Article #10

          This article was found in Educational Studies 2002. The article looked at respect amongst three groups. The first group was comprised of all the people at a particular family center in England. The second group was a project group of young individuals who all had some criminal involvement activity. The third group was mostly professionals of various backgrounds and ethnicities. The author or researcher was attempting to understand the concept of respect and what is meant to various peoples. From an educational standpoint I think the author was trying to determine better ways to interact with young adolescents.

            Three groups were interviewed extensively. If interviewees did not want to participate verbally they had the opportunity to participate via surveys and written questions. The researcher/author was attempting to understand respect and what it meant to people in different situations.

            Two distinct interpretations were determined. Respect for some meant proper recognition due to a particular social standing; teacher student. The other meaning was based on regard and attention. The family centre afforded students, workers and staffs a mutually respectful environment. Everyone was on a first name basis, and people’s views and opinions were valued. This was determined via interviews. The pilot project participants looked at the acrimonious relationships developed at school for most of the participants. The participants implied teachers employed power techniques and demanded respect. The third group identified various manners respect was afforded adults.

            It was apparent respect meant something different for a lot of people. When dealing with adolescents, it became apparent that less formal was better. Listening and paying attention was achieved easier in situations that afforded adolescents mutual standing. The project center had success because formalities and titles were not used. This informal atmosphere lent itself to a positive social environment for all the participants.

            This was an interesting study. Having worked at a school that employs a first name rule for all students, faculty, administration and staff, I could see the benefits of teacher student interaction on a regular basis. Students loved saying hello in the halls, on the fields and in class. Whether this is a direct result of using first names I don’t know, but parts of this study would confirm that some young adolescents thought it was valuable and afforded them equal status or mutual respect. The question remains though is respect something that is earned or afforded. I’m a fan of affording it until it isn’t warranted.

Jones, H. F. (2002). Respecting Respect: exploring a great deal. Educational Studies (03055698), 28(4), 341-352. doi:10.1080/0305569022000042381