The human rights issue I have decided to explore as part of my facilitation experience is Right to Vote and general matters associated with it. My decision was greatly influenced by many factors. One of whom was the debate taking place in the country of my origin - Poland - regarding the voting rights of citizens who have left their country. This debate revolves around questions about the meaning of the right to vote for someone who does not live in their country of origin. The lack of knowledge about current events in the country is undermined, the fact that such people do not pay taxes and often simply selfishness is emphasized.
I've been living in Ireland for over twenty years, so naturally I also wanted to know what problems Irish people face when it comes to the right to vote. What is and what was the situation in Ireland in relation the right to vote for Irish citizens who left the country?
The subject of voting is a part of democracy, election, and political structure of the state module in junior cycle. Apart from that aspect, right to vote have always been very complex phenomenon, it`s also very up to date. It is a collection of social, economic, political, and also environmental aspects.
Another factor was the need for deeper scientific knowledge: The topic of voting right and its impact on society not only gives me a chance to deepen my knowledge of the subject, but also to understand this issue by conducting my own research and analysing existing data.
Why do I think voting rights are important?
Having analysed the history of electoral rights, I realised how crucial they are to democracy, because they allow citizens to express their opinions and influence state policymaking. With voting rights, citizens have a say in the election of their representatives, who make decisions on their behalf. It can even be said that the right to vote is the beginning of the creation of more laws. Because the outcome of the election will determine who will make the law and whose interests it will be represented. The right to vote is a form of participation of the people in the exercise of state power. The question of the sovereignty of the people is connected precisely with the electoral act. Firstly, by way of a one-off authoritative decision - certain organs of the state are appointed by the public - and secondly, by electing specific people, we decide to implement a specific political programme. My understanding is that voters indirectly shape state policy. By conducting this lesson, I would be easily able to talk about democracy, dictatorship, and political structure of the state. It`s also an opportunity to make young people aware that democracy, contrary to appearances, is not something given once and for all.
Theories related to voting.
Political and sociological theories are an important topic in the context of the right to vote. Many of these theories focus on the study of social phenomena, including the study of political and electoral systems. Some of these theories attempt to answer questions about why political power is controlled by a small group of people. Which people have a say in decision-making processes. Within this theory, the right to vote is seen as a tool that enables people to choose their leaders but does not affect the actual decisions made by those in power.
Much of what we know about voting, and social behaviour, has emerged from various sociological theories. Students of sociology and political science usually spend a lot of time studying them. These theories have contributed greatly to our understanding of society, relationships, and social behaviour.
One of the most important political philosophers – who would have been used by me - was John Locke, whose work influenced the development of liberal democracy. In his book Second Treatise on Government (Locke, 1690) Locke argued that political power should come from the people, not from God or the king. He was emphasizing the fact that man, creating a society for the realization of his goals, became its highest value. He pointed out the following principles of the civil state: the individual was the only source of political power, and this power was limited by the natural rights of individuals. The consent of individuals was only a criterion for the political legitimacy of the power exercised over them. Membership in the political structure was voluntary. Locke argued that every human being has a natural right to liberty, property, and life, and that the government should protect those rights. Locke believed that government should be elected by the people who had the right to vote, rather than being hereditary or based on religion. Locke was one of the first theorists to argue that government should be constrained by the Constitution and civil rights. (www.youtube.com, 2008)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau was another important theoretician in the field of social structure. His theory was based on the concept of a social contract in which people voluntarily cede their rights to the state in exchange for protection and security. In his book The Social Contract, Rousseau argued that state power should come from the people, not from the monarchy or aristocracy. In his theory, Rousseau believed that every citizen should have the right to vote and influence governments, and that power should be divided among the different branches of government to prevent abuses of power. (Rousseau, 1760)
There are, of course, many more theories that can be alluded to, such as pluralist theory, which assumes that political power is dispersed among various groups and organizations that influence electoral processes and make political decisions. This theory has its roots in the idea of individual freedom and the preservation of the equality of all citizens in a diverse democratic society. The system of pluralistic democracy assumes that society is a whole composed of individuals and social groups that pursue their own interests. (C. Wright Mills, 1965)
Conflict theory on the other hand emphasizes the role of coercion and power in the creation of social order. This perspective derives from the work of Karl Marx, who saw society as divided into groups that compete for social and economic resources. The social order is maintained by domination, and power is in the hands of those with the greatest political, economic, and social resources.
