Equality and Diversity - Building a Culture of ... - Equality Authority

Lessons 6
Perceptions and Stereotypes are
Part of everyday Life
Learning Intentions
Students will realise that
stereotyping is so much part of
everyday life that we are often
not aware of it
Resources
The UTV Fibre Optic Broadband
advertisement accessible at
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=n
TLKMWwhD7E
Homework
Suggestion: Ask
the students to
carefully watch TV
advertisements for a week and
to compile a list of those which
they feel use stereotypes to
make their point.
"If I think
that only
my truth is
valid, I’ll
close myself
off to others
and will
not learn
anything
new."
Activity
Ask the students to brainstorm their perceptions of who would
be interested in having a high speed broadband connection.
Then remind them that UTV ran a series of advertisements
for their new Fibre Optic broadband in autumn 2011, featuring
a number of case studies of people who used it. Ask them to
guess who were featured in the case studies. Then show them
the advertisement. Play it again asking them to note why Bob is
so happy with the new high speed broadband.
There is a common perception that older people are
not interested in technology and would not be able to use
it. Ask the students to work in pairs and to discuss the
following questions:
Where does that perception of older people come from?
Is it true of the older people that they know –
grandparents, neighbours, older people in the community?
When older people do use technology, a common reaction
is: ‘Isn’t she great for someone her age? I never thought
he would be able to do that?’ What effect do those
stereotypes have on older people?
What limitations does this kind of stereotyping place on
older people?
In what way might it exclude them from participating in
activities involving technology
In what way might it contribute to their isolation?
Many advertisements rely on stereotyping to make
their point, using either negative, positive or
patronising images. Ask the students to think about the
advertisements they see and to identify those which use
stereotyping. They can then analyse their effects, using
similar questions to those above.
32 SECTION 2 EXPLORING PERCEPTIONS & STEREOTYPING