What are the rules of coexistence?

We explain what are the rules of coexistence and their characteristics. In addition, the rules in the classroom, at home and in the community.

1. What are the rules of coexistence?

The  rules of coexistence  are guidelines of protocol, respect and organization that govern space, time, goods and traffic between people who share a specific place and time.

They are basic rules of conduct that determine what is appropriate behavior in a specific place, to cohabit it peacefully with others.

In that sense, the rules of coexistence comprise a series of duties and mandatory rules, based on mutual respect , tolerance and the shared performance of duties.

For them to work, on the other hand, they must be known and understood by all those who wish to share the physical space in question , or be part of the social group that does so, and for that reason they are often contained in written texts : posters, brochures, ads, etc.

The rules of coexistence differ greatly from each other, depending on the place they govern and the culture that has formulated them. For that reason, for example, it is lawful to undress in the locker rooms of a gym, and not in the hall of an office building.

Or, also, it is lawful to sit next to a stranger at a bar, but not take up available space at your table without consulting him.

When these types of regulations, which have diverse cultural origins (pragmatic, social, religious, moral, etc.), are breached or violated on a recurring basis, the conflict and various forms of resolution of it are given rise: violence, Verbal coercion to comply with the norm, the expulsion of the disobedient individual from the place, etc.

2. Characteristics of the rules of coexistence

The rules of coexistence of a particular place must have the following characteristics:

• They must be learnable, communicable, understandable.
• They must be true, valid and with the least possible ambiguity possible.
• They must be mandatory and coercive: if they are not complied with, they must carry sanctions of some kind.
• They must be established in written, oral or customary manner (by the use of  custom ).
• They must be concrete, specific, punctual.
• They must be designed taking into account harmony and respect between people.

3. Rules of coexistence in the classroom

In a traditional classroom, the rules of coexistence usually revolve around:

• Keep the learning space clean and tidy, so as to make the time spent in it enjoyable.
• Respect peers and teachers, using the rules of the good listener and good speaker, among others, to ensure proper communication .
• Carefully use and use the classroom material, allowing others to use them too and that we all have the opportunity to fulfill our tasks.
• Each student must attend classes with their notebook or notebook, their writing pen and their purse or backpack. In institutes where there is a uniform code, they must also pay due respect to attend the classroom.
• When the teacher takes the floor, students should pay attention while being in their places and stopping any conversation they have at that time.
• Class interruptions must be respectful and motivated for reasons that cannot be postponed or prioritized.
• In the classroom violence is not allowed, nor are activities outside of school learning .

4. Rules of living together at home

The rules of each household are generally determined by the parents who support them economically and socially, and can vary greatly from each other. But usually they point to:

• Home maintenance tasks must be joint, and each family member must take responsibility for some of them during the week. Such assignment may be voluntary or by negotiation.
• The home is a place of harmony and conviviality, to which strangers should not be taken without permission, nor should improper activities of respect be given to other family members.
• The bathrooms must be used with awareness of the needs of the rest of the family in terms of time of occupation, cleaning and respect for the other personal hygiene implements.
• The rooms of each family member will be in charge of cleaning and ordering matters, and their privacy should be respected in return, as long as this does not contradict the other rules of coexistence .
• The use of common environments (living room) or television, radio, computers, etc. it must be done in a volume and for a time appropriate to the wishes of others.

5. Rules of coexistence in the community

Like the previous cases, each community can determine its rules of coexistence according to their needs, but generally point to the following:

• Respect for others is essential for living together. The dilemmas will be resolved in a mature and frontal way, together with the community if necessary.
• The volume of music, voice and other intimate activities should be moderated so as not to interrupt the peace of others.
• Each member of the community will be responsible for their actions and those of their children, and will give the face in case it becomes necessary to repair, replace or clean any community property.
• Each member will contribute common expenses responsibly, as if they were individual expenses.