence their behavior. Only unsatisfied needs
influence behavior, satisfied needs do not.
Since needs are many, they are arranged in order of importance, from the basic to the
complex.
The person advances to the next level of needs only after the lower level need is at least
minimally satisfied.
The further the progress up the hierarchy, the more individuality, humanness and
psychological health a person will show.
In conclusion, as we pointed out before, in order to have motivation, a strong self-esteem
must be established. And as we have learned, in order to satisfy our needs, and reach our
absolute best, we must have the motivation to be able to move on from basic physiological
18 Maslow A. H. (1987). Motivation and Personality (3rd ed.). New York: Harper & Row. 19 Goldstein, quoted in Arnold H. Modell, The Private Self (Harvard 1993) p. 44.
28
needs such as sleeping to more complex self-esteem needs such as confidence. Without the
motivation, we will not be able to reach high self-esteem, and without this we cannot have a
positive attitude. For some people money is a way to be motivated, for others it is professional
growth; a promotion at work, for others it is independency and being able to have a salary that
can allow them to have their own life without depending on others, and for others an
incentive for positive attitude is becoming more well rounded, having more education that will
allow them to work in a field that they are very passionate about. Whatever your incentive is
for a positive attitude, utilize it at is best to keep you moving in the right direction in life.
Exercise 21:
In groups of 5, ask trainees to write down five examples of intrinsic motivation and five
examples of extrinsic motivation from their personal experiences. The first purpose of this
exercise is for the trainees to focus on understanding themselves by exploring personal things
or interests that motivate them to do well in life. For example, a person’s interest or
inspiration is to send her kids to college, and it is this desire that inspires her to work very hard
towards her goals. The second purpose of this exercise is to show the participants that there
are also external sources of motivation. For example, if I work very hard and I don’t waste any
time, I will be able to get home on time, and therefore spend more time with my family.
The mediator should create a group discussion with all the participants, and together explore
the possibilities and benefits of understanding what motivates them at a personal level and at
an external level. By understanding what motivates them, they will be able to create a positive
thinking attitude and therefore raise their self-esteem perception about themselves.
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CHAPTER 6: POSITIVE ATTITUDE
6.1. Understanding Attitude as a Combinations of Components
Don Forsyth states in his text book “Our Social World,” ‘that an attitude is not a feeling, a
cognition (processing information), or a form of behavior; instead, attitudes combine all three
components in an "integrated affect-cognition-behavior system.’ What this all means is that
attitudes are made of three components that all combine and influence each other. If one
component changes, then it influences the entire attitude structure and therefore the
outcome becomes a different one as well.
As mentioned before, in order to have a positive attitude, you must have motivation, and to
have motivation, you need to have a high self-esteem. But most importantly, these three
components accentuate a common denominator: an inexorable correlation between the basic
components that make up attitude and the core three components of this module. If attitudes
combine: feelings, cognition and behavior, we can suggest that self-esteem translates into
feelings, self-motivation translates into cognition, and behavior translates into attitude.
For example, Teodora lives in a very run down neighborhood, where people constantly tell her
that because she is a woman, she will not be successful. However, Teodora has learned
through her teachers at school and through her friends that no matter what others say, she
can do everything she puts her mind through. With time she has developed a strong self-
esteem about her, meaning, she has built up a feeling of self-appreciation about her potential
and herself as a whole.
Teodora also sometimes has very hard days at school, because people discriminate against her
for being Roma. The boys in her neighborhood don’t respect her, and her mother gives her a
lot of responsibilities, and sometimes she does not have enough time to study. With the
combination of all this frustrations, Teodora loses her confidence and her motivation.
However, because she has high self-esteem, she knows that the next day will be better, and
she motivates herself by knowing that all her hard work will pay off eventually when she goes
to college and becomes a doctor. Also, she uses external variables to motivate her. She knows
if she does not keep good grades, she won’t get the money for a scholarship to go to college.
Without a scholarship, it would be very hard for her to go to college.
30
Finally, for Teodora, living in a challenging environment, sometimes makes her question her
attitude towards life. She feels defeated, and just wants to give up. But she does not because
she knows who she is and what she wants to be in life. She understands that life has ups and
downs, and even though sometimes she has no energy to have a positive attitude, she
acknowledges that she is not perfect, and that above all, she cannot maintain a negative
attitude because it will just continue to bring her down. Teodora understands that a positive
attitude is a form of behavior. Not always will one behave his/her best, but it doesn’t mean
that one cannot change their behavior or attitude in the right direction. It is all about being
able to take life as it is; a process of change and learning.
6.2. Creating a Positive Mental Attitude
Positive mental attitude is the philosophy that having an optimistic disposition in one’s life
attracts positive changes and increases achievement20. This vision places a heavy focus on
shaping a state of mind that seeks ways to win or find a favorable outcome, regardless of the
circumstances.
