Lecture on Discrimination and Prejudice

National Brotherhood Week

• Definition of Brotherhood: Treating everyone as though they were your brother.
• Question: Is there anyone in the U.S. not treated as brothers?
  • Answer: Yes, notably the black people and Indians.

Experiment on Discrimination

• Objective: To judge people based on eye color as a parallel to skin color discrimination.
• Setup:
  • Blue-eyed people are declared superior.
  • Brown-eyed people face restrictions (e.g., using paper cups, not playing with blue-eyed peers) and must wear collars.

Observations from Experiment

• Effects on Behavior:
  • Brown-eyed children felt demotivated and less cooperative.
  • Blue-eyed children exhibited discriminatory behaviors and language.
• Reversal of Roles:
  • Brown-eyed people become superior; blue-eyed people face restrictions.
  • Brown-eyed children performed better in tests after being told they were superior.

Lessons Learned

• Discrimination Based on Differences:
  • It's unjust to treat people differently due to eye color or skin color.
  • The experiment demonstrated how quickly and easily prejudice can affect behavior and self-esteem.
• Reflections:
  • Children expressed understanding of what discrimination feels like.
  • Realization that eye or skin color should not determine how someone is treated or judged.
  • Emphasis on equality regardless of physical differences.

Conclusion

• Discrimination: Defined as treating people unfairly based on differences.
• Fairness and Equality: Encouraged to treat everyone equally, regardless of skin or eye color.
• Empathy and Understanding: The exercise aimed to cultivate empathy by allowing students to experience discrimination firsthand.

The lesson highlighted the importance of not judging individuals based on superficial characteristics and fostered a deeper understanding of the impacts of discrimination.