Jane Elliot’s minimal group paradigm formed a method of social psychology that relies on establishing differences between people to establish separate groups.
It is a technique used to demonstrate how many different traits are needed to create defined groups and, from there, analyze people’s behavior.
- In the 1960s.
- The United States plunged into a racial social crisis.
- Professor Jane Elliot conducted an experiment that her students will never forget.
- Based on the minimal group paradigm.
The idea was simple and complex: it was based on the demonstration that an arbitrarily established difference could separate children and cause them to confront each other.
Jane Elliot, an anti-racist teacher and activist, did an experiment with the kind of children she was responsible for.
Elliot arbitrarily established that blue-eyed people were better than brown-eyed people. The teacher gave them a different necklace for the blue-eyed children to wear in brown eyes.
With two basic and arbitrary examples, Elliot argued that blue-eyed people were better off, students, though surprised, showed no greater resistance at the argumentative level, this is how Elliot created two groups:
Gradually, the consequences of the minimum group became apparent. A difference as simple as eye color, when established by authority, caused a separation between the groups.
Children with blue eyes began treating children with brown eyes aggressively and pejoratively. Brown-eyed children began to experience discrimination and abuse on the part of the other group.
For starters, is someone called Brown Eyes? This should not be considered an insult. But at this school, having brown eyes was established as an inferiority. Therefore, the adjective “brown eyes” was an insult used by blue-eyed children.
The blue-eyed children began not wanting to play with the brown-eyed children in the meantime and constantly humiliated them.
The consequences of this arbitrary division reached their limits when there was physical violence. Children usually fight, argue and fight, but this time the reason was the color of their eyes.
It was then that the group of brown eyes denounced the abuse in the classroom, from the point of view of the victims, feeling that they would not have the support of the authority.
It is difficult not to question social roles; If an arbitrary difference created so many problems in a group of children, what happens on a large scale and given the stereotypes we face on a daily basis?
It is not surprising that different social groups despise each other due to ethnic, religious or cultural differences, differences that have already caused wars and hatred among friends and family, who, before perceiving these differences as negative, could coexist perfectly.
Professor Jane Elliot has thought about the consequences of the minimum group: it is surprising how children who were once kind, cooperative and friendly become beautiful, discriminating and hostile when they belong to a higher group.
The expressions of hatred and discrimination of adults today come from an education that made them think they were better than others because of arbitrary aspects, such as color or sex, for example.
This paradigm helps us understand the current problems of discrimination.
In today’s world, large migratory movements are taking place, in many cases aboriginal cultures feel threatened and, to reverse this feeling, they create feelings of superiority with the associated symbols.
Thus, in many cases and without wasting much time, these feelings lead to expressions of hatred, such as racial discrimination or terrorism.
The objective of the minimum group is to establish differences without objectivity, creating a climate of favoritism, this is how the dominant group will always take advantage of all situations, relying on authority.
As we can see, this procedure can be so subtle that it goes unnoticed.
Tips for avoiding or reducing this effect include
Jane Elliot’s experience is important in demonstrating how fragile coexistence can be and how arbitrary and unclear aspects can pit friends, family and citizens against one.
“Charity is humiliating because it is exercised vertically and from above; Is solidarity horizontal and implies mutual respect?Eduardo Galeano-