In What Ways Can Everyday Democratic Values and the Language Associated with Democracy Be Embedded in the Actions and Relationships of Individuals Involved in Work with Children and Young People?

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In what ways can everyday democratic values and the language associated with democracy be embedded in the actions and relationships of individuals involved in work with children and young people? Everyday democratic values are a shared set of principles, attitudes and beliefs that exist between people, communities, institutions and society. Democratic values are based on freedom of speech, respect for others diversity, the right to vote, equal rights for everyone, justice within the law, free education for all children regardless of their background and a welfare system that takes care of every child. The Demos model (the Think Tank and public research organisation)(K218 Learning 7, section 7.3) of everyday democracy was based on the empowerment of individuals being able to make decisions over their lives, feeling valued and respected, that they can be the narrators of their own story. This definition is not based on a particular system of voting, but how people feel about the society, and their place within it. Dewy (1939) views on democracy, suggest that the environment that we live in the culture in which we are raised determines who we are at an emotional and behavioural level, it is how an individual personally chooses to live their life. Living in a democracy should mean that we all live with the egalitarian views and principals that everyone is a participant in the decision making process. However within the democratic process there are divisive structures in society; such as class, ethnicity, disability, age and gender that does not allow individuals, young people and children to have the same power or autonomy to make informed choices about participating in the decisions that affect their everyday life. As practitioners it is important to use critical thinking and democratic language to reflect on personal values and beliefs that can influence and affect

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