What does it mean to have “multiple perspectives?

What is a “perspective verses a bias?” A perspective is simply your point of view….on any issue. This is just slightly different from a bias because bias means that you are likely to take a side of an issue based on your values, your education and your experiences. In a way…a perspective is the opinion you hold and your bias is closer to why you hold the opinion you do on an issue. Example: Perspective- “I think guns are great!” Bias- “I think guns are great…because my family are all hunters…and its just what we do” We all have our own perspectives on issues. We hold these perspectives in part based on our experiences, such as who we grew up with, where we went to school and what has happened in our lives. These perspectives help us decide what we are going to do with certain issues that come up from day to day.

Issue- “School uniforms” Position 1: By having uniforms in school, my students will focus on their academics and behavior will improve. Position 2: My store would benefit if the local schools required uniforms because I have the only store in town that sells what the students would be required to wear. Position 3: If the school requires uniforms, I will have to spend extra money from my paycheck so that my child has the right clothes for school each day. Position 4: I definitely don’t want school uniforms; my friends and I want to wear what we want at school.

Deciding how you feel about “school uniforms?” “How would you feel if the school decided to have uniforms? If your principal (or school board) was in the process of deciding if the school should have uniforms, would you want him or her to consider your opinion before making the decision? If so, why? If not, why not? “With a partner, discuss and answer the questions related to school uniforms. Be ready to discuss your answers with the class”

Who might have opinions on the following issues: The National Budget Education Reform (how you should be taught, what will you learn and how much should it all cost?) Homelessness Healthcare “With your partner, who might have opinions on these issues and why?”

What would these groups do? “Are there individuals or groups that would make their views known in order to have an impact on the public?” “If one group or individual made their perspective known about any of these issues, what kind of impact might this have on the political process?” “Would other groups or individuals possibly get involved based on this perspective?”

Why is having multiple perspectives important for a democratic society?? At the very heart the topics discussed in this lesson is that in all democracies, the people have the right to govern themselves and that society is not ruled by a few people or one absolute ruler. This means that if more people are going to have a say in how society is governed, than we need to accept and expect that there will be “many” different perspectives on any given issue. It is our job as a democracy to respect the many different points of view and try to come to a “consensus” or an agreement on the best way forward. That final decision should take into account all the different points of view, both the positives and negatives and then a democratic decision needs to be made. It is then the job of everyone to either accept the decision that was made or seek democratic, non-violent means to make changes to existing policies or laws. With todays privatized media and a number of mainstream politicians, it can be increasingly difficult for young people to learn the art of a respectful debate that was the very point and purpose of our democracy in the first place. We must never forget this point if our democracy is to continue well into the future.