PREPARATION

PREPARATION #2

THE DOMINANT CULTURE GAME

A simulation game exploring

dominant cultural assumptions

(1 ½ hours)

Materials needed:

· A soft or rubber ball

· Questionnaire (included)

· Diversity Trait cards (included)

· Pens or pencils

· Scratch paper or Spiritual Life Journals

Step 1: Gathering the cards

Figure out how many people are in your group and sort out that number of cards. If you have a smaller group than the number of cards, try to go through and get a variety of traits, e.g. one physical ability trait, one age trait, one family configuration trait, one language trait, one sexual orientation trait etc. If you group is bigger than the number of cards, simply duplicate some of the cards.

Step 2: Becoming characters

Tell the group that you will be doing a game to help people understand the assumptions that are made in our larger culture about who people are. You can read them the introduction to help them understand what you mean. Then give each member in the group a diversity card with a trait on it. Tell them that for the next couple of activities they need to come up with a new name for themselves and do everything as if they were a person with that trait. You will have people in the group who already have some of the traits on the cards (whether you know it or not). Tell them that if they get a card with a trait they already have, they have the option of getting another card so they can experience someone else’s trait.

Step 3: The Questionnaire

Give each member of the group a pen or pencil and the questionnaire. Invite them to fill out the questions in the top large box of the questionnaire as their fictitious characters would. Then invite them to go around the room and find other people who, as their fictitious characters, fit the categories in the bottom box of the questionnaire. Allow 10-15 minutes for this exercise. Many people in the group will not be able to complete all the boxes, and a few will not be able to complete any of it – let this exercise go on long enough for everyone to get a little frustrated, but not too crazy.

Step 4: The name game

Tell them that they are still in character for the next activity. Tell them that even though everyone is not finished with the questionnaire, you are moving on to a name game. Have them put their papers and pencils down and get into a circle. Explain that you will bounce or throw the ball to someone in the circle while saying your name. They then bounce or throw the ball to someone else while saying their own name. This continues until everyone has had the ball bounced or thrown to him or her. The last person then bounces or throws the ball back to you while saying their own name. This will obviously be very frustrating for some people, especially those who do not hear or speak English etc.

Step 5: Processing the activity

1. Tell everyone they are now back to being themselves. Have them go around the circle and share what their card said with each other.

2. Now invite them to write or draw on a piece of paper or in their Spiritual Life Journals their reflections on this activity and the following questions;

· What did you think when you received your card?

· Were there questions on the questionnaire that were hard or uncomfortable to answer in your character?

· Did you notice if there were questions that would be hard or uncomfortable for other people to answer?

· What was it like playing the name game? Who seemed to have difficulty with it and why?

· Can you think of other situations in life that would be hard or uncomfortable if you lived with your trait?

· Can you think of other situations in life that would be hard or uncomfortable for people with some of the other traits?

· Are there assumptions that the larger culture makes about people, which might not be true for everyone?

· How could society at large change, to become more accepting of people with your trait or any of the traits in this game?

· What did you learn about the assumptions you make about people?

3. Go around the circle and have them share their reflections. Ask if anyone who actually has some of the traits on the cards is willing to share their personal experience with navigating in our larger culture. Allow people to pass who don’t wish to share their reflections with the group. When everyone has had a chance to speak about the game or their actual experience, open it up for general discussion.

4. Close with a prayer celebrating diversity and asking God to help us work to support diversity in our world.

Deepening Faith: Youth Ministry Resources and Some Miscellaneous Advice

Rev. Lizann Bassham, Front Porch Spirit Press

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DOMINATE CULTURE GAME

QUESTIONNAIRE

PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOURSELF

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

WHAT ARE YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER'S NAMES?

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE DOING IN 20 YEARS?

WHAT KIND OF CHRISTMAS TREE DID YOU HAVE LAST YEAR?

IS THERE ANYTHING IN YOUR GENETIC BACKGROUND THAT COULD AFFECT YOUR HEALTH?

WHAT SPORTS ARE YOU BEST AT?

BOYFRIEND'S NAME (IF YOU ARE A GIRL)?

GIRLFRIEND'S NAME (IF YOU ARE A BOY)?

FIND EIGHT DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM WHO CAN DO ONE OF THESE EIGHT THINGS (YOU MUST ASK THE QUESTION AND HAVE THEM WRITE THEIR NAME IN IF THEY CAN DO IT)

CAN RUN A SIX MINUTE MILE

SINGS IN A CHURCH CHOIR

CAN RECITE THE LORD'S PRAYER

CAN PLAY CHESS

CAN WHISTLE

WATCHES AT LEAST FOUR HOURS OF TV A WEEK

LIKE THE SAME MUSIC AS ME

CAN GET MARRIED IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA