Some days ago, Demosfen started a discussion about maturity of teens. The question was related with sexual maturity. Now some other students are arguing about political maturity. In this blog concerned with sexual education, I should ask if sexual activity and political activity are 2 parts of the same process of human development and a teen gets prepared to heve sex at the same time she/he is prepared to vote.
Let's read the thinking of José, Carla, Inês M.and Ana Marta about political maturity:
« As requested by our Portuguese teacher, we are here to post regarding the right to vote at the age of 16. Vote at 16, yes or no? (Portugal) According to our laws, we are legally adults at the age of 18. An age that opens the door to the legislative vote, to take the driving license for light vehicles and to be able to work full time. However, we start to have duties with the society earlier, at the age of 16. Until we are 16 years old, our parents or guardians are responsible for our actions, but from there we are seen and treated as young adults by the society, having to obey rules established for those who are considered adults, this is, a person aged 18 years or over. At 16 we can integrate the active society, have our first job, discount for the social security, begin to take the motorcycle driving license, beyond other things. We can also think of marriage and constituting a family and in case we commit a serious crime we will be judged in the eyes of justice as adults and punished as if we were 18 years old. Is it fair that a 16 year old, who is "mature" enough to comply with certain requirements for the society, isn’t treated as an adult, and isn’t given the same rights as adults, particularly with regard to voting mandatory? If between 15/16 years we are "forced " to make choices about our future, namely whether or not we continue our educational background, what area should we follow, what profession/school we should choose... Why don’t they let us also choose the destination of the country?» Ana Marta Carla Teotónio José Freitas Inês Morais
Who agrees with them? What about sex at 16?
It seems to me that, like a lot of you have said in other comments, we cannot fix an age (16 y.o. or other) and say that after that everyone is prepared. It depends on each one's process of growing up and everyone has her/his own rithm. Of course, there are a lot of citizens that are not ready to vote at the age of 18 y.o., but society have to establish a border and it seems to me 18 y.o. is a reasonable one.
Maybe the situation is similar in what concerns to sexual intercourse. However, concerning sex, we are talking about something very intimate. So, I'm not saying that everyone shoud have sexual intercourse at 18 y.o. I'm saying that for those who want to start their sexual relationships, maybe this is a reasonable reference.
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7 comments:
In my opinion what they said are right beacause if with 16 y.o. we can work (discounting for the social security), we can drive motocicles, we can have sexual relationships and if we can marriage ( with the autorization of our parents or our guardians that are responsible for our actions, but the fact is taht WE CAN MARRIAGE) - everything like an adult with 18 y.o or more, Why we can't vote?! We are our country.
Eda Garcês 11A
It was very interesting to see this post, I must confess when I was 16 I didn’t stop to think about it. To vote at the age of 16? Well, I have to think a little more about it, but I must say I’ve seen strong “in favor” arguments :)
However, the question is “if sexual activity and political activity are 2 parts of the same process of human development?”, and really, I don’t think so. Sex is an intimate thing, as one said. If a 16 y.o. teen decides to have sex (or has it with no previous decision…), that only has consequences in his live, not in the whole community. To vote, however, is a decision that affects not only the one who votes, but an entire country. The right to vote is the ultimate power, and sometimes we don’t realize it - not even 40 years have passed since Portuguese people can vote freely, and it seems to me that somehow we’ve forgotten it…
To decide on a subject that only influences our life is not the same as to contribute to decide the future of a country; having sex is a matter of oneself and to vote is not. The maturity required to both acts is substantially different. This does not mean that I think that people shouldn’t vote at the age of 16, or even that after 18 everybody has maturity to express his vote, it only means that having maturity to decide one’s sexual life style does not imply having maturity to vote.
I think, mostly, what’s at stake here is a difference between emotional intelligence and intellectual intelligence. Obvious the first is not always achieved, not during a lifetime, but the “bad” decisions we do because of it only hurts us and maybe those around us.
