These exercises have been contributed by colleagues in response to requests for exercises designed to raise the awareness of psychology students about social class and socioeconomic issues in six categories: attitudes; discrimination; income; oppression; privilege; properties and resources.
In some cases, the descriptions have been condensed from what was originally received or have been modified to make them more specific to socioeconomic status (SES). Names of contributors for each exercise are noted in parentheses; their cooperation in this project is acknowledged with thanks.
Attitudes
- "Project Implicit"opens in new window (PDF, 110KB)
Claudia Leight
Students choose one or more attitude tests and write a journal entry reflecting their results. - "American Dream Debate"opens in new window (PDF, 115KB)
Wendy R. Williams
Students will debate the topic “The American Dream is alive and well.” Each person will do his or her own research outside of class to support their position (either that the American Dream is alive and well or that it is not).
- "Diversity: Passive Tolerance vs. Active Insistence"opens in new window (PDF, 173KB)
Salvador “Sal” Macias, III
The purpose of this activity is to have participants model a process of selecting “neighbors” according to certain “rules.” By moving about the classroom according to simple decision parameters they will see patterns both of segregation and integration develop from seemingly innocent decisions.
Discrimination
- "Institutional Discrimination"opens in new window (PDF, 110KB)
Keith O’Brien, from Susan Goldstein, taken from Cultural Pursuit
Each of the following policies is presented for discussion in terms of: whether it represents a form of institutional (i.e., systematic) discrimination. Students are then asked to identify which groups, if any, are discriminated against; the purpose of the policy; and if the policy is valid one, how else it might be achieved.
Income
- "Allocation of Possible Income"opens in new window (PDF, 126KB)
Geoff Marayuama
Groups of students are given different amounts of money on which to live (roughly approximating different US income groups). Each group is instructed to allocate funds to the categories of housing, clothing, education, transportation, recreation, etc. — other categories generated by the students.
- "Baby Egg"opens in new window (PDF, 113KB)
Faye Reimers
The activity involves dividing participants into high, middle and low-income groups. - "Game of Social Life"opens in new window (PDF, 156KB)
Kosha Bramesfeld
This is a poverty simulation board game designed to motivate individuals to reflect on and discuss concepts of social stratification, based on multiple dimensions of poverty. The activity can be used in any course that contains a unit or emphasis on multicultural psychology or diversity.
Oppression
- "Making a Connection with Oppression"opens in new window (PDF, 163KB)
Dena Samuels, shared by Arnie Kahn, and also by Corey Isaacs, from Steve Samuels
The purpose of this activity is to connect theories of social class privilege and oppression to lived experience. The students’ photo-voice presentation applies the theoretical framework presented in Iris Young’s “Five Faces of Oppression” to frame discussion of the photos. - "Re-Envisioning the Historical Record"opens in new window (PDF, 151KB)
Alexandra Rutherford and Stephanie Austin
Students are given scenarios of real historical figures in the history of psychology with biographical and contextual details “re-envisioned.” Scenarios can focus on ethnicity, race, gender or social class. Students consider the impact of personal, social, political and historical contexts on their character’s ideas or theories. - "A Day of Action"opens in new window (PDF, 116KB)
Wendy R. Williams
Students will perform 4-6 hours of community service on behalf of an organization that works toward economic uplift or against economic inequality (excluding travel time to/from service). The key to the assignment is that students give back to the community and then reflect on this experience.
- "Buy Your Opportunity Workshop"opens in new window (PDF, 177KB)
Jonathan Kodet and Dia Mason
Participants are given the opportunity to process difficult emotions and perspectives associated with privileged and subordinated stations in life, and potentially learn how inequity is harmful to everyone involved. The goals of this consciousness-raising workshop are to increase empathy, raise critical consciousness of privilege and oppression and social dominance, and expose the myth of meritocracy. - "Giving Voice Project"opens in new window (PDF, 121KB)
Wendy R. Williams
Students “give voice” to the realities of those struggling to make their “American Dream” come true in the face of undeniable personal and structural barriers by combining their learning from the course and their experiential activities. Students may create a public service announcement, a webpage, a pamphlet, a song, a letter to the editor, a fundraising campaign, a workshop, etc. - "PhotoVoice"opens in new window (PDF, 139KB)
Patton O. Garriott
The purpose of this activity is to connect theories of social class privilege and oppression to lived experience. The students’ photo-voice presentation applies the theoretical framework presented in Iris Young’s “Five Faces of Oppression” to frame discussion of the photos.
