Responsibility Ladder
(download activity pdf)Issues addressed
Who is responsible for sectarianism?
Who can do things to challenge sectarianism?
Who is responsible for creating change in our society?
Aims
To encourage participants to think about who is responsible for sectarianism.
To raise awareness of who has the power to challenge sectarianism.
To encourage participants to take personal responsibility for challenging sectarianism.
Time
30 mins
Group size
6-10 people
Age
Any
Preparation
- Cards with types of people who might challenge sectarianism (see below)
- List of contact details for those people
- Blank cards
- Paper and pens
- Ladder of responsibility sheets
Instructions
- Ask participants to consider who might be able to challenge sectarianism. Collect this information on a large piece of paper or whiteboard.
- Add the list to the list below and ask the participants to
consider the role that the following people/organisations have in
challenging sectarianism and creating change:
Police
MSPs
Pressure groups
Churches/religious leaders
Parents
Schools
Football clubs
Youth clubs
Media
Football supporters
Young people
Teachers
Schools
3. Ask participants to discuss in their groups where each of these people / organisations should go on the continuum - the most important or most responsible for challenge at the top. The task for the group is to come to a consensus on the order.
4. Once the group have come to a consensus ask everyone to stand back and look at the continuum. Participants are then told that any individual can move a card up or down the continuum but to do so they need to explain to the group why they think it should be moved. Let the discussion continue for a bit with different individuals moving cards.
5. Ask the group where they as individuals fit into this ladder. What responsibility do individuals have to challenge sectarianism?
6. Debrief the task using the Person-centred Model of Change.
The Person Centred Model of Change
The person centred model of change starts with the premise that the only person you can be responsible for is yourself. If you take responsibility for your behaviour and how you act with others, you begin to influence others. If you challenge someone or give them a different perspective then they might think differently next time and they in turn might affect other people.
An example in terms of sectarianism would be to think about how you respond when someone makes a bigoted comment or tells a sectarian joke. If you laugh or just accept it they continue to think it's ok and that you agree with them. If you say something, or challenge it or don't make those statements yourself, you send out a message that says you don't agree with it. Think of this in terms of racism and you can see how it works.
The person centred model of change says that change starts with each of us taking responsibility for ourselves and not just accepting what others say and do. It then acts like a ripple and each of us in turn influence a different circle of people until ultimately society changes.
Tips for facilitators
This activity could be done as a personal activity, first with participants, then sharing who is on their ladder and then a collective ladder could be made.
Follow-on activities to this can be found in the Don't Give It, Don't Take It section.