Diversity Training

by Carolyn
(Grand Rapids, MI)

Question:

I am looking for an example of a game/exercise I could conduct with an all-white group of women to incorporate how it would feel to be a minority?


Specifically, to allow them to feel how a small girl, not familiar with a group of girls not from their culture, feels when incorporated within that group? I work with a faith-based girls group in a downtown church, and I am conducting a workshop with counselors in similar programs across the country.

I want to instill the feeling of being left out, scared, etc. and how through various measures we can help incorporate them with their peers.

Answer:

Great question Carolyn! One of the ways that I have used to help people empathise with other perspectives is to do the following set of exercises.

1. Tell the story on empathy that Steven Covey relates in his book 'Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' when he explains the 5th habit of empathy.


2. Show participants the old woman/young woman picture in the way that Covey describes it in his book. Use this activity to help them understand that it is tough to see another person's perspective, unless you 'seek first to understand'


3. Finally, make groups of three to five and give each one a situation to roleplay (for not more than five minutes). The situations should reflect actual events where minority girls have had to deal with different issues while in the process of integrating with group of girls from another culture. The first part of the role play shows the situation as it is, while the next part presents a method to set the situation right.