Privilege
- "C'est La Vie!" The Game of Social Lifeopens in new window (PDF, 147KB)
Kosha Bramesfeld
This is a strategy game that examines issues of social class and poverty within an intersectionality framework focused on race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and ability. It is intended for larger course settings. - "Class Privilege"opens in new window (PDF, 169KB)
Adapted by Kumea Shorter-Gooden
This exercise is designed to make people more aware of power and privilege in our society. Since many privileges are implicit and invisible, this exercise aims to raise participants' consciousness about socioeconomic and class privilege. The exercise works best with 8 to 35 or so participants. - "Privilege Exercise"opens in new window (PDF, 112KB)
Arnie Kahn, adapted from Peggy McIntosh
The purpose of this exercise is to learn to recognize how power and privilege can affect our lives even when we are not aware it is happening. Students stand in a straight line close together and hold hands with the person on either side of them as long as possible. For each statement, students take a step forward or a step back. - "Class Privilege Walk"opens in new window (PDF, 130KB)
Wendy R. Williams
Students read each statement and select “agree” if that statement has ever been true for them. A larger discussion is followed on how students think about social class and class privilege.
- "Cognitive Impacts of Wealth"opens in new window (PDF, 129KB)
Rob McEntarffer
An assessment activity on the social psychological aspects of economic inequality and privilege in the United States. Students watch a video and define key social psychological terms. This has worked well with high school students in AP and non-AP Psychology courses. - "Knowledge of the Hidden Rules of Social Class"opens in new window (PDF, 169KB)
Shared by Kimberly Coffman, created by Patrick J. Ashton
Students read through descriptions of daily activities and commonplace knowledge for lower-, middle-, and upper- class people. They put a check mark next the things they know how to do, and then look to see how many check marks they have in each category. - "Social Class Autobiography"opens in new window (PDF, 117KB)
Wendy R. Williams
Students will have the opportunity to tell their “Social Class Autobiography.” By taking time to analyze their own story, they may find a level of understanding and acceptance that they had not previously recognized. Students link their experiences to class privilege or deprivation (or both), as well as to connect it explicitly to poverty, wealth, education, mental illness, violence, prison and the American Dream.
Property
- "Intergroup Monopoly"opens in new window (PDF, 152KB)
Shared by Vanessa Woods, created by Richard Harvey
This is an action teaching game that modifies the classic Monopoly board game to explore the dynamics of group-based inequality. In Intergroup Monopoly, players begin with unequal amounts of money and are given individualized rules that reflect differing degrees of privilege or disadvantage. - "Legacy Monopoly"opens in new window (PDF, 239KB)
Elizabeth Cole, adapted from D. L. Stanley
The goal is to acquire as much property as possible so that you may charge other players rent (and avoid paying rent yourself). Remember that your primary objective is to maximize wealth. At the end of the game, students reflect and discuss what they have learned from playing the game.
Resources
- "Collage Construction"opens in new window (PDF, 127KB)
Michele Wittig, from Jonathan Zeledon
Small groups of students are asked to make a collage using the materials they are given. Half the groups are given generous materials. The other groups are given only a brown paper bag. This has worked well with high school students. - "Hunger Banquet"opens in new window (PDF, 132KB)
Heather Bullock, adapted from Oxfam
This is a great exercise for raising awareness of worldwide hunger, poverty and the distribution of resources. Instructions for organizing a Hunger Banquet are provided in the Oxfam America FAST Sourcebook. - "Food Security Quest"opens in new window (PDF, 162KB)
Kosha Bramesfeld, Andrea Moraes, and Arla Good
The "Food Security Quest" is an online learning game focused on the topic of food security. The game allows players to step into the life of a fictional character in order to help the character navigate different decisions while trying to stay food secure.
- "Social Class Exploration"opens in new window (PDF, 144KB)
Adapted from photocopied article written by a group of women living in Sonoma County, Calif. from working and middle class backgrounds.
Students become more aware of the oppressions and/or privileges they have experienced because of their background and how they affect their live now. Students are asked to answer a series of questions related to money and work, home, education, health, and their current social class status. - "Social Class Symbols"opens in new window (PDF, 130KB)
Shared by Kimberly Coffman, created by Michelle B. Kunz
This activity is a fun way to get students engaged in a consumer behavior class discussion of social class and status. It does not take more than 2-3 minutes to complete the Chintz or Shag game on the People Like Us website, but often students can spend 10-15 minutes discussing, comparing, and often request "replays" to see what different answers will give in the final analysis.