CHAIRS

Training group in Romania. Trainers: Dr Eva Varro, Horatiu Albini

A trainer proposes actions which correspond to the interest of the group, related to the subject of discrimination and the suitability of psychodramatic techniques in that particular field. The problem of society's dislike for Roma people which became apparent on the previous day in one of the participant's protagonist work, resounded among the group. Polarised opinions, feelings and stances was revealed during the discussion on the matter. The central theme became the assessment of the function of the unit, namely the educator playing his role as a part of the system - the network of relations, rules, habits, practices and conventions, which all have a great influence on people.

The exercise starts with placing three chairs in the space of the "scene". Each of them represents a different approach towards a difficult occupational situation in the context of the system. Chair number one represents an individual way of making choices and decisions, determined by one's own experience and wisdom, as well as features of the character and personality. The second chair is an adoption of the attitude that is backed up by the 'old' system (corresponding to the well established and stereotypical beliefs in society), and the third chair uses the "new" system (people and institutions representing the way of thinking, feeling and acting, which are different than the generally approved ones).

The trainer encourages the participants to take part in an individual confrontation with each of the three elements of the scene. They may sit on any of the three chairs and then talk about their motivation for choosing a particular seat, about their understanding of its meaning, but also how it relates to some specific situations from real life. The common context of all the actions is the attitude towards the society of Roma people. A very dynamic activity begins. The participants move from chair to chair, many times, identifying with the symbols of the system and determining its components, based on their own experiences. They talk, assuming different perspectives, and then correct each other's comments. In that particular way, a multicoloured picture of three different attitudes and ways of reacting, set by characteristic features, is painted. The 'old' system is: impersonality, discrimination, fear, the use of force, indifference, tradition, corruption, welfare, helplessness, defence against violence. The "new" system is characterised by: activity, democracy, respecting yourself (as well as others), the law, knowledge of other people, readiness for change, solidarity, openness, empathy, development. On the other hand, the participants name the following individual predispositions influencing the behaviour and attitudes: imbued respect for other people, empathy, feeling of loneliness, powerlessness and helplessness.

At the beginning of the game, most of the people choose the "old" system, however after a while, some of them - also because they are influenced by the arguments of the other side - change their approach and switch to the 'new' system. At the end, the participants form a circle and the actions are then summarized by group discussions. The participants think of their own prejudice and the elements of the system which favour discriminatory attitudes.

The exercise proved to be a very good method of approaching the subject of discrimination, but it was also a chance for deep reflection on the matter of democracy and the rules of civic society. The magical function of the chair - or any other kind of a symbolic spot that is allocated in the space of the stage - triggers the specific dynamics of this activity. Each of the participants has a chance to see various things from many angles. Identifying with different points of view is much easier through the physical change of location. It favours shaping and changing attitudes, but also the verification of entrenched beliefs. That kind of interactive sharing of knowledge and experiences may find its application in many educational contexts, on any given subject. It also has an activating part, because it mobilises people to ask questions and look for answers.