Archie BunkerÕs Neighborhood Activity

 

Kyle D. Hornickel

Professional School Counseling Program

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Interning 2001-2002

Elementary Site:  Waseca Central Intermediate School.

High School Site:  New Richland (NRHEG) High School.

 

Description of the Lesson

The main goal of this activity is to Òcreate a community.Ó  The actual purpose of the activity is to educate individuals about stereotypes and learn how they are damaging to others.  However, the facilitator should not explain the purpose until the end of the activity.  When discussion takes place, most likely the topic will come up on its own. 

 

This works best when the facilitator has at least 2 or 3 other teachers, administrators, or helpers to participate in the activity (there will be different roles talked about later that need to be filled by Òoutside participantsÓ who know that their roles are and what they need to do).  As the attendees come into the room, you give them an index card and direct them to their appropriate areas.  The participants are assigned an identification tag with a label.  Each group will go to their place in the room (pre-taped areas for each group).  In these areas there will be a number of supplies that will later be listed.  Each group will have a price list, a certain amount of money, paper, and markers.  Some groups will have more than others (to show Òhigher status groupsÓ but some people might not realize this until later in the activity.  Then they are given these directions. 

-Your task is to build a community with the supplies in your area.  The community must have at least 4 houses, 1 school, 1 spiritual building, 1 hospital.

-In order for you to build, you must get a building permit at the Office of the Building Authority (this will be a designated area where the facilitator or other ÒleadersÓ will be).

-You may not leave your community with out permission from the Sheriff.  To leave your assigned area you must have a police escort.  You also must have a police escort when returning to your assigned area.  Only one person from each group may leave at one time (unless someone is in jail)

-When you are traveling, you must stay in the lines provided (usually these lines serve as the streets of the larger community).

-Any violations of the law may result in arrest and incarceration (the Sheriff will interpret the law). 

At this time the game begins, and the other facilitators play certain roles.  These include: a Sheriff, a Building Inspector, and the Worker at the Building Authority building. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Job descriptions (depending on class size, one assistant per position should be fine.  More participants means more help is needed)

The Sheriff- They enforce the law and speed limits (can tell people to walk slower), keep certain people out of certain communities, and can take people to jail.  They can treat people differently depending on their status.  They can discriminate, talk to certain people more/less depending on status, and can also give more attention/material objects to those of higher status.

The Building Inspector- (again depending on the status of the community) They can have different requirements for each area.  They can have different codes that people must Òbuild up to.Ó  They can tell people what they need to build or destroy.  They can in the end force some communities to monopolize, and others to waste away.

Worker at building-  (also depending on status) They can sell more building materials (construction paper, tape, etc., so communities can build more fake buildings) to higher status communities.  They can charge the minority communities more money per materials.  They can help communities with actual labor, or they can try to get others to help them.

*** The over all job description is for the workers to show favoritism to some groups (this represents society, and the systems that allow some cultures to grow, but hurt others).  Other ways to do this, besides ways already mentioned, can be helpful. The higher status communities should get special treatment in all areas (example:  no escorts, always approved for permits, don't require permits, cheaper prices, never go to jail, extra money, etc.).

 

 MATERIALS NEEDED:

  1. color coded index cards representing different groups.  This is usually easiest when you have 3 groups, but if you have more participants, you could have sub-groups with in those 3 main groups.  (you can be specific with the different groups, yet sometimes it is more beneficial to keep it broad and just have only 3.  The leaders know that one labeled group is privileged, one group isnÕt, and one group is in the middle.  When people are treated differently Òbecause the color/label of their coded index card,Ó it allows people to make their own stereotypes about what each group could represent.)
  2. masking tape (to mark off communities and to use for building once game is started)
  3. price lists for each group (for materials)
  4. badges for the police
  5. signs designating the areas and titles
  6. play money
  7. permits for building
  8. supplies for attendees to use to construct their communities
  9. other supplies as the game is modified

WRAP UP
When the program is winding down, make sure you discuss what has happened.  There may be tension, frustration, or anger in some individuals.  Sometimes this is good, but as a facilitator you must make sure that it doesnÕt get out of hand.  If this happens, the educational experience part of the activity may be lost.  Get people to talk about how they felt, and what they think they can do to prevent this from happening in real life.   What can they do to change themselves and/or others?  If you used color-coded cards, you can allow the attendees to guess what groups other ÒcommunitiesÓ represented (based on their own stereotypes, then talk about how these thoughts are less helpful).
 

 Connections to Related Standards, Competencies, and Domains

This activity fits into the Social Studies Standard.  Although they may not actually interact with other cultures, or people of a different Ethnicity, the role-playing can act as a model to simulate differences.  Through the activity, students will be able see how they would act when there is oppression and discrimination in this Òmake believeÓ activity.  When they process the activity, they see that they can easily escape the discrimination in the game.  When they understand that the game might be otherÕs reality, they are forced to see how other individuals (possibly of other cultures or backgrounds) may interact with their environments because of discrimination.  This fits under the Human Geography Standard section.  It can also fit in the Institutions and Traditions in Society section because the activity allows for interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions.  When discussing the simulation, the facilitator can help people look at the bigger picture and compare these interactions of the activity to a societal level.  This activity helps individuals in the personal/social, career, and academic domains because it helps them understand stereotypes and discrimination, and how it plays into all parts of life.  Specifically it helps individuals in the personal social domain as it forces them to look at certain aspects of culture, and how their values and beliefs (and otherÕs) influence communication.

 

References and Resources

I do not know who originally developed this activity.  I did not.  However, I do know that when I was searching for the original information, I saw that it has been modified and changed, and used throughout a number of schools in high schools and college settings.  This can easily be modified to fit the different needs of a community.