Description

Over thirty years ago, Jane Elliott devised the controversial and startling, “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise. This now famous exercise labels participants as inferior or superior based solely upon the color of their eyes and exposes them to the experience of being a minority.  A classic in in group and out group conflict.

Discussion Questions

• Did any part of the film surprise you? Do you think someone of a different race, ethnicity, or religion also find it surprising?
• How did the negative and positive labels placed on a group become self-fulfilling prophecies?
• Do you think that kids today would react the same as the kids did in this video? Why?
• Some suggest this experiment shouldn’t be done with children. What do you think? If the exercise could be harmful to children, what would actual discrimination do?

Keywords: Jane Elliot, Blue eyes brown eyes, social experiment, discrimination, minority, group think, racism, bias, psychology, identity