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Personality Molecule

RATIONALE

Personality Molecule is an introductory exercise to establish relationships among participants and to facilitate future work on cultural diversity. The exercise will help to analyse what culture could mean in practical terms.

OBJECTIVES

  • The main objective is to build up a confident relationship among the trainees, using the topic of cultural identity and belonging.

REQUIREMENTS

  • Time: 45 – 60 min
  • One working sheet/participant (see the handout)

DESCRIPTION

  1. Draw the personality molecule on a flipchart with your name in the centre. Explain that each person identifies with different groups and write some of the groups you identify with, offering this way a personal example.
  2. Ask participants to identify themselves with some groups to which they usually belong and name the most important 5 of these groups on the worksheets. Offer 5 minutes for this step.
  3. Ask participants to form new small groups of two or three people who have similar belongings/groups written on their worksheets.
  4. In these small groups, ask participants to talk about the different perceptions related to their similar belongings, by having a free conversation about some personal experiences in which they were proud and/or shamed to be members of these groups.

DISCUSSION TOPICS (DEBRIEFING & EVALUATION)

  • How did you feel reflecting on these groups?
  • How easy or challenging was to select the five groups?
  • How was it to think about the experiences associated to these belongings?
  • How was it to discuss about these experiences with your teammates? What were some interesting things you observed?
  • Why do you think that belonging to the same group can be sometimes a positive experience and sometimes a negative one?
  • (optional) Can you think about some groups whose members are facing more negative than positive experiences. What about groups whose members are facing more positive than negative ones?
  • What can this activity teach us about how the identity of a person is influencing his/her relation to society?
  • How do you think that the identity of refugee is influencing one person living in the host society?

 

 

Method adapted from: The Intercultural Management Competence Manual of Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, by Dr. Jutta Berninghausen (p.22)

 

HANDOUT

Personality Molecule

 

 

Individual exercise:

  • Write YOUR name in the middle circle
  • Write in the outer circles the names of 5 groups with which you identify

Group exercise:

  • Find one or two other group members who belong to similar groups you have identified. Talk with them about your perceptions on belonging to these groups, with focus on differences and similarities.
  • Present to the others your personal experiences in which you were proud and/or ashamed to belong to a certain group you have identified above.

 

 

 

This project was co-financed by the ERASMUS+ programme of the European Commission  

Co-founded by the Eramsus+ Programme of the European Union

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein 

 

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