"Do blue-eyed people remember what they've been taught?" Would you? I'm tired of hearing about her and her experiment and how everyone here is a racist. More than 50 years after she first tried that exercise in her classroom, Elliott, now 87, said she sees much more work left to do to change racist attitudes. Elliott split her students into two groups, based on eye color. (She prefers the term "exercise.") However, in this classroom, having blue-eyes had become a condition of inferiority. I have brown eyes. It's the Jane Elliott machine. They all either smiled or laughed and nodded.". It also shows how arbitrary and subjective things can turn friends, family members, and citizens against each other. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd. "I know who she is. . The experiment is to help the children to understand about prejudice and discrimination. Essay Sample: Ethical Concerns in Jane Elliot's Experiment - SpeedyPaper The Daring Racism Experiment That People Still Talk About 20 - HuffPost She has appeared on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" five times. Sadly, these conversations are still relevant today. The Blue Eye/Brown Eye was an experiment performed by Jane Elliot in 1968 on the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. ", Elliott defends her work as a mother defends her child. As a journalism professor and author of a book on race that spans more than 50 years, Ive watched these developments with great concern. Elliott pulled out green construction paper armbands and asked each of the blue . ", Elliott replied, "Why are we so worried about the fragile egos of white children who experience a couple of hours of made-up racism one day when blacks experience real racism every day of their lives?". She traveled to corporations, banks, prisons, schools and military bases. Having in mind that it would be difficult to explain to third graders about discrimination, she needed to be more practical so that her student could understand how discrimination and prejudice felt. Two Important Psychological Experiments: The Blue Eye/Brown Eye and ", Vision and tenacity may get results, but they don't always endear a person to her neighbors. To most people, it seemed to suggest that racism could be reduced, even eliminated, by a one- or two-day exercise. ", The two hugged, and Whisenhunt had tears streaming down her cheeks. She asked them if they would like to experience what it felt like to be in a person of colors shoes. Elliott's friends and family say she's tenacious, and has always had a reformer's zeal. She could feel a chasm forming between the two groups of students. PDF A Guide to THE ANGRY EYE - 016e880.netsolhost.com Days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. PracticalPsychology. APA principles acknowledge that individuals rights to privacy, self-determination, and confidentiality is paramount to all psychological activities. ", When I met Elliott in 2003, she hadn't been back to Riceville in 12 years. ", Elliott says the role of a teacher is to enhance students' moral development. Racism is not genetical. Elliott asked. 5/21/2020 Topic: Module 2 Discussion: Blue Eyed versus Brown Eyed Students Jane Elliott was not a psychologist, but she developed one of the most famously controversial exercises in 1968 by dividing students into a blue-eyed group and . In Jane Elliott's experiment she made the third graders believe that the blue eyed people were better,than the brown eyed people. In 1970, a documentary about the exercise was released. You didnt understand the directions. Blue Eyes Brown Eyes - Jane Elliott | Practical Psychology Many educators responded by holding mandatory workshops on institutional racism and implicit bias, reforming teaching methods and lesson plans and searching for ways to amplify undersung voices. Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes: On Race and Jane Elliott's Famous Experiment on It is a must . Essay Sample: Ethical Concerns in Jane Elliot's Experiment. ", We backed out. PPT The Ethics of Using Human Participants - University of New Mexico "Blue-eyed people sit around and do nothing. The more melanin, the darker the person's eyesand the smarter the person. According to role theorist Erving Goffman, emotional and cognitive experiences in such experiments as the Blue-Eyed versus the Brown-Eyed can have a long-term influence on behaviors and attitudes of participants especially when they are made to play the role of a stigmatized group (Biddle, 2013). Select from the 0 categories from which you would like to receive articles. Elliott and I were sitting at her dining room table. Even family members can turn against each other if some authority suddenly decides that those differences are a problem. When Elliott walked into the teachers' lounge the next Monday, several teachers got up and walked out. "That you, Ms. In fact, most of the initial response was negative. The never-before-told true story of Jane Elliott and the "Blue-Eyes, Brown-Eyes Experiment" she made world-famous, using