Match the following statements in a way that challenges stereotypes.
a. Two surgeons were sitting 1. suffers from chronic
down to lunch when one of them asthma.
made a call on the mobile phone.
b. The boy who won the drawing 2. to become an astronaut
competition went to the dias which she did
c. One of the fastest athletes in the 3. to speak with her daughter
world who had just returned from school.
d. She was not that well-off but 4. on a wheelchair to collect his
had a dream prize.
How can the stereotype that girls are a burden on their parents affect the life of a daughter? Imagine this situation and list at least five different effects that this stereotype can have on the way daughters get treated in the house.
Sometimes people make prejudiced comments in our presence. We are often not in a position to do anything about this because it is difficult to say- something right then and there. Divide the class into groups and each group discuss what they could do in one of the following situations:
(a) A friend begins to tease a classmate because he is poor.
(b} You are watching TV with your family and one of them makes a prejudicial comment about a particular religious community.
(c) Children in your class refuse to share their food with a particular person because they think she is dirty.
(d) Someone tells you a joke that makes fun of a community be- cause of their accent.
(e) Some boys make remarks about girls not being able to play games as well as them.
Discuss in class what the different groups have suggested for the above situations, and also talk about the problems that can come up when raising the issue.
Below are some statements on people living in rural and urban areas. Tick mark those that you agree with:
On Rural People
(a) More than 50% of all Indians live in villages.
(b) Villagers do not care about their health; They are full of superstition.
(c) People in villages are backward and lazy. They do not like to work.
(d) In peak harvesting and plantation season, families spend 12 to 14 hours working in the fields.
(e) Villagers are dirty and not hygienic.
On Urban People
(a) Life in the city is easy. People here are spoilt and lazy.
(b) In cities families spend very little time with each other.
(c) People in towns only care about money, not about people.
(d) Living in a city is expensive. A large part of people's earnings is spent on rent and transport.
(e) City people cannot be trusted, they are cunning and corrupt.
Look again at the statement that you believed to be true about rural and urban life in India. Do you have a prejudice against rural or urban people? Find out if this is shared by others and discuss the reasons why people have these prejudices.
Arrange the statements given below in these two sections according to what you think is appropriate for the section.
They are well behaved.
They are soft spoken and gentle.
They are physically strong.
They are naughty.
They are good at dance and painting.
They don't cry.
They are rowdy.
They are good at sport.
They are good at cooking.
They are emotional.
Do girls possess these qualities at birth or do they learn such behaviour from others? What do you think about girls who are not soft and gentle and those who are naughty?
In addition to the lower castes being discriminated against, there are also various other communities that are subject to discrimination.
Can you think of a few other examples of discrimination.
Discuss the ways in which persons with special needs might be subject to discrimination.