UNIT 2 Constitutional rights and responsibilities and the world of work

LEARNING AIMS

After learners have completed this unit, they must be able to do the following:

 Understand human rights and can apply it to your interaction with other people.  Understand the responsibility regarding human rights.  Be able to apply fair play in various sports.  Be able to handle abuse in different contexts.  Investigate different career fields and identify your own abilities and interests in the choice of a career.

In this unit we will especially look at human rights as stipulated in the South African Constitution. You as a person have various rights you can insist on. However, there are also responsibility required from your side if you want to insist on these rights.

Everyone in South Africa has human rights and is entitled to these rights and to be handled with dignity. These rights are included in the Constitution of South Africa as the Bill of Human Rights. It teaches citizens to treat each other fair and as equals.

We also discuss the issue of abuse. Abuse happens in different contexts – between adults, between adults and children as well as between children/friends.

It is important that you can identify the warning signs of abuse so that you can protect yourself in dangerous situations. It is important to communicate to build healthy relationships without violence.

The last topic in this unit is aimed at your possible career choices. It focuses on the determining of your own interests and abilities. We look at various career fields and give you more information about them. We will look at the school subjects you need, the years of study and the costs of it.

We also look at the various institutions where you can find career information.

Although the activities are not for assessment purposes, it still is important that learners complete the activities because it gives them the opportunity to apply the knowledge.

2.1 Lesson 6: Human rights (1 hour)

2.1.2 The violation of human rights

The learner must study and discuss certain situations and whether they are human rights violations. The learner must give reasons for his/her answers.

Possible answers: 1. Yes. Violation of human rights through corporal punishment. Nobody may abuse another person physically. 2. No. The government may disown land if they pay a reasonable price for it. 3. Yes. The right of a person to have basic health services and care. The staff members of a hospital violate a person’s human rights by not helping him/her. 4. Yes. They violate your right to clean and usable water by dumping rubbish in it. 5. No. The person does not have the right qualifications. It’s not a violation of his human rights.

2.1.3 How do I handle the violation of human rights?

The learner must read through the case study and answer the questions which follow. It’s important that the learner gives his/her own opinion. The facilitator can work through the questions with the learner and use it as a starting point for a discussion about discrimination.

Question e) asks that the learner compile a list of how Fatima can solve the situation. Let the learner look and indicate his/her own answer. The facilitator must only lead the learner in the answers, but don’t influence his/her opinion.

FOR THE CURIOUS

The learner can read through newspapers or magazines and collects articles and pictures about human rights violations.

Help the learner to gather information. Think about situations like:  There isn’t clean water and adequate rubbish removal.  There isn’t enough housing.  Neglected children live on the streets.  People are attacked.

ACTIVITY 6

Let the learner choose any five human rights. Cut out pictures out of the newspaper or magazine that relate to human rights. Use the letters in the magazine to paste the words. The learner shouldn’t make the pictures too small. It must convey a clear message.

The learner’s collage can be any size.

2.2 Lesson 7: Fair play in sporting activities (1 hour)

FOR THE CURIOUS

The learner must look at examples of bad sportsmanship by sportsmen or women in the past or recently.

The information below is just a guideline for the facilitator to assist the learner in conducting research. Other athletes can also be mentioned.

Tonya Harding had her opponent, Nancy Kerrigan, attacked.

Jose Cansec used steroids.

ACTIVITY 7

The learner can give his/her own opinion with each picture. The next are just possible answers:

a) Good sportsmanship. The rugby player reaches out his hand to his opponent and helps him to get up. This shows that he is in good spirit with the person in the competition.

b) Bad sportsmanship. It is bad behaviour to grab your opponent in the face. It is also bad behaviour in general.

2.3 Lesson 8: Handling of abuse in different contexts (3 hours)

FOR THE CURIOUS

The psychological and emotional implications of abuse are serious consequences of it. The learner can look in books, articles or on the Internet for research that have been done about it.

