MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY

Find your question by rolling your die twice. The 1st roll determines the number
on the left. The 2nd roll determines the number on the top. Talk for one / two
minute(s) about that topic. Your classmates will ask you follow-up questions.
Your classmates can ask you anything if you land on “Ask any question”.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Which What are What do you What

Ask any countries/ the rights of think of an benefits
Is Slovakia
1 question! cities do you
think are
multicultural?
minorities
living in
African man
and a Slovak
does living
in the EU
multicultural? Slovakia? woman dating? have?
If you were
What do you What are
an immigrant Why do
Why is it think is the typical
in a foreign people Ask any
dangerous to future of features of
2 create
country, how
would you try
migrate from
country to
question! multi- a multi-
stereotypes? culturalism in cultural
to adjust to country?
the world? society?
the culture?
What is What
What are the Is multi-
better: What are the problems
negative culturalism Ask any
assimilation benefits of might
3 or multi-
expressions
of multi-
cultural immigrants
good for world
peace and
question!
culturalism? exchanges? have in
culturalism? understanding?
(p. 114) Slovakia?
Would you Do you
Would you
What would prefer your consider
Ask any What kinds of like to
you worry country to be yourself to
4 about if you question! discrimination
exist?
emigrate? If
so, where
multicultural be tolerant
emigrated? or of just one of other
and why?
culture? cultures?
Are people
Would you What What
Do you think more
ever marry personal prejudices
multi- tolerant of
someone contact do Ask any do people
culturalism other
5 from a
different
you have
with people
will lead to a cultures question! have against
the Roma
single world now than 30
culture? from other living in
mixed race? years ago?
Explain. cultures? Slovakia?
Explain.
Which factors
decides a
What Should Are you
What do person’s ethnic
traditions emigrants afraid of
Ask any you think of group:
and customs learn the any
6 do you like language of question! folklore
traditions in
religion, sex,
skin colour,
cultures? If
from other their new so, which
Slovakia? language,
cultures? home? and why?
country of
origin
9. Multikultúrna spoločnosť
a) sviatky - zvyky a tradície (cirkevné a štátne sviatky, folklórne tradície a rôzne podujatia),
b) spolunažívanie ľudí rôznych národností v jednej krajine,
c) zbližovanie kultúr (kontakty kedysi a dnes), osobné kontakty s inými kultúrami, tolerancia,
d) negatívne javy (rasová diskriminácia, intolerancia, vzťah k menšinám),
e) kultúrne hodnoty iných národov, spolužitie v Európe.

Simulation
Make a presentation about two people who come from very different social or cultural backgrounds. Which
of them has an easier life? Compare as many aspects as possible.

Role-play
You are secretly dating a Roma. Give some reasons why you have chosen your boy/girlfriend and explain to
your parents that a Roma community can happily co-exist with a white one.

Role-play
An American friend is going to spend Christmas in your country. Explain to him / her how Christmas is
celebrated here. (food, traditional customs, giving presents, etc...)

Role-play
You want to marry an Afro-American. Your parents are strictly against. What are your arguments to
convince them? Think about your parents´ arguments too.

Role-play
Your partner is a narrow-minded Catholic who forces you to celebrate all religious holidays with him/her.
You believe in God but you are not willing to go to church every day. Convince him/her to make a
compromise. Give your arguments and think about your partner’s possible ideas.

Role-play “Brain-drain”
A: Your friend wants to leave Slovakia for England because he/she thinks that he/she will have more job
opportunities there and more possibilities to make a better life for himself/herself. Explain to him/her that it
is not as he/she thinks. Tell him/her that he/she will be considered an immigrant for some period of time and
that maybe the jobs he/she will be offered (if he/she is lucky) might not be very satisfying and not very well
paid. Try to persuade him/her to think it over.
B: You want to leave Slovakia for England to make a better life for yourself there. You are sure that you
will get a well-paid job there. Prepare some arguments. However, you have not considered the new position
you will be in – being an immigrant. Your friend will try to talk you out of it. Be stubborn. You have already
decided because you believe that your dreams will come true in England.

Simulation
It is May 9, Europe Day. Your school will celebrate the holiday and all classes will be cancelled. Your class
has been appointed to decorate the school and prepare a programme for your teachers and younger students
connected with the EU. Say:
- How you would decorate the school
- What programme you would prepare (quiz, competitions/sporting events/presentations about the EU/
guests/ cooking European meals…).
Role play, questioning and discussion – A role play style activity that explores the concept of stereotypes
and the assumptions that underlie them.

Aims
 To introduce or examine the concept of stereotypes.
 To raise awareness of assumptions that underlie stereotypes.

Preparation
Cut the profile sheet into the 6 separate profiles.

What to do
1. Read out the following scenario:

Buck’s Bar and Grill is full of diners. The owner discovers that a bag of money has been
stolen from an area that only staff has access to. The owner suspects that the employee
responsible for taking the bag is still in the restaurant as nobody has left the restaurant in the
last 30 minutes and Buck saw the bag of money 20 minutes ago.

2. Nominate six students to act as the employees and hand each of them a profile. The rest of the class
are to act as diners.
3. The six students introduce themselves to the diners, using the information in the profiles.
4. Invite the ‘diners’ to ask the employees questions to try to determine which one is guilty. The
‘employees’ improvise their answers.
5. After a period of questioning, the diners form small groups (4-5) and are asked to discuss the
information that has been presented and reach consensus on who the guilty employee is.
6. Each group presents their decision and reasoning to the whole class.
7. The true culprit is revealed.
8. Lead a whole group discussion on stereotyping, asking students to reflect on their own thinking,
rather than reporting on what other individuals had to say in the small group.
o Did we stereotype some of these people? How?
o What assumptions did we make about individuals?
o What sorts of things cause us to stereotype people?
o How does it feel to be stereotyped?
o Are stereotypes accurate or do they cause us to believe things that aren’t based on
facts?
Stereotypes Profile Sheet
Name: Serhat
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Background: Serhat left school 3 months ago because his mother needed him to help earn some money
after his father returned home to Turkey. He has been working 6 days a week at the restaurant as a kitchen
hand and waiter.

Name: Sally
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Background: Sally has been working for Buck for the last 14 months as a waitress. Buck leaves her in
charge on Sundays and Mondays. Sally has a charming personality and gets on well with her customers.

Name: Linda
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Background: Liz has worked for Buck for the last 2 years as his assistant chef. Liz only works part time as
she also cares for her grandchildren while their parents are at work. Liz is reliable but is sometimes
argumentative with other staff.

Name: Hyun Jin

Age: 27
Gender: Female
Background: Hyun Jin works for Buck on a casual basis. She is not allowed to work Sundays due to her
religious commitments and is often unavailable on Saturdays because of her large Korean family get-
togethers. Hyun Jin gets along well with all staff and customers but sometimes has problems communicating
due to the level of her English.

Name: Ahmed
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Background: Ahmed was working as a waiter but lately has been working as kitchen help due to some
customers who refuse to be served by ‘that extremist’. Ahmed is hard working but has had trouble getting
time off on Fridays to go to the Mosque (he is Muslim).

Name: Drew
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Background: Drew has been working as Buck’s head chef for the last 7 years. He is friendly with all the
staff and often laughs and jokes. His meals are famous in the town.

Don’t let anybody know: He has been stealing money from the restaurant for the past few months because
Buck won’t agree to increasing his salary.
Serhat

Sally
 Linda

Hyun Jin
Ahmed

Drew