Tool "Couples' Collage"

Language: English

Project Featuring This Tool: Rainbow Resources

Themes:Gender and Sexuality Inclusion and Equality

This activity encourages the group to look at the way print media portrays gender and sexuality and explores different forms of relationships.

Time 60 minutes
Approximate number of participants Up to 30
Age under 10, 10-15
Date published 9 Dec 2011, 13:38

Objectives

To reflect on images of sexuality in the media

To raise awareness that there are different types of relationships

To reflect on sexism and heteronormativity and think of ways to fight against it

Materials

Flipchart paper (one piece per pair/group plus at least two extra pieces)
Old magazines (at least one for each pair or group of participants)
A4 paper, pens (one per person) and glue

Step-by-step instructions

1. Divide the group into pairs or threes giving each group a piece of flipchart paper, a magazine and pens. Ask them to go through the magazines. They should cut out images of people (as many as they like).

2. After they have cut them out, ask them to stick people they think are ‘masculine’ on one side of the flipchart paper and ‘feminine’ on the other. After 20 minutes, come back together and look at the collages.

Debriefing 1

What is the difference between the ways men and women are pictured in the magazines?

When men and women are shown to be different in magazines, are they also treated differently?

Can you see sexism in the images? What is sexism? (Note their answer on a flipchart)

Where else does sexism happen? Have you seen sexism in your life? Who is mostly affected by sexism?

How do you feel when you see or experience sexism?

What can we do to change the situation? (note their ideas on a flipchart)

3. Ask them to go back into their groups. They should now give each image a partner from the other cut-outs by drawing a line between them. On this line they should write what kind of relationship each image could have to each other (friend, girl/boyfriend, partner, family member, colleague, class-mate, etc.).

4. Ask the participants to present their choices back to the group, making note of if the relationships they have assigned were same sex or opposite sex and what kind of relationship they had decided on for each pair.

Debriefing

Debriefing 2

Why did you assume that men/ women would be in a loving relationship and not two women or two men? (If they did so)

Do you know of anyone who is friends with someone of the same gender, in a loving relationship with someone of the same gender or living with someone of the same gender?

What kinds of relationships do you see on TV? Does this reflect the kinds of people you know? Why not?

Tips

When talking about sexism, make a clear distinction between structural discrimination/se­xism against women and discrimination against men. People can be nasty to a man and that is direct sexism, but our society is structurally sexist to women only. When brainstorming on tools for change, stress the importance of reacting to sexism when you see it.

Attached files