Some people in our city

Preparations

Five or six large sheets of paper where the outline of a “person” is to be drawn. The sheets are to be posted on the wall in the classroom. “The persons” could be smiling to show that they are pleasant people.

Twenty-five to 30 post-it notes (4 or 5 for each “person”) on which a type of belonging, quality or interest is written (see the list below). Each “person” must end up with four or five notes attached.

Implementation

• The facilitator starts the activity by saying that according to human rights, all human beings are equal. Nobody is to be discriminated against. Diversity is good. We must all be allowed to be ourselves.
• The facilitator points to the five “persons” outlined on the large sheets of paper on the wall and says that these are pleasant people living in our city or district.
• The facilitator issues one, two or three post-it notes to each participant on which a type of belonging, quality or interest is written. The task of the participants is to attach these notes to a “person”. The participant cannot attach several notes on the same “person”. When a participant wants to put a note on a “person” who already has several notes attached, they must read these other notes before attaching their note. The attached notes must not be illogical and mutually excluding. For example, the “person” cannot be young and old. (If this still happens, the facilitator can remove any illogical notes and attach them to another “person” when afterwards they are talking about the “persons” in the plenary sessions).
• Allow the participants time to attach their notes to where they think they belong. This is an exciting phase. As the “persons” are assigned qualities, interests and a type of belonging, they are fleshed out and become clearer as people. When all the participants have attached their notes, they return to the circle and sit down.
• The facilitator asks about the process. Was the task difficult? What thoughts did they have when attaching the notes? Were they influenced by the notes already in place? How?
• The facilitator presents the “persons” by reading out the type of belonging, qualities and interests attached to each of them. It is important to present them in a positive way. If the group prefers, these “persons” can be given names. The facilitator concludes that the “persons” have much in common with and resemble many of the people in our city.

Reflection

• Facilitator: When we started I reminded you that according to Norwegian legislation and human rights, all human beings are equal and no one should be the victim of discrimination. But some people in society experience discrimination. Would any of the “persons” in our city be more prone to being discriminated against than others?
• How many of the qualities, types of belonging or interests of the “persons” did you attach importance to when answering the question? Would your answer have changed if we had attached additional notes to the “person”? Why? Why not?
• How do stigmatisation and prejudice contribute to discrimination?
• Can the media create or maintain stigmatisation, stereotypes and prejudice?
• Do the minority groups that are discriminated against change over time?
  - Can you suggest any examples where new knowledge and information have contributed to better living conditions for minority groups?[1]
  - Can external incidents or events influence which groups are discriminated against? Do you have any examples of this? [2]
• Have you learnt something from this?

Debriefing

All human beings are complex and unique individuals. The “persons” in our city only had four or five qualities, interests and types of belonging. However, the more we learn about them the clearer they become as people. Real people have hundreds, perhaps even thousands of qualities, interests and types of belonging.

Even though we are complex beings, there is often only one quality and type of belonging that comes into focus when someone is discriminated against. When only one “label” is in focus, the other qualities, interests and types of belonging attract less attention. This “overshadowing” by the one label may mean that we lose information and do not see the whole person as clearly. The person in question may then feel that this is unfair.

Stigmatisation and prejudice contribute to and maintain discrimination. Which groups are discriminated against varies from one community to the next and changes over time. We must all make the conscious decision to not discriminate. We should see and treat others that way we want others to see and treat us, as whole and complex persons.

Tips to the facilitator

• The “Some-people-in-our-city” activity is good to undertake before the group work on minority stress and the subsequent lecture. If the facilitator continues with this, they can state that the “persons” on the wall will be with them the whole day. Perhaps we will become better acquainted with them later?
• If the participants are to continue with the group work, including a lecture on minority stress, they will find that people can have “invisible” minority-backgroundidentities, which for example may be related to sexual orientation, ethnicity or being a refugee. One consequence of minority stress may be that some people may choose to hide these “invisible” qualities. If it fits – for example during the lecture when withdrawal and isolation are suggested as a consequence of minority stress – the facilitator can state that one of the “persons” in our city has a hidden identity. The facilitator may then attach a yellow note to the “person” which says gay, refugee or some other hidden identity.

[1] Gays are a group that due to raised awareness, better role models and more openness are doing better than previously. Even if the group generally is doing better, many still experience stigmatisation and prejudice.

[2] Here are two of many examples: After Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, Russians have been subjected to more stigmatisation and prejudice. This also applies to Jews after Israel’s war in Gaza, also in contravention of international law.