Interacting with People who are Different than Us: Optional start: polleverywhere polls Interacting with People who are Different than Us: Why it’s so hard, and what to do about it The Center for Global Studies

What is discrimination? What are some examples of discrimination? Depending on your start of class routine, this can be done as a writing prompt, think-pair-share, or whole class discussion.

Discrimination: Unfairly treating one person or group of people different than someone else.

Other Examples? Draw students attention to the fact that some of these examples are not “traditional” things we immediately think of as discrimination like the people making fun of someone who is fat or being told you can’t play because you’re a kid. Prompr them again to see if they think of any other examples.

Why do We Do That? Our Brains Our Culture

What's Wrong With His Thinking? For these examples, have students think-pair-share and then discuss the answers as a class.

Another example that could be given for actor-observer bias is: if you fail a test, you blame the teacher for asking impossible questions, your soccer coach for keeping you after practice too long so you couldn't study, or your little sister for not leaving you alone while you were trying to study. However, if you see someone else fail a test, you assume: it's their fault, they're just dumb.  Actor-Observer Bias If we do something: it's NOT our fault, it's our CIRCUMSTANCES. If someone else does something: it is THEIR FAULT, it's because of WHO THEY ARE. Source: http://psychology.about.com/od/aindex/g/actor-observer.htm

What's Wrong With Her Thinking? Think-pair-share and discuss the question as a class.

The teacher can also connect this to pop culture with the example of Justin Bieber. When you see a celebrity or a product more often, the more you will like it. This is why certain celebrities like Justin Bieber may have such die hard fans: the more they are exposed to their music and their image, the more they like them.  Mere-exposure Effect People like other people or things better if they're FAMILIAR Makes "foreign" cultures uncomfortable and new behaviors seem strange

What's Wrong With This Statement?

Outgroup Homogeneity Bias Remind students that the idea of diversity goes far deeper than the idea of looks. You could remark upon the idea that all people from a rival school are rich (or poor, or country, etc.), the idea that all teachers were A students, etc. Be careful in giving examples from cultural groups. If you want to do that, make sure you stress that these ideas are NOT TRUE. Outgroup Homogeneity Bias You assume that the group of people you belong to are DIVERSE You assume that other groups of people are ALL THE SAME or homogeneous. We compare ourselves with other people groups and assume WE ARE BETTER Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out-group_homogeneity_bias

What’s wrong with this girl’s view of her blog? Think-pair-share and discuss this question as a class.

You could give the example of only remembering the one negative report card comment instead of the positive ones. To connect to other cultures, you could discuss the amount of negative news stories we see about other cultures in media, and how we lose the positive amongst the negative. Negativity Bias We pay more attention to negative information than positive information So, if we learn something negative about a country, we will remember it MORE than anything positive we learn.

Why is the cop wrong? Think-pair-share and discuss this question as a class.

You could give an example of ignoring an example of a person who doesn’t fit your stereotype (ex: a white guy who hates grilling, somebody from your rival school who is really nice, etc.) Confirmation Bias We pay attention to information that confirms what we already believe We IGNORE what contradicts what we already believe. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

Which fish is right? Think-pair-share and discuss as a class

Just-world phenomenon For example the idea that people in poverty are struggling because they didn’t work hard is an example of just work phenomenon, because there are many factors that influence poverty (ex: accident or illness, natural disasters, lack of availability of education, etc.) Just-world phenomenon Idea that “the world is just” Think that “people get what they deserve” Often, people’s struggles are NOT THEIR FAULT

Our brains make it hard to not discriminate, and our culture doesn’t help either

Is it true? Think-pair-share and discuss as a class

American Exceptionalism Acknowledge some of the real differences between the US and some nations, but that the problem with American Excpetionalism is the idea that we’re always better than everyone else. American Exceptionalism The Theory that the US is different than other nations Gives us the idea that we’re better than everyone else Other countries are proud of themselves too

Can give examples here. For example, the idea that wars in the Middle East are because Middle Easterns are angry people. Or that people in Africa are wild, so their instabilities are their fault. Culturalism The idea that the problems of other cultures are the fault of their people Does not recognize that politics may be at fault. Does not recognize that societal structures may be at fault

To Sum it all up . . . Prejudice – pre-judge someone before you get to know them When your stereotypes and beliefs about a group of people become INFLEXIBLE Be sure and read the comment below the picture if it’s too small for your students to see.

How we CAN respond: Empathy

Another way of clarifying what empathy is Another way of clarifying what empathy is. Based on your students and the time that’s left in the period, you can briefly discuss the ideas of empathy are sympathy. Ask them what they’ve typically done when relating to people who are struggling: shown empathy or sympathy. Connect to thinking about other countries, particularly in the Third World. For example, if you show sympathy, you feel sorry for them and look down on them but don’t view them as individual people with gifts and talents that could benefit the world.

YOUR TASK: Read “Diary of a Teenage Refugee” Write a letter to Amiri How can you show empathy?