SST - the danger of a single story

• Maatschappijleer
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word 'Africa'?

What message does this
video send about Africa?

Turn & talk: what could the
message behind this video be?

This week's learning objectives

Key concepts: power, stereotype, framing, frame of reference, selective perception, objectivity/subjectivity, discrimination, social inequality

• You can recognize these concepts in your daily life (your own thinking, media, discussions, etc.)
• You can explain how these concepts reinforce one another

What does Adichie mean with
'the danger of a single story'?

What does Adichie say about the role
of power in creating a single story?

Power

= the ability to make people do what you want them to do

''How stories are told, who tells them, when they're told, how many stories are told, are really dependent on power. Power is the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person."

Stereotype

= A fixed image of a group of people, by which you apply the same characteristics to all the members of the group. 

Example: Africans are poor

''The single story creates stereotypes and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story.''

Turn & talk: discuss how this African proverb relates to stereotypes & power.

 4 C's reflection

• What connections do you draw between her talk and your own life? Have you experienced other examples of single stories?
• What ideas or assumptions do you want to challenge/disagree with? Which questions did her talk raise?
•  What key concepts or ideas do you think are important and worth holding on to from her talk?
• What changes in attitudes, thinking, or action are suggested by her talk, either for you or others?

Turn & talk: which stereotypes about refugees do these headlines convey? 

Framing

= The use of specific language and images (e.g. in media, by politicians, etc.) to invoke certain emotions and thereby influence the way people think about a certain issue. 

(not negative or positive, impossible to avoid!)

Example: Trump negatively frames the mainstream media by systematically calling them 'fake news'

This week's learning objectives

Key concepts: power, stereotype, framing, frame of reference, objectivity/subjectivity, selective perception, discrimination, social inequality

• You can recognize these concepts in your daily life (your own thinking, media, discussions, etc.)
• You can explain how these concepts reinforce one another

Turn & talk: how does the message conveyed by the first headline differ from the second headline?

Frame of reference

= All the knowledge, experiences, norms, values and customs you possess, the 'glasses' through which you see the world and filter information.

Objectivity: truth independent from one's frame of reference (universal)

Subjectivity: truth within one's frame of reference (personal)

Selective perception

= confirmation bias, people do not receive information objectively but tend to ''see what they want to see'' (what confirms their beliefs) and ignore what does not fit in their frame of reference

Turn & talk: discuss how this cartoon relates to framing, selective perception, stereotypes and power.

https:

What does Wijnberg mean when he says
that 'real news is an even bigger problem
than fake news'?

Words have real consequences...

These processes of power, stereotypes, framing, and selective perception reinforce each other and contribute to discrimination and social inequality (= the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different groups within a society)

Social studies will help you to recognize and analyze this process!

Ground rules for class discussions

When you are talking:

1. Speak audibly

2. Build on what has been said (opinion/addition/question)

When you are not talking:

3. Look a the person who is talking to show that you are actually listening

4. Don't interrupt (not by raising your hand either)

Discuss the following statement Lagerhuis style (stand up, left side: in favour, right side: against)

Journalists can and should report the news objectively.

Use the following sentence starters:

• I (dis)agree with..., because...
• I would like to add to... that...
• I have a question about.../Could you explain...?

https:

Choose a social issue you care about

Social issues...

• have consequences for large groups of people in a society
• have to do with conflicting interests (people have different opinions on the issue) 
• demand shared solutions (new laws and regulations) 

Brainstorm

What do you already know about this issue?

What do you want to find out about this issue?

Research

Find 3 reliable sources (documentaries, reports, articles, podcasts, etc.) about the issue

Write a short introduction about your chosen issue

Is it a local/national/international issue?

Who are the main actors involved?

What are the main causes and consequences?

Why is it important to you and the rest of society?

Who are the actors involved in this issue?