Stereotypical jokes: is it good to laugh about it?

Duration

90’

Number of participants

20 – 25

Objectives of the activity

Get familiar to approach the differences between cultures without mockeries or discrimination. Know the jokes that could come from cultural clichés and learn to respond positively to certain jokes which could be perceived as aggressive.
▪ Pax will learn a very complete definition of culture, including some aspects that are invisible at first sight
▪ Pax will learn to identify the components of their culture and the different levels of visibility
▪ Pax will learn about information, stereotype, bias, and prejudice
▪ Pax gain a basic understanding about the different types of humor: aggressive and affiliative
▪ Pax gain a basic understanding about the negative impact of stereotype humor
▪ Pax gain a basic understanding on how to deal with stereotype jokes in intercultural situations

Material needed

Papers/flipcharts with the information about types of humor, information, stereotype, bias and prejudice and the iceberg/onion models

Participative mind-mapping (10’)

We’ll do a participative mind-mapping with the word “culture”. Pax will share with the facilitators the words they think are linked to “culture”.Then facilitators will summarize those results and will complete some missing words (if it’s the case) in order to give a large meaning of culture.

Culture, the iceberg and onion models (20’)

Ask Pax if they are familiarized with the models and if so, let them explain them. Then facilitators will complete the concepts if needed.

The Facilitators present a board/flipchart with pre-drawn circles representing the layers of the onion model. Pax will think about their own culture (nationality, work, hobbies, volunteering, etc.) and they will find the items that define it for each layer, write them down on post-it and stick them in the corresponding circle.

If Pax have difficulty finding these items, facilitators can help them by asking questions or by explaining the model again. After 10 min Pax will share their findings. After reading and discussing the cultural elements, the pax will be asked to classify.

If Pax have difficulty finding these items, facilitators can help them by asking questions or by explaining the model again. After 10 min Pax will share their findings. After reading and discussing the cultural elements, the pax will be asked to classify these elements as visible or invisible, according to the iceberg model.

Explain to Pax that every level in the culture construction might be different, therefore, every person might have a different culture. And if they find someone with a different culture, maybe they could experience stereotypes, bias, and prejudice.

Information, stereotype, bias, and prejudice (15’)

Explain the concepts of information, stereotype, bias, and prejudice showing the graphics of Mr. Cat and Mr. Chicken.

Facilitators will explain that the interpretation of those concepts can be materialized in jokes, which reflect the stereotypes that we have in our mindset.

Coming up with stereotype jokes (10’)

Pax will individually write in post-it notes on Mural 2 stereotype jokes in 5 minutes. Jokes will later be read out loud. Calm music will play in the background. After the writing is a short debriefing session.

How did it feel writing these jokes? (aim to feel guilt, anger, sadness, etc.)

Method type: Clustering / Group exercises

Theory of humor (10’)

The four styles of humor are presented (affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating)

Self-enhancing and self-defeating humor consists of statements intended by the person making the joke to lift themselves up or bring themselves down respectively. We will not focus on these types of humor since they are self-referential and do not help us understand the impact of making jokes about others, which is the aim of this workshop.

Affiliative humor is defined as humor that is intended to elicit laughter and/or other forms of amusement in targets. Functions proposed for this type of humor include the reduction of tension and conflict among interactants, the garnering of social support, and the provision of perspective on life’s problems. The basic themes of this type of humor center on integration, equality, and inclusion. Aggressive humor is any humor that provides negative information about someone or something. Several functions have been proposed for this type of humor, including venting feelings of hostility, sending a “corrective” message to those who are violating group norms, and enhancing feelings of superiority over others. The basic themes of this type of aggressive humor center on division, hierarchy, and control.

Security Theory of Humor: Affiliative humor centers on themes of inclusion and equality. Given that a low degree of ethnocentrism should imply openness and tolerance toward those of different cultures, it is predicted that a negative relationship exists between ethnocentrism and affiliative humor.

