Multicultural Initiatives: Definition Cycle to Show Relationships Between Prejudice, Stereotypes, and Discrimination

Have kids go around to chart paper and write the assumptions they know (or have heard) about for different groups.
Write the word “stereotype” on the board to the right/East. You are going to move in a clockwise direction like moving around on the points of a compass/digital clock.
Ask students what they think “stereotype” means (remind them that they just wrote out assumptions on the chart paper - so what is a "stereotype"). Write down a few reasonable responses (single story, overgeneralizations based on misinformation) that you know do not fall into one of the other categories (prejudice, discrimination, -ism) and make sure you emphasize that “stereotypes” are “assumptions” about individuals and/or groups of people and “in your head,” but then people act upon them which puts them into another category that we are going to talk about.
Write the word “prejudice” on the board in the South, connecting to previous word with an arrow.
Ask students what they think “prejudice” means. Write down a few reasonable responses (making decisions before you know all the facts, jumping to conclusion) that you know do not fall into one of the other categories (stereotype, discrimination, -ism) and make sure you emphasize that a “prejudice” has “judgment” added to an assumption/stereotype. The judgment can be “good” or “bad” but is usually “bad” because it puts down a group, ranks them lower/less than, etc. Again, these are “in your head,” but then people act upon them, which puts them into another category that we are going to talk about.
Write the word “discrimination” on the board in the West, connecting to previous word with an arrow.
Ask students what they think “discrimination” means. Write down a few reasonable responses (being mean, making decisions to include/exclude, even “bullying” could fit here) that you know do not fall into one of the other categories (stereotype, prejudice, -ism) and make sure you emphasize that a “discrimination” has an action attached to it. We can now see the behaviors/actions that someone has based on the stereotypes and prejudices they have in their mind. Up to this point, any/every individual can be part of this cycle that we are creating - stereotyping, acting in a prejudicial way, and discriminating against someone. How can this be?
Write “-ism” on the board in the North, connecting to previous word with an arrow.
Tell students that -ism (like racism, sexism, ageism, heterosexism, etc.) keep the cycle going and that makes them bigger than an individual person’s idea only in their own head - Where do -isms come from? Who has the power to pass on a stereotypes and prejudices? What INSTITUTIONS would that be? Try to get the students to come up with institutional/systemic places (like places of worship, schools, novels, magazines, news, television, media, textbooks, etc.).
Then draw a bulls-eye with “PERSONAL” in the middle, “SOCIETAL” in the next circle around that, and “INSTITUTIONAL” in the outer most circle. “Personal” is those individual acts of meanness we are all capable of. “Societal” means the social norms and cultural practices of the society around you. “Institutional” is the institutions that have the power to perpetuate the stereotypes, which lead to prejudice, and discrimination by individuals. It’s the “smog” around us. We can’t help but “breathe” it in because there are so many places we see it. In order to reach the -ism category all three of the things in this bulls-eye are working as a “system” to perpetuate misinformation and the cycle.
This circle (stereotype to prejudice, to discrimination to -ism) is also known of the “Cycle of Oppression” because it can keeps stereotypes going.
What do you think it is called when you get “off” the “Cycle”? Draw out answers like active bystander, ally, activist, and change agent.
How would you get off the “Cycle”? Draw out answers like standing up for others, educating others, educating yourself, paying attention to when other people say it’s a stereotype/problem, etc.