Living up to stereotypes
Aim:
To begin to understand stereotypes and how they affect our behaviour.
You will need:
A group of people, a pen and stickers (or paper and sticking tape), a game to play e.g. building blocks (optional).
Duration:
20 minutes
The group leader should write the following words onto stickers (or pieces of paper that can be taped on) then put a sticker on the back of each person in the group - so that the individual cannot see their own sticker, but everyone else can.
- Bossy
- Clumsy
- Lazy
- Witty
- Vain
- Careful
- Shy
- Noisy
- Clever
- Worried
- Helpful
- Shy
(make up more labels if they are needed, or repeat some).
You should then start a practical activity together - for example building a house out of toy bricks, playing a game of 'Jenga' or 'Pick-up-sticks'. If you do not have a game, you could carry out an activity such as moving some chairs and tables, tidying up the room etc. The idea is that as you undertake the task people in the group treat other according to their label (without saying exactly what the label says). For example to someone with 'shy' - say 'are you ok, I know you don't like asking for a go'. To someone who is clumsy say 'be careful you don't knock it over, I know what you're like'.
At the end the players may guess what their own label said. Discuss how each person felt. Was it difficult to treat people according to their labels? Did anyone begin to act like their label? Is it possible that people live up to their labels in real life, by behaving in the way people expect them too? For example if the teacher always tells a school child that they are 'naughty', will they continue to be more naughty?
Discuss what the word 'stereotype' means. A stereotype is an oversimplified statement based on a single characteristic. For example, the statement "All men hate to cook" expresses a stereotype. Prejudice is to pre-judge or to form an opinion (usually negative) about someone or something before all the facts are known. "John can't cook - he's a man!" is an example of prejudice. Although we all use stereotypes at times, we should find ways to challenge them.