Aggressive humor, by definition, involves the use of humor to put others down. The use of disparaging speech is a way of creating distance between cultural members. Insofar as ethnic humor may be considered a form of disparagement, it is expected that ethnocentrism is positively associated with aggressive humor.

Categorising the jokes (15’)

Pax will take the post-it notes on Mural 1 with jokes from the previous activity and individually think about in which type of humor they would place each joke. Afterward, pax will present their jokes, place them on a Mural 2 (divided into 2: affiliative jokes and aggressive jokes), and explain why they chose that category.

Debriefing questions:

  • Why are these jokes categorised as affiliative while those are aggressive (the idea that affiliative jokes create a positive image of the culture while aggressive negative)?
  • How do you think a person from the joked culture would feel?
  • How do you think aggressive jokes affect the targeted culture? How do you think stereotype jokes affect the opinions of those outside the culture?

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Table of Contents

Part 2 – Project Design Lab

Lego Serious Play

Introduction to the method - what is it and what is it used for? Who is using it and for what? (e.g. the biggest companies for their strategies creation or the therapy session participants for sharing what are they going through). The little task to try out the...

How to create a plan step-by-step: ACTION PLAN

What is the Action Plan?  It is a strategy to carry out your idea, project, business, etc., where you set objectives to be achieved, establish deadlines and calculate the resources to be used. It is necessary to take into account that these three concepts are...

SWOT Analysis

Before creating a new project, it is important that we know The facilitator will ask the participants either individually or in groups, depending on if it is an individual or group project, to reflect on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats they can...

The future is today

This activity consists of people visualising their ideal future. It is a very powerful exercise because it allows them to establish contact with the real possibilities they have to transform their lives. In this way, they can identify what they need to change, improve...

Why do I call myself that?

The facilitator asks the participants to form a circle and stand in the circle. He/she will ask if anyone voluntarily wants to start and if not, he/she will start by saying his/her name and explaining the origin of his/her name, meaning or why his/her parents chose...

My best friends’ characteristics

The aim of this activity is to make participants reflect on how they choose their friends and what are the main characteristics of a healthy relationship. Through the list of their friends’ characteristics and the open discussion, participants will be able to identify...

Actionbound

Actionbound is an app for playing digitally interactive scavenger hunts to lead the learner on a path of discovery. We call these multimedia based hunts 'Bounds'. The program quite literally augments our reality by enhancing peoples’ real-life interaction whilst using...

The pitch of the day

Participant has 5 min to speak about a photo he/she is engaged with. The topic can be anything. But it has to do with the community. So, the participant is trying to convince us why this photo is important for him and present it in a creative way. Debriefing...

Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible (30’) Pairs have 26 tasks that they must complete in 45 minutes. Tasks are printed on papers that are visibly hung all over the room. Some tasks are for one person, some are for a pair, others for small groups and then some for all the participants...

Face your Bias

Visualization Exercise (15’) The participants are asked to close their eyes and participate in a visualization exercise by inserting themselves into a story narrated by the facilitator. They are instructed to visualize the story with as much detail as possible. The...

The 5 W’s Rule

This method is usually used after the idea is already discussed and developed to some point. It helps to see what is missing, and what was not thought about, and to make the idea more specific. The method consists of 5 Ws which need to be answered: What? Why? Who?...

Mind mapping

While developing some kind of idea it is important to let yourself think without restrictions. This method helps to do that because it basically works as simple as just writing ANY kind of words which gives you association with each other and related to your problem...

Problem tree

You have to draw a simple tree on the paper (or even online) with: the roots of the tree tree trunk The tree branches (with leaves) Make sure to highlight well the three different parts. Participants have to write down the things on it accordingly to: the roots of the...

World Café methodology

The World Café methodology is a simple, effective, and flexible format for hosting large group dialogue. World Café can be modified to meet a wide variety of needs. Specifics of context, numbers, purpose, location, and other circumstances are factored into each...