What Should You Expect From This Lesson?

Lesson Objective: To explore the tension between demands of the community and individual freedom in the making of the self

How To Carry Out This Lesson At Home:

Step 1:
You are going to conduct some research on local communities. You can use interviews, photos, the local library, newspapers and community organisations to help in your research. Try to answer these questions:
Why do people live here?
Have people migrated here from other places or countries? Why?
What is the composition of the community population?

Step 2:
Now compare your findings about the local communities with that of the school and of Malta. (E.g. if in your research you found that there is a large number of immigrants in your local community, is there also a large number of immigrant students in the school you attend? Why do you think that this is/is not the case? Do you think that people’s reasons for living here changed over time? (e.g. if the community’s population composition has changed, why do you think that happened?)
What events and festivals do the community groups celebrate? Have these changed over time?

Step 3:

Make a list showing how the class and school community reflect the local community.

Concluding activity:
Maltese society is a multicultural and pluralistic one where diverse ethnic, religious, and moral communities live together and individuality is strong – which, therefore, requires strong mutual tolerance of difference among its members. Do you think that the community brings benefits only? What are your views on how the community may iinclude some people, those who are its members, and exclude others, those who are seen as non-members? Do you see any intolerance in your community? Towards whom? Why do you think this happens?