People work individually to respond to images of people. They then compare their responses and reflect on the way they stereotype.
- Images
What first meets the eye can be very misleading.
Issues addressed
- Stereotyping
- How we make assumptions about people on the basis of very little real information
Aims
- To compare how people differ in their initial impressions of others
- To explore how our past experiences colour our first impressions
- To demonstrate how first impressions can be misleading and how our impressions affect our behaviour towards others
Preparation / Materials
- Search on the Internet for photos that show someone in context (see the illustration below). You need as many different photos as there are people in the group.
- Print out 2 copies of each image. Keep one copy in a folder, hidden, to be produced later in the activity.
- Keep the face of the person from the second copy and cut off anything that might give away other information (see example below). Stick the face at the top of a piece of A4 paper leaving plenty of space underneath.
- Pencils, one per person
Instructions
- Ask the participants to sit in a circle and hand out one sheet of paper to each person.
- Ask them to look at the picture and write down their first impression at the very bottom of the page.
- Then ask them to turn the bottom of the paper under / to the back, to hide what they have written, and to pass the sheet on to the next person.
- Tell the participants to look at this second picture and to write down their first impression, again at the bottom of the sheet, then to turn the bottom under to hide what they have written, and pass it on.
- Repeat until the all papers have been round the circle and everyone has seen each sheet.
- When everyone has their original first sheet back ask the participants to unfold the papers and compare the different “first impressions”.
- Now, produce the complete copies of the images and let the participants be surprised.
Debriefing and evaluation
- Did you enjoy this activity? Why? Why not?
- What sorts of things did people write as their “first impressions”? Facts? Feelings?
- How different or similar were the “first impressions” within the group?
- What surprises were there?
- What did people base their first impressions on? Past experiences? Guess work? Hopes?
- What surprises were there when you saw the whole picture? How did you feel?
- Describe and share instances when you have had a completely wrong first impression of someone. What happened as a result?
- How often do we make assumptions, not only about people, but also about events and information, without having “the whole picture”? What are the consequences?
- What does this activity reveal about ourselves and how aware are we of our biases?
- What can we do to be more aware of our biases so that we see the “whole” picture?
Tips for the facilitators
Before you start make sure everyone understands the instructions. It will be useful to demonstrate where players should write and how to fold the bottom of the paper under. They should write the first thing that comes into their head about this person; it might, for instance be “French student”, “happy”, “posh boy” or “big brother”. Remind participants that there are no right or wrong answers.
Keep the papers moving round fairly quickly; don't let participants think for too long. It's their first impressions you want.
Choose images that reflect your aims. For instance, if your focus is on general issues around stereotyping, then include a wide variety of people: those of different ages, ethnic groups, ability and disability, gender, and so on.
It can be challenging, but also fun, to find images that focus on a specific aspect of discrimination. For instance, if your focus is on gender equality, an example is suggested below. Be creative; the Internet is your friend! Google images is a good source. Avoid choosing pictures of famous people, celebrities or anyone familiar to the group.
This activity works well if you want to draw attention to how multiple factors may intersect in relation to discrimination and privilege. For instance, black and woman, white and male, or Muslim and disabled.
Be prepared for laughter and strong comments about what people wrote and the personal attitudes they reveal. Depending on the group size, comments may not always be anonymous. Do not let players criticise each other for their opinions but focus the discussion on the fact that we all hold different stereotypes for different reasons.
Variations
An alternative method if you have a large group is to make a Powerpoint presentation. First display each portrait in turn and ask participants to write their first impressions on a numbered slip of paper; collect the slips up after each round. Then re-run the presentation and read out the “first impressions”. Finally show the whole images.
Suggestions for follow-up
Take action: The group may like to make an exhibition of positive images of people belonging to groups normally discriminated against. For instance, the Roma artist Ceija Stojka, Natalia Partyka (disabled Polish table tennis player), Leo Varadkar (gay Irish politician), Greta Thunberg (teenage female climate-change activist).
Move on to another activity: Discuss introducing some new activities into your group or organisation to give you an opportunity to find out more about people who are different; for example, invite a speaker, show foreign films or have a cultural evening including music from other countries.
If you enjoy working with pictures, then ‘Portraits’ will give you a chance to take a look at positive images of people belonging to marginalised groups. If you want to work with images that we have of people from different countries, try ‘Antonio and Ali’.
