MAINSTREAMING TOOLS — ACTIVITIES

Expectations and Demands

Author: Association of Human Rights Educators (AHEAD)
Adapted by Xavier Baró • xavierbaro@aheadedu.org
Issues addressed Discrimination, Inequality
Complexity 1 (low complexity)
Group size 15 to 25 paxs
Estimated duration 90 minutes
Objectives This activity uses brainstorming techniques to help participants understand the different expectations towards and demands on girls/ young women and boys/young men in contemporary society. The main objective is to support participants distinguish between the differing expectations contemporary society puts on girls and boys, young men and young women.
Related thematic chapters

Preparations

This activity does not require significant advance preparation but it is worthwhile for the facilitator to become acquainted with some factual information about the expectations and demands that girls / boys and young men / young women face in the community. As material preparation, facilitators hang five flipchart on the wall. Each one should be marked with one of the following settings: school, family, friends, society, partner Divide each flip chart into two columns; one column should have the title ‘boys’ or ‘young men’, and the other should have the title ‘girls’ or ‘young women’ on each.

Instructions

Step 1 — 5 minutes
Introduce the exercise and start the activity presenting the flipchart on the wall and the five settings they represent.
Step 2 — 5 minutes
Allocate few minutes to think individually about what they believe is expected or demanded of girls and boys in the different settings identified on the posters on the wall
Step 3 — 10 minutes
As ideas appear, participants can freely walk around the room and write these down on the relevant part of the appropriate flip chart.
Step 4 — 10 minutes
Expert Groups Once the brainstorming phase has been completed, create by participants' interest, five expert groups. One exert group for each sector to be explored: school, family, friends, society, partner
Step 5 — 10 minutes
Each expert group should select one of the flip charts and discuss its content. Write the following guiding questions in a visible place as they may help participants in their group discussions.
  1. What differences can you identify between the expectations and demands put on girls and boys?
  2. What would you like to change?
  3. How do you think it can be changed?
Step 6 — 15 minutes
Each group reports the results of their discussion briefly to the whole group.
Step 7 — 20 minutes
At the end of the presentations, allow some minutes to proceed to debrief the exercise. Facilitators may use the reference questions to be found in the next point: Debriefing

Debriefing

Initiate the discussion by reviewing the results of the group work. Ask participants for their initial reactions to the results, how they feel about them, if anything surprised them and, if so, why. Facilitators may continue the discussion using the following guiding questions:
  • Where do these expectations come from?
  • Is it possible for boys and girls / young men and young women to fulfil these expectations?
  • Who promotes these expectations?
  • How do we ourselves promote them (whether consciously or unconsciously)?
  • What are the effects of these expectations on young people?
  • How can we / our organisations contribute positively to changing the situation?

Tested outcomes

This activity was tested in the training course “De-consructing Normality” implemented by AHEAD in 2014. The results of the discussion were very relevant as part of the introduction on gender based inequality and discrimination. They exercise provided the space to explore how gender roles linked to expectations and demands have as well a deep impact on the way young men should act in society and how this may bring as well to discriminating attitudes.

Tips for facilitation

While this is a classic brainstorming and discussion activity, its theme, ‘expectations on different genders’, can be quite controversial. Expectations on different genders are also a matter of perception. As a result, this exercise can cause disagreement, as what for some participants may be perfectly reasonable expectations, for others may be overly demanding. The perception of expectations on different genders can also be linked to issues of values and socialisation. You can also focus the discussion on these related issues.  

Potential follow-up

As potential follow up, suggest to make observations of the expectations placed on different genders in real settings (for example, over one week or one month). The results of these observations could be compared to a survey of young people of different genders in the real settings (for example, school) about their perceptions of the expectations placed on different genders. You can initiate a discussion of the similarities and differences between the perceptions resulting from the survey and those resulting from individual observation. You can encourage members of your group to discuss what they would like to change in relation to this issue, and provide them with the opportunity and facilitation to prepare projects or actions to create change. Make sure that both boys and girls are involved in this process and find an equal voice for their ideas.

Needed resources

Five sheets of flip chart paper, a big wall, masking tape and markers for each participant  

Sources

Adapted from an exercise developed by “Intercultural Centre, Foundation of Women’s Forum, Sweden”.

Further reading

‘World Youth Reports’ published periodically by the United Nations (Youth Unit). These can be found online at www.un.org/youth  

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