In this activity, participants work first individually and then in small groups to share their preferences about who to sit next to on a train or bus.

None of us is prejudiced but...
 

Issues addressed

• Stereotyping unknown people
• Prejudice and limits of tolerance

Aims

• To challenge participants’ stereotypes and prejudices about strangers
• To raise self-awareness about the limits of tolerance
• To confront participants’ biases

Preparation / Materials

• Copies of the activity sheet and a pencil per participant.

Instructions

1. Give a copy of the activity sheet to each participant.
2. Briefly describe the scenario and tell them to read the descriptions of the people travelling on the train.
3. Now ask each person to choose individually the three people they would prefer to sit next to, and three they would avoid sitting next to.
4. Once everybody has made their individual choices, ask them to form groups of four or five, and to share their individual choices and the reasons for those choices.
5. Ask participants, still in their groups, to compare their choices and reasons, and to check where there are similarities and differences.
6. Each group should then come up with two lists, each of three of the people travelling on the train (the three plusses, and the three minuses). These lists should be mutually agreed on.
7. In plenary, ask each group to present their conclusions, including the reasons for their common choices. They should also say in which instances there was most disagreement within the group.

Debriefing and evaluation

• Did you enjoy the activity? Why? Why not?
• What factors influenced your individual decisions at the start of the activity? Were there some that were common to everyone?
• When you shared and discussed your lists in the small groups, did you change your opinion of any of the characters? How and why?
• Did the small groups manage to reach a consensus? Why / why not? What was difficult about the process?
• How realistic are the characters on the list?
• Which stereotypes do the list of passengers evoke? Are the stereotypes realistic or are they in our minds and imagination? Where do we get these images from?
• How would you feel if somebody getting onto the train intentionally rejected an empty seat next to you?
• Has this activity revealed any unconscious biases you have? What are they?
• Next time you get onto a train or bus, would it be interesting to choose consciously to sit next to someone you would normally avoid? Why? What might you learn about the other person and yourself?

Tips for the facilitators

Feel free to adapt the activity to meet the needs and experiences of the participants. For instance, the journey could be going home from school or from work on a bus, you can reduce the number of people on the list, or you could change the characters to focus on stereotypes of a particular minority.

In many cases the groups will not manage to come up with two lists they all agree on. Do not emphasise this aspect of the activity, especially as it may lead to a false consensus; the purpose is to the highlight diversity of beliefs and opinions about prejudice.

It is important that everyone respects each other’s opinions and that no-one is attacked for their personal views. If some choices seem doubtful, discussing the reasons behind the decisions will hopefully be enlightening. Also, beware not to let the discussion develop into “Who is the least prejudiced?” but rather work on the fact that we all have prejudices and biases, even though we may think we don’t.

It is also important to discuss and explore the fact that the descriptions of the passengers are very brief, and that we know little about their personalities or backgrounds. Yet isn't that usually the case, and how we normally react to information in newspapers and television, and in conversations or when meeting people for the first time?

Variations

1. Run the activity as described above and round off after the discussion by sticking pictures of the various individuals on the walls, and asking participants to try to match the pictures with the descriptions on the list. End with a brief review of participants’ reactions and reflections. You can find pictures by searching with key words on google images.
2. You could use pictures of the various individuals instead of written descriptions. Find pictures by searching on google images.

Suggestions for follow-up

Take action: Next time you get onto a train or bus, make a conscious decision to choose to sit next to someone you would normally not sit next to.

Move on to another activity: ‘First impressions’ or ‘What do you see?’ will give you further opportunities to explore stereotyping. Alternatively, ask yourselves questions about what you really know about what it is like to be a refugee or an immigrant, and face prejudice and discrimination using the activity ‘The Refugee’.