Week 6-Wenger and Jean Lave (task 2)

Task 2

What Wenger means by 'organizational units' is that being part of an organization whereby there is a person who holds a higher status with everyone else. This is identified within the workplace, at school and in the home.

When it comes to comparing this to a community of practice I belive there are various differences. The main one being that there is not really someone who holds dominance. In realtion to something such as going to a dance school, it is evident that there is in fact someone who holds more power than others. That is the teacher, however, depeding on your age, that view changes.
I went to my dance school from the age of 6 through to 16, and I can say from experience that my views and relationship with my teacher changed. From a younger age, it was obvious that because she was older, she held the high status. However, when i got to the age of around 15, my teacher became more of a friend to me and someone i respected more than just as my teacher.

I think that these factors can affect how you see as people who hold power and status. Within an organizational unit, there is evidently someone who holds the power and is there to specifically keep people in their place and doing their job. In a community in practice however, it is difficult to put someone above someone else.

As Wenger said in the reading, there is evidence that there are people who will be better than you at something, however, he does not mention that these people hold more domianace and power. In a community of practice, you are able to have the freedom to do what you wish to a certain extent. In an organizational unit, i believe there are more serious rules and regulations you have no choice but to follow.

What does everyone else think??