eye color to simulate racism. Ms. Elliott, now 87, said she started teaching about racism on April 5, 1968 the day after the Rev. To begin with, Jane Elliot's experiment involved deception in which the children were made in believing that change in eye color influence intelligence. The day after Martin Luther King Jr. was shot, Elliott had a talk with her students about diversity and racism. In this article, we'll explain what happened during the experiment and discuss its consequences. "It's Riceville 30 years ago. The blue-eyed brown-eyed experiment was conducted by Jane Elliott, a school teacher from Iowa, in which she separated blue eyed children from brown eyed children and took turns making one of the "superior" to the other. On April 4 1968, King was killed by the single . Everyone's tired of her. The brown-eyed students also exercised a certain level of power over the blue-eyed students when they put the armbands on them. "Probably because they have been taught how they're treated in this country that they have to understand us. A Class Divided: An Experiment Involving Race and Prejudice The first thing that Jane Elliott did was divide the children into groups: those with blue eyes and those with brown eyes. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 prompted educator Jane Elliott to create the now-famous "blue eyes/brown eyes exercise ." As a school teacher in the small town of Riceville, Iowa, Elliott first conducted the anti-racism experiment on her all-white third-grade classroom, the day after the civil rights leader was killed. . Shermer and Bloom discuss: "Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes" Jane Elliott famous racism experiment reactions to it (in the classroom, locally, nationally, internationally) whether the "experiment" was really more of a demonstration public interest, from Johnny Carson to Oprah Winfrey the questionable ethics of the experiment what it reveals about tribalism, racism . Words are the most powerful weapon devised by humankind. Why'd they shoot that King?" Almost immediately, it was apparent that she had created segregation and prejudice given that the blue-eyed students began exhibiting signs of dominion and superiority. The Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise continues to be relevant. Most Riceville residents seem to have an opinion of Elliott, whether or not they've met her. Social Emotional Learning Lessons for Jane Elliott - Advancement Courses The blue-eyed children were told not to do their homework because, even if they answered all the questions, theyd probably forget to bring the assignment back to class. Zimbardocreator of the also controversial 1971 Stanford Prisoner Experiment, which was stopped after college student volunteers acting as "guards" humiliated students acting as "prisoners"says Elliott's exercise is "more compelling than many done by professional psychologists. If you are the original author of this essay and no longer wish to have it published on the Therefore when she gave the blue eyed people more freedom than the brown eyed people, the blue eyed people started feeling like kings because they thought they were better, and were treated better. Order original essays online. She and Darald split their time between a converted schoolhouse in Osage, Iowa, a town 18 miles from Riceville, and a home near Riverside, California. That's not true. She left teaching in the mid-80s to speak publicly about the experience and the impact of prejudice and racism. ", Dean Weaver, 70, superintendent of Riceville schools from 1972 to 1979, said, "She'd just go ahead and do things. Knowing that her experiment would have consequences, Jane remained committed to her course. Tears formed in the corners of Elliott's eyes. Role Theory: Expectations, Identities, and Behaviors. "We want to see Room No. Everyone looked at Mrs. Elliott. PracticalPie.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. With a couple of basic and arbitrary examples, Elliott made the case that brown-eyed people were better. The roots of racism and why it continues unabated in America and other nations are complicated and gnarled. The contents of Exploring Your Mind are for informational and educational purposes only. "She got carried away by this possession she developed over human beings. This was intentional. Questioning authority The mainstream media were complicit in advancing such a simplistic narrative. The experiment known as Blue Eyes Brown Eyes experiment is regarded as an eye-opening way for children to learn about racism and discrimination. The corn grows so fast in northern Iowafrom seedling to seven-foot-high stalk in 12 weeksthat it crackles. ABC broadcast a documentary about her work. "She said, on the day after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, 'I don't know why you're doing that I thought it was about time somebody shot that son of a bitch,' " she said. Jane Elliot's Experiment - 879 Words | Bartleby She and her husband, Darald Elliott, then a grocer, have four children, and they, too, felt a backlash. