Overview
This lecture examined Jane Elliott's controversial "blue eyes/brown eyes" exercise, exploring how it exposes and confronts racism, power structures, and denial within society, particularly in modern Britain.
Jane Elliott’s Exercise: Background and Purpose
- Jane Elliott developed the exercise after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination to teach about racism.
- Volunteers are divided by eye color, not skin color, to simulate an arbitrary basis for discrimination.
- Blue-eyed participants are subjected to humiliation and restrictions; brown-eyed are privileged.
- The goal is to make participants feel social exclusion and highlight the irrationality of discrimination.
Methods and Implementation
- Elliott uses confrontational and authoritarian tactics to create an unequal power structure.
- Blue-eyed participants are isolated, denied comforts, and subjected to demeaning tasks.
- Brown-eyed participants are encouraged to comply and sometimes take part in belittling the blue-eyed group.
- The exercise escalates with rigged tests and unequal treatment during breaks.
Reactions and Dynamics
- Some participants resist or walk out, questioning the fairness and purpose of the exercise.
- White participants often deny the prevalence of racism or equate minor inconveniences with systemic discrimination.
- Minority participants share personal stories of subtle and systemic racism, highlighting differing lived experiences.
- Discussions reveal misunderstandings about the scope, impact, and power dynamics of racism.
Lessons and Controversies
- The exercise exposes denial and resistance among majority group members regarding racism.
- Critics argue the method is harsh, manipulative, and may reinforce divisions.
- Elliott asserts that the simulation's purpose is to inoculate against racism by experiencing its effects firsthand.
- The debate underscores issues of power, privilege, and empathy in understanding discrimination.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Discrimination — Unjust treatment of individuals based on group characteristics, such as race or eye color.
- Systemic Racism — Racism that is embedded in laws and social structures, affecting entire groups.
- Privilege — Unearned advantages granted to certain groups in society.
- Empathy — The capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from their perspective.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on personal biases and assumptions about discrimination.
- Discuss the impact and ethics of role-reversal exercises.
- Explore further readings or resources on systemic racism and social psychology.