An educational tool aimed at raising awareness on diversity: "Aware"

AWARE

 

Instructions

 

Today we will play a little game. We may as well call it a social experiment. After the experiment, which will probably take about half an hour, we have another half hour to discuss what we experienced and to interpret the results.

 

Each participant will pick up a folded piece of paper from a bag. Open it up and inside you will find the definition of a social identity. Take a few minutes to think about and identify with the social identity you picked. Do not show to or tell others about your identity.

 

Participants will begin by standing in a straight line, side by side. The facilitator will read one statement at a time, and participants will or will not take one step forward depending on whether the statement applies to their social identity. Assume that the specific social context of your identity is Turkey. As they take a step forward, or stay still, participants will remain aware of their positions in the room, observing both their own movement and that of others.

 

When the facilitator completes reading the statements, the participants stand still in their final position and tell others out loud what their social identity was.

 

The room in which we carry out this experiment is a safe space. If the exercise evoke strong emotions, if you feel uncomfortable, you can leave the room any time.

 

Objective
This exercise aims to raise awareness of how physical and social differences, unequal power relationships based on gender, race, ethnicity, class, education, able-bodiedness, sexuality, etc. shape individuals' experiences. The goal is to appreciate the diversity of experiences in the room, recognizing how intersecting identities either empower or limit individuals in navigating everyday life.

 

Our experiment today emphasizes the social dynamics and challenges specific to Turkey, however, this is a method applicable to other places as well, as long as the identities and statements used are tailored accordingly.

 

 

 

Identities

1. Overweight and pregnant woman

2. 18-year-old male with autism

3. Transsexual university student at Izmir University of Economics

4. Indian woman, Erasmus student at Izmir University of Economics

5. HIV positive male in his 20s

6. 40-year-old waitress working night shifts

7. Working-class gay man

8. Kurdish female university student

9. Working-class single mother of three children

10. Ukrainian female nail art studio worker

11. A queer person in their late 20s with tattoos and piercings

12. Black-skinned male construction worker, day laborer

13. 70-year-old poor man with Parkinson's disease

14. Female nurse wearing a headscarf

15. Male Syrian refugee

16. Wealthy, athletic, young white male

17. Undocumented foreign domestic worker

18. Jewish civil servant

19. Factory worker

20. Individual with visible bodily wounds

 

 

 

Statements

1. I can easily use the toilet in public areas

2. I can walk hand in hand with my partner in public.

3. I can use taxis for transportation whenever I want.

4. I don’t face discrimination while accessing public health services.

5. I can buy sexual health products from a pharmacy without embarrassment.

6. I can go out for drinks with my male friends after work or school.

7. I am never discriminated against during job interviews.

8. I receive the same salary as everyone else doing the same job.

9. I live in a house heated by natural gas.

10. I can speak my native language at school or work.

11. I can ask the police for help whenever I need.

12. I can read a book with sexual content (whether educational or erotic) on public transport.

13. I can comfortably receive psychotherapy support.

14. I don’t need to fight to live my identity as I wish.

15. I can dine out at a restaurant at least once a month.

16. I can join a political demonstration.

17. I can invite my queer friends to my home.

18. I can practice my religious rituals outside of home.

19. I can travel outside the country I live in.

20. I can go to a concert at night.

 

https://phoenix.ieu.edu.tr/betanix/uploads/cms/ekokam.ieu.edu.tr/11305_1751623374.pdf

https://phoenix.ieu.edu.tr/betanix/uploads/cms/ekokam.ieu.edu.tr/11305_1751623383.pdf