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Paradigms and Principles
Paradigms and Principles
Content
In youth work, understanding our paradigms and principles is essential for fostering empathy, inclusion, and personal growth. A paradigm is the lens through which we see and interpret the world — our personal “mental map.” As Stephen Covey explains:
“The word paradigm comes from the Greek. It was originally a scientific term, and is more commonly used today to mean a model, theory, perception, assumption, or frame of reference. In the more general sense, it’s the way we ‘see’ the world — not in terms of our visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving, understanding, and interpreting. We interpret everything we experience through these mental maps. We seldom question their accuracy; we’re usually even unaware that we have them. We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they really are or the way they should be.”
By exploring our own paradigms — through activities like the Power Flower or the Paradigm Shift exercises — we learn to recognize the labels, assumptions, and biases that shape how we view ourselves and others. This awareness helps to understand that everyone’s story and background influence how they perceive the world.
Principles, on the other hand, are the deeper truths that guide our behavior. When youth workers and young people help participants align their actions with principles such as respect, empathy, and integrity, they support authentic personal development and social understanding.
Recognising and challenging paradigms allows youth workers and young people to change perspectives, develop critical thinking, and build inclusive communities. In this way, paradigms and principles are not abstract ideas — they are tools for transformation, helping young people to see beyond stereotypes and act according to shared human values.
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The person who owns this badge…
...learned to recognise and question their own paradigms and assumptions about themselves and others,
...developed a deeper understanding of how principles can guide fair and respectful interactions,
...experienced how changing perspectives can foster empathy, inclusion, and personal growth within a group.
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Tasks
Task no.1
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
Reflect on today`s learnings:
- What paradigms (bias’s, assumptions) did you discover about yourself and others through the activities today?
- What principles do you identify that supports your work with young people?
- What connections to unleashing creative responses can paradigms and principles support?
Task no.2
Evidence verified by: one activity organiser
How can you use your learnings in your work with young people?
- How can you create safe spaces that encourage young people to explore and question their own paradigms and assumptions?
- What activities or discussions could help them recognise how personal experiences shape perception and behaviour?
- How can you support young people in identifying and acting according to shared principles such as respect, empathy, and integrity?
Organisers
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Awero not-for-profit organisation manages this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@awero.org.
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