Exercise 6.1
Below the Surface
Take the subject of the last book or news article you read and think of its systematic aspects. Are there objectives? Rules? Procedures? Resources? Conflict? Skills to be learned? Make a list of the systematic elements of the subject or activity. Do this several times per week with different types of activities or hobbies.
Coronavirus COVID-19
Player role: You are the government.
Objectives: Control movement of people to restrict spread of the virus.
Rules: Governments can restrict travel of population to minimize spread of virus. Governments can impose quarantines and curfews, but cannot imprison members of their population or place them under house arrest. Borders can be closed and travel within the country can be restricted.
Procedures: (Turn based) Build hospitals. Deliver tests. Impose curfews. Impose quarantine. Restrict travel within country. Close borders.
Resources: Hospitals, healthcare professionals, tests, police.
Conflict: Governments must control their population but be careful not impose restrictions that affect the economy or the well being and happiness of their people. Governments must ensure virus does not continue to spread amongst the population or spread to another country and population.
Skills to be learned: Balance between control and restrictions, virus transmission rates, virus death rates, overall happiness and well being of population, and economic effects.
Teacher Strikes in Ontario
Player role: You are a teacher.
Objectives: Negotiate demands and settle the strike: pay increase, cap on class sizes, funding for special education students, maintain role of seniority in hiring practices
Rules: Job action and strikes must be announced 5 days in advance. Strike walkouts can only occur one day a week.
Procedures: Organize teachers. Negotiate demands. Announce job action or strike. Strike.
Resources: Public opinion. Stamina of teachers.
Conflict: Use job actions and strikes to pressure government into agreeing to demands, but balance these actions carefully to preserve positive public opinion and stamina.
Skills to be learned: Strategy for balancing objectives and resources.
Wet’suwet’en's Pipeline Protests
Player role: You are part of the Government Officials.
Objectives: Negotiate demands and to keep public disruptions to a minimum. The first nations have been protesting and blocking major commuting routes including BC ferry, bridges and intersections. How do the government respect the first nation’s demands while maintaining the flow of the city?
Rules: Governments can apply for any injunction once a week. Once approved, they are allowed to arrest anybody that breaks the law.
Procedures/Conflict: The government has to end with a pipeline deal that is both environmental and profitable. While this is going on, the first nations will continue to protest affecting the commute of people. The public will also have a tolerance meter. Every time the public is inconvenienced, they lose a little patience and will risk the chance of a protest against the protest.
Resources: The public opinions, government officials, representatives from the first nations’ chief.
Skills to be learned: A strategy game that uses negotiation skills and management skills to fulfill everyone’s needs. Problem solving skills and time management skills.