The importance of our "global curriculum" project
Identity can be a dangerous thing. Formation of an in-group inadvertently creates an out-group of those not included, who then rapidly become easy targets of discrimination. Evidence most famously comes from Muzafer Sherif's Robber's Cave experiment in 1954, and Jane Elliott's classroom exercise on racism in 1968 (see links below).
From school bullying to football hooliganism, in a world of racism and police brutality; societal problems stemming from in-group/out-group interactions cannot be solved without being understood. Luckily, empathy can be fostered through this understanding and through interactions with outsiders that reveals the often overlooked diversity of their identities. Indeed, although identities are partly decided by the circumstances we are born into (e.g., race, gender, sexuality), they can also be moulded by society and are by no means limited to a singular category.
We hope to educate Porta Mosana College students on the mouldability and plurality of identity—both of ourselves and of others—to enhance not just tolerance and acceptance but also appreciation of the "other".
Our curriculum goals:
Awareness of plurality in self-identity
“What it means to be Dutch” discussion and poster presentation
Awareness of the "other" beyond a singular affiliation
Viewing and discussing cultural presentations received from overseas schools
References
http://www.simplypsychology.org/robbers-cave.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTVw9d3SIzA