power flower

PREPARATION

Print out a suitable number of worksheets for the participants to complete. You can either use the empty template version or pre-fill the inner petals with keywords suitable for your group and your educational goals. In most cases the later would be preferable.

Here are some keywords as examples:

• Education received
• First language
• Number of languages spoken
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Place of residence
• Geographical origin
• Geographical position
• Age
• Financial situation
• Social / societal status
• Citizenship
• Marital/family status
• Children
• Skin colour
• Health situation
• Religion
• Political stance / views
• Physical impairment
• Personal appearance / "beauty"

You should never use all of them and you can add other keywords depending on your group and educational goals.

PROCEDURE

1. Ask the participants to colour in the petals of the flower according to whether they are the target or non-target of each form of oppression. Instruct them to colour the inside petal if they are in a nontarget position for a particular form of oppression. Instruct them to colour the outside petal if they are the target of a particular form of oppression. Allow participants between 10 and 15 minutes for this part of the activity. Tell them that they can add another petal if they need to. Also let them know, that they won't have to share their worksheet with anyone, if they don't feel comfortable.
2. Tell the participants to assess the number of areas in which they are targeted and the number in which they are relatively privileged. Ask them to share this information and their feelings (if they feel comfortable with it) about their "status" with another person of the group or in a small working group, depending on your group size. The small groups should not exceed six participants. Allow about 15-30 minutes for discussion in small groups, depending on group size.
3. Ask who would like to share their experience in the full group and discuss what the implications are of being predominantly in the target or non-target groups.
4. Afterwards and depending on time, the group could discuss, what social discrimination is: To discriminate socially is to make a distinction between people on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit. This include racial, religious, sexual, disability, ethnic and age-related discrimination. Some distinctions between people which are based just on individual merit (such as personal appearance) are not discriminatory.

ASSESSING LEARNING OUTCOMES

Trainer could ask participants how relevant do they think this activity was and what they can bring back to editorial work (interviewing and research).

Depending on how deep you want to dive into the topic, you can...

• Discuss how media represents each of the groups and how this impacts in the citizens perception of each other (some people knowledge of minority is constructed by the media message).
• Discuss the access of each group to media (as sources, but also as media producers)
• Discuss how members of the groups presence in media is restricted to specific programmes, content, time slots.
• Discuss what participants can do to change the current situation and challenge social discrimination through their work in media. (e.g. that it is relevant to interview migrants not only on migrant issues but general issues)

"TYPES OF OPRESSION"

The following types of opression could be discussed in this activity and trainers should understand their basic implications:

• sexism
• racism
• classism / class oppression
• religious oppression, like jewish oppression / antisemitism / islamophobia / hate of Muslims
• adultism
• age-ism
• hetero-sexism
• able-ism
• Linguicism

This activity is designed to sensitise the participants towards (structural) discrimination and the power related to a certain characteristic. 

THIS ACTIVITIES AIMS TO

• heighten the participants awareness of different forms of oppression.
• provide an opportunity for individuals to reflect on where they are targeted by oppression and where they are in a non-target position.
• gain insight into other people’s experience and perceptions of oppression.
• challenge ourselves to be more aware of the ways in which we might unintentionally oppress others
• sensitise for and grasp the term 'social discrimination'

Learners understand the relevance for migrants, ethnic/religious minorities, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, women, youth and senior citizens to get a voice in the media and have an idea of how to implement it.

INFRASTRUCTURE

A room and a table, so participants can sit and complete their power flower printout

MATERIALS

A power flower worksheet for each participant, pens

DURATION

45-60 minutes (depending on time allowed for discussion)

RECOMMENDED NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS

at least 4-6 to be able to make small groups, up to 60

TIPS FOR TRAINERS

This activity can be met with resistance from an individual who has difficulty in accepting that they enjoy unearned (and unasked) privileges. At the same time Power Flower can evoke strong feelings in the participants. The may feel angry, guilty or develop a strong sense of helplessness.
Depending on the time, trainer might opt for having only the group discussion, with the group completing the power flower together.
This activity allows to go deeper into discussion on social discrimination. For this you will find a chart of non-targets and targets of oppression in the description.
*Please note that these definitions might change over time and cultural settings. Use as appropriate.