A positive mental attitude is developed by constant reinforcement of one’s goals, positive
values and beliefs. Optimism and hope are vital to the development of a positive mental
attitude21. Positive attitude is also the belief that one can increase achievement through
optimistic thought processes. A positive attitude comes from observational learning in the
environment and is partially achieved when a vision of good natured change in the mind is
applied toward people, circumstances, events, or behaviors.
6.3. Positive Thinking
In order to obtain positive attitude, one needs to work on one’s self through positive thinking.
Adopting positive thinking with the intention of experiencing change can be accomplished in a
number of ways:
• Believe change is possible. The brain can be re-programmed to provide support in your life.
• Give yourself permission to be in control of your own life.
20 Hill, Napoleon; Stone, W. Clement Stone; preface by Og Mandino ; with a new introduction by W. Clement (1987). Success through a positive mental attitude. New York: Pocket Books. 21 Chang, edited by Edward C. (2001). Optimism & pessimism implications for theory, research, and practice (1st ed. ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. pp. 101–125.
31
• Recognize that change is needed.
• Practice awareness of your emotional state. Your internal state is what creates your external
world.
• Release past negative experiences and move forward.
• Let go of self-criticism and move forward when a challenge arises.
Exercise 22: Attitude Is Everything!
Large Group Activity (5-10 Minutes)
Make a chart on the board with three columns: “At Work”, “At School”, and “At Home”. Then
ask: What causes you to have a bad attitude in each of these areas? Trainees should give
responses under each of these three categories. Write the trainees responses on the board.
Towards the end of the 10 minutes ask the trainees this question: According to your
responses, who controls your attitude, you or people around you?
Small Group Activity (20 Minutes)
Each group should have a sheet of paper titled, “People with Good Attitudes”, on which they
write the word “ATTITUDE”, going down the left side. For the first part of the activity, the
trainee groups will think of all the characteristics of a person with a good attitude within five
minutes. They should write those characteristics in sentences that begin with each letter of the
word ATTITUDE, as this example:
A: Always sees the best in people and situations.
T: Totally content with what they have.
T: Takes time to admire the small details in life.
Now assign at least three of these questions to each trainee group:
1. List someone you know who consistently has a good attitude. Why do they?
2. How can you have a good attitude, even when things aren’t going your way?
3. Does a good attitude depend on the amount of luck you’ve had recently? Why?
4. People with good attitude enjoy life more than people with bad attitudes? Why?
32
5. If a co-worker has a bad attitude about everything, what are three things you can do to help
them change their attitude?
33
CHAPTER 7: SUCCESS STORIES OF ROMA WOMEN
7.1 Isabel Carmona Carmona – Nurse (From Spain)
Isabel Carmona Carmona is a successful Roma woman nurse. She is the only one who got a
degree among her brothers and sisters, even if all of them had the opportunity of continuing
their studies.
According to Isabel: “I am pretty hospitable and I have the inclination of helping other people;
my identity makes me more sensitive in my work. Perhaps, the principles my family instilled
me, and the fact I felt discrimination, make me look the others as equal, with the same
opportunities and values”.
Isabel keeps her Roma traditions, adding new habits to her life. She does not consider herself
as a rule breaker, but an example to other Roma people.
Through her story, we can understand her willing to study, to become someone in the society,
as she considers education as the most important resource. She trusts someday education will
be accessible to all the Roma community.
7.2 Sofiay Marinova Kamenova –Bulgarian Singer
Sofiya Marinova was born on December 5, 1975 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is one of the most
popular singers of Romani descent in Bulgaria. She is famous for her extreme five-octave vocal
range. She showed musical and dancing talent at the age of two and was tutored in singing and
dancing by her mother. She grew up in a humble environment, but since she can remember,
her mother always cultivated positive thinking in her. Her mother made her believe that she
had the talent to sing and all she needed was the will, the self-esteem to believe in herself. At
first, her father did not approve of her becoming a singer, but with her motivation not to give
up, she eventually convinced him to believe in her and her dreams.
At 17 Marinova began singing at weddings and christenings. Her motivation was intrinsic. She
loved music, and it was that personal goal that pushed her to stay motivated. Even when at
age 14 she was put in a technical school to study to be a tailor, she did not feed her feelings
with negative thinking. Instead, she maintained a positive attitude and gave her best at the
technical school, and worked hard to eventually make it in the music world.
Sofiya has had many ups and downs. She is a single mother raising her only child. But despite
of her difficult personal life, she has maintained a positive attitude that has helped her to
34
maintain her motivation, thus allowing her to build a high self-esteem of the person she is and
she is becoming.