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Kellen Castineiras PSY Dr. Gail C. Flanagan February 6, 2022. . "Mention two wordsJane Elliottand you get a flood of emotions from people," says Jim Cross, the Riceville Recorder's editor these days. Why do researchers use correlational studies? This meeting, along with other clips of the exercises impact on education, is featured in a PBS documentary called A Class Divided. In 1968 after Martin Luther King was assassinated the United States was in turmoil. Melanin, she said, is what causes intelligence. This procedure is sometimes so subtle that no one notices it happening. Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER! "It changed my life. You should be happy! "Maybe the way to sell the exercise would have been to invite the parents in, to talk about what she'd be doing. In this scenario, students are told brown-eyed people . The results showed a reversal effect in which the blue-eyed students showed signs of inferiority and low self-esteem. The blue eye brown eye experiment. Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes: The Jane Sorry, but it's not possible to copy the text due to security reasons. "People of other color groups seem to understand," she said. Elliott was even brought on The Tonight Show to talk about her experiences. one girl asked. Three sections were selected to be administered the simulation . It has everything to do with power.. She gave the blue-eyed students an armband so other students could more easily identify them, and then she told her class that it was a scientific fact that people with brown eyes are smarter than those with blue because their bodies had more . Many of them noted that when they hear prejudice and discrimination from others, they wish they could whip out those collars and give them the experience they had as third graders. "That's what I tried to teach, and that's what drove the other teachers crazy. One of the ways Hitler decided who went into the gas chamber was eye color, Elliott said in a later speech. She said she watched and was horrified at what she saw. Practical Psychology began as a collection of study material for psychology students in 2016, created by a student in the field. In a grassy front yard down the block is a hand-lettered sign: "Glads for Sale, 3 for $1." Children often fight, argue, and sometimes hit each other, but this time they were motivated by eye color. Ethical Issues With Jane Elliott's Experiment Below, . According to the article is Jane Elliot's experiment to small degree effective. Facilitators should be aware that Jane Elliott's focus on white people can lead viewers to the wrong impression that people of color are passively molded by white people's behavior when, in actuality, people of color can and do respond to racism in a variety of ways. I want to know why youre so willing to accept it or to allow it to happen for others., The first reaction I get from teachers, who see this film or from hearing, hear me discuss what I do say to me How can you do that to these little children? Yet what Elliott did continues to stir controversy. Elliott said that blue-eyed people were less intelligent and less clean. Grasping for a scientific explanation, she ended up claiming that melanin makes eyes darker, and makes . Jane Elliott's blue eye brown eye case study is/isn't more ethical than Its not surprising to anyone that some social groups discriminate against others due to ethnicity, religion, or culture. hide caption. This technique allows researchers to show how many different traits are necessary to create defined groups, and then analyze the subjects behavior within their groups. "Not one of them reprimanded her for that or even corrected her. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968 prompted educator Jane Elliott to create the now-famous "blue eyes/brown eyes exercise.". "You better apologize to us for getting in our way because we're better than you are," one of the brownies said. Not only were they fewer in numbers, but the authority figure was against them. These are the sources and citations used to research Jane Elliott's blue eye brown eye case study is/isn't more ethical than Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment. Not everyone appreciated Elliotts exercise. Hire a professional with VAST experience! "On an airplane, it is," Elliott said to appreciative laughter from the studio audience. Her bold experiment to teach Iowa third graders about racial prejudice divided townspeople and thrust her onto the national stage. Was The Blue Eyes Brown Eyes Experiment Ethical? Blue Eyed vs Brown Eyed Study Conducted by Jane Elliott Presentation by Bree Elliott Ethics Background The Results In 1968, when Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated, Jane Elliott was the teacher of a third grade class in the town of Riceville, Iowa. (Byrnes & Kiger, 1992). From the moment the experiment begins, Jane Elliott uses a mean tone to speak to the participants. The