Looking into prejudice
Aim:
To discuss different situations where prejudice is experienced.
You will need:
A copy of the different 'situations', a group of people.
Duration:
30 minutes
In a small group have a look at three of the 'prejudice situations'. You can read more than three, and choose those that inspire most conversation and discussion. The aim is to look at and discuss three situations. Your group can then feed back if you are meeting as part of a larger group.
Prejudice Situations (to print):
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Steven was hit in the face with a ball and, to everyone's surprise, he started to cry. The other guys then started to laugh. Jorge felt bad for him, but laughed along with the other guys.
Issues - Are 'weaker' or 'more sensitive' boys sometimes stigmatized or teased? How do you and your friends view boys who are very sensitive? Was peer pressure an influence in this situation? Have you ever shown prejudice, but after someone else has started it? -
In southern Portugal, some Moroccan students asked Patrick to join their group to do a science project. He thought that because their English wasn't very good they wouldn't do very well. He joined a different group but the group with the Moroccan students got the best mark.
Issues - Do we sometimes make assumptions about people's capabilities? Are we sometimes surprised when these impressions prove to be wrong? Can anyone think of any situations similar to this that they have experienced? -
Gabriel was a great dancer and his Physical Education teacher suggested he take up dancing seriously. Gabriel had already suffered some comments from friends about his love of dancing, as most of his friends played football. He convinced himself he would prefer to play football and gave up his dancing.
Issues - Are some activities viewed as more suitable for boys or girls? How is this issue treated in your family? In your school? Amongst your friends? How can this influence people's potential to achieve things? -
David's brother is suffering from an illness since he went off to university in the city. He has come back to his village for the holidays, where there is a lot of confusion around talk of "AIDS". People say it is caused by sex and some say that you get it from prostitutes. One boy walked past David in the market and said, "So your brother will not go back to the big city, you will bury him here".
Issues - What do you know about prejudice and HIV/AIDS? What are your own attitudes to or thoughts about people with HIV/AIDS? What do you think David's family would feel if they found out he had HIV? -
Denise fell on the sidewalk. Her ankle really hurt. A black woman stopped to help her up. "I'm a doctor," she said. "Sit on this bench and let me look at that." Denise didn't believe the woman was really a doctor and said, "No thanks. I'm fine." She limped away.
Issues - Do we have ideas about which people do certain jobs? Are some racial groups less represented in certain jobs in your country? If so, why is this? Is it important that there are equal employment opportunities for people of different ethnic groups? -
Ayse's family doesn't have much money and lives in another part of the city from Fatima. When Ayse invited Fatima for a party, Fatima didn't want to go. She assumed the place would be dirty and smelly and the food would be bad. The day after the party several of her friends came up to Fatima and told her how great the party was. They said that the house was really neat and nicely decorated and they had delicious food.
Issues - How do you think Fatima might have felt when her friends told her about the party? How do you think Fatima will now treat Ayse? Do people make assumptions about other people based on their level of wealth? -
On a wet day Alberto missed his bus to school but as he walked out of the end of his road a lady from the next village drove past. Mrs Di Vinci is 83 but still drives. Alberto has once or twice laughed with his friends about how she can still manage to drive. He thinks that she can't drive safely. He walks to school and arrives an hour late and wet from rain.
Issues - Was Alberto fair to think Mrs Di Vinci was a dangerous driver? How are the elderly viewed in your society? Do we sometimes make assumptions about people's ability based on their age? -
Bill has a young brother Ben, who invites a friend to his house after school. Bill is watching out for them as their parents have popped out. The friend, Gustavo, is of Native American origin. Bill notices that Ben keeps ordering his friend around. In one game Ben says, "Now you are the wild Red Indian and I'm going to catch you on my horse..."
Issues - What would you have done in Bill's position? Is it possible for young children to behave in a prejudiced way? How can help children to challenge their prejudices? -
Selma is having trouble in maths lessons but really wants to learn. She keeps asking for extra help, but her grades are not improving and the teacher doesn't explain in a way she understands. The teacher tells her it's alright because girls don't do well at maths and she will be able to focus on more appropriate subjects next year when she gets a choice to do more 'practical' subjects.
Issues - Is the teacher behaving in a prejudiced way? Is it prejudiced to say that girls and boys tend to be better at different things? Is it possible for prejudiced behaviour to influence people's achievements? -
Auditions are being held for the school musical. The teacher reads out the list of people who have won parts. Nadia's best friend Thandi has not got a part. She has a wonderful voice, but she is in a wheelchair. The musical will involve movement on stage but she can move around well in her wheelchair. Nadia knows that a girl who has got a part cannot sing nicely but is liked very much by the teacher.
Issues - Do you think the teacher was prejudiced against Thandi because of her disability? How could Nadia challenge the teacher? Do people sometimes think disabled people are no good at anything, just because they have a certain disability?