In 2008 Marinova joined a campaign against human trafficking. In 2010, Marinova was
appointed ambassador against poverty and social isolation22. Her tasks include raising
awareness about the issues, taking part in various activities and sharing her own experience. In
a press conference she told the journalists: "I think I can be useful to the campaign. In addition
I myself come from a poor family and I'm aware of the concerns of poor and underprivileged
people”23. Even with a hard life, she overcame obstacles, because she had a clear vision of
who she was and what she wanted; she had self respect for herself and others.
SUMMARY/CONCLUSIONS UNIT 1
Participants learnt about the fact that responsibility is not only towards other people, but also
towards society and towards oneself. They also understand the connections and the overlaps
between these three types of responsibility. Several tools are provided to analyze the various
sources of responsibility and the responsibility process, showing the stages people usually go
through in order to become aware and to take responsibility. The module also reflects on the
process of avoiding responsibility and on its consequences. Based on examples and by using
several analysis tools, women in the group are supported in identifying the right options when
a person faces competing responsibilities, as well as in identifying who should be held
responsible in situations where multiple actors might be seen as sharing responsibility. They
are also empowered to make choices by taking into account not only the norms imposed by
the group or the society, but also their own needs, interests and feelings.
The chapter on Learning to learn brings to the participating Roma women a response to the
need to increase awareness that they have a lot of competencies accumulated through
informal learning and the need to build confidence that they can learn, despite the fact that
some of them have a low formal education background. The activities make participants
understand that people have different learning styles and develop their ability to identify to
22 Ambassadors of the European Year - Sofi Marinova. 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. ec.europa.eu. 23 Софи Маринова стана посланик в България на кампания срещу бедността (In Bulgarian)". SunnyMusic. 30.03.2010.
35
themselves and to others the preferred learning style. This enables them to use better the
potential of their preferred learning style.
For unemployed Roma women the place of roles related to professional activities are often
under-represented. Also, for some women, taking over professional roles might be perceived
as a threat to the other duties related to family. That’s why it is important to identify the
balance/unbalance between work roles and personal roles. The exercises in the module
stimulate a joint reflection about the current situation in the distribution of roles, the
description of the desired situation and the identification of possible alternatives to cope with
role conflicts and to ensure a healthy balance between professional and personal life.
Being a woman in today’s world continues to be a challenge in which women need to fight for
equality and recognition of their rights, not only in the societal environment but also in the
professional one too. As a Roma woman, the challenge to maintain her Roma identity and
become a successful woman in the professional world becomes overwhelming to handle.
However, as we have noticed through the past different chapters of this unit, there are three
basic characteristics that anyone can acquired, develop and execute to allow her to achieve
the best she can be in life. These three characteristics are self-esteem, self motivation, and a
positive attitude. Without them, the road to success becomes almost non-existent. A women
needs to have the self motivation that will allow her to foster high self-esteem and thus give
her the positive attitude to be determined to find the way to achieve happiness through her
hard work and dedication.
36
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39
ANNEXES UNIT 1
Annex 1: Tool for choosing among competing responsibilities
Responsibility 1 Responsibility 2
1. What is the responsibility?
2. What are their sources?
3. What are the consequences of each
responsibility?
4. What are the benefits of each
responsibility?
5. What are the costs related to each
responsibility?
6. What is the importance of each
responsibility?
7. What is the time required to carry out
each responsibility?
8. What are the resources needed?
9. What alternative solutions are
possible?
10. What would you do in this situation?
40
Annex 2: Tool for identifying the responsibility of persons
What is the event or
situation?
Explosion causing the fall of the ladder which caused injuries to
Anna
Who are the persons
who might be
considered responsible?
The man The workers The railroad company
How might each person
be considered to have
caused the situation?
Tried to board a
moving train
Tried to help the
man board a moving
train
Operates the train and
railroad and should
make sure employees
follow the rules
What are each person’s
states of mind?
• Intent
• Carelessness
• Knowledge of
what might
happen
In a rush, because
he was running
late, no intent to
cause harm
Careless behaviour
to board a moving
train
Should have known
the potential
danger of carrying
explosives
Wanted to help the
man safely, no
intent to cause
harm
Knew the potential
dangers of boarding
a moving train
No Knowledge of
what was carried in
the package
The company should
always be mindful of
the potential dangers
of the passengers, no
intent to cause harm
Must ensure that
employees act to
maintain safety
The company should
always be mindful of
the potential dangers
of the passengers
Did the person lack
control?
No No No
41
Did the person have a
duty to act differently?
Yes Yes Yes
What important values
or interests, if any, can
explain the person’s
behaviour?
There appears to
be no reasonable
excuses for man’s
behaviour
They had past
experiences of
losing the train and
they had to wait a
long time for the
next one
To some extent, the
railroad company is
responsible for the
safety of persons in
the station
Who do you think is
responsible for this
event or situation?
Why?
? ? ?