Contact Hypothesis Instructions and Grading Rubric Goal: To truly study diversity, one must experience diversity. Coming

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Contact Hypothesis Instructions and Grading Rubric
Goal: To truly study diversity, one mustexperience diversity. Coming into contact with diverse peoples andexperiences is a necessary and healthful part of being aninhabitant of this planet and a member of society; however,sometimes, one must seek out particular experiences of diversity togain perspective. The purpose of this experiential and writingexercise is to invite students to experience diversity and diversepeoples firsthand—to come in direct contact with them—and then tocompose a reaction piece about the experience.Background: Psychologist Gordon Allport proposedthe Contact Hypothesis (or the Intergroup Contact Theory) in 1954,in which he posited that interpersonal contact—under theappropriate conditions—may effectively reduce prejudice,stereotypes, and conflict between majority and minority groupmembers, thereby improving relations between the groups. Thehypothesis is that having increased opportunities to communicateand interact with others helps an individual better understand andappreciate different points of view, lifestyles, belief structures,value systems, and so forth. That is, very simply, bringingdifferent people together can help them get along better becausethey understand each other better. The landmark Brown v. Board ofEducation Supreme Court case, which resulted in the decision todesegregate United States public schools, is perhaps among the mostfamous immediate consequences of this influential theory.Going Outside Comfort Zones as a First Step to AppreciatingDiversityWith respect to appreciating diversity and making impactfulchanges, many individuals simply do not see a need for personalchange: They feel comfortable, and making changes (even changes intheir mind) actually take a lot of effort to challenge existingsocietal paradigms regarding individual and collectivedifferences.With this exercise, students are invited to take a small stepoutside their comfort zones to experience diverse peoplesfirsthand. Importantly, this exercise is not meant to objectify aperson or group of people, as if they were subjects under amicroscope or goldfish being watched in a fishbowl—instead, whenstudents thoughtfully, willingly choose to spend time withdifferent others, it becomes a meaningful, personal, sharedexperience. This represents our class’s small contribution to theContact Hypothesis.Coming into Contact with a Different Person orPeople
With this exercise, students will (a) interact with or (b)simulate an interaction with a person(s) with whom they have littleor no experience. It will be your task to come into “contact” withthis person or people, and the method, location, and people ofcontact are completely your choice.
Contact Hypothesis experience. Students arechallenged and encouraged to actually undergo a lived-experiencetype of Contact Hypothesis by physically interacting withsomeone(s) in the real world. Examples of experiences past studentshave chosen include these:
Instructions:
IF A SIMULATED CONTACT HYPOTHESIS: How was theexperience? Walk the reader through both the autobiographical(factual) and emotional (felt) aspects of the experience. Includethe specific date(s) of your experience(s).