Reflect: One idea for a game that our group discussed was intended to stop people from making assumptions about others based on one aspect of their identity.
The setup: Volunteers would hang out on the main mall wearing shirts that labeled them with a variety of identities that are frequently stigmatized by society. For example, one person might wear a shirt that says "single mother" while another says "convict". There would be a table in the west mall where we would encourage passerby to go up to our volunteers and have a conversation with them.
The rules: People are supposed to talk with the volunteers about their lives and then ask them to walk to our table with them. If the volunteer feels that the person was genuinely interested in learning more about them then they can both walk together to our table where the person who struck up the conversation will tell us five things that they learned about the volunteer (not including the fact that they are a <insert identity label here>).
The reward: As a reward for their respect for others and their kindness towards a stranger, participants will receive a delicious slice of pizza!
Although this game may not come to fruition I think it is worthwhile enough for us to all try and play it in some way in our everyday lives. We may not be rewarded with pizza, but spreading kindness and understanding amongst our peers should be a reward in and of itself.
I loved this idea you came up with for our group. It was a perfect way to turn the incredibly offensive YCT game into something beneficial and rewarding.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great way to confront the very negative attitudes and behaviors which seem all too commonplace on our campus. Thank you for saying that this is something we can already be doing in our everyday activities. I think you're right; it's worth a lot more than a slice of delicious pizza. Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteComment 17: I really enjoyed coming up with games in class! It was a lot harder to come up with creative games that helped get your point across than I thought it would be. Your group's game was a great idea! I think it could really make an impact.
ReplyDelete