peerthink.eu - Me not me

Name of the Input/ Method/Exercise	Me – Not Me
Time/Duration	30 – 60 minutes – depending on the group size and the number of items you ask for.
Target Group/Criteria for Access	Adolescents from the age of 14 years.
Material	Two flipchart papers with Me and Not Me
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge	To get to know each other To make visible people’s motivation to relate to a social group To make visible various affiliations of the group To make visible subordinate social positions
Skills	To be sensitive towards differences
Competencies	To recognise differences
Method Instruction	Have in mind you work with personal questions. Sometimes it can be difficult for participants to answer the questions. Thus, underline that everybody has the possibility to lie and create a nice, confident atmosphere
Step-by-Step Description	You as facilitator introduce the method to get to know and to pick group affiliations as a central theme. Signs with Me and Not Me are on each side of the room. Tell participants to go to each side of the room regarding the answer to the question. In the exercise the option ‘in between’ doesn’t exist. The participants have to decide between Me and Not Me! Inform the participants that after your questions there is the possibility to ask questions on their own later on. Mention that everyone has the possibility to lie, whenever they feel uncomfortable with a question. Read loud some questions, which participants can answer with Me and Not Me (see questions at the end). After each question, it is important to stay for a moment and take attention, who belongs to which group concerning the question. Different belongings to different groups regarding different reasons become visible. When the facilitator finished asking they open the round for the group to ask questions. Mention that the questions should be acceptable for the group. Don’t ask too many questions or it will be difficult to hold people’s attention. Questions for debriefing: How did you feel to be alone or in a small group on one side? How did you feel to be in a big group on one side? What did strike to you? What surprised you? If someone asked in the end of the exercise ask for how it was to ask question yourself? Did all questions have the equal significance for/in your life? Are there anymore affiliations which were (not) considered in the exercise and for which you feel a strong belonging? Can you explain, which affiliations? Why are these affiliations relevant to you? Are there any differences of your attributions to the societal classifications?
Frame Conditions (Room, Space)	The room should be big enough.
Applicability
group size	Group size can vary from 10 to 25 participants.
recommendation about point of time or process (e.g.“starter”)	The method can be used at the beginning of a seminar or project.
Framework/Related Methods	The method “As in real life” or the “Level field game” can follow further the process to work on different group identifications.
Possible difficulties group situation point of process
Comments and Experiences/Evaluation
Source/Author	Anti-Bias-Werkstatt (http://www.anti-bias-werkstatt.de/ )

Questions:

1.Are you the only child?
2.Do your parents still live together (or if some of them died, lived together)?
3.Who is still living in the city they were born in?
4.Who is speaking more than three languages?
5.Who has ridden a horse in their life?
6.Who is going into a chapel/to church?
7.Who has a German (Austrian etc.) passport?
8.Who has religious friends even though you are not religious or your Religion is different than the friend’s religion?
9.Who has kissed the impassionate man in their life?
10.Who has kissed the impassionate woman in their life?
11.Who is in love right now?
12.Who feels disabled in some way?
13.Who has been Class representative?
14.Who has lied in this exercise?
15.Who has working class parents?
16.Who knows quite a lot about any religion?
17.Who has really beaten somebody?
18.Who was really beaten up by somebody?
19.…

NOTE

1 Blickhäuser, Angelika / Bargen, Henning von (Hrsg.) (2006): Mehr Qualität durch Gender Kompetenz. Ein Wegweiser für Training und Beratung im Gender Mainstreaming. Königstein/Taunus.

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