following are some of her most insightful quotes on these issues. Elliott asked her students to write about their experiences for the local newspaper. . Jane Elliott, an educator and anti-racism activist, first conducted her blue eyes/brown eyes exercise in her third-grade classroom in Iowa in 1968. ", "I've never forgotten the exercise," Whisenhunt volunteered. Some guidelines for avoiding or reducing this effect are: In conclusion, Jane Elliotts experiment demonstrates the fragility of coexistence and cooperation. The Blue Eyes Brown Eyes exercise is now known as the inspiration for diversity training in the workplace, making Jane Elliott one of the most influential educators in recent American history. ", Absolutely not. The mainstream media were complicit in advancing such a simplistic narrative. Blue-eyed students suggested that the teacher use a yardstick to discipline brown-eyed students that misbehaved. One teacher ended up displaying the same bigotry Elliott had spent the morning trying to fight. Before proceeding with the test, she began with random questions to fully understand the children's perception of Negroes. A Teacher's Report on 'a Class Divided' a Pbs Film: Teaching This is the phrase that inspired one of the most well-known experiments in education. Blue eyes, brown eyes: What Jane Elliott's famous experiment says about race 50 years on. To back up my statement Bloom (2005) says Jane Elliott's blue-eyes brown-eyes exercise encouraged children to mistrust authority figures. She compromised the APA's Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard because she lied, after that she recanted the lies and kept as they were justified because of her greater purpose. The documentary has become a popular teaching tool among teachers, business owners, and even employees at correctional facilities. The kids in the bottom group became timider and kept to themselves. Jane Elliott Although Jane Elliot's intentions were to teach the youngsters about racism, ethical issues related to the simulation were raised. Consequently, the brown-eyed children started using blue-eyes as an insult. A Class Divided - Wikipedia The day after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination in 1968, Jane Elliott, a schoolteacher in rural Iowa, introduced to her all-white third-grade class a shocking experiment to demonstrate . Jane Elliot's 'The Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes Experiment' was unethical in that she created a segregated environment in a third grade classroom. The blue-eyed participants faced discrimination for two and a half hours. In the most uncomfortable moments, Elliott reminds the students of violent acts caused by racism or homophobia. The answer, in a word, was nothing. The searing story is a cautionary tale that examines power and privilege in and out of the classroom. Is your time best spent reading someone elses essay? The anti-racism sessions Elliott led were intense. Even though some of the children said yes, Elliott pushed back. Youve probably heard different versions of it. "Let me look at you," Elliott said. Considering all the stereotypes and prejudices that exist, what kind of damage is being done? . Days after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., she pioneered an experiment to show her all-white class of third graders what it was like to be Black in America. They killed hundreds of thousands of people based on eye color alone, thats the reason I used eye color for my determining factor that day., Elliott divided the class into children with blue eyes and children with brown eyes. If you white folks want to be treated the way blacks are in this society, stand. The selection was based on the color of the eye for each group. But they returned to a better placeunlike a child of color, who gets abused every day, and never has the ability to find him or herself in a nurturing classroom environment." people are better than blue-eyed people. They were also relevant in the 1950s when Elliott first began this work. "Your son got what he deserved," the woman said. It's cruel to white children and will cause them great psychological damage. Order from one of our vetted writers instead. The blue-eyed students, when told they were superior and offered privileges such as extra recess time, changed their behavior dramatically and their attitudes toward the children with brown eyes. American Psychological Association, 4. Despite the adaptation of the experiment in psychological studies, Jane has been widely criticized for her unethical conduct and promotion of discrimination among children. Written and verified by the psychologist Francisco Roballo. Elliott shared the essays with her mother, who showed them to the editor of the weekly Riceville Recorder. But Elliotts experiment had a more sinister impact. Brown-eyed people. As a school teacher in the small town of Riceville, Iowa, Elliott first conducted the anti-racism experiment on her all-white third-grade classroom, the day after the civil rights leader was killed.