Representation of the People Act, 1918
In 1918, as a result of the passage of the People's Representation Act, all women in Britain were granted the right to vote, but only those who were over 30 years of age and were property owners or wives of property owners. In Ireland, women were granted limited voting rights in the same year and fulfilling the same conditions. In 1922, women in Ireland gained equal voting rights when the Irish Free State broke away from the United Kingdom.
In my opinion, the ideal topic for secondary school students in the context of voting rights is the above-mentioned piece of legislation. Women's suffrage is important for many reasons. Above all, they ensure equal civil rights for women and allow them to express their views on political issues. This allows women to influence the decisions made by governments and can work for the changes they consider important. Women's suffrage is also important because it helps fight discrimination and gender inequality. When women have a voice, their perspectives and needs are more represented in the decision-making process. In this way, women's suffrage contributes to a fairer and more equal society. However, it should also be noted that the rights granted to women do not mean that there are no longer any problems related to women's rights in general. First, there is still a large disparity between the numbers of male and female politicians, and there is still the problem of gender discrimination. In addition, it sometimes feels that when women sit in positions of political decision-making, their opinions are ignored or disregarded by other politicians.
Another reason is that it fits into the feminist theory which is one of the main contemporary sociological theories that analyses the status of women and men in society to use this knowledge for a better life for women. Feminist theory primarily focuses on giving women a voice and highlighting the different ways in which women have contributed to society.
Discussion in the class
I also wondered what other issues I could raise in the class debate. I think it could be a question of giving immigrants the right to vote. The introduction of voting rights for "non-citizens" at the local level is always an extremely important issue politically and publicly, as it touches on such important topics as state sovereignty, national identity, the importance of citizenship, attitude towards foreigners and immigration or tolerance for other cultures. Here, in the form of a digression, I have considered a hint of nationalism that might appear in the next lesson. I could only mention Anthony Kwame Appiah, a philosopher and professor of ethics who studies issues of identity and culture. I could mention the book "The Ethics of Identity" where Appiah argues that identity is more complex than simply nationality, and that people should be free to choose their identity rather than being limited by nationality or culture.
Another important issue that is de facto being discussed in the political space is the issue of granting voting rights to overseas Irish citizens. This is an issue that I am watching carefully because, as I mentioned at the beginning, Poland is trying to do exactly the opposite.
What was I trying to achieve?
The predominant aim of this study was to prepare myself for the role of someone who would be able to conduct lessons in the above topic, as well as issues related to democracy, dictatorship, equality before the law. These are all very important matters, as nowadays it is believed that democracy is in some sense self-evident, that it is eternal and that it cannot be lost. Examples from history, on the other hand, show something different.
At this point, it is worth mentioning that for me the most learning happened when, I was thinking about the role of the politics and society teacher in shaping electoral awareness. Since the role of a political science teacher is closely linked to the changes in social life for which he prepares his pupils. On the one hand, this role is the result of processes taking place in society, and on the other hand, it is their causative factor. A political science teacher faces certain paradoxes in his work. On the one hand, its task is to equip the pupil with knowledge, and on the other hand, it must ensure that the pupil becomes independent so that he or she has his or her own views on the world. It is also becoming more and more difficult to keep the student interested and engaged, because they have access to knowledge in an interesting form outside the school walls. Therefore, the primary task of a teacher is to prepare the rising generations for work and life in society. Teachers act as a person who directs and organises the process of education and teaching at school, as a guardian of children and young people, as a social activist in the local community, in its organisations and institutions.
After such a lesson, students should be familiar with the principles adopted in a democratic society. They should understand the concept of democracy, equality, participation in the public life of the country. My main goal in the context of the lesson is for students to be able to submit their own ideas and to be able to plan tasks. And, that they are able to work as a team.
References
C. Wright Mills, A. W. (1965). The Power Elite. Tantor Audio.
Locke, J. (1690). Second Treatise of Government. Oxford: OUP Oxford; 1st edition (2 Jun. 2016).
Rousseau, J.-J. (1760). social contract. BrightSummaries.com.
www.youtube.com. (2008). Retrieved from Constitutional Government: Locke's Second Treatise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JXgPDgXJC0