Understand a prejudice and make it go away

Eradicate prejudice at work, school and places where people meet: 


We are all surrounded by prejudices, attitudes and assumptions about groups of people. The prejudices assume something untrue or something unsubstantiated. Over time, the prejudices become widespread and remain unchallenged. Prejudices can be both negative and positive, such as:

'Sellers are quick to respond and lie so loudly.'
'Warehouse people are troublesome and inflexible.'
'Asian children are good at math.'
'Finnish people go with a knife.'

One way to eradicate prejudices is to talk about them. It sounds very simple, but it doesn't have to be. Following this article is a link to a dialogue exercise that any manager, teacher or trainer can use when there is a need to shed light on prejudice.

Imagine that all your participants talk to 1 other person for approx. 3 minutes about 1 question. It is called 'brief encounters'. First, one asks a question, which the other answers. Then the other ask a question, which the first answers. When this first meeting is over, the two exchange 'dialogue cards' and then both seek out a new conversation partner. Everyone continues like this for approx. 10 minutes.

After these many short meetings, you can summarize the exercise:

Ask: What did you experience? (then several people answer something along these lines: We asked some questions and we listened to some answers.)
Ask the same question again: What did you also experience? (Then there will be some more answers.)
Ask: What did you notice about the answers you heard?
Ask again: What did you also notice about the answers you heard?
Keep asking until you have enough answers, e.g. a completed Flipchart.
Ask: What have YOU learned about prejudice today?
Ask: What have WE learned about prejudice today?
Ask: What do we do when we hear a prejudice, a myth, an assumption in the future?
Ask again until you have something resembling an action plan.

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