Educational Insights from Elliott's Discrimination Experiment
Nov 22, 2024
Notes on Jane Elliott's Experiment on Discrimination
Introduction
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated 27 years ago, leading to grief and frustration in America.
A third-grade teacher in Iowa, Jane Elliott, felt compelled to educate her students on racism after this event.
The Experiment
Initial Setup
Recognized that explaining racism to young children was difficult.
Decided to conduct an experiment to make the concept of prejudice concrete for her students.
Exercise Description
Divided the class by eye color: blue-eyed students were considered "better" than brown-eyed students.
Blue-eyed students received privileges (e.g., extra recess time) while brown-eyed students faced discrimination (e.g., paper cups instead of drinking fountain).
This was a deliberate effort to create a microcosm of society and observe discrimination in action.
Class Dynamics
The experiment led to significant behavior changes:
Some students who were usually kind turned nasty and discriminatory.
The negative impact on brown-eyed children was profound, leading to feelings of inferiority and frustration.
During the exercise:
Brown-eyed children were teased, called names, and treated as lesser individuals.
The blue-eyed students began to exhibit superiority complexes.
Reflections from Former Students
High School Reunion
Years later, at a reunion, former students revisited their experiences in the class.
They watched a documentary, "The Eye of the Storm," which captured the two-day exercise.
Key Takeaways from the Reunion
Students reflected on their feelings during the experiment:
Many expressed discomfort, recognizing the unfair treatment.
Some recalled the emotional impact and confusion over their roles as either privileged or discriminated against.
The Lesson's Broader Context
Historical Background
The experiment was initially conducted in April 1968, shortly after MLK's assassination.
Jane Elliott felt the need to act when she witnessed adults' condescending attitudes towards black individuals in media coverage of the aftermath of the assassination.
Ongoing Impact
Elliott's lesson has been taught to over 300 students since its inception.
Despite being conducted in a homogenous community, the lesson aimed to challenge ingrained biases and promote empathy.
Conclusion
Jane Elliott's experiment serves as a powerful example of how to address discrimination and prejudice in educational settings.
The emotional and psychological impacts of discrimination were starkly revealed through her classroom experiment, illustrating how quickly children can adopt prejudiced behaviors.