Exercise 3: Creating dialogue
Theoretical introduction
Contact hypothesis (Allport[1][2]) constitute an effective theoretical background for creating tools and initiatives aimed at fostering understanding between the antagonized groups. Allport’s contact hypothesis is based on the belief that prejudices are motivated mainly by two factors: ignorance and fear[3]. Therefore, the elimination of these elements should consequently lead to the weakening or elimination of prejudices. As an example of a situation that enables the reduction of prejudices, Allport suggests that people expressing prejudices meet with the representatives of the group that is the subject of their prejudice. Confronting ideas with reality should, according to Allport, extinguish or eliminate the erroneous perception of representatives of other social groups. In the course of the research, however, a number of conditions were identified that must be met in order for this method to bring the desired results. The factors necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the method include:
The distinguished factors necessary to ensure the effectiveness of contact include:
- a common goal that requires the cooperation of all group members to achieve,
- equality of status between meeting people,
- approval of authorities and significant persons,
- informal, friendly atmosphere,
- repeated contacts with different representatives of a given group
- social norms of equality.
Time: 60-90 min.
The goal of this exercise
- To make students aware of methods of fostering understanding between antagonized groups.
- To make students familiar with the contact hypothesis, its requirements and potential to be used as a model for building dialogue between groups and individuals.
- To show students examples of the successful international educational initiatives on the ground of Polish-Jewish dialogue.
Instruction for teacher
Divide students into pairs or small groups (3-4 persons). Ask students to explore the following projects (links to websites below) and fill the table provided in the template.
Methodological note
The time allocated for the exercise may be adjusted by asking each group to work on one of the projects or by asking each group to explore and analyse all of them. Next ask students to hold a discussion within the group based on the questions provided in the Template and write down their conclusions. Explore sample projects aimed at reducing mutual stereotypes and prejudices, and developing cooperation and dialogue between the citizens of each countries and the Jews living in Israel and other countries.
Discuss in what way those initiatives are fulfilling (or not) the requirements of the contact hypothesis.
- What kind of modifications could be made to better implement the contact hypothesis within the presented programs?
- If you wished to organize a similar project in your community aimed at establishing cooperation and dialogue with Israeli peers, what topics and places would you include into the program?
- Ask students to present their findings and compare them with other groups
The examples
- Living Bridge: https://www.zywymost.org.pl/projects/living-bridge-poland-israel/
- Leaders of Dialogue: http://dialog.org.pl/liderzy-dialogu/en/
- Polish-Israeli Youth Exchange : https://www.polin.pl/en/PIYE
[1] Allport, G. (1954). The Nature of Prejudice. Massachusetts, California, London, Amsterdam, Ontario, Sydney, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
[2] Pettigrew, T. F. (1998). Intergroup Contact Theory. Annual Review of Psychology. vol. 49, 65–85.
[3] Zakrzewska-Olędzka, D. (2018). Socialisation processes in monovs multi-cultural environments and attitudes towards Otherness. An international comparison study in Poland and Israel In: U., Markowska-Manista (red.) Children and Youth in Varied Socio-Cultural Contexts. Theory, Research, Praxis. Wydawnictwo Akademii Pedagogiki Specjalnej, Warsaw, pp. 189–204.
