Lesson 2: Role of our
Communities
S PEC I FI C L EA R NI NG OB J EC TI VES:
EXPL A I N THE R OL E/ I DENTI TY OR
PO S I TI O N OC C UPI ED B Y EA C H OF US
W I THI N EA C H C OMMUNI TY W E B EL ONG
TO AND OUR C ONTR I B UTI ONS I N OUR
SOC I ETY.
Vocabulary words:
People of determination:
Social Identity:
Secondary groups:
Read this text about social identity. And then
discuss the points that follow
In her book “Social Identity: Knowing Yourself, Leading Others”
(2009), Kelly Hannum, researcher and assistant in the Global
Leadership and Diversity Project, said that social identity consists
of personal elements that usually come from the groups that a
person belongs to, whether the groups are related to age, gender
(male or female), nationality, race, tribe, religion or social and
economic status. Your social identity can determine the way you
deal with others. In addition, the social identity of the people
around you influences their perception of you and others, as well as
the way they deal with you and others.
Consequently, social identity can be thought of as the individual’s
perception of his or her identity, starting from the groups that he
or she is a member of.
a. Express your opinion about the following statement: “Social
identity is always a source of pride and honour.”
The family is a society that influences the child’s education, refines the child’s personality and makes him or
her the person he or she becomes as an adult. Read the text from the book “A Cup of Coffee: The Emirates in
the Memory of its Children, Part 3”. And then discuss the points that follow regarding how the groups and
environment that a child belongs to can influence his or her education and upbringing.
... We highlight here the ways in which parents take care of
their children, starting from direct supervision and taking
children to groups, to paying careful attention to their
behaviour and their movements outside the home.
Since early childhood, children inherit customs, traditions,
concepts, arts, and experiences. For example, some
children make a game of making small sailing boats of
different forms, names, sizes and colours, using cuttings of
metal sheets or of palm trees, along with other materials.
These children go to the seaside in all emirates, especially
in the summer, organising races for their boats and playing
traditional sea games inspired by their ancestors.
In this context, let’s consider the Omani oasis of Khasab,
which many mothers and their children in the past visited
in the summer months, especially those from Dubai and
Abu Dhabi. They went there on small sailing boats to spend
the summer settling there as the men were away on
seasonal diving trips. In that atmosphere of farms and
mountains, children spent the afternoon each day making
small boats and playing sea games.
b. How do you organize your time while playing
electronic games? What would happen if you did not
belong to any digital community? Explain your
answer
The role of education does not depend only on the family and school, especially in cases of people
of determination. Read the summary of Loretta Claiborne’s life story and an overview of Timothy
Shriver’s book on the Special Olympics to discover the role that voluntary associations can play in
education.
Loretta Claiborne was born in 1953 in Pennsylvania. She was
the middle daughter in a poor family of seven children raised
by a single mother. She was born partially blind and suffered
from an intellectual disability. She did not speak or walk until
she was four years old.
During her childhood years, Claiborne endured bullying and
harassment from the children around her because of her
differences. As a result of often having to run away from her
bullies, she discovered the pleasure of running. She was then
introduced to the Special Olympics by the social specialist
Janet McFarland. The Special Olympics were founded by Ms
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of former US President John F.
Kennedy. The organisation started “Camp Shriver” designed to
provide young people with intellectual disabilities the
opportunity to integrate with athletes without intellectual
disabilities in an environment that develops their social
interaction and motor skills.
Claiborne went on to cross the finish line in 26
marathons. She was also twice ranked among the top 100
women at the Boston Marathon. She has received many
medals and awards for her achievements in sport.
Running was not the only activity Claiborne was engaged
in; she achieved the fourth-level black belt in karate,
mastered four languages including American Sign
Language, and received two honorary doctorates from
two universities in the United States. Consequently, she
became the most highly decorated person with
intellectual disability in the world.
A. Write about three UAE athletes who participated in
the Special Olympics.
No matter how great the individual’s achievements are in his or her society, some goals
can be achieved only through group work. The following two texts provide striking
examples of the role of society in achieving goals that are in the common interest,
through voluntary action in the United Arab Emirates.
Text 1: Water is the Bedouin Dream:
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, (may God have mercy upon him), recognised
the importance of agriculture for the city of Al Ain. However, the
scarcity of water was a major obstacle, and he saw with his wisdom
that water should be available for everyone. In the past, fresh water
from the falaj system was divided by people that controlled it, and he
decided to give up the share of the ruling family. When people saw
what he had done, they were moved by his good deed. So, they decided
to follow his example so that water could be available for all and for
free. Then Sheikh Zayed gathered the tribesmen, and asked them to
help him dig new expansions of the falaj system, including Falaj Al
Sarooj, and to help maintain others, such as Falaj Al Mutaredh. This
falaj had remained intact since the days of his grandfather, Sheikh
Zayed bin Khalifa (may God have mercy upon him). People joined in,
and helped him complete the work, and water became freely available
for everyone. The aspirations of Sheikh Zayed were high, but the
resources were limited. Nevertheless, he spent his money repairing the
falaj system, buying water pumps and bringing in agricultural experts,
and Al Ain city grew and developed.
Text 2: A Campaign to Clean the Land
One afternoon in February 2012, crowds began to arrive at Al
Khatem from all over Abu Dhabi. This was in a response to a call
by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister
of Foreign Affairs. This gathering was a way for people to show
their belief in the importance of volunteering and their
commitment to community participation. His Highness launched
this campaign in order to raise awareness among the land-goers
of the importance of preserving the cleanliness of the
environment in the country. His Highness praised the great role
of the participants in the success of this campaign. As well as
instilling a culture of volunteering, the campaign highlighted
how to preserve a clean environment through voluntary
participation by cleaning the desert areas of waste left behind by
camping. Moreover, the campaign called for raising awareness of
the importance of preserving the UAE natural environment.
a. Analyse and compare the values and the motives
that led the residents of Al Ain to help Sheikh Zayed,
(may God have mercy upon him), to start digging in
the city; and those that prompted the people to
participate in a cleaning campaign.
Answers to Activity 5
The Afalaj in AlAin City
Values: Answering the head of the state call,
selflessness, respect, cooperation, generosity, sense
of community.
Motive: Need for water. Making water available to all
the people.
Clean up Campaign: Answering the head of the state
call, selflessness, cooperation, generosity, sense of
community., respect for the environment.
Motive: Environmental preservation; an opportunity
to establish friendship based on common interest.
Reflection (back of your book)
What are some small, everyday actions you
can take to contribute positively to your
family, school, and neighborhood?