Websites where good information is available: www.unisa.co.za www.therapistonline.co.za

Possible answers:

1. Physical abuse  Withdrawal of social interaction  Depression  Chronic headaches and stomach aches  Aggression and compulsivity  Low self-esteem

2. Sexual abuse  Isolation  Self-pity  Anger  Inappropriate sexual behaviour

3. Emotional abuse  Intense unhappiness  Very low self-esteem  Anxiousness

ACTIVITY 8

The learner must study the given pictures and identify every kind of abuse. The learner must describe each type of abuse in her/his own words.

a) Emotional or verbal abuse It is when one person destructs another person’s self-image through that which he/she says. The person will say negative things like: “You are a good-fornothing” or “You won’t ever achieve something in life”.

It can be anybody that has an influence on the child’s life. It can be a parent, brother, sister, grandmother, teacher or even a friend.

b) Physical abuse It is when someone deliberately causes physical harm to another person. It can be when you are hit, pushed around or kicked. Physical abuse can lead to serious complications like brain damage or even death.

It can be anyone, like someone at home or friends or bullies at school. In most cases it occurs at home.

c) Sexual abuse It is when someone performs inappropriate sexual acts with a child. Research shows it is usually a person the child knows well. The person will intimidate and threaten the child to keep it a secret.

FOR THE CURIOUS

Interests and skills are important if you one day want to choose a career. Let the learner draw up two columns with INTERESTS on the one side and SKILLS on the other side. Let the learner describe in each column specific traits which describes him/her best.

After the learner has done this, let him look at two careers which will best suit his/her specific traits.

Example:

INTERESTS SKILLS

Rugby Science

Is very fast and have good ball handling abilities Gets good marks in subject People Has good people skills Mathematics Gets good marks

The learner has an interest in sports and people and is academically strong in science and mathematics.

The possible careers which meet the requirements are sport scientist or physiotherapist.

2.4 Lesson 9: Career fields (3 hours)

ACTIVITY 9

The learner does research about a chosen career. The facilitator only serves as help for the learner.

EXERCISE 2: OPEN-BOOK TEST

This exercise is only for revision purposes.

1. Any five of the following:  Equality – all people are equal and should be treated equally.  Life – everyone has the right to life.  Human dignity – all people’s human dignity should be respected by the government and citizens.  Freedom and security – nobody is allowed to be held unrestricted and without a hearing. You have a right to live free from violence.  Slavery, servitude and penial servitude – you may not be forced to work for anybody.  Freedom of speech and expression – everyone is allowed to freely speak, write and create art.  Privacy – you and your property may not be searched without reason.  Freedom of religion, conviction and opinion – you have the right to pursue the religion of your choice.  Meetings and Protestation – you may organise and attend public meetings.  Freedom of Association – you may belong to the group of your choice.  Political rights – you may vote if you are over the age of 18 and belong to a political party of your choice.  Freedom of Movement and Freedom – you may visit any place in South Africa and go and live there.  Freedom of Information – you have the right to information to protect your rights.  Freedom of career, industry or trade – you can freely choose a career or trade. However, the government may regulate it.  Children – have the right to parental care, education and to be protected against abuse.  Citizenship – nobody may be denied citizenship.

 Fair Administrative Actions – the government is not allowed to start legal procedures without valid reasons.  Housing – every person has the right to housing, however, the government does not have to provide this.  Labour relations – you have a right to be treated fairly in your place of work.  Environment – your environment should be healthy and not be harmful to you as a person.  Arrested, detainees and accused – you have the right to have a lawyer.  Property – you can own and sell property.  Education – everyone has the right to basic education.  Health care, food, water and social security – the government should secure health services, food, water and financial help.  Language and Culture – you are allowed to use your own language and belong to the culture of your choice.  Access to courts – everyone has the right to access to the courts. (10) 2. I must respect my whole community. I must help in my community where I can. (2)

3. It contributes to other sports people respecting you. It shows that you have integrity. It contributes to positive participation in sports (the learner can give his/her own three reasons). (3)

4. Physical abuse is when someone does physical harm to another person, like hitting a child with a cane.

Sexual abuse is when inappropriate sexual acts are performed with a child by an adult.

Verbal or emotional abuse is when someone breaks down another person by the things he/she says to the person.

5. Any ONE reason: Ignore the person. Don’t be alone with the person. Tell someone. (6)

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6. Learner can name any three:  Business Studies/Economy  Law  Agricultural Science and Technology  Educational Science  Engineering  Health Sciences  Theology

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