It is wonderful to have Dulce thinking with us. I think your point of view really becomes richer our blog. I liked specially that diference you pointed out between emotional inteligence and intelectual inteligence. Anyway, I think it is too early voting at 16 y.o. because maturity comes slowly and today slower than in the past. Our childhood and teenage are longer nowadays and are more complexe: people have to have a better culture to be prepared to life in this complex world. So, teens can try to have responsability in school life. If they are good doing that, they are preparing themselves to have professional and political maturity when they have the right to vote. I think the problem in our society is not teens 16 and 17 y.o. having not the right to vote; the problem is people of 20, 30, 40... y.o. that are not prepared to vote. I agree with Dulce: to vote is a very important action; so we need to be really prepared; we need to read about politics so that we understand the diference between each proposal so that we can do a well informed choice. In fact, I can not understand my students who want to vote now (they are 16 y.o.), evem if in my lessons of political philosophy they seem do not know the diference between comunism, socialism and social-democracy. To have the right to vote everyone shoul have to prove he/she is prepared to do so. That is it: everyone should have to pass in a test of political knowledge :) Who agrees with me?
Well, now I see strong “against” arguments... Let’s just say I’m forming my opinion…
Now, answering to your question, I’m sorry, but must say that I don’t agree. Let me explain…
Yes, it’s obvious a great problem to see the majority of population completely aside from the political process. There are a group of people that just don’t care, without understanding that they own the power to change things. And then there are the others, the ones that say “well, politicians are one of a kind, it doesn’t matter if it’s one or another”. Either way, I think it’s not the best posture. However, measuring political knowledge in order to let people vote, in my belief, is going backwards. The right to vote, to have a voice, to say what one wants, is a human right; it shouldn’t be dependent of knowing specific things. Even a non literate person should have the right to speak. And history can tell us that is so; just look at how trade unions were born.
I understand your point of view, but I think the thing here is a problem of education, not evaluation. If we start doing test’s for everything that involves great responsibility, people surely have to pass a test in order to become mothers and fathers:)
How to solve the problem of education to citizenship? I think politicians should be concern in changing it, having other posture in political campaigns and assuming the power people gave them in respect. But we all can do our job... like you all are doing it with this blog; it’s really a good step and we must thank you for that. You've create a space where students can point out their concerns, either are sex issues or others like politics, and see the discussion around it. Little by little we can do big changes…
I agree with Dulce that emotional maturity and intellectual maturity are different states of personal development.
I also agree with Jorge that to have the right to vote everyone should have to prove he/she is prepared to do so.
Do students of Portugal vote for students' council in their school? Are they trained, in a way, into democratic procedures so that they develop critical thinking on their choices?
Yes, Maria. They vote for what we call Students Association that is an autonomous institution in the schools: students organize themselves in lists and have a period of enlightment of the other students to show themm that they should elect that list. Those who are elected have some responsabilities acording to each school internal regulations.
Internal regulations are mostly decided in School where students are also represented (it is the main institution inside the school and it is composed by teachers, other workers of schools, parents, local government representatives, representatives of
local economic/cultural activities.
So, I think students should participate intensively in this institutions and in comissions of youth of the political parties and in civic organizations. There they can test democratic decisions and argument skills, preparing for the time they have complete integration in society in what concerns to a political point of view.
In my opinion, sexual maturity and political maturity are linked. In both, we must take responsibility, but a different responsibility. The decision to vote is a decision that may cause consequences to the entire country, while the little sexual responsibility can lead to consequences for us and our family. however, both require reflection and feedback. To vote, I think there must be a minimum age, and the law should have that concern. to have sex, I think we need to pay attention to the development of the body and the precautions to information, and if we find that we are prepared, the decision lies with each one, and impose limits is complicated, because as the teacher said there are people from 40 years that they should not vote, and there may be new weight more who are ready to have sex.
Mariana Viola
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